MMO Updates |
- MechWarrior Online showcases new Frozen City environment in video
- Guild Wars celebrates the Dragon Festival this weekend
- SOE on F2P philosophy and EverQuest Next silence
- Guild Wars 2 announces launch date of August 28, 2012
- The Daily Grind: Do you hold an MMO grudge?
- Another LEGO MMO springs up -- this time from Funcom
- MMO Family: Open-world combat and old school gaming in Free Realms
- Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin not on PS2 outside of Japan
- WildStar Wednesday showcases group combat
- TERA rolls out the Chronoscroll system and an upcoming event
- Religious group calls for removal of Hindu deities from Hi-Rez's SMITE
- Massively Exclusive: Seeing the sights in City of Steam
- Enter at Your Own Rift: Going from zero to Storm Legion in a summer
- Watch the Guild Wars 2 beta 'stress test' live
- MechWarrior Online video dev diary on the four pillars of warfare
- Choose My Adventure: Exploring dungeons with Higiri
- Trion reveals RIFT's 1.9 Conquest patch notes
- CABAL Online celebrates sixth anniversary with events, prizes
| MechWarrior Online showcases new Frozen City environment in video Posted: 28 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MechWarrior Online  This new area offers some special advantages and disadvantages. One benefit of the cold is that mechs will take longer to overheat, but a disadvantage of the ice is a loss of traction. The dynamic, unpredictable weather will affect visibility and force players to rely on teammates. MechWarrior Online also released the results for its most popular commander names survey; "Wolf" beat out all other names with nearly double the registered names (20.5%) as next closest competitor, Cat. Why is the name so popular? One theory is the historical connection to the Wolf's Dragoons elite mercenary force that was introduced in the first edition of the original board game. Take a look at the Frozen City in the video after the cut and head over to the official forums to check out what other pilot names people are picking. [Source: MechWarrior Online press release] Continue reading MechWarrior Online showcases new Frozen City environment in video
|
| Guild Wars celebrates the Dragon Festival this weekend Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, News items  It's that special time of year again. The heat is oppressive, the days are long, and the Dragon Festival is here. Guild Wars is once again celebrating the traditional Dragon Festival, which will be from 3:00 p.m. EDT today until 3:00 a.m. EDT on July 2nd. The festivities will include all the normal quests, boardwalk games, missions, bouts in the Dragon Arena, and decorations that long-time players know and love. Some slight changes have been made to the final event rewards: Rather than getting a new mask from Emperor Kisu during the finale, players will receive Imperial Mask Tokens to trade in for previous Dragon Festival or Day of the Tengu hats. With a brief two months remaining before the release of Guild Wars 2, this might be the perfect opportunity to use the boardwalk games to earn a couple titles if you're still shy of your desired Hall of Monuments point quota.
|
| SOE on F2P philosophy and EverQuest Next silence Posted: 28 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, Business models, MMO industry, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous  Gamasutra caught up with John Smedley, who emphasized that the studio is confident that this model is right for the studio -- and the industry: "You're much more focused on the player themselves and listening to what they tell you. When you're at retail, there are two transactions. You are selling your game to the retailer and also selling to the public. Now it's just us putting our games out there and saying 'bring it on.'" When asked about it, Smedley indicated that EverQuest Next would hew to F2P as well. He also said players shouldn't worry that they haven't heard much about this new title, because the secrecy is intentional. "We want to get it right," Smedley said. "That's the pillar of our company and we are going to get it right. We're also making the next generation of MMOs, not an evolution -- and everyone says that, but in this case, we're zigging every other company's zag. Everybody's making WoW 1.5. We're doing something else."
|
| Guild Wars 2 announces launch date of August 28, 2012 Posted: 28 Jun 2012 06:50 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, MMO industry, Guild Wars 2  So you can stop refreshing Amazon, you can stop moping in the comments every time we post about Guild Wars 2, and you can stop trying to budget your summer play schedule around your best guesstimates for when you'll need to stock your fridge and call in sick to work. Sit back and enjoy the remaining beta weekends and the hype because (most) games launch only once! [Edit: There's also a blog post up from Mike O'Brien announcing the final beta test as July 20-22.] Continue reading Guild Wars 2 announces launch date of August 28, 2012
|
| The Daily Grind: Do you hold an MMO grudge? Posted: 28 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Secret World  Because it's Funcom, though, some gamers are rolling their eyes and writing it off. This has to do with the company's (well-earned) reputation for buggy MMO launches, including both Age of Conan and Anarchy Online. While a bit of wariness is understandable, the serious-business rhetoric and the depth of feeling behind the company-specific grudges held by some gamers is both mind-boggling and comical. What about you, morning crew? Do you hold a grudge against Funcom in particular or MMO companies in general?  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!
|
| Another LEGO MMO springs up -- this time from Funcom Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:30 AM PDT Filed under: New titles, News items, Kids, Family  This MMO will be an extension of the current LEGO Minifigures online presence that already has "millions of unique visitors per month." "The market for family-friendly online experiences intended for children and youngsters is brimming with potential," says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. "This is source material we all know and love and we simply cannot wait to get started working with the LEGO Group on realizing this exciting project." The inevitable question on everyone's mind is: Will Funcom succeed where NetDevil failed with LEGO Universe? Only time will tell, but you can bet we'll be providing more info on this new LEGO MMO as it develops. [Source: Funcom press release]
|
| MMO Family: Open-world combat and old school gaming in Free Realms Posted: 27 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-play, Free Realms, MMO Family, Family  In this week's MMO Family, we'll look at the Shrouded Glade event in Free Realms and see how it's bringing a little throwback-gaming to the pint-sized gaming generation. Continue reading MMO Family: Open-world combat and old school gaming in Free Realms
|
| Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin not on PS2 outside of Japan Posted: 27 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Expansions, News items, Consoles  Japanese players on the console will still be receiving the expansion, likely due to the higher percentage of console subscribers in Japan compared to other regions. Hilton was quick to point out that support would still be offered to PS2 players, but that's cold comfort to any console players left out of the upcoming expansion. There's been no word yet on whether or not the game will begin phasing out console support entirely, but if you consider the age of the PS2, it's entirely within the realm of possibility. [Thanks to FusionX for the tip!]
|
| WildStar Wednesday showcases group combat Posted: 27 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, News items, Dev Diaries, WildStar  It's Wednesday, so you know what that means: another glimpse into the development and world of WildStar. In response to complaints that group combat hasn't been highlighted enough, this week's WildStar Wednesday features a video of a team of settlers working together to duke it out with robots and make their way to a dungeon entrance. Lead Combat Designer Chris Lynch narrates the video and talks about the way that freeform targeting, which was highlighted in last week's installment of WildStar Wednesday, comes into play for group dynamics and positioning. There's some serious laser action going on, so be sure to jump past the break to catch all the excitement. Continue reading WildStar Wednesday showcases group combat
|
| TERA rolls out the Chronoscroll system and an upcoming event Posted: 27 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, TERA  The system works fairly transparently: Chronoscrolls can be purchased for real-world cash and then placed on the auction block, and a scroll thus purchased can be redeemed for extra subscription time. That means that players with piles of in-game gold can get plenty of free time to play the game. And if you're wondering why you'd like to spend that money, there is an event taking place starting on Friday, June 29th, in which players will hunt down reptilian egg thieves for special rewards. So you've got some motivation. [Thanks to Dengar for the tips!]
|
| Religious group calls for removal of Hindu deities from Hi-Rez's SMITE Posted: 27 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA  In Hi-Rez Studios' upcoming action-oriented MOBA, SMITE, players are able to play as a variety of gods, goddesses, and miscellaneous deities from multiple world mythologies and religions. If you recall my impressions of the title from PAX East earlier this year, you'll remember that I got to play as Kali, the four-armed, scimitar-wielding Hindu goddess of change and destruction. Well, it turns out that the Universal Society for Hinduism has caught wind of the fact that SMITE players can control Hindu deities such as Kali and Agni, and the organization's president, Rajan Zed, is not pleased. Zed claims that "controlling and manipulating goddess Kali and other HIndu deities... is denigration as these deities are meant to be worshiped," not "reduced to just a character in a video game." As such, Zed called for the immediate removal of all Hindu deities from the title. Hi-Rez, however, has no plans to do so. The studio's COO, Todd Harris, gave the following response: "SMITE includes deities inspired from a diverse and ever expanding set of pantheons including Greek, Chinese, Egyptian, and Norse. Hinduism, being one of the world's oldest, largest and most diverse traditions, also provides inspiration toward deities in our game. In fact, given Hinduism's concept of a single truth with multiple physical manifestations one could validly interpret ALL the gods within SMITE to be Hindu. And all gods outside of SMITE as well. Ponder that for a minute. Anyway, going forward SMITE will include even more deities, not fewer."
|
| Massively Exclusive: Seeing the sights in City of Steam Posted: 27 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, First Impressions, City of Steam  City of Steam is an indie MMO, but don't let that put you off; the team is substantially larger than you'd expect and brimming with talent. The steampunk title loads extremely quickly in your browser, thanks to the Unity web player and a ridiculously small client size. In its current state, City of Steam has four large overworld zones and around 80 instanced dungeons, and yet the total size is -- get this -- 70 megabytes. It's so tiny that some of the dungeons are only a few hundred kilobytes apiece. With the repeated caveat that this was all still pre-alpha and subject to change, Laforge let me log in and explore to my heart's delight. What follows is raw and shocking footage from that journey. Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Seeing the sights in City of Steam
|
| Enter at Your Own Rift: Going from zero to Storm Legion in a summer Posted: 27 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Endgame, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift  Was I insane? Probably. My biggest worry at this juncture is that I won't be ready for Storm Legion when it comes this fall. When you've been at the level cap for a while, you probably don't even think about the amount of content you need to chew through to get there. I didn't want to be caught flat-footed when the expansion released, shouting, "Wait up guys!" as I fell behind. Re-rolling was good for me for two reasons. One, it's allowing me to connect with this new character and feel out all of the changes in the game. Two, it's giving me the chance to prove that anyone could start RIFT right now and be totally prepared for the expansion -- even if you're just a casual player. Today I want to share a few of my experiences on the leveling game and why it's not too late to get ready for Storm Legion, even if you're a newbie. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Going from zero to Storm Legion in a summer
|
| Watch the Guild Wars 2 beta 'stress test' live Posted: 27 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, New titles, Guild Wars 2, Massively Event Coverage, Livestream  From 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT today, the stream from Joystiq's new Twitch.tv account (which you should totally follow) will be open. While Xav de Matos plays through the game with a fresh character, Massively columnist Elisabeth Cardy will be on-hand to manage your questions from the stream chat and comments on this post. Hilarious banter between both editors is expected but not guaranteed. This event represents a game still in beta, and things may not function properly. Due to the nature of a "stress test," we may experience crashes, game freezes, and other performance and connection issues. [Edit: You can find a the finished recording of the stream here.] Continue reading Watch the Guild Wars 2 beta 'stress test' live
|
| MechWarrior Online video dev diary on the four pillars of warfare Posted: 27 Jun 2012 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, MechWarrior Online, MOBA  Don't be fooled by the name: The four pillars of MechWarrior Online have nothing to do with story. Instead, Bullock gives an overview of how Piranha is making combat more than tab-targeting and button mashing. These four MWO pillars are mech (the build of your battle machine), information (battlefield awareness), role (taking on a specialty role in combat), and community warfare (engaging in the conflict outside of the game). The explanation of the four pillars is interspersed with in-game clips, including a neat one of a 'mech powering up. You can catch up on your MechWarrior Online knowledge after the jump. Continue reading MechWarrior Online video dev diary on the four pillars of warfare
|
| Choose My Adventure: Exploring dungeons with Higiri Posted: 27 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Game mechanics, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, TERA, Dungeons  I spent a lot of time questing with Higiri this past week, since that's easily the most efficient way to level, and as a result I had some further insights into the nature of questing in the game that build off of my insights last week. But running the dungeon was the centerpiece, and my runs through were... memorable, yes, but probably for the wrong reasons. And no, not in the "crazy, horrible party" sense. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Exploring dungeons with Higiri
|
| Trion reveals RIFT's 1.9 Conquest patch notes Posted: 27 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, News items, RIFT  Conquest isn't the only thing on today's menu, of course. There's also the new barbershop functionality, a new mentoring system, more instant adventure locations, and the Summerfest world event. Summerfest includes scavenger hunts and some interesting activities like pet wrangling and the chance to ride a barrel over a waterfall. The patch features a number of additional tweaks and updates, all of which are yours for the reading on the official RIFT forums.
|
| CABAL Online celebrates sixth anniversary with events, prizes Posted: 27 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Cabal Online, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Anniversary  Razer gaming headsets, artwork, in-game Drei Frame armor, and several other virtual armor and weapon pieces are up for grabs. The devs are also adding new high-end outfits, content, and items. Don't worry if you're a low-level player, though; Games Masters is adding goodies for you too. Full details are available on the game's official boards.
|
| 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 | |
