| The Road to Mordor: Three things LotRO needs from Guild Wars 2 (and vice versa) Posted: 08 Sep 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor Whenever a new big MMO releases, it causes a shockwave of predictable conversations and comparisons. I'm not interested in the "winning/losing" or "killing/dying" debate so much as a contemporary meeting of minds to share ideas. MMOs used to develop in a vacuum, but now they're much more interconnected (for better and worse). The upside for consumers is that proven features often spread to the competition, hopefully improving the whole playing field. In our case, it's the impact of Guild Wars 2 on the industry and what it might have to teach Lord of the Rings Online. Yet I don't think it's quite fair (or true) to just look at it from the lens of "Everything GW2 has is better"; it's more productive to theorize how to swap the best of both games in order to improve them. So here are three things that LotRO could use to implement from Guild Wars 2 -- and three that Guild Wars 2 could use from LotRO. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Three things LotRO needs from Guild Wars 2 (and vice versa)  The Road to Mordor: Three things LotRO needs from Guild Wars 2 (and vice versa) originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: I love sprouts edition Posted: 08 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous When I was a kid, Brussels sprouts were one of those foods that no one is supposed to actually like. I was told that they tasted bitter and nasty and were best avoided except as an implement of torture. Then I finally tasted them and found them to be some of the most wonderful things ever. Seriously, they're my favorite vegetable option in the world. If you're not going to eat those, I will. What does that have to do with this week's installment of WRUP? Absolutely nothing. It never does. WRUP is about what the Massively staff is up to this weekend and whether or not we see MMOs as disposable entertainment. So regardless of whether you like the delicious taste of sprouts, you can check out our plans after the break and let us know what you'll be up to for the next two days in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: I love sprouts edition WRUP: I love sprouts edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Should MMOs embrace item decay? Posted: 08 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Endgame, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Crafting If you grew up on themeparks like World of Warcraft, the very idea of item decay is probably foreign to you. Just go to the vendor and click the repair button and everything's just as it was the day you looted it, right? Well, no. In older games and especially in sandboxes, you'd need a player to repair your gear, and sometimes not even that would help. Sometimes the gear was irreparable, meaning that once it ran out of juice, it was gone forever. Decaying items are really not all that different from items with charges that deplete (consider Guild Wars 2's and Glitch's crafting tools), but modern gamers freak out at the idea that they might lose their gear to wear, and I don't blame them since many themeparks turn gear acquisition into a huge grind. But even sandboxes like Ultima Online have hedged their original item decay systems, allowing players to repair many artifacts indefinitely. It might take a fundamental change in game design, but what do you think -- should MMOs bring back item decay?  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: Should MMOs embrace item decay? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SOE Live puts out a call for player-run panels Posted: 07 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous Have you ever been sitting and watching a panel at a convention while thinking that you could totally host a panel yourself? Sony Online Entertainment seems inclined to agree with you. That's why this year's SOE Live event has halls set aside and time blocked off for player-run panels, during which you and your fellow players can get up on the stage and have the attention of your fellow attendees. If you've got something you'd like to present and you want an audience, here's your chance. Submitted panels will be subject to an approval process, as SOE is expecting a lot of interest. Panelists who are approved will be given an all-access pass for free and will be given a refund for any previously purchased pass. There are also a number of restrictions on content and hardware available: There's space for running a PowerPoint presentation, for example, but you'll need to bring your own laptop. If none of that scares you off, get thinking about your topic and see if you can hold the interest of a room as well as you think. SOE Live puts out a call for player-run panels originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: September 1 - 7, 2012 Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Happy Friday, Betawatchers! If you're into not-elves, you're going to love today's roundup. Steampunk fans, furbish up your browsers: City of Steam's closed beta is gearing up (pun intended) for November. Spandex more your thing? Try Marvel Heroes; its closed beta will begin on October 1st. How about sci-fi? End of Nations' third testing event began this morning, Otherland is initiating a second beta weekend, and PlanetSide 2 announced its beta promotions today as well. Finally, we added Xulu Universe last week, and now we've checked it out in person. It's in "sort of an open alpha," so you "sort of" can too. Check out the complete Betawatch list after the cut! Continue reading Betawatch: September 1 - 7, 2012 Betawatch: September 1 - 7, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Trek Online September Ask Cryptic on future content and cosmetic updates Posted: 07 Sep 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Community Q&A It's the start of a new month, and that means a new Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online. Executive Producer Daniel Stahl answers a wide array of player questions for this month, with questions that range from a timeframe on new KDF content (Season 8 at the earliest) to whether or not the game will do something to commemorate series creator Gene Roddenberry (on the table with the 1000 day veteran rewards coming shortly). Stahl also addresses the reason that the game's featured episodes vanished for a while. He explains that the team was too short-handed for a long time to develop multiple systems and updates in parallel. As the base behind Star Trek Online has expanded, the developers have moved toward having a more robust and multi-tiered development strategy once again. Players interested in the game can find all these answers and more in the full article. Star Trek Online September Ask Cryptic on future content and cosmetic updates originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| PAX Prime 2012: Undead Labs' State of Decay Posted: 07 Sep 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Game mechanics, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, Consoles, MMOFPS, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Post-Apocalyptic Everyone loves zombies, right? Apparently so because they're absolutely everywhere (like Miami, for instance), but we keep on lapping it up. Secretly, though, I think a lot of us are tired of the same old zombie games. After all, if you're one of the truly hardcore that has a zombie apocalypse plan that includes where you'll hole up, how you'll find weapons, what you'll eat, and so forth, it's a little disappointing that most games tend to focus solely on the zombie-shooting part of the zombie apocalypse (not that there's anything wrong with zombie-shooting). Undead Labs' upcoming MMO State of Decay might change all that. The game will take place in a persistent world where players are responsible for rounding up survivors, finding the necessary resources to build defenses and stay alive, and of course, fighting off the zombie hordes. Finally, those of you who have long debated the merits of going to the gun store vs. not going to the gun store in the event of an apocalypse can see whose plan works better. And what's more, at PAX Prime 2012, I got to sit down and play around with it myself, though not for nearly as long as I would have liked. Regardless, if State of Decay is on your radar -- and it should be -- then I'd be glad to tell you all about my 20-odd minutes with the title. Continue reading PAX Prime 2012: Undead Labs' State of Decay PAX Prime 2012: Undead Labs' State of Decay originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Blender: Karen's kid-friendly game with grown-up appeal Posted: 07 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, Kids, Family, Miscellaneous, MMO Blender I regularly explore the good, bad, and the ugly in kid-friendly MMOs, so I was eager to have a turn with the MMO Blender to see if I could concoct a game that would be appealing for kids but also have some features that should be standard in grown-up MMOs as well. There are a lot of MMOs out there that are aimed at a young audience, but I think the industry sometimes holds back and opts to make a game that's safe. The result of going safe, though, is that it's also not that compelling. Let's take a look at a few features that would make a (nearly) perfect kid-friendly MMO, one that might even be appealing to adults. Continue reading MMO Blender: Karen's kid-friendly game with grown-up appeal MMO Blender: Karen's kid-friendly game with grown-up appeal originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Free LOVE for all! Posted: 07 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Free-to-play, Love Eskil Steenberg's solo MMO project is taking the next step of its journey, as LOVE is dropping all costs and going completely free. "After countless iterations, innovations, and experiments I think I have created something special," he wrote on LOVE's website. " LOVE has become a game unlike any other. Now I really think you should play it." Steenberg developed LOVE under his own steam and without funding, and he admits that both the creation of the game and its operation are costing him. To help cover the costs of this now-free title, he's asking fans to consider donations in exchange for a perked-up character. More than anything, he just hopes that players will give his creation a try: "If you take the time and have an open mind, you will find out why this is a labour of love." Free LOVE for all! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SWTOR expands free-to-play rewards Posted: 07 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT |
| DCUO video previews new Legends PvP Posted: 07 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Video, Patches, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online, Dev Diaries DC Universe Online is getting ready for its fifth DLC pack, Hand of Fate. Along with utility belt attachments, new operations in the open areas of Gotham City and Metropolis, and new side quests, Hand of Fate will be bringing Doctor Fate and Felix Faust to Legends PvP. These inimitable fellows will bring sorcery to the Legends PvP character pool, and change things up with the ability to summon pets and minions. While not quite so offensively aggressive as other characters, these characters focus on a control-based, tactical approach to gameplay. Skip below the cut to get a shiny video introduction to heroic Doctor Fate and nefarious Felix Faust. Continue reading DCUO video previews new Legends PvP DCUO video previews new Legends PvP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Guild Wars 2 fan site compromised, 11,000 game accounts affected Posted: 07 Sep 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play Ars Technica is reporting that 11,000 Guild Wars 2 accounts have been compromised after an attack on an unknown fan site. ArenaNet is emailing account holders who log in from new locations, and the company says that it received 8,500 hacking-related support requests last weekend and another 2,500-plus by Monday. The firm is also dishing out plenty of common sense advice, like "don't use the same email address and password for Guild Wars 2 that you've used for another game or web site." Guild Wars 2 fan site compromised, 11,000 game accounts affected originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| PlanetSide 2's Alpha Squad offering beta access, in-game goods Posted: 07 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox So PlanetSide 2 is a thing. A pretty large, persistent open-world MMOFPS thing with plenty of interesting places to explore and plenty of interesting players to meet kill. Sony Online Entertainment has put together a pre-launch promotional package called Alpha Squad that will grant you instant beta access, a founder's title, and in-game exclusives (including XP boosts and guns, lots of guns). The pack will set you back $39.99, but it also comes with 4,000 Station Cash to use in SOE's item shop. Your account will be flagged for beta access immediately upon purchase, so if you absolutely can't wait to tour Auraxis, Alpha Squad is your best bet. PlanetSide 2's Alpha Squad offering beta access, in-game goods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Storyboard: Only good once Posted: 07 Sep 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Truce Sokolov is a character I like to hold up as an example of how characters can take on lives of their own. She was created as more of a throwaway than anything, a Draenei Shaman whose main character trait was being kind of shy. Flash-forward a year, and she was my main character on the Alliance side of the fence, fleshed out into a strong and capable woman hamstrung by her lack of faith in herself and a resentment of her militaristic environment. She defined a large chunk of my roleplaying in World of Warcraft. So I've tried to port her over to other games. And it has never worked. To date, I've created about a dozen different Truces in different games, and absolutely every one of them has tripped at the starting gate. Or imploded on the launch pad. So as I sift through the wreckage of yet another incarnation of the character, it seems apropos to discuss characters that only work in a single incarnation no matter how hard you try. Continue reading Storyboard: Only good once Storyboard: Only good once originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Garriott's Portalarium partnering with Zynga for Ultimate Collector Posted: 07 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor Former Ultima Online guru Richard Garriott is joining forces with Zynga, the social gaming behemoth that has been hemorraging users and executives in recent months. Garriott's Portalarium company will use the Zynga Platform to launch its Ultimate Collector game, which is currently undergoing a limited Facebook beta. " Ultimate Collector is really three games in one," Garriott says via press release. "It's a collecting game where players go on a major hunt for collectibles ranging from toys, gadgets, historical weapons, novelties and famous art and display those collections in their homes. It's a shopping game where players can visit shops and stores in our game, some of them from national retailers, to purchase items and add to their collections. And it's a world building game that allows players to outfit a home, show off their collections to their friends, sell virtual items to other collectors and make in-game money to upgrade their house and grow it even larger." Garriott's Portalarium partnering with Zynga for Ultimate Collector originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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