MMO Updates

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• MMO Family: Jumping into Learning with JumpStart
• Why I Play: The Secret World
• Choose My Adventure: A last round of TERA dungeons with Higiri
• gPotato revamps Flyff, releases new trailer
• Aeria accepting Born to Fire closed beta signups
• Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan shows the might of warbands
• The Daily Grind: How do you like your MMO PvP?
• PlanetSide 2 beta coming 'within the next month'
• Richard Garriott's Portalarium raises $7 million in funding
• Champions Online, Star Trek Online converting to Perfect World Entertainment's currency
• The Game Archaeologist: Puzzle Pirates
• Chaos Theory: Tornquist on The Secret World's launch, future
• Soapbox: In defense of achievements
• SWTOR locks servers in preparation for merges
• MMO subscriber numbers have peaked, says industry analyst
• Massively Speaking Episode 208: Invest in copper
• Perfect World teases new Swordsman Online screens
• The Secret World to feature new content 'on a regular, monthly basis'
• The Secret World adding server dimension to meet player demand

MMO Family: Jumping into Learning with JumpStart Posted: 11 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-play, First Impressions, MMO Family, Family When the subject of kid-friendly MMOs comes up, it almost always ends up with a discussion about whether there's any educational value to them. Many of them are safe, provide fun, and bring families together, but actual learning doesn't seem to be the focus. And some games that do focus on learning end up starchy and bland. JumpStart, however, is one of those MMOs that tries to bring together fun and education for kids who are in preschool and elementary school. It launched a couple of years ago, and the world has expanded quite a bit since then. Does it deliver on both fun and learning? Read on for some first impressions! Continue reading MMO Family: Jumping into Learning with JumpStart MMO Family: Jumping into Learning with JumpStart originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Why I Play: The Secret World Posted: 11 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real life, Sci-fi, New titles, Opinion, The Secret World, Why I Play I can't stop! No, seriously -- I had delusions of sneaking this article out a week earlier than scheduled, but that involved actually tearing myself away from Kingsmouth long enough to log out and write. And you can see how well that turned out! It's hard enough trying to do so now; every time I think about The Secret World, I want to jump right back in and... um, excuse me a moment, I'll be right back... Hey, I just needed to test something in-game for this article, honest! Though if the test was to be able to log in and right back out of TSW, I failed. I checked what I needed to and thought to myself, "Just five more minutes." Before I knew it, too many hours flew by. And this was not an isolated incident, either. As much as I enjoy playing MMORPGs (anyone who has heard me in a game can attest to that!), it has been quite a while since I truly reveled in my time in game and champed at the bit to get back in when I had to leave. It's no secret that I have been waiting for this game for years now, and I have to say I am not disappointed. Funcom's newest release has truly ensnared me. So what is so compelling about The Secret World? Do you have a minute or five? Continue reading Why I Play: The Secret World Why I Play: The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: A last round of TERA dungeons with Higiri Posted: 11 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Game mechanics, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, TERA, Dungeons Some things are really just acquired tastes. At first they seem lackluster or even outright bad, but that's mostly because you need to adjust a bit more. If you give it some time and practice, all of the difficulties fade away. As it turns out, what seemed unpleasant at first becomes enjoyable, and what you mistook as irritation was really just confusion. And so you can tell others that even if this seems a bit bad at first, stick with it because it gets better. TERA's dungeons apparently do not fall under that category. This week was another week with Higiri, exploring the depths of TERA's dungeons, trying my hand at more tanking, and seeing whether I warmed up a little more to the experience now that I knew something of what to expect. And I definitely had a better picture of what was going on in the dungeon from start to finish, so that was excellent. Unfortunately, it didn't really win me over. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: A last round of TERA dungeons with Higiri Choose My Adventure: A last round of TERA dungeons with Higiri originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

gPotato revamps Flyff, releases new trailer Posted: 11 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Flyff, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play gPotato has revamped its long-running Flyff MMORPG. The title is now called Flyff Gold, and it's got new textures, music, interface tweaks, and more. Flyff currently offers 150 levels, seven continents, and over 20 classes. There's plenty of content to keep you busy for quite a while. The game also boasts a unique flight system with customizable wings, brooms, and assorted mounts to help you explore the floating islands scattered throughout the world of Madrigal. Be sure to have a look at the new gameplay trailer after the break. [Source: gPotato press release] Continue reading gPotato revamps Flyff, releases new trailer gPotato revamps Flyff, releases new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aeria accepting Born to Fire closed beta signups Posted: 11 Jul 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play Aeria Games has issued a press release about its latest free-to-play effort, a lobby shooter called Born to Fire. The title features five classes and three game modes (deathmatch, bomb defusal, and siege), along with 12 distinct maps. The game also boasts a replay function that works from either player perspectives or a free-floating camera. Classes include the Ranger, Sniper, Heavyfire EX, Point Man, and Dual Gunner. You can read further details on each archetype at the official Born to Fire website. Aeria is also accepting closed beta signups. [Source: Aeria press release] Aeria accepting Born to Fire closed beta signups originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan shows the might of warbands Posted: 11 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play They're the fantasy equivalent of biker gangs, and they're not going to stop terrorizing the 'hood until a spunky hero rides against them. They're Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan's warbands: fierce groups of mounted enemies who roam the vast plains looking for trouble. Today Turbine released six new screenshots of these warbands in action. Unlike other enemies in the game, warbands will travel far and fast, bringing conflict when you least expect it. These enemies ride on both wargs and horses, wielding terrible instruments of war. The studio says that there are no "dibs" when fighting warbands. Any player that attacks a warband will get credit for the kill, even if not grouped. Turbine says that it created this open tapping system to encourage cooperation instead of competition. [Source: Turbine press release] Gallery: LotRO: Riders of Rohan Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan shows the might of warbands originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How do you like your MMO PvP? Posted: 11 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Secret World So The Secret World's Fusang Projects PvP zone is a rollicking good time. And this is coming from someone who generally thinks of MMO PvP as ill-considered (at best). Why is it fun? I can't really put my finger on that. It's an absolutely huge zone, and beautifully rendered. It also supports hundreds of simultaneous players, and for the first week of the game at least, it's lived up to its constantly populated billing. It's pretty much a zerg, though, unless you happen to be in Ventrilo with a well-coordinated group. And therein lies today's breakfast topic. Assuming you partake of MMO PvP, do you do it in a small group or are you part of the hive mind? 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: How do you like your MMO PvP? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PlanetSide 2 beta coming 'within the next month' Posted: 11 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Sandbox Could it be true? A beta announcement? It could, and it is! That's right PlanetSide 2 fans -- your itchy trigger fingers will finally get some relief sometime "within the next month." Granted it's not an exact date, but the end is finally in sight. Sound too good to be true? Well the news comes straight from the mouth of Executive Producer Josh Hackney in the debut episode of Command Center, Sony Online Entertainment's new developer diary series for the latest and greatest on all things PlanetSide 2. You can hear it for yourself after the cut. As if the promise of the impending beta wasn't enough, the 21 minute video offers more juicy tidbits. Hackney goes on to assure that veteran PlanetSide players will get into to the beta first through high-priority access. Then hosts Matt Higby, Creative Director, and Tramell Isaac, Senior Art Director, talk about upcoming events, the infiltrator class, costumes, and E3. They end the show by displaying fan art. Continue reading PlanetSide 2 beta coming 'within the next month' PlanetSide 2 beta coming 'within the next month' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PlanetSide Command Center episode one

Richard Garriott's Portalarium raises $7 million in funding Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Miscellaneous Richard Garriott designed Ultima Online and Tabula Rasa, and he has also been to outer space. This has apparently convinced several investors that funding his new company Portalarium is a sound decision, as it was recently announced that Portalarium has secured roughly $7 million in investment capital. The money is being pushed into the final stages of development on the company's first title, Ultimate Collector, which is slated for release later this summer on Facebook, mobile, and browser-based platforms. Some of the funds are also earmarked for development on the company's second game, alternately known as both Ultimate RPG and New Britannia, which does not yet have a release window. The chief investment firm was London-based m8 Capital, but several other sources also contribued to the groundswell of support, including Richard Garriott himself. Last month, the company announced that it will be working through the Zynga Platform Partners program to publish Ultimate Collector. Richard Garriott's Portalarium raises $7 million in funding originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Richard Garriott's Portalarium raises $7 million

Champions Online, Star Trek Online converting to Perfect World Entertainment's currency Posted: 10 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Champions Online When Perfect World Entertainment first acquired Cryptic Studios, it was a rather unusual situation. Both Champions Online and Star Trek Online already had functional microtransaction system, complete with a unified currency for both. That currency is going away as of Thursday, when both games convert to using PWE's ZEN currency instead of unique systems. It's another step toward integrating both games into the same framework as Perfect World's other games, something that's been a steady process throughout this year. A small FAQ details the process of converting Cryptic Points to ZEN, which is fairly straightforward. The dollar value of Cryptic Points will be converted to the same dollar value in ZEN, both for pricing in stores and for player funding. This also means that players may see a slight increase in their wallets; existing Cryptic Points will be multiplied by 1.25 and converted to ZEN, and any fractional results will be rounded up. If you're playing CO or STO, it's probably a good idea to take a careful look at the whole guide to ensure that you know all there is to know about the game's new currency. Champions Online, Star Trek Online converting to Perfect World Entertainment's currency originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Cryptic Points conversion FAQ

The Game Archaeologist: Puzzle Pirates Posted: 10 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, The Game Archaeologist Up until this point in my life, Puzzle Pirates has always been that "oh yeah, that actually exists!" game to me. Even when I do lists of pirates in MMOs, this title slips right off of my radar. Maybe it's because Puzzle Pirates doesn't make waves (har!) these days, or maybe it's been around for so very long. I can't be the only one; the last time Massively talked about Puzzle Pirates was three years ago. I think that part of Puzzle Pirates' forgettability is that it doesn't exactly scream MMO. I mean, its combat is more cerebral than anything else, it's all cutesy and stuff, and even its name suggests a casual flash title than anything deep and substantive. Yet I have friends with a long and abiding love for this game, people who always chide me when I forget it. So to peer pressure I bow: It's high past time that we gave Puzzle Pirates its due as part of the MMO genre. Avast, ye landlubbers, and swab those peepers: We be goin' to sea! Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Puzzle Pirates The Game Archaeologist: Puzzle Pirates originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Tornquist on The Secret World's launch, future Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory You know, this is probably obvious if you've read my coverage of The Secret World thus far, but I'll just go ahead and fess up: I dig the game, and watching Funcom knock the cover off the ball is gratifying in a strange sort of way. That's why I didn't get too upset when my opportunity to interview creative director Ragnar Tornquist was upstaged by the firm's huge news dump this afternoon. The company shocked gamers and industry watchers by promising monthly content updates and a whole bunch of other stuff, some of which I had asked about in a series of questions we sent Funcom earlier in the week. The resulting answers are still worth a read, though, particularly if you're pinching yourself over TSW's successful launch and its rosy future. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Tornquist on The Secret World's launch, future Chaos Theory: Tornquist on The Secret World's launch, future originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Soapbox: In defense of achievements Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I've heard all the arguments before, trust me. Achievements are a waste of space. They're frivolous, meaningless numbers -- a Skinner Box within a Skinner Box for the weak-willed. They can be far too spammy. And then there's that hoary chestnut: They take precious development time that could be used for better purposes from something you personally want. Achievements are a blight upon our games, binding us to the most base of gamer crowds, the yokels on Xbox Live. We should cast off the chains of achievement oppression and live as free men, women, and Elves once more! OK, enough with the histrionics. Many of these points come down to personal preference, and that's impossible to refute. You like what you like, and I like what I like. Still, I'd disagree that the overall notion of achievements is useless. In fact, I fully embrace them in my gameplay and hope that they stick around for a good long while. Continue reading Soapbox: In defense of achievements Soapbox: In defense of achievements originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR locks servers in preparation for merges Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic If step one was giving some players the opportunity to transfer servers for free and step two was incentivizing those moves, then step three in BioWare's plan to consolidate the community is closing the door on the source servers in preparation for an inevitable merge. The studio announced that as of today, several of Star Wars: The Old Republic servers have been locked. Locked servers are still playable, and inhabitants can create new toons; however, no new players can roll a character there. These source servers will eventually be merged with destination servers this summer. BioWare's move to merge SWTOR's numerous servers follows a post-launch drop in subscriber numbers. Players on source servers are encouraged to manually transfer to destination servers before the game does it for them. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!] SWTOR locks servers in preparation for merges originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR help center

MMO subscriber numbers have peaked, says industry analyst Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous Whether you love him, hate him, respect him, or ignore him, when Michael Pachter speaks, his voice carries. So it's of note that everyone's favorite videogame analyst is back with a few more controversial remarks concerning the growth -- or lack of it -- in the MMO market. Speaking at the Evolve Conference, Pachter said, "It looks to me as though the MMO market is as big as it's ever going to be -- as far as subscription MMOs. People willing to play $15 a month, there are six or seven million of them. Period. If Star Wars couldn't expand it, when it's made by BioWare, nothing can do it. That's why Curt Schilling's 38 Studios went out of business, because he couldn't get financing." In May, Pachter proclaimed that nobody was buying MMOs after Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch. MMO subscriber numbers have peaked, says industry analyst originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Incgamers.com

Massively Speaking Episode 208: Invest in copper Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, City of Heroes, MMO industry, News items, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, The Secret World, Massively Speaking, TERA, Miscellaneous Who would have ever thought that a summer would prove to be one of the busiest times for MMOs in, like, ever? And yet, here we are. Join hosts Justin and Bree-to-play as they tackle the highlights from a surprisingly packed holiday newsweek. If you feel the need to shoot off fireworks in front of your computer as you listen, we won't fault you. 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 208: Invest in copper Massively Speaking Episode 208: Invest in copper originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Perfect World teases new Swordsman Online screens Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play Think back to E3 2010. We know it's hard; two years is an eternity when it comes to gaming news. Do you remember a title called Swordsman Online, though? We do, and Perfect World has finally released some additional info on the game courtesy of today's screenshot dump. MMO Culture has the details, some of which include the fact that the free-to-play title will feature heavily at ChinaJoy 2012 in a couple of weeks. Swordsman is set in an ancient China infused with fantasy elements. It's also based on the popular novels of Louis Cha. Perfect World teases new Swordsman Online screens originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

The Secret World to feature new content 'on a regular, monthly basis' Posted: 10 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, News items, The Secret World Ragnar Tornquist has taken to The Secret World forums to deliver the title's inaugural state-of-the-game post. It's an exciting read for fans of Funcom's horror/conspiracy MMO, as he hints at quite a few updates and surprises waiting in the wings. "We're going to be releasing fresh and tasty new content to our subscribers on a regular, monthly basis," Tornquist says, before going on to explain that Funcom's version of fresh and tasty includes monthly mission packs. New investigation, action, and sabotage missions are in the works, all of them featuring full voice, cutscenes, and media pop-ups. Improved character customization options are incoming, as is TSW's first raid (apparently set in New York City). Oh, did we mention new weapon types and a new PvP dungeon in a new geographical area? Yeah, that's coming too. So is a dungeon finder tool, seasonal events, and "two large, new and incredibly exciting adventure zones." Still not satisfied? OK, how about new pets and new social functionality designed to "allow roleplayers and would-be thespians to spread their wings?" We think that just about covers it, but in case we missed something, check out the full letter on TSW forums. The Secret World to feature new content 'on a regular, monthly basis' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: State of the game

The Secret World adding server dimension to meet player demand Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World Things are looking pretty good for The Secret World a week after its launch. Funcom has just announced that it is adding an additional server dimension to "accommodate the increasing number of players." The game makes use of something called single-server technology, which allows players from different dimensions to chat, group, and join guilds. If you're thinking of taking the game for a spin and are looking to roll on the same server that your friends inhabit, don't fret, as you'll be able to play with them regardless. Funcom says the new shard will be flagged as a "roleplaying dimension." If you're looking for it in the dimension list, it's called Leviathan. The Secret World adding server dimension to meet player demand originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

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