MMO Updates |
- Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR Terror From Beyond experience
- World of Tanks sets new PCCU record, boasts 40 million registered users
- The Soapbox: Own your game's mistakes
- Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity
- The Daily Grind: What characters do you love to hate?
- Analysts: Mists of Pandaria sales not so disappointing
- Marvel Heroes opens up closed beta signups
- DCUO welcomes you to the Witching Hour
- Not So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships
- Get crafty for the Guild Wars 2 Halloween contest
- New Defiance video showcases set design
- The Repopulation's September update discusses housing and grouping
- BioWare's Companions 101 series looks at SWTOR's Djannis
- Anarchy Online prepares for Steam debut
- Pink Day in LA is coming to a Lion's Arch near you
- Wings Over Atreia: Bringing Lady Luck to Aion
- RIFT's Storm Legion closed beta event starts Friday
| Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR Terror From Beyond experience Posted: 02 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, Dungeons  Mechanically, this operation consists of five boss fights and a fairly linear path to the ultimate goal, a swirling vortex about a kilometer away from the starting point. Thankfully, none of the boss mechanics is a simple tank-and-spank ordeal, and the trash mobs along the way might cause a bump or two as well. This weekend, my guild ran this brand-new endgame addition to SWTOR in story-mode to get a taste of what it has to offer. I'd like to break down the experience into three major categories: aesthetics, boss mechanics, and overall impressions. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR Terror From Beyond experience
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| World of Tanks sets new PCCU record, boasts 40 million registered users Posted: 02 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Business models, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks  The game has also set a new peak concurrent user (PCCU) record thanks to over 500,000 players simultaneously connecting to its Russian shard. World of Tanks recently released its 8.0 patch which brought about a physics and lighting overhaul. Head to the official website to check out the game for yourself, or tune in to Massively TV this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EDT to watch us play. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
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| The Soapbox: Own your game's mistakes Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous  No, stop. Don't go consult the PR team. Don't talk with the community managers. Don't spend time explaining why those issues aren't really issues. Just say it with me. Your game has some pretty big issues. I don't care what game you call your own; it's still replete with issues, including ones that by all rights should have been fixed months ago. Just say that with me, and then possibly follow it with a "sorry." There. That wasn't so bad, was it? Kind of liberating, actually. There's a lot to be said for owning up to the failures of your game and admitting that some things are just plain wrong. I can think of great reasons to just take a deep breath, eat crow, and just say that part of your game is a mess. Continue reading The Soapbox: Own your game's mistakes
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| Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer Online, Guild Wars 2, Free Realms, Champions Online, Hello Kitty Online, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes  If you haven't figured it out already, this column is kind of a not-so-subtle outlet for sharing my MMO music collection with you. I don't have any firm method of collection other than I just acquire tracks that my ear tells me I'd like to hear again. So along the way, I've acquired a few oddball pieces that you probably won't find on any OST but that are notable enough to share. In some cases, these tracks represent studios' attempts (successful or otherwise) to let down their hair and be humorous. In others, these songs are parodies or one-time special events. So let's take a sidebar to look at the whimsical and odd songs of gaming. Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Whimsy and oddity
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| The Daily Grind: What characters do you love to hate? Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Every MMO has its important NPCs, and some of them either are just plain annoying or fade into the woodwork. But then there are the enemies you love to hate, the allies who frustrate you in amusing ways. Some of the Guild Wars henchmen (Orion and Alesia in particular) were half-useless, but charmingly so. Every Final Fantasy XI player got nightmares about running from goblins, but they had a strange charm despite that. So what about you? What's your favorite character whom you love to hate? An ally who's totally useless but makes life more interesting? An enemy who kills you in entertaining ways? Or just a story character who prompts a smile at his or her ineptitude?  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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| Analysts: Mists of Pandaria sales not so disappointing Posted: 01 Oct 2012 09:45 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, Expansions, MMO industry, News items  This news was greeted by a collective W.T.F from everyone who has ever downloaded a game over the internet. Lazard Capital Markets estimated that Blizzard moved a paltry (by Blizzard standards) 700,000 Mists of Pandaria retail boxes. This week a separate team of analysts said, in effect, not so fast. "We think recent reports of weak retail sales for Mists of Pandaria may fail to reflect a channel shift toward a greater percentage of digital sales," Brean Murray, Carrett & Company wrote in its report. The firm went on to predict 4.5 million unit sales for Mists of Pandaria in the third quarter despite competition from subscription-free titles including Guild Wars 2. The company also estimates that WoW subscribers will number between 9.1 and 9.8 million during the same time period.
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| Marvel Heroes opens up closed beta signups Posted: 01 Oct 2012 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes  Note the word "testing" in there; it's emphasized in the blog entry as well as this is a beta meant to provide important test feedback rather than just give everyone an early look at the game. If you're still interested, the blog entry has a very straightforward signup procedure that will give you a chance to be selected for testing, with the promise of other ways to obtain beta access in the near future.
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| DCUO welcomes you to the Witching Hour Posted: 01 Oct 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Events, in-game, Patches, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online  The entire town is getting a spooky (and pumpkiny) makeover when the event goes live with Game Update 19. It's not all decorations, of course; there are plenty of activities to experience as well. The main villain of the event is Klarion the Witch Boy, who is stealing powers and using them for... mild mischief. But he's not all bad, since he's throwing a massive party that players will have to crash. SOE has plenty of rewards for good little trick-or-treaters, such as trinkets and outfits. The Witching Hour is scheduled for early October.
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| Not So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships Posted: 01 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Firefall  Torchlight II continues to dominate the game charts this week with impressive sales on Steam and even more impressive Metacritic scores. Upcoming free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile took another big step toward release this week with the addition of voice acting to quests. And Blizzard revealed details on Diablo III's next big patch, discussing increased legendary drop rates and the new Monster Power system that will let players customise their own difficulty levels. Upcoming FPS Firefall revealed its impressive plans for Dynamic Events this week, with both local events and global invasions on the menu. Finally, Blacklight: Retribution followed last week's sniper montage contest with details of a new sniper-focused map and a new sniper rifle that would make Counterstrike players cry. Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships
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| Get crafty for the Guild Wars 2 Halloween contest Posted: 01 Oct 2012 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Events, real-world, News items, Guild Wars 2  Do you like Guild Wars 2? Do you like Halloween? Do you like chances to win graphics cards and other goodies? That's an incredibly convenient set of likes you've got there because it means that the Guild Wars 2 Halloween contest is pretty perfect for you. That is, it's perfect if you like making dioramas. You like dioramas, don't you? We knew you did. Contest dates and other bits of information of that nature haven't been announced yet, but the ArenaNet team wants you thinking of what sort of Guild Wars 2sy, Halloween-y scene you'd like to bring to life. Hit up the contest teaser page, and get those spooky and creative juices flowing!
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| New Defiance video showcases set design Posted: 01 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, News items, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Defiance  The nice thing about having a game that's tied into a show is knowing that the environment will receive lots of loving attention. For example, Trion Worlds and Syfy teamed up to provide a look at what the sets for the Defiance TV show. Given that the TV show and the Defiance MMO are going hand-in-hand, we think this is a good place to start imagining what the upcoming game will look like. The team also talks about a lot of the theory of the town of Defiance. The town is a melting pot of strange alien technology and earthbound invention and is meant to show tremendous life and potential despite the having gone through a devastating war. Skip below the cut to get an eye on the goodies yourself. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Continue reading New Defiance video showcases set design
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| The Repopulation's September update discusses housing and grouping Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Housing  Instanced housing, on the other hand, is meant to cater to solo players and those who aren't interested in open PvP via the nation wars system. While your own personal housing lot won't have as many options as the full city interface, it will provide an option for players who do still want to enjoy some of the fun of building up a settlement. The past month has also seen updates to the game's armor system, loot distribution mechanics, and missions. If you want to know all the particulars, take a gander at the full rundown.
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| BioWare's Companions 101 series looks at SWTOR's Djannis Posted: 01 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries  The dev blog paints Djannis as a complex character who loves to work for the Empire and manipulate her superiors. "When bringing Kaliyo along on missions, keep this in mind. She loves anarchy and respect -- but she will always have an ulterior motive," BioWare says. "Play her at her own game and keep her guessing. The minute Kaliyo becomes bored is the minute she either stabs you in the back or disappears from the ship... with most of your credits."
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| Anarchy Online prepares for Steam debut Posted: 01 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Anarchy Online, Business models, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  Williams touches on a number of important developments in the most recent producer's letter, in particular some staff reshuffling and word about the server migration. Of course, what everyone wants to hear about is the graphics engine upgrade. Williams confirms that it and the new player experience are still on course for an early 2013 public beta, and he was able to show one of the new features that the engine will allow: armor meshes. These meshes will allow the Funcom team to create additional 3-D objects to stick onto armor, giving players a more unique (and updated) look.
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| Pink Day in LA is coming to a Lion's Arch near you Posted: 01 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, News items, Guild Wars 2  It's October, and you know what that means! The time for Pink Day in LA is almost upon us! The Gaming World Entertainment Network's annual Guild Wars fundraiser for the fight against breast cancer will be held on Saturday, October 20th. Of course, the LA of Pink Day in LA is Lion's Arch, and there are two of those now. GW-EN's solution is to host parties in Lion's Arch in both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. Up to three international districts in Guild Wars will be hosted, as will the Henge of Denravi, Dragonbrand, Stormbluff Isle, Jade Quarry, Darkhaven, Sanctum of Rall, Underworld, and Desolation servers in Guild Wars 2. You don't really need to be playing a Guild Wars game to participate: GW-EN is encouraging people to tun into the radio stream and celebrate the event no matter what game they play. Maybe we'll all accept that LA can be found in our hearts, not on some server somewhere. Hit up the official Pink Day website for full details, including a prize list and information on how you can help.
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| Wings Over Atreia: Bringing Lady Luck to Aion Posted: 01 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia  So this week, my mind kept drifting back to the Mega Kinah Millions lottery going on now. I knew I wanted to point the event out to you guys before it closed, but something else about it was nagging at the edges of my mind. My thoughts meandered from contemplating the dream of winning all that moolah to why is the Shugo wearing a tux?, took a detour around mmm cake! and then ended up at gambling in Aion. That's when the idea hit me: Why settle for just a short-term fling with chance when you could have an all-out gambling smorgasbord? Aion is ripe for it! It's not as if gambling isn't inherent in the game anyway, with every Daeva taking part in it daily. I mean, just look at the RNG! Simply put, gambling could be quite a benefit to Aion; among other things, it could be a viable non-grinding pastime that brings more Daevas into the game. So why not ask Lady Luck to take up permanent residence? Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Bringing Lady Luck to Aion
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| RIFT's Storm Legion closed beta event starts Friday Posted: 01 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, RIFT, Housing  New zones like Pelladane, Cape Jule, and the city of Tempest Bay will be open for exploration, as will the game's new Dimension mechanics. And of course you can check out Storm Legion's four new souls as well. Finally, Trion is allowing current RIFT subscribers to copy their live characters to the beta server. More info is yours at the game's official site. [Source: Trion press release]
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