MMO Updates |
- EVE dev blog teases new player customs offices
- Aion's 3.0 update features extensive housing mechanics, mounts
- New TERA video flies through Fyrmount region
- The Soapbox: Bad beta
- The Daily Grind: Do you care about the lore of non-playable races?
- SOE opens beta registration for EQII Age of Discovery expansion
- John Smedley talks EverQuest, DC Universe Online, and future projects
- Not So Massively: Livestreaming edition
- Cable joins the Marvel Universe Online roster
- BioWare says gamers find it hard to go back to other MMOs after playing SWTOR
- Leaderboard: GW's Gwen vs. EQ's Firiona Vie
- Flameseeker Chronicles: A closer look at the Grawl of Guild Wars 2
- Wings Over Atreia: Socket this
- Browser-based indie MMO Star Corsairs goes live
- Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west
- The Secret World kicks off Week of the Dragon
- CCP readying new EVE bug reporting tool
- Midwestern Conference on Health Games to feature MMO presentation
- Turbine addresses LotRO forum security concerns
| EVE dev blog teases new player customs offices Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  CCP Omen has the details in the latest EVE dev blog and in a nutshell, player customs houses exist to enable planetary taxation and to add a new wrinkle to the game's planetary interaction mechanics. You'll need to erect a customs office in orbit around a planet (note: there can be only one), and of course it can be attacked and destroyed by your fellow capsuleers. For a list of materials, costs, and associated corporation functionality, warp on over to the official EVE dev blog.
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| Aion's 3.0 update features extensive housing mechanics, mounts Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Crafting  While NCsoft has already implemented some of the visual tweaks in a previous patch, the housing and mounts have remained conspicuously absent. Now, though, new info leaking out of Korea confirms that the features (and the rest of Aion 3.0) are indeed on the way. Housing will be available at level 21 and will boast many different styles, customizable interiors and exteriors (including color and elevation), functional wardrobes, and a variety of furniture items that will be produced by crafters. Mounts will come in both flying and ground-based flavors, and will need to be hatched from eggs like most of Aion's other pets. Finally, it's worth noting that NCsoft has no official release date for 3.0, and the North American servers usually lag several months behind their Korean counterparts in terms of content updates.
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| New TERA video flies through Fyrmount region Posted: 18 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA  Frogster, TERA's European publisher, has stepped up to the plate this morning by releasing a new fly-through video that takes viewers on a journey around Fyrmount. What's Fyrmount, you say? It's a volcanic region intertwined with the destinies of the Castanic race according to Frogster's press release. Young Castanics are sent to the hellish region "to be pushed to their limits" and are only accepted into adult society if they find something of value and return with it. Check out the video after the cut and head to the official TERA website for more info on Castanics and the game itself. [Source: Frogster press release] Continue reading New TERA video flies through Fyrmount region
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| Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous  So the beta for Star Wars: The Old Republic is currently taking place. And while you may be under an NDA and not allowed to say anything, I can freely say that I am not under an NDA without fear of reprisal. I can tell you that despite the fact that almost every other writer on staff seems to be in the beta -- I'm not in it. And truth be told, I'm not sure if I would be logging in even if I were part of the beta. Not because I don't want to play the game -- no, I preordered as soon as the option was available; I've been watching the news and looking forward to release for quite some time now. I've liked what I've played, and I know I'm going to buy it. But the fact of the matter is that betas are just plain terrible, for several reasons. Continue reading The Soapbox: Bad beta
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| The Daily Grind: Do you care about the lore of non-playable races? Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Lore, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Races, Miscellaneous  ArenaNet's not the first developer to place so much emphasis on the all-around development of a race fans can't play, but is it worth it? Does knowing the history, beliefs, and behavior of the other inhabitants of a game world draw you in and interest you, or is it mere window-dressing for the main part of the game?  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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| SOE opens beta registration for EQII Age of Discovery expansion Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  SOE's press blurb says that applications will be reviewed beginning on October 27th, with the expansion closed beta period beginning on November 14th. While Age of Discovery will not feature any new overland areas, dungeon-based content, or zones, it does boast the long-awaited debut of the Beastlord class as well as the Dungeon Maker player content system. Mercenaries, tradeskill apprentices, and item reforging round out the new stuff, and SOE expects to release the content toward the end of November.
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| John Smedley talks EverQuest, DC Universe Online, and future projects Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, EverQuest Next  Smedley also touches briefly on EverQuest Next, saying that he hopes the team can deliver something akin to the re-envisioning of the Star Trek franchise in the 2009 film. He goes on to discuss the change in DC Universe Online, the possibility for future projects on the upcoming PS Vita, and other projects further on down the line. It's an interesting look at what's next for a game that's defined the MMO since its launch.
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| Not So Massively: Livestreaming edition Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively  With over 200 viewers tuning in to watch last week's Path of Exile beta livestream, this week we'll be continuing the new tradition with our third Not So Massively livestream. Tune in to the Massively livestream channel on Friday, October 21st at 6 p.m. EDT to catch me and a few of the Massively staff playing incredibly popular MOBA League of Legends. Riot recently released a new champion spotlight on Teemo, one of the older champions and definitely the cutest. This week, Bloodline Champions revealed details of upcoming bloodline Metal Warden along with an interesting photo contest to win one of several Metal Warden pre-order packs. Firefall developer Mark Kern showed off the Forge level editor this week and discussed the team's daunting goals for content scale. Rise of Immortals released a Halloween themed update along with new immortal Talia, and Blizzard announced a massive Diablo III beta key sweepstakes. Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other online games that aren't quite MMOs. Continue reading Not So Massively: Livestreaming edition
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| Cable joins the Marvel Universe Online roster Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Universe Online  Marvel Universe Online's roster keeps growing steadily, with newcomer Cable being announced as the latest playable character at New York Comic Con this weekend. The gun-wielding, telepathic, telekinetic son of Cyclops joins Wolverine and Deadpool as the game's third announced character. Also teased is another hero whose silhouette should be distinctive to any comics fan (or anyone who went to the movies anytime this summer). Who could this mysterious avenger possibly be? Follow on past the cut and find out for yourself. Continue reading Cable joins the Marvel Universe Online roster
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| BioWare says gamers find it hard to go back to other MMOs after playing SWTOR Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  There's a "fair, reasonable tax and regulatory structure the government here [in Ireland] has provided for us which creates an entrepreneurial environment [...] which is a big bonus," Muzyka explains. The interview also touches on lore inspirations for both The Old Republic and the classic single-player Knights of the Old Republic RPG, as well as the team's confidence in its new massively multiplayer product. "One of the most common things we're already hearing is that people seem to find it hard to go back to other MMOs once they play The Old Republic," Muzyka said.
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| Leaderboard: GW's Gwen vs. EQ's Firiona Vie Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Humor, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard  Today, Leaderboard is pitting two of the more well-known MMO mascots against one another, sort of like Top Model if Top Model contained three-dimensional characters. In the left corner is Guild Wars' Gwen, an orphan, refugee, warrior, and storybook princess all rolled into one. In the right corner is Firiona Vie, the Vanna White of EverQuest box art. Firiona may be flaunting a bit more skin than battle protocol requires, but it's certainly served the purpose of getting players to pick up the box and wonder whether true Elfy love lies within. Gwen's recent marriage to Keiran Thackeray unfortunately takes her off the market to those hoping that a sentient computer would digitize and throw them into a video game in the hopes of (ahem) mesmerizing her with charm. It's Elfish mage vs. human mystic, blonde bombshell vs. goth cutie in today's knockout poll! Hit the jump to cast your vote. Continue reading Leaderboard: GW's Gwen vs. EQ's Firiona Vie
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: A closer look at the Grawl of Guild Wars 2 Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Races, Flameseeker Chronicles  Second, it's about the Grawl! This is a race that I really underappreciated in the past, just like the blog entry said. The Grawl came to my attention only when I was giggling as my miniature Grawl talked to himself while running behind me, raging at multiple Grawl Udolytes in hard mode, and cracking up while watching one of my favorite fan videos. I want to take a closer look at the Grawl, but there's more -- it was an exciting week in Tyria, so follow along after the jump and let's get started! Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: A closer look at the Grawl of Guild Wars 2
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| Wings Over Atreia: Socket this Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia  Any time you bring up the subject of manastones, it's like twisting a hot serrated knife in the collective bellies of Aion's community. It isn't the manastones per se, with their little tempting pluses to different stats, but rather it's the actual process of socketing them into gear that brings pain, frustration, and despair to the masses. If you operate under the premise that a game is a form of entertainment to be, oh I dunno... entertaining (dare we hope fun and enjoyable also?), then you have to wonder what exactly transpired to bring about this particular feature. Seriously, who kicked the dev's dog to make him retaliate with a thing like manastone socketing? Despite NCsoft's initial attempt to assure players that manastone socketing isn't that bad (that Shugo obviously works on consignment), the company appeared to about-face by recently offering no-fail supplements in the cash shop for a limited time. While socketing is a repeat headache for many Daevas, this particular move brought the subject (and the whole pay-to-win argument) to the forefront of community discussion. However, what really drew me back into the fray was the fact that I finally got myself a Stormwing armor drop and -- masochist that I seem to be lately -- I actually tried to socket it. I couldn't even get the first one in let alone the other four! Seraphim Lords help me if I have to do another six-slotter! So what's with this game mechanic? Why is it even in Aion? This week, Wings Over Atreia theorizes on the motivation behind this arguably flawed feature and offers some healthier alternatives. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Socket this
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| Browser-based indie MMO Star Corsairs goes live Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Launches, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Indie developer Machine 22 is at it again. Following the 2006 release of Golemizer, the one-man studio has now released Star Corsairs, a sci-fi title focusing on real-time starship battles. Players can explore the depths of outer-space, craft upgrades for their starships, do battle with alien species and other players, and form alliances to conquer entire space systems. The game is free-to-play and browser-based, meaning that anyone can play it on almost any machine (as long as you're not running a Commodore 64, in which case you're on your own). More details on the game can be found at the title's official site, or you can jump past the cut for Star Corsairs' release trailer. [Source: Machine 22 press release] Continue reading Browser-based indie MMO Star Corsairs goes live
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| Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west Posted: 17 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, PvP, Free-to-play  Gamepot's Shuhei Ueda says that seducing Japanese players is just the first step in the company's plans: "For Gamepot, it is truly amazing to see so many enthusiastic fans of the Wizardry franchise participate in the open beta testing, and now live service, of Wizardry Online. Bringing this innovative and legendary series to a new platform has been a rewarding process and we're looking forward to continuing our world-wide rollout to fans around the globe." Work continues on an English version of Wizardry Online, which Gamepot hopes will make it across the Pacific sometime in 2012. The studio is also seeking out a publisher for North American and European markets. While you wait, you can read up on our first look at Wizardry Online from this past summer's E3. [Source: Gamepot press release]
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| The Secret World kicks off Week of the Dragon Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Galleries, Screenshots, News items, The Secret World  Take a seat, Templars and Illuminati -- it's the Dragons' time to shine. Over at The Secret World's official site, Funcom has announced this week as Dragon week, meaning that as the week goes by, we'll be granted new information and assets focused on the Seoul-based secret society. The game's director, Ragnar Tørnquist, says, "Revealing new things about the Dragon is exciting for us, as the very nature of the Dragon is to stay hidden and create chaos behind the scenes to reach their ultimate goal." So it should be interesting to see what kind of tricks the organization has up its sleeves. Whether you're a Dragon initiate looking to find out more about your chosen secret society or you're a member of the Templars or Illuminati ready to build a dossier on your opposition, keep your eyes open in the coming week as the shady secrets of the Dragon are brought to light. In the meantime, though, check out the gallery below for six new Dragon-centric screenshots.
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| CCP readying new EVE bug reporting tool Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  CCP Redundancy has the details via the latest EVE dev blog, and the long and short of it is that there's a new crash-reporting tool scheduled to go live on October 18th. The tool has been tested internally and is just now ready for prime time, and Redundancy hums a few bars relating to the whys, the hows, and the privacy concerns. You can read all about it at the official EVE website.
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| Midwestern Conference on Health Games to feature MMO presentation Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous  "Benefits of MMO games will be presented with a focus on the social/emotional health of gifted students. Gifted students need opportunities to build social skills and collaborate with others, enhance leadership abilities, roleplay, and problem solve --all of which MMOs provide the framework [for]," Moore says.
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| Turbine addresses LotRO forum security concerns Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  As you would expect, it's all very hush-hush in terms of details, and the release recommends password changes for all LotRO players. While the game itself remains open for business, there is no time table for the restoration of forum services. "We are continuing to investigate and the forums will not reopen until this work is complete," Turbine says.
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