MMO Updates

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• The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards
• EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you!
• Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions
• The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO
• The Daily Grind: Why is there so much hate for game companies?
• Hands-on with MechWarrior Online
• MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status
• Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments
• Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire
• SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark
• EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial
• Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online
• Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games
• Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two

The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards Posted: 31 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, New titles, Patches, News items, The Secret World, Dungeons Delivering on Funcom's promise of monthly updates, The Secret World's first update Unleashed is now live on servers. Players can now log in to check out the various additions and fixes to the fantasy horror MMORPG. This update introduces seven new missions, a Nightmare Mode to two dungeons, and a cross-dimensional marketplace so players can buy, sell, and even ship goods to other players. The marketplace can be utilized via the bank NPCs in London. Among other fixes, it is also noted that the /say and /shout commands are now working properly. As an added bonus, players who complete all of the new missions will earn an achievement and receive unique clothing rewards. You can read up on all the details in the Issue #1 patch notes, while specific mission details can be found here. [Source: Funcom press release] The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff Posted: 31 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Contests, News items, Free-to-play, Housing With a housing feature as robust as EverQuest II's, players can create a multitude of original spaces. To highlight the abundant creative decorating skills of EQII players, Sony Online Entertainment is bringing back the Norrathian Homeshow. If you think your place deserves a spotlight tour on the official website, snap some flattering screenshots capturing the best of your creation (sans UI of course) and send it via email to homeshow@soe.sony.com along with character name, server, and title of the home or dungeon. Players should also add a general description of the place as well as caption each screenshot. For full details on how to submit your home, check out the official announcement. Selected entries will be featured in a future Norrathian Homeshow. EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! Posted: 31 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides There comes a time in every Guild Wars 2 adventurer's life when her progression begins to go through certain, well, changes. These changes begin when an adventurer reaches level 5, and they get even more pronounced when she hits level 11. It might feel confusing and embarrassing; suddenly, you've got red exclamation marks on your hero panel and a nearly uncontrollable urge to allocate your skill points. Your skill bar starts to fill out. It's OK. It's totally natural. You'll have questions. Where do utility skills come from? Which skills do you take, and in what order? What if you give your first point to the wrong trait line? Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions Posted: 31 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Jukebox Heroes For many Lord of the Rings Online players, the name Chance Thomas is synonymous with the feel of virtual Middle-earth. From the earliest days in the game, explorers have traversed the Shire, Moria, and beyond listening to Thomas' melodies. So we were excited to hear that Turbine is bringing Thomas back to score not only Riders of Rohan (his first soundtrack for the game since Mines of Moria) but also Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark as well. Thomas is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer who's been working primarily in the field of video game music since 1998. Being a huge fan of MMO soundtracks, I made it a personal quest to talk with him about these two new scores and how he feels about working in this genre. In the weeks ahead, I'll be reviewing both Rohan and Underdark's soundtracks, but today I wanted to focus on the man behind the music. Join me, then, as we embark on a voyage to worlds far away, sailing on the wings of a song. Geez, that's cheesy, ain't it? Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO Posted: 31 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Runes of Magic, 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'm amazed how often I still hear the phrase "learn to play." It's become a nasty term that makes me suspect those saying it just don't want other gamers around at all. And I can hardly blame them when the MMO market is pushing a markedly single-player agenda. MMOs tout our ability to play with friends and interact with others, but in the end, they are selfish games that breed and attract selfish gamers. In modern MMOs, interaction barely rises above single-player co-op. Guild Wars 2 exemplifies this by dropping you in a world with the potential for thousands of players to be all around you, but its alienating mechanics often make you feel like a lonely ghost who wants nothing more than to hug someone. L2P and other stock insults are rooted in something ugly: the literally antisocial nature of many MMOs. Continue reading The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Why is there so much hate for game companies? Posted: 31 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Gaming discourse has gotten out of hand in recent years, and the anonymity offered by the internet and the decline of civility in general has conspired to bring arguments, personal attacks, and flame wars to the forefront of many a discussion. Most of the ire seems to be directed at gaming companies. If we look at it objectively, a company like Electronic Arts or Sony Online Entertainment is just a collection of people focused on a common goal, that goal being the production of entertainment products that are optional purchases. And yet if an outsider were to read your average gaming forum, he might think that EA or SOE is engaged in the wholesale slaughter of children, kittens, and puppies on a daily basis. So what do you think, Massively readers? Why is there so much hate for gaming companies? 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: Why is there so much hate for game companies? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with MechWarrior Online Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Guilds, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous, MechWarrior Online Last week, we sent San Francisco freelancer Emil Vazquez to the MechWarrior Online Community Day event to get some hands-on time with the game. This article reflects his opinion of his experiences! The MechWarrior franchise is, unsurprisingly, one that centers on giant mechanical battle-beasts beating the un-living daylights out of each other. Like a lot of mech games, MechWarrior Online makes "big" its modus operandi: You pilot a giant mech with colossal weaponry that unleashes biblical levels of destruction on its surroundings. It really should be obvious what you're getting into when you slip behind the controls of your own insanely customized mechanical soulmate, and for the most part, the surprises are few. But there are a few things that I came to appreciate during my time with the hands-on demo of MechWarrior Online, and it's the little things that make MechWarrior Online (and the MechWarrior franchise in general) more than just a mech simulation. Continue reading Hands-on with MechWarrior Online Hands-on with MechWarrior Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status Posted: 30 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, MechWarrior Online If you can't wait for the chance to stomp around the battlefield in your very own BattleMech, you probably gave the fine people behind MechWarrior Online your money for the Founder Package as soon as it was available. But perhaps you waited a little longer and have discovered that you still have none of the promised beta access, or perhaps you weren't even sure when the beta access would begin. Fear not, as Piranha Games has posted a brief update clarifying these matters. Founders should already have access to the game's closed beta, with any recent purchasers receiving it shortly after the transaction clears. However, there was a glitch on the servers last weekend that resulted in some purchasers not being granted beta access as intended. Founders without access should contact customer support for help in resolving that matter, but most everyone affected should be free to log in to the test servers now and start blasting away. MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Founders Gain Immediate Beta Access

Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Video, Bugs, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III Two major Diablo III exploits were made public this week, allowing Wizards to make themselves invulnerable and Barbarians to kill monsters just by running past them. The exploits have been in the game for at least a month and were hotfixed this week. Path of Exile celebrated its third public testing weekend this weekend and released its major 0.9.11 update, including a complete revamp of the passive skill tree. In MOBA news, Major League Gaming released details of its $10,000 League of Legends tournament this week, and Riot Games unveiled new champion Diana, Scorn of the Moon. Dota 2 released a whopping three new heroes this week and began preparation for its upcoming tournament The International. Wrath of Heroes introduced a new leaderboard system and newbie quests in game update 0.23 this week, and Bigpoint unveiled its new MOBA, Universal Monsters Online, which lets players take on the mantle of Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Consoles, Humor, Final Fantasy XIV Veterans of Final Fantasy XIV remember the struggle of last year, the desperate battle to protect the land of Eorzea against a rampaging fire. A battle so desperate that it could be fought only by having men and women dress in skimpy swimsuits and make kissy-faces at fire elementals. This year, the battle must be waged again, but this time adventurers will be dressing up in traditional Eastern clothing. Yes, the Moonfire Faire is upon us once again. From today and running until August 13th, players will have the opportunity to take part in the event by speaking with event NPCs located in each of the major cities. There are no details on precisely what the event will entail, although the mechanics are likely to be similar to last year's equally ridiculous offering. There's also no word on whether or not this year will also allow players to unlock special wallpapers, although it's certainly possible. So if you're in the mood to beat the heat in-game, log in now and start chasing some fire elementals! Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Moonfire Faire announcement

SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark Posted: 30 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox Those of you hoping to get your hands on PlanetSide 2's beta are going to have to hope a bit longer. SOE president John Smedley took to Twitter this afternoon to let anxious Auraxians know about a slight delay in the MMOFPS's big closed beta push. "Had planned for today or tomorrow but we have some stuff we need to make sure is awesome," Smedley wrote. "The team is working like crazy but we need to polish some stuff and test it before we let in a massive number of people." In other SOE news, the company filed a trademark for something called Reign of Fear. We don't know whether the title pertains to an expansion for an existing MMO or is an entirely new property. The filing covers "video game software providing downloadable multiplayer, roleplaying, real-time" gameplay "via the internet and local area computer networks." SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Smedley Twitter

EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial Posted: 30 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Patches, Previews, Dev Diaries With EVE Online's inbound Inferno 1.2 patch comes a completely overhauled tutorial experience for the game. CCP Games was concerned by how many potential players failed to make it through the existing tutorial, and CCP Greyscale wrote a lengthy post detailing how a studio goes about retuning the beginner experience to retain customers. This process is detailed in five steps. The first was to gather metrics and analyze them to see where problem areas lay. From there the team broke apart the current tutorial, reorganized it, and formed task forces to deal with each section. After making the changes, the team turned the new tutorial over to outside testers for evaluation and feedback. Finally, the improved tutorial will be implemented to (hopefully) greater effect. CCP also listed many of the changes coming with this new tutorial. These changes include removing the voiceovers and adding right-click context menus, better visuals, highlighting text, and easier navigation between the tutorial steps. EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Tutorial revamp dev blog

Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online Posted: 30 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log This past week, Star Trek Online's developers proved they're listening to community feedback. STO Executive Producer Daniel Stahl has released this month's state-of-the-game letter, Foundry missions are playable again, and a few of the game's developers began preparations for their appearance at the upcoming Discussion with the Devs panel, which will be co-hosted by Massively and Trek Radio at the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. Still, there are some outstanding issues that haven't been addressed by Cryptic or Perfect World, and some players are beginning to wonder whether PvP has been laid to rest in STO. Also, the addition of a new EV suit to the ZEN Store has ruffled quite a few feathers, including mine. Join me while I sift through what happened in STO over the past week! Continue reading Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous The latest declaration regarding the validity of the freemium business model comes to us from MCV. "It turns out free is the price point people want to pay for games," BBC Worldwide executive Robert Nashak told the website. Nashak goes on to say that freemium raises the quality bar by virtue of putting the power in the hands of the consumer. "If you're not hooking people in you can't monetize," he says. BioWare-Mythic's Eugene Evans agrees, and he says that the model has its roots in the games rental business. "For me that really did start when I saw the retailer Blockbuster started renting out games. I'm convinced that probably put some studios out of business," Evans explains. "There [were] a lot of people [who] complained about game rentals at the time, but they were often the people whose product was just bad." Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MCV Via: Gamespot

Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia, Dungeons Last week, Wings Over Atreia discussed one of the biggest changes that came to Aion with the 3.1 patch: the Fast-Track server. That alone might have grabbed your attention (it certainly did mine). However, the inclusion of an at-will PvP-free leveling zone wasn't even close to the only thing brought to the table; plenty of other morsels were served as well. Changes -- they are legion! Mixed among the requisite jumble of fix-this-wording and adjust-this-skill tweaks were changes that affect instances, repeatable quests, AP, and housing. And of course, as in any Aion update, devs a played a rousing game of squash-a-bug. Here's a look at some of the highlights of patch 3.1. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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