MMO Updates |
- PAX East 2012: Menace of the Underdark brings big changes to Dungeons and Dragons Online
- WRUP: Ransom edition
- The Daily Grind: Do you want realism or awesome?
- ArenaNet clarifies Guild Wars 2 CE pre-purchase options
- PAX East 2012: A talk with PlanetSide 2's Matt Higby
- PAX East 2012: SWTOR 1.2 coming next week
- Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders
- Betawatch: March 31 - April 6, 2012
- Guided tour of the new SWTOR flashpoint
- PAX East 2012: Defiance's first-ever combat trailer
- PAX East 2012: World of Warplanes impressions
- DUST 514 dev blog details vehicle roles
- PAX East 2012: Hands-on with Hi-Rez's new MOBA, SMITE
- League of Legends IPL swings into Sin City
- Storyboard: Police state
- MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly
| PAX East 2012: Menace of the Underdark brings big changes to Dungeons and Dragons Online Posted: 07 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Expansions, Interviews, Lore, Previews, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage 
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| Posted: 07 Apr 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous  In the meantime, let's do this WRUP thing after the break! We'll talk about what we think of beta weekends and what we're playing, and then you can do the same using our brand-new comment system that so totally doesn't have any bugs (see, I can be absurd like Eliot!). Continue reading WRUP: Ransom edition
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| The Daily Grind: Do you want realism or awesome? Posted: 07 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Pure MMOs are no different. Many games make compromises along the spectrum of reality, especially when it comes to travel: In some games, we're grounded, forced to use a horse or our own two feet to make our way across the world; in others, we teleport via magical contraptions or leap tall buildings in a single bound. So riddle me this: When it boils down to it, what do you prefer to be the guiding principle of your MMOs -- realism or awesome?  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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| ArenaNet clarifies Guild Wars 2 CE pre-purchase options Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play  The long and short of it is that any retailer that is distributing keys prior to the April 10th street date is violating said street date "and risks losing [its] allocation of keys." That said, ANet can't stop stores from taking reservations, but O'Brien says unequivocally that "a reservation is not the same as a pre-purchase." As far as the Amazon situation goes, O'Brien explains that the company was simply unable to deliver digital codes at the time of purchase in addition to physical boxes on release day, so ANet has "reallocated [its] units to other retailers." Finally, O'Brien provides a link to some pre-purchase CE alternatives.
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| PAX East 2012: A talk with PlanetSide 2's Matt Higby Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Interviews, Previews, PvE, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Event Coverage, PlanetSide 2  Hibgy sat down with us at PAX East to promote SOE's upcoming sci-fi shooter, saying that it scratches two itches with one bird (or some other mixed metaphor). "I'm a competitive player; I love shooters," he said, "but I'm also a very social player and love the progression aspect of MMOs." It's not as if the MMOFPS field is going to remain wide-open for very long. Competitors are rushing to mine this largely untouched market. Still, SOE has an advantage above the rest: It launched one of the first of its kind and has years of experience managing such a game. While we anxiously wait for word on PlanetSide 2's beta, we listened to Higby tell us why this title will continue the company's reign over the genre. Continue reading PAX East 2012: A talk with PlanetSide 2's Matt Higby
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| PAX East 2012: SWTOR 1.2 coming next week Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  "We have our update 1.2 coming in the next week, and then after that, it's going to continue to roll out month after month. It's exciting," he told Boston-area convention-goers. Ohlen's optimism springs from what's to come in SWTOR over the next few months. "The scope of our game updates in 2012 is going to be unimaginable. You're going to see so many changes and additions to the Star Wars Universe; it's going to be impressive," he said.  Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of April 6-8, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2012. Whether you're dying to know more about TERA or PlanetSide 2 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
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| Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, TERA, Promotions  Amazon has worked out a special deal with En Masse to entice players to its store. Those who pre-order with Amazon.com will be guaranteed an in-game horse mount that's decked out in all manner of wicked-looking armor (note that the armor appearance gives no armor bonuses.) It's called the Pinto, and it won't be found anywhere else. In addition to this special mount, pre-orders guarantee a three-day head start to the game, name reservations, and in-game gear. There's added incentive to getting in on any of TERA's pre-orders if you haven't already, as they'll secure your spot in the next beta test, which is scheduled for April 20th. Also be sure to check out a new teaser trailer after the jump that was released exclusively for Amazon for those looking to learn a bit more about the game. Continue reading Amazon offers exclusive mount for TERA pre-orders
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| Betawatch: March 31 - April 6, 2012 Posted: 06 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous  Meanwhile, Spirit Tales announced an open beta date of April 25th, TERA kicked off its final closed beta weekend with a look at what open beta will entail, and Ensemble Online reached out for Kickstarter funding for its beta. Enjoy the full Betawatch roundup beyond the break. Continue reading Betawatch: March 31 - April 6, 2012
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| Guided tour of the new SWTOR flashpoint Posted: 06 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Lore, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Beyond the break, we have put together a 15-minute video describing the ins and outs of the latest flashpoint: The Lost Island. Together with a member of the BioWare development team, we explored this new level-50 zone, destroying everything in our path and maybe learning something along the way. Continue reading Guided tour of the new SWTOR flashpoint
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| PAX East 2012: Defiance's first-ever combat trailer Posted: 06 Apr 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, News items, Consoles, MMOFPS, Defiance  PAX East is kicking into high-gear today. Studios are all over the floor showing off their latest trailers and demos, and Trion Worlds is no exception. The studio has just released a shiny new trailer focusing on the upcoming Syfy-Trion collaboration known as Defiance. For the first time since the title's announcement, players get to take a look at the game's frantic FPS combat. The trailer takes players into the land of the United States' Bay Area, which is in the process of being terraformed by alien invaders, and it's up to humankind to stop them before it's too late. The video gives fans a glimpse of large-scale combat as dozens of characters storm a stronghold by foot, ATV, and humvee to bring the fight to the alien scum, guns blazing. Oh, and the aliens look like the kind of fellows you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley... or in a well-lit one, for that matter. Just check out those teeth! Load your weapons and get in the fight past the cut. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of April 6-8, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2012. Whether you're dying to know more about TERA or PlanetSide 2 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!Continue reading PAX East 2012: Defiance's first-ever combat trailer
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| PAX East 2012: World of Warplanes impressions Posted: 06 Apr 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Events, real-world, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Interviews, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous, World of Warplanes  But the lack of subtlety in the name, however noteworthy, doesn't really say much about the game itself. Is it fun to play? Does it succeed in what it sets out to do? Really, is it just World of Tanks up in the air? I can't speak to the last one, but I can say that it definitely delivers on its stated design goals. This is a game all about maximizing the rush of an aerial fight and striking a balance between crafting an in-depth flight simulation and providing accessibility to those new to the genre. Continue reading PAX East 2012: World of Warplanes impressions
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| DUST 514 dev blog details vehicle roles Posted: 06 Apr 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox  Many EVE ships share the same hull visuals despite having radically different performance envelopes and combat roles, and DUST vehicles will definitely follow that trend, according to CCP's Cmdr Wang. DUST vehicles will also be powered by a capacitor (which should seem awfully familiar to you capsuleer types). Cap management will therefore play a vital role in the new game just as it does in the old. Finally, DUST's vehicle skill system also takes a page out of EVE's book. Today's dev blog finishes up with a look at a couple of high-level vehicle skills as well as some verbiage on module customization.
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| PAX East 2012: Hands-on with Hi-Rez's new MOBA, SMITE Posted: 06 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, MOBA  The basic layout of the game will be quite familiar to any MOBA player. It sticks to the tried-and-true formula set forth by Defense of the Ancients in almost every possible way. There are three lanes, each lined with a number of defensive towers, and the ultimate objective is to work in tandem with your teammates and allied NPC creeps with the goal of pushing through the towers and destroying the enemy's giant minotaur. Wait, what? Continue reading PAX East 2012: Hands-on with Hi-Rez's new MOBA, SMITE
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| League of Legends IPL swings into Sin City Posted: 06 Apr 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends  IPL 4 is taking place from today through Sunday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Sin City. Over the weekend, eight teams will compete for rankings and a $50,000 pot. The challengers are Team Dignitas, EpikGamer, Counter Logic Gaming, Team Solomid, v8 eSports, Against All Authority, Monomatic eSports, and Curse Gaming. Riot Games says there are still IPL 4 tickets available for those who want to attend in person. For those who can't, there's always the official IPL YouTube channel for long-distance spectating.
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| Posted: 06 Apr 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous  But there is an issue that I didn't really address in that column but still remains relevant. If you're going to talk about having an RP server exist even if it's not policed, you do need to address what policing a roleplaying server actually entails. A lot of it is just plain speculative at the moment, given the overall track record of the industry, but that doesn't mean it's not worth discussing. Continue reading Storyboard: Police state
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| MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility  There is a time, however, after months of toiling away at building up various structures, growing a small army, or finally getting to the maxed out level in a certain area, when you can finally settle down for some real gameplay. It might sound silly to have to wait that long for glory, but come on... this is city-building we are talking about. It takes time. Continue reading MMObility: Reaching the MMORTS sweet-spot, slowly
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