MMO Updates

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• DC Universe's Game Update 19 brings new R&D, mail upgrade, and more
• Security breached in PlaySpan hack, multiple games affected [Updated]
• Funcom prepping The Secret World for reticle combat
• City of Steam tells the tale of Halyar's Retreat
• Vendetta now available on Windows 8, RT
• Aion gunslinger class concepts revealed
• The Daily Grind: Does your MMO need a reboot?
• EverQuest: Rain of Fear beta registration is open
• Star Wars: The Old Republic kicks off meeting the developers with Jesse Sky
• The Soapbox: RuneScape is a proper MMO
• Champions Online gives a first glimpse at new vehicles
• Rumor: Dante's Inferno and Dead Space dev may be working on a MOBA
• Star Trek Online reveals 1000-day veteran rewards
• Arcane Legends debuts cinematic trailer
• Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid
• Lord of the Rings Online reveals Riders of Rohan soundtrack
• Trion details RIFT's 1.11 update, invites veterans back for free
• Massively Speaking Episode 219: Kickstart THIS!
• Phantasy Star Online 2 tops a million registered players

DC Universe's Game Update 19 brings new R&D, mail upgrade, and more Posted: 10 Oct 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, PvE, DC Universe Online If you were planning on playing DC Universe Online this morning, well, you'll probably need to find something else to do. Sony Online Entertainment says the client will be unavailable for about five hours while it patches in Game Update 19. New research and development consumables are on the way thanks to new components and plans that will begin dropping from endgame bosses. SOE has also tweaked the newbie tutorial to emphasize combat encounter mechanics. The in-game mail UI also boasts a complete makeover designed for ease-of-use. Finally, Update 19 lays the groundwork for the Witching Hour Halloween event (which officially begins on October 16th), and it also delivers a ton of bug fixes. View the full patch notes on the DCUO forums. DC Universe's Game Update 19 brings new R&D, mail upgrade, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

Security breached in PlaySpan hack, multiple games affected [Updated] Posted: 10 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items Three popular MMORPGs have been affected by a security breach at PlaySpan. User IDs, encrypted passwords, and e-mail addresses for millions of Guild Wars, EVE Online, and World of Tanks players have been compromised, according to Develop. Upon detecting the breach, PlaySpan locked all accounts and closed the PlaySpan Marketplace. The company is asking users to reset their passwords while the firm investigates the hack, and also encourages folks urges folks to reset passwords on other websites as a precaution. A PlaySpan spokesperson stated, "We sincerely apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this incident has caused our customers. We know PlaySpan's business depends on consumer trust. Security is a top priority for us, and we are redoubling our efforts to strengthen PlaySpan's overall system security." [Thanks to Chris for the tip!] [Update]: Jagex has contacted Massively to clarify that its RuneScape title isn't a part of PlaySpan's Marketplace system as originally reported. Security breached in PlaySpan hack, multiple games affected [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Develop

Funcom prepping The Secret World for reticle combat Posted: 10 Oct 2012 08:15 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World, Dev Diaries Most of you Secret World fans know that the game has featured a changing of the guard in its development ranks. While Ragnar Tornquist remains as Creative Director, former Lead Content Designer Joel Bylos is now the Game Director, and as such he's penned his first state-of-the-game letter which just went live on TSW website. After a lengthy introduction, Bylos gets down to the business of update schedules. First up is Issue #4 and the long-awaited New York City raid. More importantly, the update will introduce reticle combat. Bylos says it's something the game has needed for a long time, but he's also conscious of the fact that some players may prefer to do without. "I feel it makes combat a lot more direct and exciting. We are not forcing it upon anyone, though. You will be able to freely switch between traditional targeting and the reticle depending on what you feel is best for you," he explains. Bylos also hints at "an entirely new animation backend for the Dreamworld engine," which should allow the firm to address common complaints regarding TSW's avatar movement. There's more, too, including a bit on puzzle raids, but you'll need to head to the official website to read it all. Funcom prepping The Secret World for reticle combat originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Game director letter

City of Steam tells the tale of Halyar's Retreat Posted: 10 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Lore, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, City of Steam While it won't be ready for next month's beta, the area of Halyar's Retreat is the focus of a new City of Steam developer diary today. Halyar's Retreat is a middle-class suburb that gradually became the hangout for all sorts of illicit businessmen and gangs. The titular greenskin soldier consolidated power and control, keeping the peace while criminal activities continued. However, when he was killed, chaos erupted and this particular area of Nexus became a lot less safe for all living and visiting there. The team said that it originally envisioned Halyar's Retreat as being gothic architecture on top of plateaus, but it never gelled with the layout of the city. Instead, the concept was re-worked into a slightly upscale industrial suburb. City of Steam tells the tale of Halyar's Retreat originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev diary

Vendetta now available on Windows 8, RT Posted: 10 Oct 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Mobile, Sandbox Have you upgraded to Windows 8 yet? Do you use Windows on a tablet? If so, Guild Software wants you to know that its long-running Vendetta Online sci-fi MMO is ready and willing. The indie outfit recently released the game to the Windows store, and as you'd know if you read one of Massively's multiple Vendetta impressions pieces, the game syncs seamlessly across PCs, Macs, Linux systems, and tablets, now including devices that run Windows RT. "Thanks to the scalability of our in-house NAOS Engine with native DirectX 11 support, we're able to deliver our desktop-grade MMO experience even on lightweight Windows RT tablets," explains Guild CEO John Bergman. Vendetta mixes combat, mining, trading, and exploration, and a free trial is available via the game's official website. [Source: Guild press release] Vendetta now available on Windows 8, RT originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aion gunslinger class concepts revealed Posted: 10 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Classes, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play There's badassery, and then there's the newly revealed class concept for Aion's forthcoming 4.0 update. You might recall that NCsoft teased three new archetypes via a trio of silhouette images a few weeks ago. Now MMO Culture has published a couple of concept drawings showing off one of the classes, a black-clad gunslinger complete with a fedora, a duster, and a pair of pistols. The images are taken from a Korean dev blog and as is typical with Aion, the updates will go live on the game's Korean servers first before slowly making their way west. If this new Gunner class (loosely translated as Shooting Star from the dev blog) is any indication, though, the updates will be well worth the wait. Head past the break for the images, then click through to the source for further details. Continue reading Aion gunslinger class concepts revealed Aion gunslinger class concepts revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

The Daily Grind: Does your MMO need a reboot? Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous MMO reboots, revamps, and pseudo-sequels seem all the rage these days, from Global Agenda 2 to Darkfall: Unholy Wars to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Sometimes it makes sense to start over and take developed assets and lessons forward to a much improved version. Once in a while, the first launch of an MMO is so disastrous that only by hitting the reset button does the game have a chance for the future. But what about your favorite MMO? Is it in sore need for a massive overhaul or a big reboot? Did it fail to gain a significant audience the first time around? Does it need the push of additional development and media coverage to succeed in its second chance? If so, let us know what you'd recommend developers do if they rebooted your game. How could they feasibly make it much better and perhaps take a slightly different course than what exists today? 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: Does your MMO need a reboot? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest: Rain of Fear beta registration is open Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play Are you afraid of what lurks in the 19th EverQuest expansion? A title like Rain of Fear does not exactly imply a safe and welcoming environment. But there's no reason to be concerned without just cause, and now interested players can find out if there is in fact something to fear as registration for the expansion's beta on the official site is now live, giving everyone a chance to try out the new content before it goes live. And there's quite a bit of new content to be had therein. Aside from an increase of the level cap up to 100, players can enjoy an improved brokering system, the hunter system encouraging players to slay a wide variety of enemies, and the usual plethora of new skills and quests. Even if you don't want to take the full testing ride, you can still take a look at the official site for all of the upcoming features. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] EverQuest: Rain of Fear beta registration is open originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Wars: The Old Republic kicks off meeting the developers with Jesse Sky Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Like every MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic is not a game produced by a single person. The community team behind the game has kicked off what promises to be a series of articles introducing the developers, starting with the lead Flashpoint and Operations designer Jesse Sky. Like BioWare's similar articles for other franchises, the interview is a mix of questions about Star Wars: The Old Republic and questions about who Sky is as a person. Sky goes on record as mentioning that he sees designing Flashpoints as similar to designing an adventure for a tabletop game, with the story choices having a major impact on how the instance is paced out. There's also a science to making sure that the encounters are designed to be challenging while at the same time not insurmountable. If you'd like to know more about one of the minds behind the game's content, check out the full interview, and perhaps throw a few more questions into the official discussion thread. Star Wars: The Old Republic kicks off meeting the developers with Jesse Sky originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Jesse Sky interview

The Soapbox: RuneScape is a proper MMO Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, Patches, PvE, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-play, The Soapbox, Housing Most of us will remember RuneScape from its first incarnation: a tiny and blocky world with simplistic gameplay, no sound, and only a handful of quests. The product of two brothers operating out of their parents' house in Nottingham, the original version launched in 2001 and slowly carved out its niche as a game for kids that could be played in a web-browser. RuneScape has a special significance for me as the first MMO I ever played, and it's responsible for starting my life-long love affair with online gaming. A whole generation of gamers grew up with that primitive, blocky world and eventually left for more polished games. But RuneScape has grown up too -- and boy did it have a growth spurt! Today's RuneScape bears little resemblance to the classic version many of us played as kids. The graphics are now considerably better, the world map is about five times the size, and it has features most people dream of getting in their favourite MMOs. RuneScape now has player housing, guild halls on huge floating islands, a full player-designed battleground system, procedurally generated dungeons, regular content updates, and 186 quests packed full of British humour. People sometimes say that RuneScape isn't a proper MMO like World of Warcraft, but I'd argue that it's actually more worthy of its "massively multiplayer" title than most of the MMOs released in the past decade. In this editorial, I look at just how far RuneScape has come and argue that RuneScape may be more worthy of being called a proper MMO than some triple-A releases. Continue reading The Soapbox: RuneScape is a proper MMO The Soapbox: RuneScape is a proper MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Champions Online gives a first glimpse at new vehicles Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Previews, Free-to-play, Champions Online Vehicles continue to roll into Champions Online, and Cryptic has a tantalizing peek at the next stage of this invasion. The studio recently revealed two more vehicles as well as a special mission designed around superpowered rides. The first new vehicle is the hover tank. This tank is much more stable than the Hawkwing fighters players previously piloted, and offer a brute-force approach to combat. Cryptic is also working on two versions of grav bikes, which serve up support and DPS respectively. Vehicles get a lot more fun when there's a reason to use them, which is why the studio is preparing several missions based around this new technology. One of these missions is the defense of an UNTIL flying carrier, which tasks players with engaging in a dogfight while the carrier is repaired. The hover tank, grav bikes, and carrier defense mission will be coming later this year to Champions Online. Champions Online gives a first glimpse at new vehicles originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Champions Online

Rumor: Dante's Inferno and Dead Space dev may be working on a MOBA Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: New titles, Rumors, Miscellaneous, MOBA If you were just thinking that the world needed another Massively Online Battle Arena (MOBA) based on a previous game IP, the team at Visceral Games may have read your mind. The Dead Space and Dante's Inferno dev studio has posted a handful of tell-tale job listings on the Gamasutra job boards that point to the development of a MOBA. Among these MOBA-esque positions are a game designer, a global community manager, and a character concept artist, all with experience or passion for the PC MOBA genre. As it stands, the connection between these job listings is only speculation, but the real question seems to be whether or not the studio is working on a MOBA for one of their existing IPs or an entirely new way to kill your friends in three-quarter overhead view with pre-made classes. Rumor: Dante's Inferno and Dead Space dev may be working on a MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: IGN Via: Joystiq

Star Trek Online reveals 1000-day veteran rewards Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play Starfleet and Klingon captains, your attention please! Cryptic Studios has an announcement that should be especially exciting for any long-time players of Star Trek Online. The game has been going strong since February of 2010. Tomorrow its first wave of players will reach the 1000-day mark, and everyone knows what that means: veteran rewards! Today the studio unveiled the shiny rewards that these dedicated Trekkies will have bestowed upon them in gratitude for their loyalty, and those players are certainly in for a real treat. Players who prefer the Starfleet side of the game will be given access to the latest in Starfleet technology: the Chimera Heavy Destroyer. This fine starship has a number of top-of-the-line features ranging from the prototype Dynamic Tactical System to the "powerful multi-targeting Lotus, which is capable of piercing multiple targets." Meanwhile, the Klingons in the house will be able to jump into the cockpit of the Peghqu' Heavy Destroyer. This versatile ship is very similar to its Federation counterpart, featuring the same Dynamic Tactical System and Lotus weaponry. Veteran players who reach the 1000-day mark will also claim a new in-game title, an extra starship slot, and an exclusive forum title. Better yet, all lifetime subbers will also receive instant access to all existing veteran rewards, which is handy since lifetime subs are on sale for $199.99 (down from $299.99) for the next month. Star Trek Online reveals 1000-day veteran rewards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Star Trek Online: 1000-day Veteran Rewards

Arcane Legends debuts cinematic trailer Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, New titles, Free-to-play, Mobile Spacetime Studios, creator of such mobile hits as Pocket Legends and Dark Legends, has released the first cinematic trailer for its newest entry in the Legends series: Arcane Legends. The video whimsically showcases the MMO's three character classes -- Warrior, Rogue, and Mage -- as well as the helpful battle pet that can fight along side you and grant special bonuses along the way. Each class can combine its skills for group combos, while later specializing in certain skills to fit each player's playstyle. Arcane Legends is expected to release this fall for Android, iOS, and Chrome. [Source: Spacetime Studios press release] Continue reading Arcane Legends debuts cinematic trailer Arcane Legends debuts cinematic trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Hyperspace Beacon I've mentioned that I don't like the idea of judging other players by arbitrary numbers. It annoys me when a person is included or excluded from an event or guild simply based on something like gearscore or pure DPS numbers. However, the importance of these numbers shouldn't be undervalued in a game like Star Wars: The Old Republic. A couple of weeks back, I wrote an article about how the gear grind is "unfun." I don't like the grind, but I do like building good gear. I hate to admit it, but there is a little bit of min-maxer in me (just a little!). With SWTOR turning nine months old, many news and guide sites have settled into a routine. Surprisingly, the sites that I visited pre-launch are not the sites that I visit now. Now I am interested in the more granular sites that help me with very specific tasks of the game. Granted, I still visit Darth Hater and TORWars when I'm looking for news, but I have a completely different set of sites and tools for character building. These are the three sites I use almost daily. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's tools of the raid originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings Online reveals Riders of Rohan soundtrack Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Expansions, Lore, Previews, News items, Free-to-play Whether you play Lord of the Rings Online or not, there's no doubt that the game boasts stunning visuals and an impressive music score. With less than a week to go until the Riders of Rohan expansion is released, today Turbine teased players with a sample of the expansion's incredible soundtrack. To capture the sound of Rohan, composer Chance Thomas spent five years digging through the Lord of the Rings lore and pulling out every reference to sound or music for inspiration. The result is an orchestral soundtrack with an open and hopeful tone that captures the feel of the plains of Rohan. Chance's aim with the soundtrack is to really set the tone for each area and to evoke emotions from players that will enhance their game experiences. "Every part of Middle-earth has its own character," he explains, "and we've tried to give it its own voice." Read on to watch the Sound of Rohan preview video in HD or preview all 23 tracks in the iTunes store. Continue reading Lord of the Rings Online reveals Riders of Rohan soundtrack Lord of the Rings Online reveals Riders of Rohan soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Casual Stroll To Mordor

Trion details RIFT's 1.11 update, invites veterans back for free Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE, RIFT RIFT's 1.1 patch is lurking just around the bend. It's a good thing, too, because the update known as Tempest Rising is the lead-in to the Storm Legion expansion, which is slated for the not-too-distant future (November 13th to be exact). There's no date on 1.11 yet other than "soon," but Trion has helpfully listed the key features on the official RIFT website. Chief among them are the Tempest Rising world event, early access to the Exodus of the Storm Queen dungeon (provided you pre-ordered Storm Legion), and an overhauled soul system and accompanying reset. Finally, former RIFT subscribers can return for free between November 7th and November 11th. Trion details RIFT's 1.11 update, invites veterans back for free originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 1.11 key features

Massively Speaking Episode 219: Kickstart THIS! Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Podcasts, City of Heroes, Darkfall, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Global Agenda, Massively Speaking, RIFT, Miscellaneous Between sequels, Kickstarter projects, and expansions shooting out of every developer's thinkhole, the MMO industry is changing so fast that all Bree and Justin can do is ride the wave and shoot the curl. It's an all-California, all-surfer episode of Massively Speaking brought to you by Point Blank. Cowabunga, dudes! 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 219: Kickstart THIS! Massively Speaking Episode 219: Kickstart THIS! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Phantasy Star Online 2 tops a million registered players Posted: 09 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play Sega has announced that Phantasy Star Online 2 has topped one million registered users in its native Japan. This is up from 730,000 registrations last summer, at which point the game also boasted peak concurrent user numbers above 91,000. The firm is celebrating by doling out prizes to 100 players between October 17th and November 7th. Goodies include an Alienware laptop featuring a special PSO2 design, tickets to the Phantasy Star Series 25th Anniversary Concert, t-shirts, posters, and more. Phantasy Star Online 2 tops a million registered players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Sega Via: Joystiq

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