MMO Updates |
- Funcom talks The Secret World at NYCC
- Star Wars: The Old Republic talks instanced regions and hubs at NYCC
- Pitchblack shows off Prime beta footage in latest dev chat
- MV Guide: October 17-23, 2011
- The Daily Grind: Are MMO sequels doomed to fail?
- League of Legends patch preview describes Dominion balance changes
- MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011
- EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX
- Newest Star Trek Online blog details upcoming event system
| Funcom talks The Secret World at NYCC Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World  Several of the questions from the audience related to The Secret World's progression mechanics, and Tornquist stated that despite the fact that the game has no levels, there will be plenty of activities for grind aficionados. The term horizontal progression was mentioned, as were various skills and gear (the latter of which serves as a gate between different bits of the game's content). Check out the rest of the recap, along with a video embed, at MMORPG.com.
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic talks instanced regions and hubs at NYCC Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Previews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The Flashpoints will not all be story-focused, according to Reid, with some focused more heavily on the puzzle or gameplay aspects. All of them, however, can be replayed at higher difficulties in the endgame. In addition, Reid showed off the upcoming fleet hubs for the game, the central gathering areas for players that feature vendors, auction systems, and a special "VIP Lounge" for people who purchased the Collector's Edition. With only a little over two months remaining until the game's launch, there's not much more time before these promised features become a reality.
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| Pitchblack shows off Prime beta footage in latest dev chat Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  Ranged and melee combat is evident, as are several different environments. The devs call attention to the game's three-faction PvP elements, and though the brief clips show relatively small groups of combatants, that will eventually change in favor of large-scale engagements. Pitchblack also says that it's getting ready to release a few official combat videos, so stay tuned to Massively for the latest and greatest Prime: BFD news and views. [Thanks to Bartillo for the tip!] Continue reading Pitchblack shows off Prime beta footage in latest dev chat
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| Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, 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.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule! Continue reading MV Guide: October 17-23, 2011
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| The Daily Grind: Are MMO sequels doomed to fail? Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  It isn't as though all sequels are failures; EverQuest and EverQuest II are both still around, after all, though EQII has never quite risen to the relative prominence of its predecessor. And Guild Wars 2 is right around the corner ("when it's ready"). But we can certainly point to other sequels that never even made it to launch, like Ultima Online 2 and Ultima X: Odyssey, which were canned specifically because the developer believed they would hurt their big brother, classic Ultima Online. What do you think? Are sequels generally a bad idea, too risky, doomed to fail? Are GW2 and EQII among the few exceptions that prove the rule? Or should we embrace a modern, graphically enhanced "re-envisioning" (as PlanetSide 2 is putting it) of old and beloved games?  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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| League of Legends patch preview describes Dominion balance changes Posted: 16 Oct 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively  A series of changes are heading our way for LoL's new Dominion game mode. Popular item Hextech Gunblade turned out to be far too powerful in Dominion games, and is due for a nerf. In addition to tweaking the item's stats, Riot is removing the ability to stack several of the item to multiply its spell vamp. The personal score system is being modified to better reward players for team-based accomplishments rather than just kills, assists and attacking points. Due to the popularity of late-game carries in Dominion, developers are adjusting the rate of XP gain to make late-game dominance of those champions less inevitable. Skip past the cut to check out the video and find out the full details of all the changes coming to League of Legends in the next patch. Continue reading League of Legends patch preview describes Dominion balance changes
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| MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011 Posted: 16 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous  This week, Massively's own Beau Hindman and Karen Bryan attended GDC Online 2011 in Austin, Texas. GDC may not have the splash and hoopla of some of the other conventions, but it makes up for that by leaving the marketing department at the door and asking the brains behind the games to discuss the latest MMO trends and revolutions. We covered panels from BioWare, Trion, CCP and the rest on surviving in an ever-changing industry, balancing players' needs against the limits of the technology, and playing with numbers for fun and profit. Hit the break for a roundup of our GDC Online coverage as well as a look at this week's other top MMO stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011
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| EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX Posted: 16 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, EVE Evolved  PLEX essentially allow players to pay for an EVE subscription with in-game ISK, and it provides a legitimate way for players to buy ISK in a way that doesn't harm the in-game economy. It's a clever system that undercuts illicit RMT business, generates additional revenue for the company, and has even been used for charity drives, but EVE isn't the only game to use the system. The success of PLEX in EVE has spurred several other MMOs to follow suit over the years, both in the subscription-based and free-to-play arenas. Runes of Magic, TERA, Star Trek Online and even World of Warcraft have borrowed a page from CCP's book in one way or another, and it's paying off for them big time. In this week's EVE Evolved, I put the PLEX system under the microscope to find out exactly what makes it tick, and I look at other MMOs implementing similar systems. Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX
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| Newest Star Trek Online blog details upcoming event system Posted: 16 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play  As the blog outlines, players will be given access to a calendar showing the in-game events planned for the next 48 hours, with other special events popping up and leaving on a less regular schedule. Players can queue up to take part in these events as they become available, giving an alternate path to the extant missions and episodes. It's a fairly involved system overall, and it's the sort of thing that could help convey a sense of a dynamic universe.
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