MMO Updates |
- Firefall beta tournament to debut at gamescom
- MMO Blender: Larry's old-school 16-bit MMO
- Pirate101 sails into closed beta
- City of Steam begins third alpha weekend tonight
- Forbes: Activision's dependence on declining WoW subs 'potential for a catastrophic situation'
- SOE's John Smedley tackles an epic AMA
- New ArcheAge video shows new styles for next closed beta
- PlanetSide 2 beta starts Monday
- The Daily Grind: Have you ever been scared in an MMO?
- The MMO Report: Updates on updates edition
- The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends' grind too much for a competitive game?
- Jukebox Heroes Extra: Five exclusive DDO music tracks for your listening pleasure
- The Perfect Ten: Goosebump trailers
- Lord of the Rings Online posts a new developer diary on Champions
- World of Warcraft has 9.1 million subscribers, down by a million since May
- The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama
- Ask Massively: Welcome to here edition
- Dawn of Fantasy's been invaded by Dwarves
- EVE CSM 7 meeting minutes published
- Shadowrun Online coming to Ouya and Linux
| Firefall beta tournament to debut at gamescom Posted: 03 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Firefall  Registration and the tournament qualifiers will start on Thursday the 16th of August at the ESL Arena and continue through the 17th. On Saturday the 18th, the qualifying players will compete for the prize money on the ESL stage in front of spectators. Fans anticipating the free-to-play shooter but unable to attended can watch the finals streamed live at www.esl.tv. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
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| MMO Blender: Larry's old-school 16-bit MMO Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, Ultima Online, Guild Wars 2, Free Realms, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous, MMO Blender, Housing  Nowadays, with online gaming and indie companies sprouting up all over the place, a 16-bit online RPG would probably sell really well, especially if it took some of the best elements from the classic console RPGs of the NES/SNES era. Isn't that right, Cthulhu Saves the World? Let's see what I can throw together from some of my favorite 8- and 16-bit games. Continue reading MMO Blender: Larry's old-school 16-bit MMO
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| Pirate101 sails into closed beta Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Pirate101  Pirate101 offers rich storylines, fully-voiced characters, and friendly navigation in a game with something for everyone, whether a player is casual or seeks more complex and in-depth systems. The game is set to launch later this year. [Source: KingsIsle Entertainment press release]
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| City of Steam begins third alpha weekend tonight Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, New titles, News items, Races, City of Steam  Regrettably, not all of the greenskin races will be available in this alpha weekend as previously planned. On the plus side, the Goblins, one of the most anticipated races, will be featured. If you were really looking forward to either the Orcs or the Hobbes, take heart -- the studio has announced there will be a fourth alpha weekend which will include all nine races, more daily quests, and even more content. Supporter packs are still available on the official site for those wanting priority admittance to the alpha. [Source: Mechanist Games press release]
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| Forbes: Activision's dependence on declining WoW subs 'potential for a catastrophic situation' Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO industry, Guild Wars 2, Miscellaneous  "After looking into Activision Blizzard, Inc., we discovered an amazing looking company that is unfortunately almost completely sustained by the revenue it reaps from one game, World of Warcraft," the authors notes. "When considering that the same company has a 60% majority shareholder (Vivendi) looking to sell its shares in the company you get the potential for a catastrophic situation." Because Vivendi is having difficulty unloading Activision, Forbes says that any sharp decline in World of Warcraft's revenue will drag down Vivendi's stock severely. The authors also note that the company will suffer from the launch of Guild Wars 2: "The bottom line here is that gamers like to start on level playing fields. Gamers love to save money. Gamers are always in a frantic rush to play superior games. These three factors are the main reasons why Guild Wars 2 will win over market share from WoW." [Thanks to Mike for the tip!]
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| SOE's John Smedley tackles an epic AMA Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Business models, MMO industry, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Community Q&A, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2  The crowd didn't waste time getting John Smedley to apologize for Star Wars Galaxies' NGE once again. "Stupid decisions. Complete and utter fail and I am very sorry," he said. After that, the topic quickly turned to SOE's rising star, PlanetSide 2. Smedley said that he's been closely involved with the design of PS2. With the beta beginning on Monday, he also assured the crowd that it should be around two to three weeks to get everyone in who has keys. He said that the game's coming along swimmingly: "I play the game three to four hours a day now. It's rough but fun as hell." Smedley also admitted that SOE is working on additional undisclosed IPs. When asked about SWTOR's transitioning to F2P, he stated, "It is the only way to go for new games. It was the right decision for SWTOR (which is a fantastic game). Wait until you see our next round of games after PS2."
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| New ArcheAge video shows new styles for next closed beta Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox  XLGAMES has been showing off more and more of ArcheAge's goodies in preparation for the games' upcoming fifth Closed Beta Test. After a story teaser trailer and a video introduction to new areas last week, it's time to see some of the shiny in store for your characters! This newest video highlights some of the new armors and weapons available in CBT 5. Each gorgeous armor piece and weapon is shown in fine detail, presumably to make people not in the CBT even more jealous than they already were. Check out the video after the cut for some very snazzy outfits accompanied by a brief interlude in a room with a sleeping woman and half-naked man. Continue reading New ArcheAge video shows new styles for next closed beta
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| PlanetSide 2 beta starts Monday Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, PlanetSide 2 
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| The Daily Grind: Have you ever been scared in an MMO? Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  But The Secret World doesn't have a monopoly on scares in MMOs, as even the most benign titles may produce a moment or two that gives you the willies. It could be a monster that pops out of nowhere, a creature design that sincerely unnerves you, or a situation in which you feel utter dread and despair. I always felt that Fallen Earth delivered more than a few locations and moments that deeply unsettled me, and I'll admit to even jumping in fright once when I saw a giant wolf come out of the shadows in a darkened boiler room. So what about you? Have you ever been scared in an MMO, and if so, what happened?  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!
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| The MMO Report: Updates on updates edition Posted: 02 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, MMO industry, News items, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous  But that's not all there is to cover in this week's installment, as there's also an announcement about Star Wars: The Old Republic going free-to-play. You might have heard about it. Last but not least, it's time for the show to dive back into its mailbag, complete with fan art that has to be seen to be perceived. Click on past the break to see the full video, and tune in every week to see a new installment of The MMO Report from G4TV and Massively. Continue reading The MMO Report: Updates on updates edition
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends' grind too much for a competitive game? Posted: 02 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook  However, the long grind to get to summoner level 30 poses a difficult barrier of entry for players looking to someday join the pros. It isn't necessary to grind levels to unlock +3 infantry weapons in StarCraft, so gating runes and masteries behind a grind seems a bit ridiculous. I've thought that the forced grind was excessive since I started playing LoL. I'm not opposed to having a grind at all, but I've always thought it was silly that levels and runes can't be purchased with real money. Are levels and grinds bad for a competitive game like League of Legends, or does the grind actually improve the quality of player skill at the higher levels?
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| Jukebox Heroes Extra: Five exclusive DDO music tracks for your listening pleasure Posted: 02 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Culture, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes  For a companion piece to my Chance Thomas interview, Turbine sent over five exclusive tracks from Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark. Sound Video Technology Director Steve DiGregorio wrote, performed, and recorded each of these, as both he and Thomas collaborated on Turbine's two expansions. In addition to the tracks and my thoughts on them, DiGregorio provided descriptions of each for illumination. Are you excited? I know I am, so let's hop to it! Continue reading Jukebox Heroes Extra: Five exclusive DDO music tracks for your listening pleasure
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| The Perfect Ten: Goosebump trailers Posted: 02 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Trailers, Video, Warhammer Online, Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, Global Agenda, DC Universe Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2, WildStar  Just as in the movie industry, MMO studios are hit or miss with their trailers. There have been so many generic, forgettable videos that I pad the lining of my imaginary dog's crate with them. They're very absorbent and release the fresh scent of pine. But once in a while, there comes along a trailer that acts like the Dark Crystal, sucking my soul right into it before shaking it around and then releasing it. Trailers like that give me goosebumps, and here are 10 of them, all in a row. Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Goosebump trailers
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| Lord of the Rings Online posts a new developer diary on Champions Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play  A new skill has been added for Champions at level 77, providing AoE threat generation or threat reduction depending on the player's stance. Bracing Attack and Wild Attack have also had their effects boosted, with the former gaining a heal-over-time component and the latter offering a small buff after a critical hit. Certain skills and trait lines are also being adjusted, generally to improve the overall power of the class. While non-Champion players likely won't be too interested in what the diary has to offer, anyone who does play the class should take a look and see what the expansion will bring to the profession.
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| World of Warcraft has 9.1 million subscribers, down by a million since May Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:55 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO industry, News items  Despite the subscriber loss, the overall earning report is positive, citing the announced launch date of Mists of Pandaria and the success of Diablo III (it sold over 10 million copies) as major milestones for the company. According to the report, most of the lost subscriptions are coming from Eastern players rather than US and European players. This is the first time in several years that WoW has been beneath 10 million players, and it's certainly interesting in light of recent discussions about the future of games with a subscription fee.
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| The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous  Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Gender choice and guild drama
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| Ask Massively: Welcome to here edition Posted: 02 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Humor, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous  This week's installment of Ask Massively does not cover free-to-play conversions, but as you all know, I've never been a fan of strongly linking the opener to the rest of the article. No, this week we're talking about Blade & Soul. If you've got a question for a future installment of the column, leave it in the comments below or mail it to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity. Continue reading Ask Massively: Welcome to here edition
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| Dawn of Fantasy's been invaded by Dwarves Posted: 02 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Promotions  Although the Dwarves visited for a brief time once before, this time they are bringing a new technology: gunpowder. Luckily, not all of the invading horde is about conquering; although players will face Dwarven foes on the battlefield, there will also be select mercenaries joining the fray as friends. Some mercenaries are free of charge, but others can hired from the Online Kingdom Market for a discount. The game also offers a new Dwarven menu design and soundtrack. As a special promotion, from now until August 7th, all games purchased through the official site will include two bonus codes (worth $20 US) redeemable for additional free Dwarven units as well as a Haunter Dragon. Check out some screenshots of the invasion in the gallery below. [Source: Reverie Worlds Studios press release]
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| EVE CSM 7 meeting minutes published Posted: 02 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox  The CSM is CCP's stab at a representative democracy, as EVE players vote for their brethren to sit on the council and said brethren parley with EVE's developers, ostensibly with an eye toward bettering New Eden for their constituents. If you're in the mood for a little light reading, the full minutes are available; they cover topics including the next expansion, the state of Incarna, live events, and more. There's also a corresponding dev blog and a feedback thread on the official EVE boards.
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| Shadowrun Online coming to Ouya and Linux Posted: 02 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles  We don't know much about Shadowrun Online, but we do know that it's theoretically coming to the new Android-powered Ouya console as well as Linux-based PCs. We say theoretically because Cliffhanger's Kickstarter project has yet to reach its halfway point with 12 days remaining.Nevertheless, company co-founder Michael Paeck is excited about Shadowrun's cross-platform potential. You can "play the game on your tablet, switch to your desktop PC, and then later enjoy it on your Ouya-connected TV -- without ever having to switch your account or characters or suffer from restrictions based on your device," Paeck says. [Source: Cliffhanger Productions press release]
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