MMO Updates

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• Webzen gearing up for C9 PvP tourney, Witchblade reveal at E3
• SOEmote tech brings live facial expressions, voice to EverQuest II avatars
• Former 38 Studios employees defend Schilling, talk political misinformation
• ZeniMax devs 'unapologetic' about making Elder Scrolls MMO
• Defiance to launch April 2013, shows off E3 trailer
• The Firing Line: Zomg it's almost time for PlanetSide 2 edition
• The Daily Grind: Do you subscribe to offline gaming publications?
• Perpetuum rolling out Gamma Frontier tomorrow
• The Guild Counsel: How to leave a guild gracefully
• The Summoner's Guidebook: Dealing with Heimerdinger
• The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time
• Defiance could link up an Xbox 360 with a PS3 -- but can't
• Exclusive City of Heroes dev diary: Design insights from the Magisterium trial
• RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall
• Funcom soliciting Age of Conan feedback via annual summer survey
• Ask Massively: Haven't had an animal picture since March edition
• New DUST 514 dev diary talks fittings, lore
• City of Heroes Issue 23: Where Shadows Lie launches today
• So who wants a Guild Wars 2 closed beta key?

Webzen gearing up for C9 PvP tourney, Witchblade reveal at E3 Posted: 01 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play Webzen's Continent of the Ninth Seal, otherwise known as C9, hasn't made a lot of noise in the West as of yet. That may change after next week's E3, when the South Korean action MMO import will introduce a new class and strut its stuff via the championship finals of its PvP tournament. The new class is called the Witchblade, and E3 attendees will get some hands-on time with it as they battle the forces of evil in the game's Blenheim region. Webzen is also showing off Arctic Combat, a new online FPS set on the frozen tundra of World War III. Check in with Massively next week as we'll be on the ground in Los Angeles to bring you all the latest MMO news and views. [Source: Webzen press release] Webzen gearing up for C9 PvP tourney, Witchblade reveal at E3 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOEmote tech brings live facial expressions, voice to EverQuest II avatars Posted: 01 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Roleplaying Roleplaying is the red-headed stepchild of MMO design considerations these days, but at least one studio hasn't forgotten immersion enthusiasts. Sony Online Entertainment has announced a new EverQuest II feature called SOEmote which converts your webcam input into avatar facial expressions. The suite also gives users the option to modulate their voice to something appropriate for their character. "Any game that calls itself a roleplaying game absolutely needs this feature. For other games, it's just a really good idea that your players will want. Pick a character. Pick a class. And then be that character instead of just being yourself. That's what a roleplaying game is supposed to be," SOE producer Dave Georgeson explains. Head to PCGamer for the full interview and a tech demo video. SOEmote tech brings live facial expressions, voice to EverQuest II avatars originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PCGamer

Former 38 Studios employees defend Schilling, talk political misinformation Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:45 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous Gamers and other outsiders have been quick to label Curt Schilling as the primary villain in the 38 Studios drama, but a new piece at Gamasutra intimates that that might not be the whole story. The website cites multiple anonymous sources who say that 38's situation wasn't helped by Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee. "Once things went bad, Chafee's office started leaking any information it could to make 38 Studios look like it had been a bad deal. Unfortunately, a lot of these leaks involved partial and complete misinformation," the source said. Another source dispelled notions of excessive spending at the shuttered studio. "I can say that the company didn't spend money extravagantly at all. We didn't have giant statues in the halls, or supercomputers with 30-inch monitors at every desk. We had what we needed to work on the game and that was it," the source tells Gamasutra. Former 38 Studios employees defend Schilling, talk political misinformation originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

ZeniMax devs 'unapologetic' about making Elder Scrolls MMO Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online ZeniMax Online recently called in to the Game Informer podcast to talk up its Elder Scrolls Online title. Game director Matt Firor and creative director Paul Sage were the devs of record, and the 30-minute chat featured some interesting tidbits. Firor mentions that the game will release simultaneously on PC and Mac, but ZeniMax has no plans for a console version. Sage talked a bit about the progression system, which, while level-based, does feature skill-based advancement as well. In the current build, characters gain experience in skills that are slotted. Sage also mentions that you do get better with weapons as you wield them, though the gain is not 100 percent usage-based. There's also a bit of discussion about art style, camera modes, and the decision to MMOify the Elder Scrolls IP. "We're making an MMO, we're unapologetic about that. This is the Elder Scrolls MMO. It's not Skyrim, Skyrim already exists and you can go play Skyrim. We're making the MMO version of the Elder Scrolls, and with that comes some conventions that are different from a console RPG," Firor says. ZeniMax devs 'unapologetic' about making Elder Scrolls MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Game Informer

Defiance to launch April 2013, shows off E3 trailer Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Launches, MMOFPS, Massively Event Coverage, Defiance It's just a few days until this year's E3, and one of the titles we're definitely going to be scoping out is Trion Worlds' "transmedia" MMO, Defiance. However, if you're willing to spoil your trade show appetite for a small advance reveal, we've got a treat for you: the Defiance E3 trailer. The trailer shows more of Defiance's gameplay, including an arkfall event that will be one of the cornerstone of the game's experience. The narration in the trailer is performed by the show's star Grant Bowler. We also learned that both Defiance the TV show and Defiance the MMO will simultaneously launch in April 2013. Check out the trailer after the jump, and stay tuned as we get our hands on the first-ever public demo of this game at E3 next week. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Continue reading Defiance to launch April 2013, shows off E3 trailer Defiance to launch April 2013, shows off E3 trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Firing Line: Zomg it's almost time for PlanetSide 2 edition Posted: 01 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line It's taking all of my willpower to avoid reducing this week's column down to four words: PlanetSide 2 hands-on. I guess technically that might be three words, or even two, depending on how you classify numbers and hyphens. The point, though, is that this time next week, I will have gotten my grubby little paws on Sony Online Entertainment's MMOFPS, and I'm so excited that little else matters. OK, some stuff still matters, namely the interesting shooter news that happened this past week. Join me after the jump for a recap. Continue reading The Firing Line: Zomg it's almost time for PlanetSide 2 edition The Firing Line: Zomg it's almost time for PlanetSide 2 edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you subscribe to offline gaming publications? Posted: 01 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Some people say print media is already dead, but as a fan of magazines myself, I tend to disagree. Online media may be taking over for online-themed topics more than anything else, but there are still those of us who enjoy the look and feel of a paper publication in our hands. Plus, I'm a bit of a graphic design nerd, so the aesthetics and layout of these magazines make it even more worth while to me. But what about you? Do you feel that the popularity of the iPad and other mobile devices is driving just another nail in the coffin of print media for tech and gaming news, or will there always be a place for it on your coffee table? 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! The Daily Grind: Do you subscribe to offline gaming publications? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Perpetuum rolling out Gamma Frontier tomorrow Posted: 31 May 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Patches, Previews, News items, Perpetuum, Sandbox Home is where you hang your hat, but in Perpetuum home is also where you ensure that your mining operations remain stable with the aid of several high-powered turrets. The next major update to the game, Gamma Frontier, is all about making sure that your home is the best it can be. Player corporations will be able to make use of the game's new Modular Private Colony system, setting up static buildings and defenses for large-scale industrial operations, helped by the addition of 24 new teraformable islands. Obviously, player-run structures are a pretty big deal all by themselves, but the update also includes a new rendering engine for land and sky textures. There's also a new public test server available so that players can take the measure of future updates before they go live. If you're a longtime fan of the mech-based game, you can tide yourself over a little longer by taking a look through the several new screenshots of the update below. [Source: Avatar Creations press release] Gallery: Perpetuum gallery Perpetuum rolling out Gamma Frontier tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: How to leave a guild gracefully Posted: 31 May 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel Last week, we talked about ways to leave with extreme drama and much messiness. One thing I intended to add in that column was the "right way" to leave a guild, but it's really something that deserves a column of its own. MMO players are really good at knowing how to push buttons, get under skin, and create drama. But what if you joined a nice guild and it just wasn't the right fit? How do you leave without looking like the bad guy? In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at ways to leave gracefully. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: How to leave a guild gracefully The Guild Counsel: How to leave a guild gracefully originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Summoner's Guidebook: Dealing with Heimerdinger Posted: 31 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook When I was a League of Legends nooblet, I latched onto Heimerdinger during a free week and found him really fun. He was my first taste of bottom lane Dominion play, and he contributed a lot to my early wins. I felt pretty invincible as bottom lane Heimerdinger, and while he was highly gankable, I used it as a way to practice flashing to escape. A lot of my mid-levels were gained by playing Heimerdinger. In Dominion, he's a strong bottom pick, though he has a lot of weaknesses that can be exploited. On Summoner's Rift, he's a strange pick that nobody knows where to place. We'll talk about either case this week and some things you can do to handle them. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Dealing with Heimerdinger The Summoner's Guidebook: Dealing with Heimerdinger originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time Posted: 31 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, Aion, Anarchy Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, All Points Bulletin, Humor, Final Fantasy XIV, Allods Online, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous First things first: Whatever MMO release is currently ticking you off is the worst launch of all time. It would be folly of me to try to convince you otherwise. You've been roundly slapped in the face and you don't want me to convince you that the pain was in vain. I understand. Getting past that, however, would it be possible to examine the subsequent 10 worst launches in the MMO industry? If your trauma isn't too great, that is. It would be? Terrific! What constitutes a horrible game launch is varied, although each and every one of the following games made an unfortunate blunder that caused the title to stumble instead of sprint out of the gate. It's not the end of the story, of course, but it does make for a good tale to tell to youngsters camping in the open woods or a particularly seedy LAN center. Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Defiance could link up an Xbox 360 with a PS3 -- but can't Posted: 31 May 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous, Defiance In this slowly unifying world of technology and gameplay that we live in, it seems weird how we still have the segregation between consoles in the online space. Trion Worlds put on a private demonstration on development hardware to show just how that barrier can be easily knocked down. Unfortunately, the console companies involved will never let it happen. The game in question is Trion Worlds' upcoming Defiance, an MMOFPS that will interact with the Syfy television series of the same name. Trion showed a crowd how it's entirely possible for one player on an Xbox 360 to fight against or with another player on a PlayStation 3. Trion Global Brand Director Alex Rodberg said that while this cross-platform mingling can be done, it's extremely unlikely that such a thing would ever reach live servers: "Microsoft won't let Sony players play against them." A Microsoft spokesperson agreed with that sentiment: "We have a high level of expectation for our game developers to ensure that all Live experiences remain top notch. Because we can't guarantee this level of quality, or control the player experience on other consoles or gaming networks, we currently do not open our network to games that allow this cross-over capability." Defiance could link up an Xbox 360 with a PS3 -- but can't originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Kotaku

Exclusive City of Heroes dev diary: Design insights from the Magisterium trial Posted: 31 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, City of Heroes, Patches, Dev Diaries Today the war ends in City of Heroes. Today players are taking up arms (and mutated plant spores) in the final battle of the Praetorian War, and it will be a glorious eruption of particle effects and superheroic feats. The Magesterium incarnate trial is arguably the centerpiece of Issue 23, and Associate Designer Jeff Hamilton flew in to give us the skinny on this chaotic fight. You can get all the details on the Magisterium as well as an exclusive sneak peek at images from the fight, all after the jump! Continue reading Exclusive City of Heroes dev diary: Design insights from the Magisterium trial Exclusive City of Heroes dev diary: Design insights from the Magisterium trial originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall Posted: 31 May 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Expansions, RIFT, Dungeons The RIFT army cannot be stopped, and neither can Trion Worlds' incredibly hard-working team. Trion officially announced today that RIFT's first expansion, Storm Legion, will be hitting the stores this fall. Executive Producer Scott Hartsman said that the expansion will "triple in size" the amount of content and territory that players currently have. "RIFT: Storm Legion is about more, more, more," he said. Storm Legion will open up two new continents for play: Dusken (a horror-themed continent) and Brevane (which hosts the cradle of Telaran civilization). Another major city will join the map, the dual-faction town of Tempest Bay. Each continent will feature its own storyline, with the promise by the devs that the term "story" will feature far more heavily than mere busy work. The main story of the expansion is driven by Crucia, the Queen of Storms, who's bringing her huge entourage to Telara through the Infinity Gate. Players have much to anticipate when the expansion releases. In addition to the new continents, the expansion will increase the level cap to 60, add capes to our wardrobes, experiment with a player housing system called "dimensions," introduce seven new dungeons and three new raids, add a crafting tier, and see another Chronicle join the roster. Players will also get to play with four new souls, one for each calling (Warrior, Rogue, Mage, and Cleric). Finally, for the brave at heart, the expansion will bring the immense colossus to terrorize the realms, and these open-world colossus battles are supposed to be like nothing we've ever seen before. Get excited for RIFT: Storm Legion by watching the trailer after the jump! Continue reading RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamespot

Funcom soliciting Age of Conan feedback via annual summer survey Posted: 31 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play If you've ever wanted to give Funcom a piece of your mind when it comes to Age of Conan's development, now's your chance. The latest monthly development update is live, and with it comes the annual AoC summer survey questionaire. It's a pretty lengthy set of questions, and it covers everything from item store prices, to PvP, to potential player housing. And lest you think the survey is just for show, AoC game director Craig Morrison begs to differ. "It genuinely does have an impact. Many of the answers in the previous surveys became the templates for specific additions, features and new content. People voted for a 12v12 minigame two years ago, and that was what we made for the next minigame. People wanted more solo instances, those arrived as well," he writes. Funcom soliciting Age of Conan feedback via annual summer survey originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: May dev update

Ask Massively: Haven't had an animal picture since March edition Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Lore, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous So I was looking at the Wikipedia page for capybaras when I realized that I haven't had an animal picture as my header here since March. That just doesn't seem right. I do try to make a conscious effort to avoid putting animals up here all the time, but considering that a good portion of my day is spent thinking about critters, two months seems a really long while. So, here's a capybara. I was originally going to go with a tapir, but I have to pace myself. What was this column supposed to be about? Oh, right, it's the new installment of Ask Massively, discussing the issue of non-European fantasy settings and the potential for more love of crowdsourced projects. If you've got a question you'd 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 clarity and/or brevity. Continue reading Ask Massively: Haven't had an animal picture since March edition Ask Massively: Haven't had an animal picture since March edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New DUST 514 dev diary talks fittings, lore Posted: 31 May 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox If you're unfamiliar with the new PlayStation 3 shooter DUST 514, and the PC MMO EVE Online on which it's based, the latest CCP video dev diary is for you. See, DUST mercenaries inhabit the same universe (and the same server) as EVE capsuleers, and like their EVE counterparts, DUST mercs are immortal. The new video is the second part of CCP's Welcome to New Eden series, and while the lore stuff will probably seem somewhat fluffy to the EVE-newb target audience, there is a bit of gameplay info to be had. It centers around DUST's fitting system, which differentiates the game from traditional role-based shooters by allowing extreme flexibility when it comes to kitting out a character and adjusting to a dynamic battlefield. See for yourself after the break. Continue reading New DUST 514 dev diary talks fittings, lore New DUST 514 dev diary talks fittings, lore originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

City of Heroes Issue 23: Where Shadows Lie launches today Posted: 31 May 2012 11:15 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play City of Heroes' Issue 23 launches today, and Paragon says that Where Shadows Lie is "the culmination of two years' worth of storytelling as it heads to its epic conclusion." It's not all about story, though, as the patch also includes the new Night Ward zone, the Magisterium Incarnate Trial, a server-wide chat channel for both VIP and free players, and new incarnate powers. Perhaps the best part of all this is that it's a free update. You can head to the official CoH website for a complete breakdown of all the patch additions. [Source: Paragon press release] City of Heroes Issue 23: Where Shadows Lie launches today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Issue 23

So who wants a Guild Wars 2 closed beta key? Posted: 31 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Guild Wars 2, Giveaways I could write a bunch of stuff here about how Guild Wars 2 is the most anticipated MMO launch of the year and we bet you really want to play in the next beta if you didn't already pre-purchase the game, but we know you just want that key! So go getchoo one! Just click past the cut for a link to our giveaway page and complete redemption instructions for your chance to get started in June 8th's closed beta weekend. Continue reading So who wants a Guild Wars 2 closed beta key? So who wants a Guild Wars 2 closed beta key? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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