MMO Updates |
- DUST 514 dev blog shows off guns, lots of guns
- Trickster Online updates with new Chaos Tower content
- Lord of the Rings Online's Update 5 invading Dunland next week
- World of Tanks tops its own Guinness World Record
- Goblinworks CEO: 'There's a whole new way to make MMOs affordably'
- The Daily Grind: What game do you wish you had time for?
- Gamebreaker's 12 Days of Smack Talkin' brings holiday cheer, WoW-vs.-SWTOR arguments
- Dragon Nest celebrates the holidays with Scarlet Snow
- Aeria Games bringing Need for Speed World to a global audience
- Outspark announces Fiesta Online expansion, Expedition to Adealia
- New Star Trek Online developer diary explores the abandoned Jem'Hadar ships
- New EVE Online Chronicle provides a meeting of the minds over ships
- Portalarium announces Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale as first title
- Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated]
- Final Fantasy XIV previews in-game achievement system
- World of Warcraft's holiday sale includes $10 sparkleponies
- Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT
- Free for All: Checking out Rosh Online
- Choose My Adventure: Lineage II by a landslide
- Anarchy Online gets its own convention in 2012: AO Con
| DUST 514 dev blog shows off guns, lots of guns Posted: 08 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox  Said weapons are broken down into light, heavy, and sidearm classes, with one example of each detailed. Light weapons are the most common, and they fulfill multiple roles for short- and medium-range applications. They also come in four variants, each of which allows gamers to select a playstyle that features a number of trade-offs (lower fire rates for increased accuracy, etc.). Heavy weapons are more specialized, and are only available to players skilled enough to use heavy dropsuits. Sidearms are generally used as backup weapons, but they're still deadly in the right hands. Finally, today's entry continues the DUST tradition of showing off factional equipment variants, so head to the PlayStation blog to get a glimpse of some Amarr, Gallente, and Caldari weaponry.
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| Trickster Online updates with new Chaos Tower content Posted: 08 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Be that as it may, the real reason for this post is to inform you that Trickster has updated with some new content called The Chaos Tower. The patch includes the titular tower, which brings "hours of never before seen playable content" to SG Interactive's free-to-play title. The tower boasts 72 floors of enemies, and the rewards for running the gauntlet are plentiful. The update also introduces a new weapon forging system which allows players to combine Chaos Tower loot items with their existing gear in order to make even more powerful weapons of mass destruction. Head to the official Trickster site to learn more and to download the game. [Source: SG Interactive press release]
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| Lord of the Rings Online's Update 5 invading Dunland next week Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Free-to-play  It's December 12th that Lord of the Rings Online will be releasing its first major post-Rise of Isengard patch, Update 5. The update comes loaded with endgame activities, including a huge instance cluster, an instance finder, and a new book in the epic storyline: Volume III Book 5. You can read more about Update 5 with our Turbine interview, head over to A Casual Stroll to Mordor to listen to what questions fans have about the patch, or check out the gallery below for five new screenshots of one of the instances, The Foundry. [Source: Turbine press release]
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| World of Tanks tops its own Guinness World Record Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: MMO industry, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks  That seems like Wargaming.net's philosophy, as the studio just announced that it's already broken World of Tanks' previously established record for Most Players Online Simultaneously on One MMO Server. 250,000 players crammed onto the game's Russian server simultaneously in November, far outstripping the title's earlier achievement of 91,311. CEO Victor Kislyi said that its upcoming technology and software upgrades will enable World of Tanks to do even better: "We are more than happy to watch our World of Tanks win over hearts and minds of gamers all around the world. The multicluster technology will enable us to move steadily towards new milestones and records." We recently gave World of Tanks a close look in our Firing Line column. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
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| Goblinworks CEO: 'There's a whole new way to make MMOs affordably' Posted: 08 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Miscellaneous, Dungeons, Crafting  Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey introduces key members of the Pathfinder team (including industry veterans who have worked on titles including City of Heroes and World of Darkness) before moving on to a high-level view of Pathfinder's business plan. Three main strategies emerge from the wall o' text, and Dancey cites the use of field-tested middleware, sandbox design elements, and most interestingly, a hard cap on the number of new players allowed into the game each month as the factors that will make Pathfinder stand apart from the gaggle of themepark clones currently blotting out the sun. "Making a game that starts with 4,500 players and grows to 16,500 players [after seven months] is much, much easier and vastly less expensive than making a game designed to accommodate a million players on day one," Dancey explains. He goes on to say that Pathfinder aims to emulate EVE Online's model of starting small and gradually building a larger playerbase over time while avoiding "a huge themepark mortgage" in terms of development and infrastructure costs.
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| The Daily Grind: What game do you wish you had time for? Posted: 08 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous  While you probably won't find many folks complaining about the genre explosion we've witnessed over the past few years, it is becoming harder to see it all, even though the free-to-play movement has removed many of the financial obstacles inherent in the game-hopping lifestyle. There's always one game (or two, or seven) that you never seem to have time for, despite the fact that it looks really cool and dammit you're going to make time for that starting... sometime. For me, that game is Fallen Earth, and I'm bummed out by the fact that I'm still saying that two years after its launch. What about you, Massively folk? Is there a game (or games) that you keep meaning to play?  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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| Gamebreaker's 12 Days of Smack Talkin' brings holiday cheer, WoW-vs.-SWTOR arguments Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Everybody knows that nothing says "Happy Holidays" like throwing some more fuel on the WoW-vs.-SWTOR fire. Gamebreaker.TV fully realizes this and has decided to contribute its own rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas in the form of a World of Warcraft Rogue trading verbal blows with a Star Wars: The Old Republic Sith Assassin over whose game is better. It's a rather amusing way of mixing MMOs and holiday spirit, but let's not let it devolve into a real flame war, hm? Click on past the cut for the full video.
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| Dragon Nest celebrates the holidays with Scarlet Snow Posted: 07 Dec 2011 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dragon Nest  The weather is cooling down, and it's the season for fresh, white, beautiful snow. Dragon Nest, however, wants to turn that snow red with its upcoming update, Scarlet Snow. The new patch, coming sometime in December, will raise the game's level cap to 40. And of course, a raised level cap means new challenges for players to conquer. Saint's Haven will play host to two new nests and dungeons, and there will be plenty of seasonal events for players to see. For more information, check out the post on the game's official website.
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| Aeria Games bringing Need for Speed World to a global audience Posted: 07 Dec 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Real life, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Need for Speed World, Miscellaneous  Like many other releases from Aeria Games, Need for Speed World's global release comes with several different localizations. The client is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Polish, letting players of several different nationalities face off against one another on the mean streets of several fictional cities. And of course, the core racing mechanics of the game have remained intact so that players can enjoy the whole free-to-play racing game in whatever tongue is most comfortable.
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| Outspark announces Fiesta Online expansion, Expedition to Adealia Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play  Outspark has announced a new expansion for its flagship free-to-play MMO, Fiesta Online. For the uninitiated, Fiesta Online is a fantasy MMORPG that puts players in the shoes of one of seven classes (such as Archer, Cleric, or Trickster) and sends them on a quest to -- what else -- save the world. More or less, anyway. The expansion, known as Expedition to Adealia, will bring players to the eponymous continent of Adealia. There, they will be tasked with battling "the evil that consumes the land." The expansion will also increase the level cap, allowing players to progress their characters' power even further. To find out more about the upcoming expansion, or to join the game yourself, head on over to Fiesta Online's official site. [Source: Outspark press release]
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| New Star Trek Online developer diary explores the abandoned Jem'Hadar ships Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play  In game terms, the ship is small and quick and mounts a heavy offensive arrangement of officers and equipment. In lore terms, however, the presence of the ships could easily be the subject of an entire set of missions (and may be in the future, in the Foundry if not from the development team). It's an interesting fictional read as well as an interesting look at a new ship type in the game, both of which should appeal to fans of Star Trek Online
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| New EVE Online Chronicle provides a meeting of the minds over ships Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, News items, Sandbox  On the face of it, the piece is simply a bit of fiction about two individuals meeting to discuss a business deal. But it also shows off the labyrinthine politics, rules, and subterfuge involved in the game. Even if you're not familiar with the setting, the tale stands on its own as a piece of science fiction -- and if you are familiar, you may well find something of interest in the simple exchange of words over battleships.
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| Portalarium announces Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale as first title Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items, Miscellaneous  Richard Garriott's recent startup, Portalarium, had many people wondering what would be the first thing to come out of this mad scientist's new studio. Well, wonder no more. Now we know that Portalarium's first title will be a Facebook game known as Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale, which focuses on -- you guessed it -- collecting things that you buy at garage sales. We couldn't make this up if we tried. Players can create an avatar and customize their houses, and then go shopping at estate sales, garage sales, pawn shops, and so forth in order to complete collections of items. These item collections can then be displayed in your house as a trophy of sorts, or you can sell them to make a quick buck. We'll just have to wait and see how this bizarre project shapes up in the coming months.
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated] Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:45 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, Patches, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The pre-order page for player accounts now includes a link to download and install the client, assuming that you've entered the code you received when you ordered. Curiously, this latest announcement says that players can receive up to seven days of early access, although that may well be a typo. If you'd missed previous announcements, players who took part in a beta weekend prior to November 24th will need to reinstall the game, so go ahead and download the updated client and get ready for the early launch in a few days. [Update: Darth Hater has collected several forum and Twitter posts that confirm the December 13th date is not a typo and is "different from previously advertised." Early-early-access, here we come!]
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| Final Fantasy XIV previews in-game achievement system Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Each achievement category starts out locked, but once players speak with a specified NPC, the category will be unlocked for viewing. Both titles and special items can be unlocked, and the system will also reward achievement points to help give you an idea how much you've accomplished through the game. Bringing the system off the site and into the game might produce a few hiccups, but it looks as if the implementation will give Final Fantasy XIV players some interesting goals to chase.
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| World of Warcraft's holiday sale includes $10 sparkleponies Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items  The holidays are here, and you know what that means: holiday sales! Blizzard is joining the fun with a number of (rather good) deals. The World of Warcraft Battle Chest, which includes vanilla WoW and The Burning Crusade, is on sale for a measly $5 US. Wrath of the Lich King is on sale for $10, and Cataclysm's price has been reduced to $20. And as if that's not enough, Blizzard is also providing discounts for two of its cash shop items. Players can get their hands on a sparklepony for $10 or a Pandaren Monk non-combat pet for $5. The sale lasts until December 19th, so act now. For the full details, check out the news on WoW's official site.
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| Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift  You wouldn't think that harvesting little festive oddities could be turned into a hardcore game, but that is exactly what I and a few other players ended up doing. And that got me thinking about Jesper Juul's book A Casual Revolution. In it, he looks at how video games have gone back to their roots and reinvented themselves, leading, for example, to the rise of the Wii. His book focused more on console gaming and didn't address MMOs that much, but in this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I'd like to look at how his ideas apply to RIFT, particularly with recent changes to the game. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: The casual revolution in RIFT
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| Free for All: Checking out Rosh Online Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, New titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Free for All  The problem with jumping right into a game that you have never played before is that you can't really get an exact sense of what it is like to be a real, brand-new player. It's important to know how that feels so that it can be passed on to potential newbies. Either way, I enjoyed my time with Rosh Online, but I did have quite a few issues with it. I'm sure a lot will change over time, especially since this game is brand-new, but in the meanwhile I'll tell you all about it. Click past the cut! Continue reading Free for All: Checking out Rosh Online
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| Choose My Adventure: Lineage II by a landslide Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Lineage 2, Classes, Opinion, Free-to-play, Races, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous  All its servers going F2P and the release of Age of Discovery weren't enough to put EverQuest II in the running. The F2P population boom in DC Universe Online's and its recent Lightning Strikes update weren't enough to create competition. Nope. The allure of Lineage II's F2P mode and the launch of the Goddess of Destruction expansion were just too much for voters to pass up. Now it's your turn to start steering my course in the lands of Lineage II. Race, class, gender and my first class-transfer are all on the table. I've tried to make voting as easy and clear as possible, but given how each race, and gender determine which classes you can choose from, you should make an effort to understand how all the choices work. Here's one example: Voting Dwarf and then Mystic is wasting a vote because Dwarves can only be Fighters, and it skews the results for those who are voting for a race that can be Mystics. You'll see what I mean. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Lineage II by a landslide
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| Anarchy Online gets its own convention in 2012: AO Con Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Anarchy Online, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage  GridStream Productions is putting on the first-ever Anarchy Online convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 10th through 12th, 2012. The convention will take place at the Grand Rapids Airport Hilton, and is scheduled to have DJs, costume contests, panels, and meet-n-greets. Registration is affordable -- it's only $25 to attend the three-day convention, but you have to be 18 by August 2012 in order to go. GridStream Productions is an in-game organization that primarily focuses on putting out Anarchy Online broadcasts.
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