MMO Updates

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• World of Tanks teaser trailer gives taste of enhanced visuals in update 8.0
• DUST 514 connects to EVE Online in upcoming closed beta test
• Eden Eternal expansion Shadows of the Past introduces new class
• John De Margheriti leaves BigWorld
• Age of Empires Online adding new civilization and booster pack next week
• Torchlight exec on MMO: 'It may be radically different'
• Rhode Island possesses 38 Studios' games, looks to sell
• Pets join the battle in new Vindictus video
• The Daily Grind: Do you want more from your vanity pets?
• Free for All: Zentia closes, MilMo's Junebud declares bankruptcy
• WildStar Wednesday sheds light on the game's social design
• Enter at Your Own Rift: Wardrobe blues
• Order & Chaos dropping subscription, adding PvP modes and mounts
• SWTOR demoing Ancient Hypergates warzone at Gamescom
• Guild Wars 2 pops another stress test tomorrow
• MMO Family: Clone Wars Adventures' tale of two card games
• TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated]
• Choose My Adventure: Disco dancing through The Kingdom of Loathing
• Massively Exclusive: SOE elaborates on Vanguard's F2P conversion
• EVE's Inferno build patched to 1.2, newb-friendly tweaks abound

World of Tanks teaser trailer gives taste of enhanced visuals in update 8.0 Posted: 09 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks With World of Tanks' 7.5 patch released just over a week ago, Wargaming.net is wasting no time rolling ahead towards patch 8.0. This next update focuses on enhancing the experience of the game through improved visuals and new physics. In 8.0, a number of maps will receive updated graphics, including Himmelsdorf, Lekville, Fjords, Arctic Region, and Westfield, among others. If your favorite map isn't included, don't fret; the studio notes that maps not getting the improvements this round will be retouched in future updates. The patch will also introduce new physics for more realistic battles. And along with more Soviet TD's for tiers six through 10, tank commanders will get to storm the battlefield in the first British Premium tank, the Matilda Black Prince. Feast your eyes on the graphic upgrades (as well as some apparent games of tank chicken) in the teaser trailer past the cut. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Continue reading World of Tanks teaser trailer gives taste of enhanced visuals in update 8.0 World of Tanks teaser trailer gives taste of enhanced visuals in update 8.0 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DUST 514 connects to EVE Online in upcoming closed beta test Posted: 09 Aug 2012 09:45 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514 CCP Games Executive Producer Brandon Laurino opened up on the features coming to DUST 514's closed beta "precursor" release, which begins August 21st. It will be during this closed beta that DUST 514 and EVE Online will finally meet and shake hands (or try to strangle each other for profit). The team will put DUST 514 on EVE's test server Singularity to see how the games interact in a live environment for the first time. Best part? All EVE Online subscribers now get access to DUST's beta. "We can't wait to see what happens when these games collide in the same shared universe," Laurino wrote. With this move, the team will also be testing out orbital strikes on the battlefield. Players will be able to call down powerful attacks from space onto the heads of their enemies. For right now, the orbital strikes will come from computer-controlled barges, but eventually EVE players will be able to fill the role. Another future feature will be the ability for groundpounders to use orbital artillery to fire on ships in return. The August 21st build of the game will also include new matchmaking features, plenty of additional environments, keyboard and mouse implementation for PlayStation 3 users, and lots of polish. The team says that its Vita companion app, DUST 514: Neocom, is going live at the same time. [Source: CCP Games press release] DUST 514 connects to EVE Online in upcoming closed beta test originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eden Eternal expansion Shadows of the Past introduces new class Posted: 09 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Expansions, Lore, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons A new age begins in Eden Eternal as the new expansion, Shadows of the Past, launches with tons of new content tying the past to the present. Players will find three new maps, four new dungeons, and a new Sage class on top of the additional lore and a raised level cap (70) when they log in to the free-to-play fantasy game. In an interesting twist, those wishing to play this new class cannot just choose it, but must undergo a series of trials in order to unlock it for play. These trials allow player to experience the saga of the lost Sage in a bygone age firsthand. Producer Andy Muesse states, "This is the first time that the lore has had something tied to the world's past, a compelling story of the corruption of the Zumi race and why there are no Sages anymore." [Source: Aeria Games press release] Eden Eternal expansion Shadows of the Past introduces new class originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

John De Margheriti leaves BigWorld Posted: 09 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items BigWorld, the Australian middleware platform developer that was recently acquired by Wargaming.net, will have a new man at the helm as CEO and Co-founder John De Margheriti steps down. Taking over the job as director will be the company's other Co-founder, Steve Wang. Passing along BigWorld's leadership reigns will not, however, end De Margheriti's involvement in the gaming industry. He plans to remain active by providing consulting services to Wargaming.net and the non-profit Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), Australia's leading 3D animation, game design, and visual FX educator. Of the recent purchase of BigWorld, De Margheriti said, "I believe that BigWorld is a great fit for Wargaming, and the acquisition is a very smart move by this growing global giant. They now have secured the best online games platform on the market." [Source: BigWorld press release] John De Margheriti leaves BigWorld originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Age of Empires Online adding new civilization and booster pack next week Posted: 09 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Age of Empires Online The Babylonians are joining Age of Empires Online. In a recent interview, Gas Powered Games revealed both this industrious new pro civilization and a new booster pack, Fertile Crescent, will be added to the game on August 16th to coincide with the game's one-year anniversary. The Babylonians bring with them new ways to build, protect, and conquer, from mobile storehouses called Ox Carts to The Siege Tower (think Trojan horse) to shield bearers. Additionally, the Babylonians can also build out of wood instead of stone. The land of Mesopotamia also opens up the game with the Fertile Crescent booster pack. This area has level-scaling repeatable quests for the level 20 to 40 crowd. Lead designer Brian Frick noted that this type of scaling content is the direction the company is going in the future. He added, "We just want to have more of our content be fun for all levels to play." Both the new Babylon pro civ and the booster pack will be purchased using Empire Points, the in-game currency; Babylon will cost 900 EP and the Fertile Crescent will cost 450 EP. You can read more details in the full interview. Age of Empires Online adding new civilization and booster pack next week originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eurogamer.net interview

Torchlight exec on MMO: 'It may be radically different' Posted: 09 Aug 2012 07:15 AM PDT Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, Miscellaneous Runic Games' Max Schaefer is preparing for the release of Torchlight II, but that didn't stop him from looking to the future for the franchise. In an interview, Schaefer teased that the eventual MMO may be "radically different" from what some are expecting. Schaefer did admit that the MMO isn't a solid lock as of yet. When asked about the next step after Torchlight II, he said, "We don't know what we're doing in the MMO next or ever or what. That's kind of the big plan is to keep expanding the Torchlight world." He did confirm that a Torchlight MMO would be an action RPG and not a standard MMO setup. "We would not want to do a traditional at all," Schaefer said. "We'd adapt it in many ways to Torchlight. It'd be an MMO in so far as everyone's playing in the world of Torchlight, but it may radically different. I think it would keep our creativity alive, not just to do traditional MMO." Torchlight exec on MMO: 'It may be radically different' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GamerLiving.net

Rhode Island possesses 38 Studios' games, looks to sell Posted: 09 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous While 38 Studios is finished, its employees laid off, and its projects canceled, there's really only one thing left to be done: figure out what to do with the leftovers. The court granted the state of Rhode Island all of 38 Studios' assets, including rights to its single-player RPG and the unfinished Project Copernicus. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corp said that it will attempt to sell these assets to recoup as much of the loan made to the studio as possible. This may be a slight blessing in disguise for fans of the studio's projects, as the move was made to keep the intellectual property intact instead of having it be lost due to the company's dismantling. The games are being transferred to servers for safe-keeping and constitute a majority of the studio's remaining net worth. Rhode Island possesses 38 Studios' games, looks to sell originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra, Bloomberg

Pets join the battle in new Vindictus video Posted: 09 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Vindictus What's better than forging into battle against demons and dragons in Vindictus? How about forging in with your very own death-dealing pet fighting right by your side? The latest addition to the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is the Gremlin pet: a ferocious companion that aids in battle and helps loot the spoils afterwards. So what fearsome visage to do these fierce fighters have? Nexon's video reveals Gremlins as furry little floppy-eared bunny/birds (or is it a bird/bunnies?). But don't let the cuteness fool you; they are killers! And every player can have one, regardless of class. Gremlins come in three types, each with its own attitude: Tiny Gremlin, Punk Gremlin, and Armor Gremlin. Check out the new cuddly, kiester-kicking companions in the video after the break. [Source: Nexon press release] Continue reading Pets join the battle in new Vindictus video Pets join the battle in new Vindictus video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you want more from your vanity pets? Posted: 09 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Secret World So I completed Funcom's 30-mission goal this past weekend during The Secret World's one-month celebration. The reward was a shirt and a handful of points to use in the game's cash shop. I spent them on the Little Lion vanity pet that is a spitting image of my real-world house cat, and I got a few chuckles out of having her follow me around as I smited various dead and undead creatures terrorizing the locals in Blue Mountain. Eventually I zoned and she went back to her digital cat-napping, and I was left to wonder why more games don't give you some actual functionality to go along with your vanity pets. I know, they're just vanity pets, but in EverQuest II for example, I can make them play dead and about a dozen other tricks, whereas in The Secret World (and most other MMOs), they just follow me around. Heck, I can't even name this one! What about you, morning folk? Would you like your vanity pets to actually do something, or is that pretty far down on your MMO wishlist? 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 want more from your vanity pets? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: Zentia closes, MilMo's Junebud declares bankruptcy Posted: 08 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Real life, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Legal, Casual, Free for All, Miscellaneous It's always a sad day when a favorite game or games announce some bad news. Over the last week, I read about two of my favorite titles -- Zentia and MilMo -- coming to a end way too early. Both announcements surprised me, but these days there are so many games in so many different genres across so many different devices that any game that becomes successful is somewhat of a triumph. I can list off many, many MMOs, all vying for the attention of players' time and money. That list would reach into the thousands once I counted in the ever-expanding mobile and social market. Heck, a representative from an international games group told me at E3 a few years ago that hundreds MMOs were due out of the East within that year alone. In the case of Zentia, the closing is not as unexpected. There hasn't been much at all happening with the game for quite a while. MilMo, on the other hand, was a complete surprise. Continue reading Free for All: Zentia closes, MilMo's Junebud declares bankruptcy Free for All: Zentia closes, MilMo's Junebud declares bankruptcy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar Wednesday sheds light on the game's social design Posted: 08 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, News items, WildStar, Housing WildStar, like every other MMO, wants players to enjoy the company of other players. The team behind the game wants players invested in the community and in participating with one another. Victoria Dollbaum, the Social Systems Designer for the game and the writer of this week's WildStar Wednesday, explains that the team wants to create the sort of community feel of older games without including the same sort of brutal systems that made constant community involvement a necessity. Dollbaum explains that the main goal of social design is creating incentives for players to group up rather than punishing them for playing solo. Housing is a prime example, as the game's housing system rewards players of all types: raiders can collect raid trophies, crafters can grow and harvest resources, and roleplayers can run events in their houses along a set theme. Or players can completely ignore the system if they'd prefer. It's a design all about letting the players do what they want and offering the appropriate carrots, and housing is just the tip of a carrot-flavored iceberg. WildStar Wednesday sheds light on the game's social design originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar Wednesday: Social Systems

Enter at Your Own Rift: Wardrobe blues Posted: 08 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift One of the aspects of RIFT that I keep trumpeting to friends and strangers alike is just how wonderfully quick, responsive, and engaging Trion Worlds' updates have been. It's almost as if the dev team is engaging in a pillow fight with players, swinging away and trying to pummel us into submission with great content that's not always perfect but usually is great. In comparison, many other MMOs have become stodgy dinosaurs, creaking along with long-promised but never-arriving features. So while I praise Trion for the bounty of nine major updates since launch, there's one feature that I've felt discontented with every since its inclusion: the wardrobe. For me to say this is kind of a big thing; anyone who knows me knows that I adore it when MMOs give us the option to dress up our characters the way we like. An appearance system was a big wish list item for me, and when Trion casually tossed it in the game early on, I was ecstatic. Yet over the months, I've grown to dislike the system as a whole, especially in comparison to cosmetic gear systems in other titles that I play. It's a little difficult to put a finger on why, but I've got another 1000 words or so to make the attempt and then discuss solutions. Let's get to it! Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Wardrobe blues Enter at Your Own Rift: Wardrobe blues originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Order & Chaos dropping subscription, adding PvP modes and mounts Posted: 08 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Patches, Previews, PvP, Free-to-play, Mobile, Dungeons Gameloft's mobile MMO is entering a new phase in its lifecycle. The studio announced that Order & Chaos is not only due for a major update, but is dropping its nominal subscription fee to make it completely free-to-play. The update, which is slated to be pushed to iOS devices later this month, will contain important features for the pint-sized title. First up are PvP combat arenas, which come in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 varieties. Next is the addition of four new mounts to the game: two horses and two giant wolves. Finally, Gameloft is adding the second part of the Salien dungeon for hardcore adventurers. Previously, Order & Chaos charged $0.99 a month or $2.99 for six months to access on top of the original app purchase price. Gameloft is also developing a spin-off title called Order & Chaos Heroes. [Source: Gameloft press release] Order & Chaos dropping subscription, adding PvP modes and mounts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR demoing Ancient Hypergates warzone at Gamescom Posted: 08 Aug 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, PvP, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic If you happen to be heading to Cologne for Gamescom this month and are a fan of Star Wars PvP, you might want to swing by ol' booth B-082 to get your mitts on the Ancient Hypergates warzone. BioWare stated that this upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic warzone will be playable at the convention. The studio said that attendees will be able to experience the warzone with either their actual character or a new one rolled on the spot. There's even the possibility that a developer might step in to duke it out alongside players as well. EA BioWare will be announcing additional details about SWTOR's future at the convention and has announced both prizes and a meet-and-greet for its fans. Gamescom takes place from August 16th through 19th. SWTOR demoing Ancient Hypergates warzone at Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR.com

Guild Wars 2 pops another stress test tomorrow Posted: 08 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Guild Wars 2 The mini-stress tests keep on coming for Guild Wars 2 in its final pre-launch days, and ArenaNet has announced another such event taking place tomorrow afternoon. This new stress test will span just four hours, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. EDT. As with the previous quick stress test, ArenaNet makes no claims as to flawless performance: "We will be actively working on the game during the event, so you might experience connectivity problems or discover features that are not working as designed. Any issues you experience are a result of the rigorous conditions of the stress test, and are in no way representative of the state of the game at launch." For those of you who have gotten attached to beta characters, the word is that they will not be wiped for this test. Guild Wars 2 pops another stress test tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GW2 Facebook

MMO Family: Clone Wars Adventures' tale of two card games Posted: 08 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Trading card games, Free Realms, Kids, MMO Family, Clone Wars Adventures Even though Clone Wars Adventures is a kid-friendly MMO, I've always been a fan of the title, partially because it sort of came out of nowhere and launched soon after it was revealed and partially because it's done a terrific job of matching content and itemization with the TV series. The Darth Maul content update was a household favorite, particularly because the pint-sized players in the family got a chance at going face to face with one of Star Wars' major baddies after seeing him on the animated show. Talk about an epic moment for a CWA fan! The most recent update, though, left me scratching my head a bit. Clone Wars Adventures has had a trading card game called Card Commander for quite a while. Recently, though, SOE added a completely new trading card game called Card Assault. What's the new game like, and why would an MMO have not one but two card games? This week's MMO Family will take a look at the new game and theorycraft on why we're neck deep in cards! Continue reading MMO Family: Clone Wars Adventures' tale of two card games MMO Family: Clone Wars Adventures' tale of two card games originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated] Posted: 08 Aug 2012 12:10 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, TERA En Masse Entertainment community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman has tweeted that layoffs are underway at the publisher responsible for bringing TERA to the western market. "Layoffs have occurred at En Masse. I was hit," Berman wrote. TERA launched on May 1st in North America and May 3rd in Europe after an extensive "westernization" development cycle that tweaked the native Korean client. Massively has contacted En Masse for an official statement and we'll keep you posted as this story develops. [Update: En Masse has responded to our comment request with a statement from publishing vice president Chris Lee. We've placed the statement behind the break.] Continue reading TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated] TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Scapes' Twitter

Choose My Adventure: Disco dancing through The Kingdom of Loathing Posted: 08 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Polls, Video, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor, Choose My Adventure, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Sandbox It's been a fun week so far in The Kingdom of Loathing, but I know I have just barely started. The hardest part of this adventure is going to be deciding what to put up for a vote next. There are so many choices and so many ways to play that I might have to put up a vote just to see which area of the game I should put into the real vote! After all, the poll must run for the next several days, so I basically have to predict what I might be considering doing in the future. Future-self, help me! I thought it would be a good idea to ask a range of questions in order to buy myself a little more time with the game as I level up some more and get my bearings. But before I do that, I'll tell you what I think about the game and community so far. Spoiler warning: Both are... interesting, to say the very least. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Disco dancing through The Kingdom of Loathing Choose My Adventure: Disco dancing through The Kingdom of Loathing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Exclusive: SOE elaborates on Vanguard's F2P conversion Posted: 08 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, Previews, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews Vanguard news is ramping up in preparation for the August 14th free-to-play conversion date. In fact, Sony Online Entertainment quietly kicked off a soft launch of the revamped game yesterday, giving players a first glimpse of the new website, pricing matrix, and in-game station store. Massively sat down with Andy Sites, the game's director of development at SOE, to ask him what players can expect during and after Vanguard's F2P transition. We've got the official scoop on transition content, housing and boats, server types, and more beyond the break! Continue reading Massively Exclusive: SOE elaborates on Vanguard's F2P conversion Massively Exclusive: SOE elaborates on Vanguard's F2P conversion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE's Inferno build patched to 1.2, newb-friendly tweaks abound Posted: 08 Aug 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Sandbox How many times has CCP talked about revamping EVE Online's tutorials, and how many times has the Icelandic development firm sought to make the sci-fi sandbox less like ancient Sanskrit and more like an intuitive MMO? Frankly we've lost count, but today's Inferno 1.2 patch takes yet another crack at accessibility. The initial tutorial sequence has been "completely overhauled" according to the patch notes, and the character creation process (specifically racial maps and bloodline avatars) has been tweaked a bit. Also included in this patch are some newbie-friendly enhancements to Aura's directions, module mouseover updates, and various and sundry balance and gameplay changes. Head to the official EVE website for more details and the full update notes. EVE's Inferno build patched to 1.2, newb-friendly tweaks abound originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

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