MMO Updates

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• PlanetSide 2 lifts beta NDA, heads to PAX
• Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content
• Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts
• Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer
• War of the Immortals leaps to Steam
• Funcom assures players of The Secret World's 'bright future'
• The Daily Grind: Do you immediately change your password when there's news of a hack?
• BioWare's Matt Bromberg discusses converting Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play
• Star Wars: The Old Republic previews Terror From Beyond
• Guild Wars 2 email authentication, status updates, sales halt [Updated]
• The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank!
• Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event
• CCP talks DUST's matchmaking system
• The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you
• Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two

PlanetSide 2 lifts beta NDA, heads to PAX Posted: 31 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Event Coverage, PlanetSide 2 We're another step closer to getting our combat boots on the ground and our itchy fingers on those triggers, as SOE has made the move to drop PlanetSide 2's non-disclosure agreement. This NDA drop follows a month of external beta testing and just prior to SOE's debut of the game at a North American show (in this case, PAX Prime). SOE President John Smedley reminded fans that this didn't mean the title was ready to ship. "Beta has a long way to go folks," he posted on Twitter. SOE released plenty of fun statistics about the beta process so far. According to the studio, 535 million shots have been fired, and out of those, 194.6 million hit a target. 6.3 million players were mowed down in the bloody conflict as well. The breakdown of the three factions is more or less even, with the Terran Republic edging out the other two sides by a couple of percentage points. If you're heading to PAX this weekend, you can see PlanetSide 2 at booth #3317. The team has plenty of demo stations on hand, and is planning to participate in several panels and daily livestream casts. [Source: SOE press release] PlanetSide 2 lifts beta NDA, heads to PAX originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Sandbox This month's Age of Conan development update had the potential to be quite depressing in light of Funcom's recent layoffs. There's actually a lot of good news, though, as game director Craig Morrison reveals some juicy bits about AoC's upcoming content release plans. Due to the downsizing, what was once an adventure pack on par with last year's Savage Coast of Turan will now be released in installments over the next few months. The collective title for all the new content is Secrets of the Dragon Spine, and it will take place in various new playfields along the border of Stygia and Keshan. There will be a new raid, a new outdoor playfield (approximately the same size as Turan), several new dungeons, a new mount type, and a new PvP area. We had the chance to ask Morrison about the new stuff as well as Funcom's future, and he had some interesting things to say regarding player-driven content and the kind of games the company plans to make going forward. Join us after the cut for the full interview. Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Roleplaying, Humor, Storyboard Somehow I managed to completely miss the fact that this was the Guild Wars 2 launch week when doing my planning, which means that I'm going to bump things around slightly. After all, this is launch week, and whether or not you've been looking forward to Guild Wars 2, you can't deny that it's the biggest thing to happen to MMOs since the last one. But at Storyboard it's not just about the MMO impact; it's also about the roleplaying impact. And I'm happy to say that while I haven't had a chance to roleplay in GW2 just yet, the game is significantly more friendly in its mechanics. You can walk, you can emote, and you can even make use of a fair number of roleplaying outfits. All fine additions. Can I talk about the GW2 roleplaying culture? Not yet, sadly, because I haven't gotten a chance to explore it myself yet. But I can talk about some of the peripheral elements and how they might both help and hinder roleplaying within the game. Some stuff is obviously meant for roleplayers, but there are other mechanics that can certainly be adapted. Continue reading Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play, Otherland Today's a big day if you're an Otherland tester, as this marks the kick-off of the first closed beta weekend. It's a smaller test, however, so if you're not one of the lucky few, then you might be stewing in mild envy. Envy not, fair fellow gamers, for gamigo has an exciting new trailer to give everyone a taste of the multiverse of Otherland. The trailer begins with a grumpy angel going around a fantasy village and destroying the crud out of it. This prompts a youngster to take up a sword and join the fight against... something. Following that, it's a huge montage across the many genres of Otherland, from sci-fi to Asian-themed worlds. But who needs a description when you can watch it for yourself? Buckle up because you're going for a ride after the jump. [Source: gamigo press release] Continue reading Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

War of the Immortals leaps to Steam Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Free-to-play, Promotions If you're the type of gamer who likes to have all of his MMOs under one digital service roof, then you might be interested to hear that War of the Immortals is now available through Steam. Product Manager Thang Phan hopes that this will give War of the Immortals a great boost: "With the launch of War of the Immortals on Steam we are excited to expose the world of Motenia to more gamers around the world. This collaboration allows Steam users to easily join the battle while pushing the competition to new heights." While Perfect World's title is free-to-play, there are two optional DLC packs that you may elect to purchase on Steam. The starter pack is currently on sale for $4.99 and includes pet gems, fortify crystals and charms, embed charms, and a seven-day platinum noble card. The $14.99 wanderer's pack includes the noble card and a tempting-sounding Centaur Lord Reor. You never want to be caught without a centaur lord in your pocket, after all. [Source: Perfect World press release] War of the Immortals leaps to Steam originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Funcom assures players of The Secret World's 'bright future' Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, The Secret World After increasingly bad news out of Funcom in regard to The Secret World's unexpectedly low sales, Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist penned a State of the Game address today outlining the studio's plans for keeping The Secret World just as it is. "We're not going to play it safe," Tørnquist assures players. "We won't be introducing classes or levels, elves or dwarves, and regardless of the competition, we won't back down from our original vision. We're going to keep doing what we're good at. We'll continue to push the boundaries, and we'll keep reinventing the wheel (quite literally). Five years ago, we set out to revolutionise the genre, and the revolution has just begun." Tørnquist points to a "bright future" for The Secret World with the upcoming second issue, named Digging Deeper, and a third yet-unnamed issue that will tie in with the game's Halloween event. Funcom assures players of The Secret World's 'bright future' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: August 2012 State of the Game

The Daily Grind: Do you immediately change your password when there's news of a hack? Posted: 31 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Sadly, we hear more and more about hacking, phishing, and password theft these days in our favorite MMOs. When an outbreak occurs, blame is distributed to the usual suspects, but many times it breaks down to simple account housekeeping. The warnings come through, and we're all told to change our passwords immediately. Authenticators are sold in record number, and many people take the precautions they wish they had from the start. But are you one of the newly cautious? Do you take measure to protect your account the second you hear of a hacking outbreak, or do you figure it can't happen to you? 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 immediately change your password when there's news of a hack? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

BioWare's Matt Bromberg discusses converting Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic If you missed some of the analyst predictions flying around after Star Wars: The Old Republic announced it was converting to a free-to-play model, they were... zealous, to say the least. But general manager Matt Bromberg doesn't seem to share those opinions. When asked in a recent interview whether the conversion will make the game more money in the long run, Bromberg replied in extremely uncertain terms: "I don't know." As Bromberg puts it, while there are internal targets being discussed, the company's stated goal is to improve accessibility and options for the game. While BioWare certainly wants more people playing, Bromberg stresses that the goal is not to simply squeeze every possible penny out of the title. He also echoes several earlier comments regarding the rationale behind the model switch, so if you're interested in the overall process, it's well worth checking out the interview in its entirety. BioWare's Matt Bromberg discusses converting Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Matt Bromberg interview Via: GamesIndustry.biz

Star Wars: The Old Republic previews Terror From Beyond Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Previews, Endgame, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic If you can't wait for the next tier of Operations in Star Wars: The Old Republic, you'll be happy to know that the newest tier is being added in update 1.4. You may be slightly less happy to know that the new operation, Terror From Beyond, is not meant to be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. A new developer diary explains the lore behind the operation and some of the threats that players will be facing on the swamp planet of Asation. Colonized and largely abandoned by the Gree, Asation is a swamp planet that houses a massive hyperspace gate. The Dread Masters, a group of Sith not known for sunny dispositions, have opened the gate and started filling the planet with all manner of horrible creatures. The operation promises to offer new encounters and mechanics beyond what's been seen in previous raids, something for dedicated endgame players to look forward to in the next major content update. Star Wars: The Old Republic previews Terror From Beyond originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Terror From Beyond preview

Guild Wars 2 email authentication, status updates, sales halt [Updated] Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News items, Guild Wars 2 Guild Wars 2 players have gotten absolutely slammed with phishing attempts following the game's launch. ArenaNet has accordingly beefed up security for the game, starting with the new email authentication system that's being rolled out today. The system is lightweight and works without players needing an extra code to enter at the login screen, instead relying upon the security of your designated email account. And all players need to do to activate the system is verify their email addresses (which can be done right on the login screen). Once the email is verified, every time the associated account tries to log in, the account holder will be sent an email requesting permission. Account holders can deny the logon, allow it for a single instance, or remember the location in question and always log on from there. It's not ironclad, but it should help players affected by these phishing attempts ensure that they'll be safe. [Thanks to Ring Bonefield for the tip!] [Update: ArenaNet has once again taken to Reddit to post updates as to the status of outstanding bugs and issues and bans in the game. The studio has also temporarily halted sales of the game through the ArenaNet website.] Guild Wars 2 email authentication, status updates, sales halt [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GW2 Authentication System

The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank! Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook This week in the Summoner's Guidebook, I'll be talking about the matchup against Blitzcrank, League of Legends' own rock-em sock-em robot. We'll be looking mostly at his matchups in bottom lane on Summoner's Rift, but we'll also examine his gameplay in Dominion, where he is also very strong. Learning the matchup against Blitzcrank is extremely important in my opinion. He is a very popular champion, and this is due to his incredibly brutal gameplay. If you do not know how to deal with Blitzcrank, you will get owned by him. He's not a champion you can just "do your best" against. Failing to properly account for his strengths will result in deaths, and this makes him a very popular choice. If you're struggling at all against Blitz, you owe it to yourself to keep reading. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank! The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous Raph Koster and Blizzard may be polar opposites in terms of design philosophy, but both will take home awards at this year's GDC Online convention. Koster, instrumental in the development of sandbox worlds like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, will take home the Online Game Legend Award. Blizzard, which turned the MMO space on its ear via World of Warcraft's resounding financial success, will see its flagship title inducted into the Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. The ceremonies take place on October 10th in Austin, Texas. Don't forget to cast your vote for the GDC Audience Award prior to September 14th! [Source: GDC press release] Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP talks DUST's matchmaking system Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox The PlayStation blog has a new post up concerning DUST 514. More specifically, CCP is getting ready to unveil its matchmaking system for the sci-fi shooter MMO. The company says that DUST will use "an algorithm that takes into account certain criteria when considering whom to populate into a quick match. Some criteria are hardware-based, such as internet speed/latency, while others are based on player statistics, measuring players' overall strengths and then pulling them into balanced teams using that information." The new system will debut in the game's next beta patch. The update will also introduce the ability for player mercenaries to form four-man squads and join a quick match together. DUST's instant battle matchmaking system is also part of a new feature that sees players fighting for planetary district ownership on behalf of various NPC corporations from sister MMO EVE Online. Head over to the PlayStation blog for the full article. CCP talks DUST's matchmaking system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PlayStation blog

The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel Each week, I tip-toe to the sidewalk and plant my soapbox to pontificate on the trials and tribulations of guild life. I'm a little biased, obviously, but I really enjoy the social side of MMOs, and apart from a few brief months when I first started gaming back in 1999 (trying to figure out what the heck it was all about), I have always been involved with guilds. For every frustrating moment, drama-filled clash, and annoyance of management, I can cite 10 moments when being a part of a guild has made MMO gaming more enjoyable and satisfying for me. But each weekly topic has brought a wide variety of opinions from all of you, and while not everyone agrees, there have been some valuable comments. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look back at some of the hotbutton topics of the past and highlight some of the advice and commentary that the Massively readers have had when it comes to guild management and guild life in general. The soapbox is all yours! Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Secret World, Guides, Crafting, Chaos Theory So last week we tested the waters of The Secret World's crafting system, and we learned the basics of material acquisition, how material quality level works, and how to assemble and disassemble basic items. This week we'll go into more detail on the assembly process. Whereas last time we stopped after creating a simple weapon, today we'll look at crafting talismans (TSW's answer to traditional MMO armor) and glyphs (which are basically talisman upgrades and the primary way to customize your gear). Continue reading Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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