MMO Updates |
- Remanum launches first international server, tweaks ports
- GDC 2012: Bigpoint discusses the Game of Thrones MMO
- GDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux
- Miracle fundraising finish for Gridiron Heroes' Kickstarter drive
- Forsaken World turns one, gives you gifts
- League of Legends retiring classic skins
- DUST 514 beta starts in April, gameplay video released at GDC
- GDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris
- The Daily Grind: What game would you play if it had an alternate gameplay server?
- The MMO Report: RIFT's two Adams
- The Guild Counsel: Four ways to be a great guildmate
- Final Fantasy XIV unveils the full scope of patch 1.21
- Turbine answers burning questions about LotRO's Landscape Soldiers
- Crime and punishment in Salem, New World-style
- GDC 2012: A peek behind SWTOR's project management curtain
- The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play shopping strategies
- Trek through fire and flame in RIFT's Infernal Dawn raid
- Massively Speaking Episode 190: GDC Wednesday
- World of Tanks takes aim at southeast Asia
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm post-mortem reflects on success, failure, and lessons learned
- LotRO and DDO coming to a cloud near you
- The Summoner's Guidebook: The game without a meta
| Remanum launches first international server, tweaks ports Posted: 09 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Historical, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Crafting  Travian has just launched the game's first international server, and now English-language players can vie for the rank of Roman emperor while trading goods and engaging in various political machinations. Travian, a Bavaria-based browser game outfit, has also launched a new German-language server for Remanum's open beta. The firm is also updating the game's UI and increasing the range on the game's ports, which will ease the acquisition of scarce resources, according to a Travian statement. [Source: Travian Games press release]
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| GDC 2012: Bigpoint discusses the Game of Thrones MMO Posted: 09 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, PvP, Free-to-play, Browser, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Sandbox  It had to be said. And for fans of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, that one little phrase elicits some powerful and mixed emotions: excitement (to actually wander about Westeros) and dread (will it actually be Westeros?). There was even a collective cringe among some Massively staff when the announcement was made that Game of Thrones was becoming an MMORPG. Could such a complex world translate well into the virtual realm? It made the transition to television pretty well in HBO's series, but a free-to-play browser-based MMO is a whole other beast. We're pleased to say that fans of the books and the series can breathe a little easier and even look forward to the upcoming title becuse it's going to be gritty, it's going to be gory, and power will shift like the winds across the Dothraki Sea. Massively was able to sit down with Jorgen Tharaldsen (Producer at Artplant), Alan Dunton (Public Relations Director at Bigpoint), and Rob Ollett (Executive Producer at Bigpoint) to discuss details about what's coming. Continue reading GDC 2012: Bigpoint discusses the Game of Thrones MMO
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| GDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, The Firing Line  CCP's DUST 514, on the other hand, is surely coming in 2012. The devs will be doling out some long-awaited hands-on time with EVE's precocious little brother at Fanfest in a couple of weeks, and while DUST and PS2 share similar core gameplay, their target audiences (and the general feeling I get from each game) are completely different. Continue reading GDC 2012: The Firing Line's PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 redux
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| Miracle fundraising finish for Gridiron Heroes' Kickstarter drive Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Real life, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Casual  Somewhat less obscure is Tecmo's 1980s Nintendo series based on the National Football League. The aptly named Tecmo Bowl was a mainstay on Nintendo's first 8-bit console, and now a group of fans have helped assure that Gridiron Heroes, a new Facebook game inspired by the classic series, will in fact be made. Kotaku reports on the last-minute miracle finish to the project's Kickstarter drive, with the development team collecting $7,613 (measured against a goal of $7,500).
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| Forsaken World turns one, gives you gifts Posted: 09 Mar 2012 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  The new site also highlights the upcoming Nightfall expansion, which includes flying mounts, new dungeons and bosses, and new explorable areas. Nightfall also boasts a new soul virtue system that allows for a bit of skill customization and character differentiation. [Source: Perfect World press release]
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| League of Legends retiring classic skins Posted: 09 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Free-to-play, League of Legends  Get your wallets out, summoners! Four classic League of Legends skins will be retired from the store as of Monday, March 12th. The skins in question are Emerald Taric, Unmasked Kayle, Nightmare Cho'Gath, and Butcher Urgot -- and who doesn't want their favorite slaughter machine dressed up as the friendly neighborhood butcher? While they may make a future reappearance for special events, the vintage skins won't be commonly available anymore. The good news is that for the last weekend they're up for purchase, the skins will be on 75% sale, and the champions they belong to will be on 20% sale until Monday as well.
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| DUST 514 beta starts in April, gameplay video released at GDC Posted: 09 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox  CEO Hilmar Petursson and CMO David Reid both gave the website a few interesting soundbytes as well as some long looks at DUST gameplay over the course of the eight-minute clip. DUST isn't intended as an EVE Online replacement, nor does CCP expect huge numbers of EVE capsuleers to play the new shooter concurrently with its flying-in-space sandbox MMO. "It is really about providing this new gateway into the EVE universe for all the people who have been intrigued by it," Petursson said. "In April we'll open up the beta test we've been running since December of last year," he revealed. Be sure to check out the full clip after the cut. Continue reading DUST 514 beta starts in April, gameplay video released at GDC
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| GDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris Posted: 09 Mar 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, The Firing Line  The free-to-play shooter will officially launch on April 12th, and Hi-Rez has also released a new parody trailer that pays homage to Dead Island and shows off the perils of the dreaded "llama capture" (if you're a Tribes newb, just know that speed equals survival when it comes to flag-grabs). Join me after the cut for some Tribes-related chit-chat as well news of new content on the way for Global Agenda. Continue reading GDC 2012: The Firing Line talks release dates with Tribes Ascend's Todd Harris
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| The Daily Grind: What game would you play if it had an alternate gameplay server? Posted: 09 Mar 2012 04:00 AM PST Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  At the same time, I love sandbox games, but I can't understand why so many great sandbox games have to also be FFA PvP. Let's take Darkfall, for instance. I would play that game in a second if it had a PvE server, but it doesn't. I also love Wurm Online, but if it were PvP-only, I would never have given it a second look. Whether it's RP, PvE, PvP, or whatever else you fancy, there's probably a game out there that you'd play if it had a ruleset you enjoy. So which one is it?  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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| The MMO Report: RIFT's two Adams Posted: 08 Mar 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Interviews, Lore, MMO industry, Patches, Previews, Endgame, News items, PvE, RIFT, The MMO Report, Dungeons, Crafting  The full HD video is behind the cut! Continue reading The MMO Report: RIFT's two Adams
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| The Guild Counsel: Four ways to be a great guildmate Posted: 08 Mar 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous  But what about a player who might be interested in trying his hand at joining a guild? There are definitely some tips that help make you a respected guild member and won't have you feeling like pretending to be someone you aren't. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at some easy ways to leave a good impression and be seen as a great guildie by your mates! Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Four ways to be a great guildmate
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| Final Fantasy XIV unveils the full scope of patch 1.21 Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Patch 1.21 also brings along a revision to the food and medicine of the game, with food serving universally as a small long-term buff and medicines working as short effects or buffs with a big impact. The team has also revised accessories, doing away with the previous mechanic of slot costs. And that's not even touching upon new missions for provisioning from the Grand Companies, the introduction of chocobo barding, or any number of other smaller features added with the list. It's a lot of stuff to absorb, and it should keep adventurers happy for quite some time.
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| Turbine answers burning questions about LotRO's Landscape Soldiers Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  Basically, players will have to purchase Landscape Soldier tokens with either Turbine Points or a combination of in-game skirmish marks and medallions. A token will grant a player one hour of soldier assistance, although this time can be broken up into non-consecutive blocks at the player's discretion. Soldiers cannot be used in instances and major player hubs (such as cities) at the current time. Other restrictions for Landscape Soldiers include the disabled personal traits (that offer considerable buffs in skirmishes) and no control panel to order them around, as with Lore-master and Captain pets.
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| Crime and punishment in Salem, New World-style Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, Sandbox  Player villages are protected by claims that set these areas apart from the rest of the world, and these claims can be expanded by building certain structures. Griefers who set out to do harm or mischief against villages within these claims will leave a "scent" behind that can be used to track them. There are certain skills, such as ranging and tracking, that players need to have to follow the scent to the perpetrator, however. This opens the door for players to specialize in becoming bounty hunters who protect the village by rooting out enemies. As for punishment, well, Creative Director Björn Johannessen expects players will take justice into their own hands -- and more than one perpetrator will pay the ultimate price for violating a peaceful sanctuary. You can watch the full discussion of Salem's crime and punishment system after the jump. Continue reading Crime and punishment in Salem, New World-style
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| GDC 2012: A peek behind SWTOR's project management curtain Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:45 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The session ran for well over an hour (not counting a brief Q&A at the end), and it focused largely on the daunting management tasks inherent in a project like Star Wars: The Old Republic. Continue reading GDC 2012: A peek behind SWTOR's project management curtain
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| The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play shopping strategies Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Business models, Free-to-play, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous  While Uncle Trigger was overlooking a few aspects of this philosophy, the sentiment is an important one to grasp, especially when it comes to the growing wave of free-to-play MMOs. Even though the first word is "free," it should be followed up with several paragraphs of tiny lawyer disclaimers that basically say, "Nevertheless, the studio is going to look for other ways to tempt you out of your hard-earned cash." F2P is often funded by microtransactions, which offer players some variety in how they customize their game experience at the expense of a subscription's simplicity. It's often not better or worse; it's just different. Because nothing is ever truly free, and because F2P is loaded with more shopping options than a Walmart supercenter, being a savvy customer is more vital than ever. Anyone who's waded into a F2P store probably has experienced buyer's regret due to a hasty or uninformed purchase, not to mention those who end up going broke because of poor impulse control. So today I'm going to get downright practical and offer up 10 strategies that will safeguard and strengthen your F2P shopping trips (also, random plug for Beau's Free For All column in the hopes that he doesn't get mad I'm treading on his territory here!). Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Free-to-play shopping strategies
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| Trek through fire and flame in RIFT's Infernal Dawn raid Posted: 08 Mar 2012 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Previews, News items, RIFT, Dungeons  RIFT's Carnival of the Ascended is in full-swing in Telara, but there's something dastardly dwelling under the veil of the festivities. While the Ascended feast, imbibe, and debauch, the less-than-phlegmatic cults of the Golden Maw and the Wanton scheme to free their dragon overlords from imprisonment in the upcoming raid, Infernal Dawn. But no Ascended should go up against the dragons unprepared, so Trion Worlds' Adam Gershowitz has volunteered to take players on a short tour of the Earth Wing of Infernal Dawn, where they will be tasked with destroying the Golden Maw, the Wanton, and ultimately their leaders: the earth dragon Laethys and the infernal Maelforge. Infernal Dawn isn't the only new feature in the works. Gershowitz also reveals that the studio is working on new Instant Adventures set on the Ember Isle. Less pugilistic players will be receiving some new treats as well in the form of new tradeskills. While Gershowitz doesn't reveal any specifics on what these new tradeskills will be, he does hint that they "may or may not involve bodies of water." We've been fishing for ideas all day, but we're just not getting any bites. Oh well, we'll find out soon enough! In the meantime, check out the full video tour and prepare yourselves; Infernal Dawn is planned to go live in "just a month or two." Oh, and remember: Former RIFT subscribers can play free starting today until March 14th, so if you wanna get back into the world of Telara, now's the time. And finally, be sure to keep an eye out for our own Karen Bryan's RIFT coverage straight from GDC 2012, which will surely shed more light on these upcoming additions. Continue reading Trek through fire and flame in RIFT's Infernal Dawn raid
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| Massively Speaking Episode 190: GDC Wednesday Posted: 08 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Podcasts, Events, real-world, Massively Event Coverage, Massively Speaking, DUST 514, World of Tanks, Miscellaneous, World of Warplanes, World of Battleships, MechWarrior Online  Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 190: GDC Wednesday
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| World of Tanks takes aim at southeast Asia Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Historical, Business models, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks  This isn't a simple port of the European or American client, either, as Wargaming.net says gamers in the region can expect full localization, a Singapore-based server group, and dedicated support services. Online gaming in southeast Asia features an estimated 100 million players, who will generate nearly $1 billion in sales by 2015, according to market analysts at Niko Partners. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
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| World of Warcraft: Cataclysm post-mortem reflects on success, failure, and lessons learned Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News items  World of Warcraft's Cataclysm expansion is over a year old now, and Mists of Pandaria is looming just over the horizon, which means that it's time for a Cataclysm post-mortem. The infamous pony-promiser Greg "Ghostcrawler" Streets took some time out of his day to set aside the nerf bat and answer some questions regarding World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. What worked? What didn't? Where the hell is the dance studio, anyway? Just kidding, we still don't know that last one. One topic that's frequently revisited throughout the post-mortem is the talent system revamp. In a nutshell, Ghostcrawler says that the team (and the players) were largely pleased with the ability to choose a spec and gain powerful, useful skills right at level 10. What didn't work out as planned? "Everything else!" says Ghostcrawler. The team realized that "the talent tree model where you pick up tiny performance increases here and there (and where there's, mathematically, nearly always a 'right' answer and a 'wrong' answer) is not a great model." He goes on to add that Mists of Pandaria's talent system "should fix this problem once and for all." Well, third time's the charm, right guys? At any rate, there's more on the discussion table than just talents, so head over to the full article and see what lessons Cataclysm has taught the devs.
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| LotRO and DDO coming to a cloud near you Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:15 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Business models, Launches, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Gamers can try The Lord of the Rings Online now, with Dungeons & Dragons Online to follow soon [...] via a simple one-step registration process that will provide them instant access to try the full version of the award-winning, free-to-play massively multiplayer experiences.A Turbine FAQ further clarifies that this service provides only one hour of gameplay. [Thanks to reader Mr. Angry for the heads up.] This marks the first MMO streaming Gaikai will have undertaken; its streaming portfolio includes non-MMO games like Spore, Mass Effect 2, and The Sims 3. [Source: Warner Bros. and Gaikai, Inc. press release]
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: The game without a meta Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook  Dominion is weird because it doesn't have a real, established metagame. Although cries of "4 top, 1 bottom" can be heard in virtually every match, they rarely hold up for more than a few minutes, and the four top players can be seen running backdoors, ganking bottom, or solo jungle roaming as the game progresses. This is my first attempt at a Dominion overview, but the honest truth is that even the hardcore analyst-types like yours truly struggle to define exactly what wins Dominion games. There's a lot of room for discussion on this one, so let's get started. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: The game without a meta
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