MMO Updates |
- BioWare: Average SWTOR play session tops four hours
- MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four
- Uncharted Water Online bribes greenhorn sailors with gifts
- The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?
- Guild Wars 2 info keeps on comin'
- A second look at The Secret World
- PlanetSide 2 devs run through a hypothetical battle scenario
- EverQuest sets sights on March 16th for free-to-play
- Spiral Knights update introduces new mission types and more
- Fallen Earth entices Marketplace shoppers with first-time purchase package
- The MMO Report: MMOs are Casey's children edition
- No subtlety to Champions Online's SMASH Alerts, just straight-up brawling
- What a tangled web Lord of the Rings Online weaves, especially for Weavers
- The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back!
- Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13
- City of Heroes announces Spring 2012 Player Summit
- The Guild Counsel: Stop yelling!
- The Perfect Ten: Clever ideas
- HeroEngine licensing takes off thanks to SWTOR's success
- Ask Massively: Big questions deserve big answers edition
| BioWare: Average SWTOR play session tops four hours Posted: 24 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Zeschuk goes on to say that the retention is a sign of the title's addictive "just-one-more" gameplay, and that the firm is pulling an "intense amount of analytics and telemetry" from the title. Finally, he hints at the theory that most SWTOR players are happy due to a general drop in forum tomfoolery. "You can tell when things are going really well in the game," Zeschuk explains. "The amount of forum chatter drops. People don't go to forums. They just play." Take that as you will, and let us know how long your average SWTOR session lasts.
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| MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four Posted: 24 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility  Well, here we are at the last. I wanted to go over some of the best ideas the readers had, cover what we were able to do with the actual game, and debate how much further it would need to go to be considered officially "done." Continue reading MMObility: Let's make a mobile MMO, part four
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| Uncharted Water Online bribes greenhorn sailors with gifts Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Historical, War, Free-to-play, Promotions  In addition to the novice pack, players can earn up to three additional gift packs by leveling up. If a player hits level 20 in all three main skills, he or she will even be gifted with a fine new sea vessel of his or her very own. The giveaway goes through March 21st, so if you've been eying Uncharted Waters Online, you might want to make your move sooner rather than later to get in on this deal. [Source: Netmarble press release]
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| The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards? Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards. So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in 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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| Guild Wars 2 info keeps on comin' Posted: 24 Feb 2012 04:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2, Community Q&A  If you're a Guild Wars 2 fan, you're used to the jarring transitions between droughts and floods of information. This week, happily, it's flood time. It's been a busy week for ArenaNet, but the team gives no signs of slowing down. After a successful press beta weekend and opening up a signup form for upcoming beta tests, ArenaNet has kept up the flow of information -- and excitement -- by gracing GuildCast with the presence of a few of its devs, clarifying some points on world vs. world in a new blog post, and setting up a Reddit Ask Me Anything session for 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday the 24th. The blog post clarifies some of the more prominent questions the community has been voicing about WvW over the last few days, while the Reddit AMA is a good chance to get in those nit-picky questions that you're still dying to get clarified (no, "can I have a beta key" should not be one of 'em). The most important information out of all of this? Mike Ferguson put a stop to a debate that might otherwise have been endless: WvW is "wuv-wuh." You're welcome.
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| A second look at The Secret World Posted: 24 Feb 2012 03:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on  Last weekend, I nabbed a second look at Funcom's upcoming MMO The Secret World, now scheduled for a June 19th release. I was going in with high expectations, having been blown away by my first playtest of this modern-world-based MMO, and I'll say that this second visit managed to convince me that this game is on the right track to impress gamers with fresh gameplay, vicious puzzles, an ability wheel full of synergies, and new elite abilities at the top tiers of weapon specializations. I Continue reading A second look at The Secret World
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| PlanetSide 2 devs run through a hypothetical battle scenario Posted: 23 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Previews, PvP, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2  In this scenario, he envisions a base being attacked; that attack is then repulsed by its defenders. The former defenders proceed to launch aircraft to continue the rout until the attackers have retreated into their own base. Attack aircraft and air transports, he says, will be the first responders on the scene, as they're the quickest to get anywhere. From that point, he imagines the attackers rallying support to go on the offensive once more, with vehicles leading the way and ground troops following, swarming the base and capturing it for good. Higby says that the tug-of-war between bases will be anything but dull and simple: "Now, distracting that tug of war is all the other regions that are all around here... There's lots of little strategic decisions and options that you can do in there that radically change the balance of the big battle that's happening."
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| EverQuest sets sights on March 16th for free-to-play Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Business models, Contests, Events, in-game, Launches, Free-to-play  SOE promises that this won't be the only highlight of the teenage game's big day, as anniversary events will arrive in the game on that date as well. In the meanwhile, the studio is asking for talented map-makers and artists to submit their own custom maps to be included in the game. There's no specific details yet on this process, but SOE says that it will be asking for these maps soon.
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| Spiral Knights update introduces new mission types and more Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  The first of the four mission types is known as a rank mission. Rank missions comprise the main campaign of Spiral Knights and will allow players to climb the ranks of the organization. Each rank mission will grant players pre-set awards in addition to any loot found on the mission itself. Prestige missions, the second type of mission, are daily tasks that will reward players with prestige. Players with high prestige scores will receive an unspecified bonus sometime in the future. The third mission type, expansion missions, operate similarly to rank missions in that they "feature set rewards," but the missions must first be "unlocked with purchase," though as of now we don't know whether that means a microtransaction or an in-game-currency purchase. Lastly, we have arcade missions, which are the same arcade missions that players know and love, except now they can be joined directly from the mission interface instead of making you run to the arcade itself. For the full details on all the new mission types and features being added in the new patch, just head on over to the Spiral Knights forums and take a look.
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| Fallen Earth entices Marketplace shoppers with first-time purchase package Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Free-to-play, Promotions, Post-Apocalyptic  The package is a bundle of 13 items, unlocks, and abilities that will be sent to the character of your choice once you make your first purchase in the Fallen Earth Marketplace. It's a very tempting deal, especially for free players, as it increases character slots to four, adds access to global chat, removes the chip limit, unlocks the core wardrobe slot, and tosses in a couple of mobile garage/stable managers for those too lazy to walk back to civilization after an accident. It's not clear whether this package applies to players who have made a purchase in the Marketplace before today.
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| The MMO Report: MMOs are Casey's children edition Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Video, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous  Casey's usual journey into the mailbag may or may not reveal an image of a dog drinking wine and playing World of Warcraft. Finally, The Beard teases next week's special RIFT anniversary episode. All that and more in the video behind the break! Continue reading The MMO Report: MMOs are Casey's children edition
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| No subtlety to Champions Online's SMASH Alerts, just straight-up brawling Posted: 23 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Champions Online  Players will notice that the new Alert system also has gained a new minimap icon and improved queue functionality, allowing you to sign up for a quick and dirty brawl with your nemesis of choice from anywhere. There are also new team-up GRAB Alerts available for testing against paired villains, which should give every hero a chance to pop in and beat the living daylights out of a villain up to no good. And, really, isn't that all you can ask from a superhero game?
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| What a tangled web Lord of the Rings Online weaves, especially for Weavers Posted: 23 Feb 2012 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play  The two biggest changes are the addition of Venom pips and the Ensnared debuff. Venom pips will increase a Weaver's poison damage and can be consumed via two new skills. Ensnared, on the other hand, stacks on players whom a Weaver has slowed and can be converted into Venom pips and damage. The control elements of the class are also seeing some upgrades and enhancements aimed at keeping spiders dangerous in the battlefield, ensuring that the first reaction of "smash that spider!" is in fact the correct one.
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back! Posted: 23 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook  Even though there is a lot of matchup-specific knowledge involved in lane positioning, there are some general tips I can provide. This week I'm going to only teach you about the basics of lane safety but give you some dirty mindgame tricks that will absolutely ruin your opponents. Interested? Read on! Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back!
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| Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13 Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Interviews, Lore, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Update 13 comes at what could be seen as a renaissance in the game's history. Following DDO's transition to F2P, Turbine saw an upsurge in players and profits that continues to this day. Paiz said that "the game is doing very well," and while he did not disclose numbers, he feels that DDO's status as one of the first F2P adaptations gave it a lead that others have yet to overtake. Even so, with only five updates in 2011, it's hard to deny that DDO has faded into the background somewhat as newer titles and more recent F2P transitions hogged the spotlight. Turbine means to rectify this: "I think it's safe to say that this year we're making some noise again," Paiz said confidently. He went on to share just why this Monday's patch will be one of the most pivitol in DDO's history. Continue reading Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13
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| City of Heroes announces Spring 2012 Player Summit Posted: 23 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play  City of Heroes players, have you ever wanted to meet with the Paragon Studios devs and spew your ideas at them? Of course you have. Well, your chance to do just that is on the horizon, as City of Heroes' second annual Player Summit (or Pummit, for short) will be taking place on April 28th of this year at Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto, California. Tickets are on sale now via Brown Paper Tickets for the discounted price of $40 US. Tickets will also be available at the door for the slightly higher price of $50 US. The price of admission includes access to the event (durr), a City of Heroes t-shirt, dinner, and "a promo code [that the studio will] announce at a later date." The Pummit itself will be chock-full of events that are sure to pique any CoH player's interest, such as a variety of panels, workshops, and -- most importantly -- cocktail hour with the development team. Between the Design a Costume Set and Design a Power Set workshops, the story and endgame panel, and booze and karaoke with the team, players of all types are bound to find something that tickles their fancy. For the full details on City of Heroes' 2012 Pummit, just click on through the link below to the official announcement.
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| The Guild Counsel: Stop yelling! Posted: 23 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous  It's time for the yelling to stop. It's giving guilds, and MMOs in general, a bad image, and it really isn't necessary. In fact, it's quite likely that all that yelling ends up making your guild less productive when all is said and done. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at four reasons it's time for guild leaders to calm down and stop the screaming. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Stop yelling!
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| Posted: 23 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, EVE Online, Guild Wars, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Trek Online, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, Humor, RIFT, TERA, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous  While critics point their fingers at the MMO industry and proclaim it a barren wasteland of innovation, there are quite a few awesome -- if small -- ideas that bubble up in MMO and move the genre forward. Maybe they're teeny-tiny baby steps; maybe they're giant hopscotch leaps over the six-spot with the rock in the middle. But these ideas can and have had the power to change how these games are made and played. So this week I'm saluting 10 clever ideas, both large and diminutive, as a reward for a job well done! Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Clever ideas
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| HeroEngine licensing takes off thanks to SWTOR's success Posted: 23 Feb 2012 10:30 AM PST Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous  The firm has also seen a sharp increase in subscribers for its HeroCloud service offering, which is basically a hosted system for making online RPGs, FPS titles, and social/casual games. Idea Fabrik COO Neil Harris says the technology is now a proven commodity thanks to its widespread adoption. "We crossed a major milestone once large games built on HeroEngine proved that our server technology can handle a hugely successful game. This lowers the perceived risk of developers in adopting the HeroEngine platform," he said. The HeroEngine is also powering several indie sandbox titles, including Origins of Malu, The Repopulation, and Dominus. The engine was initially developed by Simutronics for a now-defunct MMO called Hero's Journey. [Source: Idea Fabrik press release]
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| Ask Massively: Big questions deserve big answers edition Posted: 23 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Opinion, Humor, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous  This week's Ask Massively is still packed, however, with questions about getting a new computer for World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic as well as whether or not Guild Wars 2 will provide credible competition for other games when it launches. If you've got a question you would like to see answered in a future installment of the column, mail it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for brevity and/or clarity. Continue reading Ask Massively: Big questions deserve big answers edition
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