MMO Updates |
- Trion Worlds may go public following RIFT's success
- Appeals court affirms Richard Garriott's lawsuit win against NCsoft
- The Secret World lures half a million potential beta testers into the underworld
- ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events
- Blizzard's Metzen: Pandaren are as 'serious as a heart attack'
- The Daily Grind: Will you be participating in MMO Halloween festivities?
- SOE reveals EverQuest Resplendent Temple video
- Not So Massively: BlizzCon, beta keys, and game trailers
- Dive into SD Gundam Online's closed beta with a key from Massively!
- Final Fantasy XI gets an updated roadmap
- Wizard101 offers reimbursement for Sunday downtime
- Leaderboard: Free Realms' vs. Wizard101's unicorns
- Wings Over Atreia: Over the river and through the woods
- Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition
- Priston Tale introduces the Ice Mine
- First Impressions: Luvinia Online
- A haunted Halloween MMO tour [Update]
| Trion Worlds may go public following RIFT's success Posted: 25 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Legal, RIFT, Miscellaneous  The company announced that it is mulling over a decision to put the company on the market with an IPO. CEO Lars Buttler says that it's just a matter of time at this point: "As we build scale and become more profitable, [an IPO] is clearly on our horizon at some point. We've had a lot of bankers coming to us recently. We keep all of our options open at this point. We definitely have enough substance and enough skill to be a public company at the right time." Trion has been doing well for itself lately, as it's doubled its staff in 2011 and raised $100 million from investments since 2007. RIFT's success has helped to convince the company that an IPO is a solid move. "RIFT is vastly profitable. It is profitable every single week and every single month," Buttler said. RIFT isn't Trion's only project, as the company is working on End of Nations, Defiance, and the Red Door publishing platform.
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| Appeals court affirms Richard Garriott's lawsuit win against NCsoft Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous  The lawsuit came about after NCsoft fired Garriott in 2008 and then marked his departure as "voluntary," causing his stock options to expire instead of remaining intact through the end of his 2011 contract. In 2010 a court found NCsoft to have breached its contract, and ordered the company to pay $28 million plus interest and attorney fees to Garriott and his legal team. This recent ruling affirms that outcome and paves the path for Garriott to be compensated. In the ruling, the 5th Circuit Court writes, "It would be unjust to allow NCsoft to sit back during trial, observe Garriott's litigation strategy, and then demand a new trial on damages when it dislikes the verdict." [Source: Androvett Legal Media press release]
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| The Secret World lures half a million potential beta testers into the underworld Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-fi, MMO industry, The Secret World  Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas says this is bigger than anything the studio has seen to date: "We are thrilled to see the amount of interest The Secret World is generating among gamers and the press, and exceeding half a million beta registrations six months before release is definitely something we are proud of. The gamer interest in The Secret World and the community size for the game is even greater than we experienced with Age of Conan at the same stage of development. We expect the community size to keep on expanding at an ever faster pace in the coming months as we approach open beta and launch." The Secret World is scheduled to launch April 2012, and will be subscription-based with optional microtransactions on top of that.
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| ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events Posted: 25 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, Massively Event Coverage, ArcheAge  First up, XL Games is preparing a fourth closed beta test for sometime before the end of the year. Expectations are that this will happen in November, although no official announcement has been made. ArcheAge will be making an appearance at two upcoming events as well. At G-Star, XL Games is forgoing a public booth for a private one in an effort to court business support for the game. ArcheAge's Chinese publisher will be showing off a demo of the game's character creation, questing system, and PvP at the Tencent Game Carnival in November.
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| Blizzard's Metzen: Pandaren are as 'serious as a heart attack' Posted: 25 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items  World of Warcraft's latest expansion is no laughing matter, though, according to Blizzard's Chris Metzen. "These guys are not a joke. This is an idea that we've been thinking about for years. It's one of our favorite flavors of Warcraft. It's not ultimately really silly, it's just a little lighter," Metzen explained over the weekend. He went on to describe how WoW's senior art director Sam Didier has been doodling around with Pandaren subjects for years now and has produced some "crazy panda shamans" and other work that is off the proverbial hook. "This is not a throw-away silly silly haha funny expansion set," Metzen continued. "It is absolutely the next vital chapter and as things ratchet up, they're gonna get really gnarly."
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| The Daily Grind: Will you be participating in MMO Halloween festivities? Posted: 25 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events, in-game, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Festivals might include special event quests, seasonal NPCs, spooky costumes for your characters, and of course Halloween-themed goodies dropping from monsters throughout the land. It's a once-a-year celebration that pulls focus pretty hard in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Is that focus a good thing to you? Do you indulge in the festivities, costumes, and piles of virtual candy, or do you wait anxiously for things to return to your regularly scheduled gaming?  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 reveals EverQuest Resplendent Temple video Posted: 24 Oct 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest, Expansions, MMO industry, Patches, News items  The content will be available with EQ's latest expansion, and Cuenca says that the zone pushes the limits of what's possible with EQ's technology. There are plenty of mobs to be found in, around, and under the temple, including a race of pig-people that live off the refuse generated by the temple above (yes, really, and eww). Check out the clip after the cut and head to the official EQ website to learn more about the expansion. Continue reading SOE reveals EverQuest Resplendent Temple video
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| Not So Massively: BlizzCon, beta keys, and game trailers Posted: 24 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Giveaways, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively  It's BlizzCon week, and that means a whole torrent of information has been released on Blizzard's upcoming action RPG Diablo III. Blizzard also showed off its official StarCraft mod Blizzard DOTA, which has the potential to be a fully fledged MOBA with characters from every Blizzard game. Heroes of Newerth's developer S2 Games threw together a series of developer-vs.-player matches this week and got thoroughly smashed to bits. Online FPS Hedone has started its U.S. closed beta, and we have 2,000 beta keys to give away. Readers who managed to get their hands on a Realm of the Titans beta key from our key giveaway during the first beta test will be glad to know the second beta stage will be starting soon and that their old login details will work. Rise of Immortals fans received a new immortal spotlight video on Balak this week, while Blacklight: Retribution developers released the game's second developer diary. 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 MMO Continue reading Not So Massively: BlizzCon, beta keys, and game trailers
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| Dive into SD Gundam Online's closed beta with a key from Massively! Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Contests, Giveaways  If you're ready to become one of the game's first bug-hunters, head over to our giveaway page to snag a key, then create an OGPlanet account if you haven't yet. Enter your beta key code on the game's redemption page, and you're all set for beta testing! The first beta testing period will run from November 2nd to 6th. Don't worry about the date slipping your mind, as OGPlanet will send a reminder email to all beta testers. Grab your key and enjoy the beta! 
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| Final Fantasy XI gets an updated roadmap Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles  Updates to jobs and Merit Points are pretty easy to predict as the game rolls to its last update of the level cap, as are the addition of new Magian trials. Players can also expect updates to the Voidwatch battles, new Burning Circle battlefields, and a variety of quality-of-life improvements to several facets of gameplay. There's no hint on what might be coming after March, but it looks as if Final Fantasy XI will at least be starting the year off on the right foot.
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| Wizard101 offers reimbursement for Sunday downtime Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, Wizard101, Family  Wizard101 players may have noticed some unplanned downtime in their gameplay Sunday afternoon. J. Todd Coleman, aka Headmaster Ambrose, stopped by the forums today to clarify the issue. The technical problem that caused the downtime has since been fixed, but Coleman has said that some players may have experienced a loss of items acquired just prior to the downtime. But don't fret, Wizard101 players. The team keeps detailed logs of all acquired items, and any items acquired (or crowns spent) prior to the downtime will be reimbursed, even if the item was not actually lost. The team understands that erring on the side of caution such as this will result in some players receiving double the loot, but Coleman states that this outcome is "far preferable to running the risk of some players not recovering lost items. All items should be successfully reimbursed within the next 24 to 48 hours. For the full details on the problem and subsequent recovery, head on over to the game's official forums.
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| Leaderboard: Free Realms' vs. Wizard101's unicorns Posted: 24 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Humor, Free Realms, Kids, Wizard101, Family, Leaderboard  While I personally stopped paying attention to unicorns when Trapper Keepers went out of style, apparently they're still a "thing," especially with the younger market. You young 'uns, always keeping the unicorn union in business! Why don't you just let us harvest them for their magical horns which can be ground up and sprinkled on our Starbucks lattes? Ahem. Sorry. In any event, one such instance of ultra-cuteness is enough; two is completely unnecessary and unhealthy for the well-being of our universe. So today you must decide which game's unicorns will rule as lord supreme over the hearts of tweens everywhere, and which will be sold to the salt mines to haul loads while crying rainbow tears. Vote! And let it forever be on your conscience! [The unicorn on the left is from Wizard101; the one on the right is from Free Realms.] Continue reading Leaderboard: Free Realms' vs. Wizard101's unicorns
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| Wings Over Atreia: Over the river and through the woods Posted: 24 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia  Oh, if only it were that simple! And quick. 'Cause I got my hiking boots on and am raring to go. Heck, I will even wade through rivers of enemy blood to get me some housing! Now you all know what kind of statement that is coming from PvP-challenged me. Sadly, there is still a long wait ahead as there is no real official word on the release of 3.0 and its accompanying features. To be honest, with my all-too-obvious love of housing, I am not entirely sure that the information that trickled out of Korea this past week was more exciting... or painful. TEASE!! Either way, there is no ignoring the fact that the tantalizing information has come, posted front and center on the Korean Powerwiki for all to see. Thanks to some kind translating, those of us not fluent in Korean can also get a glimpse at what NCsoft has in store for us. Truly, I think that it is only fitting that last week's focus on a major frustration is followed up by something many are actually looking forward to! In all, some of the information revealed is exciting, some is pleasantly surprising, and some is even disappointing, Excited about Aion's upcoming housing or maybe just curious? Cross the threshold past the cut and join Wings Over Atreia as we explore the impending housing opportunities in Atreia. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Over the river and through the woods
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition Posted: 24 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Flameseeker Chronicles  As of this writing, the new quests haven't dropped yet, but there's still plenty to do. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at what's going on in Tyria! Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition
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| Priston Tale introduces the Ice Mine Posted: 24 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  Priston Tale, the long-running free-to-play MMORPG from SUBA Games, has announced its latest content update in a press release today. The update focuses on a cold, desolate land known as the Ice Mine, which only the most valiant of warriors could dare to brave. Of course, with great danger comes great reward, and the Ice Mine is no exception. Players who venture into the new territory will find all-new level 108 gear with which to increase their power. And they're going to need all the help they can get if they hope to face off against the Ice Mine's big baddy, Tulla. If you want to join the battle, head on over to Priston Tale's official site to sign up. [Source: SUBA Games press release]
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| First Impressions: Luvinia Online Posted: 24 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions  As readers of my other reviews will know, I'm very selective when it comes to free-to-play titles -- harsh, even. So does this quirky little MMO rise to the occasion, or does it flounder about at the bottom of the barrel? Follow me past the cut and I'll let you know. Continue reading First Impressions: Luvinia Online
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| A haunted Halloween MMO tour [Update] Posted: 24 Oct 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Culture, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Miscellaneous  With most MMOs sporting Halloween content, it's a safe bet that there's something for you in your favorite game. So hop on the hayride and get ready for a tour through the most terrifying, cute, and boo-tastic Halloween events in town! [Update: Added two more festivals... for justice!] Continue reading A haunted Halloween MMO tour [Update]
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