MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Age of Conan prepares to pillage 2012 with basketweaving

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST

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Age of Conan
The Funcom team is happy with its bone-crunching achievements in Age of Conan last year, but it has moved on to bigger and better conquests. In a new development update, the devs outline their roadmap for 2012 -- and it might not be what you'd expect.

According to the update, the team felt torn between adding more content to the game and going back to rework and tweak systems that needed it: "Our problem there in 2011 was that with so much content to support, the majority of the systems time was consumed by the creation of everything that is needed for the content itself." As a result, the first half of 2012 looks to be light on the content side of things -- although with new tier-four raids, it won't be non-existent.

Instead, the team will be reworking the tradeskill system this summer to make it more involving and complex than the modern "point and click" setup. Other improvements on the way include enlarging bank space, a dual-specification system, class balancing, and single-server development.

Following these projects, the team will shift back into content-creation mode, starting with a new adventure pack for later this year.

MassivelyAge of Conan prepares to pillage 2012 with basketweaving originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to be Massively's next Guild Wars columnist?

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:30 AM PST

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Rubi waving bye
ArenaNet's Guild Wars is a fascinating MMO. The original released almost seven years ago, with the sequel set to release later this year. There's no doubt that Guild Wars 2 tops the list of the most anticipated MMO for 2012, which makes writing about it all the more fun and exciting.

That's where you come in. After learning that our own Rubi Bayer will be whisked away by an as-yet unnamable job offer, we're in desperate need of someone to fill her weekly Guild Wars columnist spot on the site*.

Follow along after the jump for the full details!

*Keeping us in line and making "that's what she said" jokes optional.

Continue reading Want to be Massively's next Guild Wars columnist?

MassivelyWant to be Massively's next Guild Wars columnist? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Flameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead

    Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:00 AM PST

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    Pre-Searing
    To say last week was exciting for Guild Wars 2 fans is a bit of an understatement. Mike O'Brien gave the community the news it's been dying to hear, Ree Soesbee told us all about the Jotun (no, seriously, I hate those guys and their stupid KDs), and... well, some other things happened too.

    We've got lots to talk about, so hit the jump and let's dive right in.

    Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead

    MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      New TERA IP blocking policy contradicts previous En Masse tweets

      Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST

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      TERA - Lancer girl
      Yesterday we reported on En Masse Entertainment's policy when it comes to IP blocking and region-locks for its upcoming TERA MMORPG. While the company's decision to keep users from Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East off its American servers isn't particularly unusual, it is curious in the wake of several previous statements to the contrary.

      It turns out that En Masse said it wouldn't engage in foreign IP blocking four separate times via its TERA Twitter account before reversing course with its support post over the weekend.

      Is the new policy going to prevent you from playing TERA? Tell us what you think!

      [Thanks to Stilllove for the tip.]

      MassivelyNew TERA IP blocking policy contradicts previous En Masse tweets originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      MV Guide: January 30-February 5, 2012

      Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

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      Runes of Magic
      MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV.

      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 our streamed 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, streaming is 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: January 30-February 5, 2012

      MassivelyMV Guide: January 30-February 5, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Do you skip dialogue?

        Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST

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        SWTOR
        A very clever Massively poster once remarked that BioWare is indeed famous for story -- the same story, over and over. OK, so he was exaggerating for effect, but even I sometimes feel as if I've seen this scene before once or twice in BioWare's storygames. That hasn't driven me to skip over cutscenes or dialogue, not yet, but judging by how many gamers are already sitting in the endgame of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I have to wonder whether that's exactly what everyone else is doing.

        So 'fess up -- are you wearing out your spacebar key skipping through dialogue, or are you drinking in every last line?

        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: Do you skip dialogue? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          MMO Week in Review: Popcorn

          Posted: 29 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST

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          GW2 screenshot
          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. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

          NCsoft made headlines this week twiceover. First, the company confirmed that Guild Wars 2 will indeed be launching in 2012 and will see several periods of public (but not open) betas, though Amazon.de's June 30th launch date seems premature.

          Second, NCsoft has lodged yet another lawsuit against En Masse Entertainment and Bluehole Studios, alleging that former employees now working for En Masse repurposed Lineage III assets for use in TERA, due out this May. En Masse has vowed to fight the suit. We have stocked up on popcorn.

          The rest of this week's top MMO stories are tucked just behind the cut!

          Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Popcorn

          MassivelyMMO Week in Review: Popcorn originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            EVE Evolved: Could EVE Online go free-to-play?

            Posted: 29 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST

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            EVE Online title image
            When EVE Online was released in 2003, the subscription model was the dominant business model for MMOs. Subscriptions have dominated Western MMOs throughout most of EVE's reign, but in the past two years we've seen the market push toward alternative models. Although the Incarna expansion controversially introduced a cash shop for cosmetic items, EVE Online has remained a subscription MMO in the face of tremendous market pressure to change. Although CCP plans to use a free-to-play model for DUST 514 and World of Darkness, no plans for EVE to adopt a similar system have been announced.

            There's no sense in trying to deny it: The market is changing, with microtransaction-supported free-to-play games producing far more money than subscription titles. Hybrid models that give players the choice between microtransactions or a regular subscription have turned the industry on its head. When Turbine first implemented a hybrid model in Dungeons and Dragons Online, not only did profit shoot up from the free players but subscriptions rose. When the studio gave Lord of the Rings Online the same treatment, profits tripled almost overnight. The money is firmly in microtransactions, and it would be disingenuous to assume CCP won't chase that kind of financial reward. But could EVE even support a free-to-play business model, and what alternatives are there?

            In this week's EVE Evolved, I ask whether it would be possible for EVE Online to adopt a free-to-play business model, and I suggest a simple alternative model that could really work.

            Continue reading EVE Evolved: Could EVE Online go free-to-play?

            MassivelyEVE Evolved: Could EVE Online go free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Amateur documentary tackles online game addiction

              Posted: 29 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST

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              World of Warcraft title image
              Countless documentaries have investigated gaming addiction and the supposed dangers lurking in massively multiplayer titles, but it's not often that someone who's experienced an addiction talks about it himself. Third year film student and ex World of Warcraft junkie Anthony Rosner looks back on his six years in the game in a new short documentary on the effects of MMO addiction. With help from friends Dave Novis and Arron Amo, Anthony produced, directed, wrote, and edited the film himself, ensuring that he had the opportunity to tell his whole story and tell it from his own perspective.

              Titled IRL - In Real Life, the film takes a largely light-hearted look at Anthony's past but still manages to tackle the big issues. "I used to wake up early, log on, play all day, and then go to sleep," Anthony recalls, adding the sobering note that this was his routine "for over 400 days of my life." Most of us can sympathise with people who feel isolated in the most social type of game there is, or who feel like running a guild is a full-time job. Anthony tackles these issues and talks about how he dragged himself out of them. The film's high production quality and authentic voice offer a glimpse into a world to which we can all relate. Check out the full video after the cut.

              Continue reading Amateur documentary tackles online game addiction

              MassivelyAmateur documentary tackles online game addiction originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Rise and Shiny recap: Urban Rivals

              Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

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              Urban Rivals screenshot
              I would like to start off by saying that Urban Rivals, a multiplayer collectible card game, is not an MMO. While I always try to play MMOs for this column, occasionally my "grab a random MMO, one that was recommended by a reader a while ago, and write about it" method needs some tweaking. I don't always get a chance to vet a game mainly because I want to go through the very first stages of play while streaming live on Mondays, so sometimes less-than-Massive games squeeze through. File this under Not So Massively.

              Other than that, I found some neat design in the game. I didn't find anything that would just blow us away as gamers, but it has some cool ideas and artwork all the same. There's also the mobile version of the game to consider -- a universal app for the iPhone or iPad that allows for gaming anywhere.

              Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Urban Rivals

              MassivelyRise and Shiny recap: Urban Rivals originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                SOE's Matt Higby talks PlanetSide 2 resources, territory control, and more

                Posted: 29 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST

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                PlanetSide 2 - soldiers at dusk
                PlanetSide Universe and Auraxis Global Network got together with PlanetSide 2 creative director Matt Higby for a two-hour interview session last night. If you missed it, the full video chat is available after the cut below.

                Higby and the AGN crew covered a lot of territory relating to Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming MMOFPS. Topics included the Engineer class, urban combat, and the territory and resource control systems. Higby also had plenty to say about the general philosophy behind PS2, and how the dev team is focused on refining the gameplay of its predecessor rather than reinventing the wheel.

                "One of the things that we're trying to do with the game is reduce downtime, reduce a lot of the maintenance things that you had to do that were kind of inconvenient. We're not removing logistics or strategy [...] but trying to lessen those maintenance tasks that are less enjoyable as much as possible," Higby explained.

                Continue reading SOE's Matt Higby talks PlanetSide 2 resources, territory control, and more

                MassivelySOE's Matt Higby talks PlanetSide 2 resources, territory control, and more originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                En Masse outlines policy for TERA IP blocking

                Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:00 AM PST

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                TERA - Castanic male character creation
                Lawsuits notwithstanding, TERA's North American debut is but a few short months away, and En Masse Entertainment probably has plenty of things on its pre-launch to-do list. One of those things is publicizing its policy on region-based IP blocking, and the firm did just that via a recent update to its support website.

                The firm will block IP addresses based on region, and Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East are currently included on the company's block list. "While we appreciate that there are players in these regions who would enjoy playing on En Masse servers, it's unfortunate that the vast majority of internet traffic we see from these regions is from cyber-criminals relating to account theft, gold-farming and other hacking behavior," the company says.

                En Masse will not initially block proxies, but "a proxy or server host will be blocked if it becomes a popular tool for criminal behavior," according to the release.

                [Thanks to Stilllove for the tip!]

                MassivelyEn Masse outlines policy for TERA IP blocking originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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