MMO Updates |
- The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia
- Lord of the Rings Online's Update 7 features new high-level skirmish
- Elder Scrolls creative director: We want to make a good game first
- World of Warplanes heavy fighter class revealed
- Storybricks alpha video shows how you can choose your own adventure
- EA bosses weigh in on SWTOR sub number drop
- Project Triniate attempts to put an MMO on a Nintendo 3DS
- The Daily Grind: Do progression barriers annoy you?
- Not So Massively: D3 approaches, HoN reveals MidWars game mode
- TERA writer discusses the labor of love behind game writing
- Cryptic Studios' Andy Velasquez talks Neverwinter
- Dark Legends launches on Apple devices, hits 500K players
- Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million active subs, new content packs coming
- The Anvil of Crom: Four reasons to return to Age of Conan
- Captain's Log: Old reruns, a new currency, and time-gates frustrate STO players
- Wings Over Atreia: Once more into the rift, my friends
- League of Legends mastery point exploit fixed, banhammer incoming
| The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia Posted: 08 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Classes, Expansions, Guild Wars 2, The Game Archaeologist  These are all but a hint of what a fourth Guild Wars campaign could have been, a campaign that was under development in the mid-2000s but was scrapped by 2007. Replacing it was the expansion Guild Wars Eye of the North and the workings of a super-secret sequel to the game (which you've probably never heard of). It was the forgotten campaign, swept under a rug while it was still under the rug. But what if, in some alternative timeline, ArenaNet had gone ahead with this campaign? What if it became an established part of the Guild Wars legacy, as familiar to us today as Nightfall and Factions? What if Guild Wars Utopia had lived? Continue reading The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia
|
| Lord of the Rings Online's Update 7 features new high-level skirmish Posted: 08 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  Today's gallery features a look at the update's new skirmish, which pits players against a sorceress named Gwyllion at the southern end of the Misty Mountains. The Storm on Methedras instance supports one to 12 players and is designed for levels 70 to 75. [Source: Turbine press release]
|
| Elder Scrolls creative director: We want to make a good game first Posted: 08 May 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online  "We have to make our own game," he tells Game Informer. "We want to make a good game first. Not a good MMO, not a good Elder Scrolls game, we want to make a good game first, a great experience for the player."
|
| World of Warplanes heavy fighter class revealed Posted: 08 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Warplanes  "Their size, power and armament allow heavy fighters to fulfill a great variety of objectives including interception, head-on attacks, and bombing, making them one of the most versatile classes of air forces," the company says. German heavy fighters include the Fw.57, the Bf.110, the Me.410, and the Me.P.1102. Get a look at the full video clip after the cut. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Continue reading World of Warplanes heavy fighter class revealed
|
| Storybricks alpha video shows how you can choose your own adventure Posted: 08 May 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics  By piecing together the "bricks" that dictate a character's mood, actions, and responses to the player, every encounter in the game turns into a "choose your own adventure" that has a variety of outcomes. One of the situations that was shown is that of a player encountering an irritated wizard. In the first attempt to interact with him, the player pesters the wizard which prompts the wizard to unleash a zombie. If the player apologizes, the wizard is astonished, unsummons the zombie, and asks to be the player's friend. But in a second attempt, the player chooses to zap the zombie instead and then punch the guard that comes to investigate. This outcome leads to banishment from the city. Storybricks is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. It's certainly a promising system fraught with possibilities, so give it a look-see after the jump! Continue reading Storybricks alpha video shows how you can choose your own adventure
|
| EA bosses weigh in on SWTOR sub number drop Posted: 08 May 2012 07:15 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  EA's Frank Gibeau says that TOR's 400,000 subscriber drop from its February peak is a result of casual players deciding not to renew after a billing cycle. Eurogamer reports that TOR falls within EA's top 10 most profitable franchises, but comes up short of the Battlefield, Medal of Honor, The Sims, and Madden franchises. Riccitello also addressed TOR's high profile in both fan and media circles. "So while I understand there's an enormous amount of interest, I don't know that it warrants as much as what we're seeing right now. But we love the franchise, we're going to grow the franchise," he explained.
|
| Project Triniate attempts to put an MMO on a Nintendo 3DS Posted: 08 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New titles, Browser, Mobile  Since the 3DS can't handle Java or Flash, the idea is that the player uses the system's browser to navigate to the official website and use the website to run the game instead. The title looks like a top-down 2D game that relies on the stylus for any in-game conversations. While interesting, it's certainly a long shot; even the developer says that it might not be released. Still, if you have a 3DS you can currently give the game a try -- for a buck, that is. Check out a demo video of Project Triniate after the jump. Continue reading Project Triniate attempts to put an MMO on a Nintendo 3DS
|
| The Daily Grind: Do progression barriers annoy you? Posted: 08 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind  Now, I'm not a grinder at all, but on the rare occasions when I do want to put my nose to the proverbial stone and check some things off the list, there's nothing more frustrating than running up against the you-can't-advance-that-skill-any-further-today brick wall. This type of arbitrary limitation is somewhat common in LotRO, and whether we're talking about fishing or even the lengthy cool-downs on festival horse races, it rubs me the wrong way to have my gameplay directed in such a fashion. What about you, Massively readers? Do progression barriers annoy you, or do you shrug it off and do something else?  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!
|
| Not So Massively: D3 approaches, HoN reveals MidWars game mode Posted: 07 May 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III  Heroes of Newerth released a brand-new community-inspired MidWars game map this week to lend official support to the popular unofficial game mode. League of Legends revealed upcoming champion Varus with a full run-down of his abilities and a great art spotlight video. Dota 2 fixed some bizarre bugs and introduced classic hero Phantom Lancer. Rise of Immortals revealed details of its upcoming immortal Nauria, the Angel of Agony. Finally, Wrath of Heroes announced the controversial addition of health potions to its microtransaction store. Continue reading Not So Massively: D3 approaches, HoN reveals MidWars game mode
|
| TERA writer discusses the labor of love behind game writing Posted: 07 May 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, MMO industry, News items, TERA, Dev Diaries  Noonan explains the way that he and his team look at bug reports relating to their department. Sometimes, the only thing that needs to be changed is a simple typo; other times, the dialogue of an entire quest chain will need to be rewritten from the start. But that doesn't negate the joy of filling in a story and creating a world, from the major quests down to the item names. If you have an interest in TERA's writing, game writing in general, or both, Noonan has some interesting insights to share. [Thanks to Mike for the tip!]
|
| Cryptic Studios' Andy Velasquez talks Neverwinter Posted: 07 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, News items, Free-to-play, Neverwinter  Velasquez answers questions on a number of topics, including the decision to use 4th edition rules, the amount of content that will be available at launch, and the difference between a raid and a Dungeon Delve. It's definitely worth a read for anyone interested in the upcoming title, so if you're one of those people, head on over to the full interview and give it a look.
|
| Dark Legends launches on Apple devices, hits 500K players Posted: 07 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Launches, Free-to-play, Mobile  Apple users can now joining the 500,000-plus Dark Legends community by simply downloading the game from the store and getting their vamp on. Edward-wannabes have a daunting task in front of them, however, as all of the darker fantasy forces are out to be a serious pain in their neck. Dark Legends follows in the wake of Spacetime's enormously popular Pocket Legends and Star Legends. It's available as a free download with optional in-app purchases and can be played over wifi, edge, 3G, and 4G networks. Our own Beau is livestreaming Dark Legends today on Massively TV, so be sure to see what he thinks of the game! [Source: Spacetime Studios press release]
|
| Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million active subs, new content packs coming Posted: 07 May 2012 02:40 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  We all know that the Star Wars: The Old Republic galaxy is a huge place, but thanks to some new numbers from EA's 4th quarter financial reports, we now know exactly how huge it is. According to the report, SWTOR is home to 1.3 million active subscribers (down from 1.7 million as announced in March). On top of that bit of information, the report also reveals that two new content packs will be available for players sometime in the first financial quarter. We don't know a thing about these content packs yet, except that they're (at least tentatively) titled Legacy (presumably the current Legacy patch) and Allies, so conspiracy theorists, start your engines. Let the speculation begin!
|
| The Anvil of Crom: Four reasons to return to Age of Conan Posted: 07 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom  You know what, though? I do like Age of Conan, and I did miss Hyboria. Sure it's got its issues, omissions, frustrations, and WTF-were-they-thinking design decisions, but it's also got a game world unlike any other in the MMO space. Join me after the cut for a few reasons I came back (as well as a preview of what the future holds for The Anvil of Crom). Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Four reasons to return to Age of Conan
|
| Captain's Log: Old reruns, a new currency, and time-gates frustrate STO players Posted: 07 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log  Some of the recent releases, such as Spotlight on the Foundry, a new Klingon mission titled Alpha, the new Caitian Atrox carrier for the Federation faction, and a duty officer commendation XP bonus weekend, have all been fairly well-received. We have also seen the return of the Ask Cryptic blogs, and apparently we will also be seeing the return of the fan-favorite Engineering Reports at the end of this month. The question remains, however, whether or not the those relative successes can overcome the controversies that seem to surround the game's other recent releases -- namely, the introduction of what is arguably a new currency and the infusion of yet another time-gated mission. Continue reading Captain's Log: Old reruns, a new currency, and time-gates frustrate STO players
|
| Wings Over Atreia: Once more into the rift, my friends Posted: 07 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Events, in-game, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia  A rifting we will go Hi-ho, the derry-o A rifting we will go! The Asmo makes a slice! The Asmo makes a slice... Ahh, the frivolity of travel songs; they entertain and amuse as well as pass the time while you're en route to your destination, even in Aion. And where am I headed while chanting this little ditty? Why, deep into the dangers of enemy territory, of course! Care to join me? If you haven't traveled through a rift in Aion, you are missing out on one of the core features of the game, not to mention depriving yourself of some fun. Admittedly, rifting has a bad rap and can be quite a polarizing topic in discussion, but don't be fooled -- it's not just for PvPers. Not everyone who rifts is looking to completely gank others; even carebears can experience and enjoy the thrill of sneaking somewhere fraught with dangers! So what's stopping you from slipping through that colorful swirl? Let me borrow the immortal words of wisdom from a shoe: Just do it! But before you go, let Wings Over Atreia offer a few handy tips to help you make the most of the experience. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Once more into the rift, my friends
|
| League of Legends mastery point exploit fixed, banhammer incoming Posted: 07 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends  We all know that League of Legends breeds a fairly competitive community, but unfortunately there are players out there who don't let little things like rules and common decency get in the way of their desire to win. A number of such players were recently found to be taking advantage of an exploit that allowed them to place more mastery points in a given talent than they would legally be able to, thereby giving them an incredibly unfair advantage. Riot Games' Lead Community Manager, Tamat, stopped by the forums today to let everyone know that "that's bull****" and that it's not going to be tolerated. The post goes on to state that a fix for the exploit has been implemented, and the studio is about to lay the smack down on the guilty parties. Tamat says that the studio has "comprehensive logs and data" that have been used to identify the players who used the exploit. Riot is "going to be taking firm action against their accounts." May all the exploiters meet a swift and terrible demise at the hands of Riot's banhammer. For the full details on the matter, head on over to the official post on the League of Legends forums.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Massively To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
