MMO Updates |
- Star Citizen's Roberts on business models, the PS4, and more
- Former SOE, Cryptic exec to lead Lionhead Studios
- More details revealed for Camelot Unchained's world-building systems
- Massively Speaking Episode 246 -- The princess and the frog in her throat
- Pathfinder producer talks player-generated content, archetypes, and more
- Flameseeker Chronicles: April's Guild Wars 2 patch brings custom arenas, spectator mode, and a living story dungeon
- The Daily Grind: What was the best random drop you ever got?
- Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news
- Chaos Theory: Perfecting your build in The Secret World
- Captain's Log: Romulan content in Star Trek Online
- Team-based arena combat game Panzar goes live
- Yep, it's more 38 Studios drama
- Learn about PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online's latest AMA
- ArenaNet separates Guild Wars 2 WvW reset times for North American and European servers
- Grimlands' Kickstarter cancelled, devs in talks with investors
| Star Citizen's Roberts on business models, the PS4, and more Posted: 23 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Consoles, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play  He confirms a few things we already knew about SC's playable hangar demo scheduled for August, as well as the dogfighting alpha in December. He also shares how his team's shortened development schedule and modular process is adding up to a tighter, better game than could be made at a AAA studio. And if Star Citizen's ever-increasing crowdfunding totals are any indication, Roberts' audience is more than OK with the process. "We generated $800,000 in February alone, which is crazy," he said. "We don't even have a campaign going, we're not even selling new ships or anything, and we don't have a game." He goes on to guesstimate that his 150,000-odd early adopters are only five to 10 percent of Star Citizen's post-launch audience. "Ultimately that means I can make the same game for a fifth of the revenue, a fifth of the sales, and I can be more profitable, and I can exist on lower unit sales. I think that's good for gamers, because crowdfunding and digital distribution are enabling more nichey stuff to be viable." Roberts also hints at the future of SC's business model, likening it to that of World of Tanks. Finally, he has a few kind words for Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 4, and even says he'd consider putting SC on a console under the right circumstances. "The good news is that [the PS4] is essentially a PC, so that means PC owners will get much better ports of console games. I'm not a PC elitist by any means," Roberts explains. "If I could be on the PS4, and they were open, and I could do the updating and all the sort of stuff we're trying to do on Star Citizen, then I would definitely consider putting it on PS4 because it's essentially a PC with a friendlier operating system."
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| Former SOE, Cryptic exec to lead Lionhead Studios Posted: 23 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items  Microsoft's official announcement states that Needham's "deep understanding of all aspects of the gaming industry, from subscription-based massively multiplayer to client-based console and free-to-play online PC and mobile experiences will be a huge benefit to Lionhead."
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| More details revealed for Camelot Unchained's world-building systems Posted: 23 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Crafting, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained  Blueprints, which can be traded, are a way to speed up the building process -- or rebuilding, if enemies have destroyed your structure in RvR. Players with the appropriate skills can create blueprints of an already finished structure or through the architect's interface as a plan for a future structure. Through RvR, players can claim buildings built by others, either by deconstructing the entire thing or just capturing it; those structures can then be repaired or rebuilt by the new owners. Want even more information on building a fortress in Camelot Unchained? Then check out Massively's interview with Mark Jacobs.
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| Massively Speaking Episode 246 -- The princess and the frog in her throat Posted: 23 Apr 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous  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: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 246 -- The princess and the frog in her throat
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| Pathfinder producer talks player-generated content, archetypes, and more Posted: 23 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Pathfinder Online  Dancey says that Goblinworks would like for players to create their own PvE content modules and sell them to others, likely via some sort of app store format. He also mentions Pathfinder's archetype system and its numerous advantages over traditional class mechanics. Head to DM Fiat to listen to the podcast. [Thanks Mark!]
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| Posted: 23 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, PvP, News Items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Dungeons  Retribution will be the final installment of the Flame and Frost living story arc. To tie everything off, we're getting a new story dungeon that'll take us deep underground into the Molten Weapon Facilities. Structured PvP is getting some love in the form of custom PvP arenas and spectator mode. Guilds are getting more missions and new rewards. The gem store will be getting new stuff. Let's dive in and look at some specifics, shall we?
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| The Daily Grind: What was the best random drop you ever got? Posted: 23 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  It's the latter that I'd like us to discuss today. Every once in a while I do a double-take when I see that I just looted an ultra-rare item. I didn't even know text that color existed in the chat window, to be honest! And getting that incredible drop can make my evening (not to mention give me bragging rights to my guild). So what was the best random drop you ever got in an MMO -- and what did you do when it happened?  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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| Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Bugs, Game Mechanics, Launches, New Titles, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Firefall, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Path of Exile  Third-person MOBA SMITE added the 34th god to its roster this week with acrobatic assassin Ne Zha entering the fray, and Guardians of Middle-Earth released new DLC character Kili the Dwarf. Rise of Immortals added support for game replays and introduced and interesting new White Knight feature that lets players take over from characters who have disconnected or quit in the middle of a game. Heroes of Newerth announced a huge upcoming balance patch that may finally get rid of the paid-for early hero access and promises to rebalance much of the game's expansive roster of characters. Dota 2's streamlined abuse report update backfired when players discovered they could use the report feature itself to abuse other players. And Firefall may finally be edging toward release with the announcement of a date for the start of open beta. Continue reading Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news
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| Chaos Theory: Perfecting your build in The Secret World Posted: 22 Apr 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Secret World, Guides, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play  With a limit of only seven active (eight if you have an auxiliary weapon) and seven passive skills available to use at any time, creating a build in The Secret World is not quite like most other MMOs, so you can't just automatically throw on gear of a higher level and call it good. Sure, you can eventually pound your way through many things, but you can save yourself some time and frustration by understanding a bit about how the gear works together with your skills. That's where today's Chaos Theory comes in. What better way to inform and entertain you than to open myself up for some theorycrafting by someone who has a better knack for it? Using my little Illuminati as our guinea pig, I've bared her gear for all to see and learn what can be done to improve. With that, I welcome you to the first episode of "What Not to Wear in TSW"! Continue reading Chaos Theory: Perfecting your build in The Secret World
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| Captain's Log: Romulan content in Star Trek Online Posted: 22 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Expansions, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Captain's Log  So here's a big warning: Thar be a few spoilers ahead! If you don't want to know anything about the story of the Romulan Republic, then you might want to avoid looking past the jump, but if you're not bothered about seeing some of Star Trek Online's upcoming content before it's released, then press that big button right down there and let's get to it. Continue reading Captain's Log: Romulan content in Star Trek Online
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| Team-based arena combat game Panzar goes live Posted: 22 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play  Do you enjoy crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and all that fun stuff? Then Panzar just might be the game for you. The newly launched title from Moscow-based Panzar Studio is described as "a third-person action game in the spirit of modern competitive multiplayer games" with an emphasis on team-based play. Players can choose from one of eight classes and clash in fierce team-based combat on a number of different maps in gametypes such as King of the Hill and Domination. While it's not an MMO in the purest sense of the word, Panzar does feature persistent character progression. After each match, players are granted experience and resources that can be used to level up their class of choice and craft spiffy new equipment, respectively. The game is free-to-play, so if it sounds like your cup of tea, you can head on over to the official site to give it a spin for yourself. Alternatively, click on past the cut to check out the game's official cinematic trailer. [Thanks to SKURVEL for the tip!] Continue reading Team-based arena combat game Panzar goes live
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| Yep, it's more 38 Studios drama Posted: 22 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items  The latest drama from Curt Schilling's former studio comes courtesy of the New York Times, which reports on Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chaffee's latest attempt to distance himself from the fiasco surrounding 38's inability to pay back state loans. "I had so many reservations about this being a bad deal, that I was reluctant to micromanage, to have it be 'Chafee screwing this up,'" he told the Times. "And don't forget, we had our hands full in this state."
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| Learn about PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online's latest AMA Posted: 22 Apr 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Community Q&A, The Elder Scrolls Online  The Elder Scrolls Online team waded through an AMA about PvP recently. Are you ready for some knowledge? Because we are so about to drop some. Alliance Points will be tied to the PvP ranking system. Siege weapons can be obtained and created by anyone who has enough Alliance Points to purchase them; there are no other resources necessary to buy and deploy them. Players can effectively starve out an enemy area by depriving them of resources from surrounding lumber mills, farms, and mines. Seizing those resources before laying siege has a double advantage of also switching off various enemy patrols. Villages in Cyrodiil are Alliance-neutral, but if you control nearby keeps, you'll have NPC patrols in their surrounding villages and towns. The team isn't quite ready to talk about some features like territory ownership perks and large team sizes. You can delve into full detail over on the official post.
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| ArenaNet separates Guild Wars 2 WvW reset times for North American and European servers Posted: 22 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2  ArenaNet has been searching for a solution to Guild Wars 2's WvW reset problem for a while now. See, thanks to the way that not everybody is on the same time, finding a unified reset time for players in both Europe and North America has been a real pain in the Alpha Siege Golem. The solution? ArenaNet is simply separating the reset times. Starting with the next matchup, North American WvW matches will reset Fridays at 9:00 p.m. EDT, while European matches will reset at 2:00 p.m. EDT (7:00 p.m. GMT). This is meant to lead to a smoother (and more sleep-friendly) experience for everyone.
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| Grimlands' Kickstarter cancelled, devs in talks with investors Posted: 22 Apr 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Crowdfunding  The good news is that DRAGO is apparently in talks to secure more substantial funding from an unnamed group of backers. Grimlands' project page updated this morning with the following announcement: "We have been contacted by several investors and are in active discussions to finish the game with them. This would not have been possible without this campaign and without your support! Of course we will keep you up to date on any development!" [Thanks Zach!]
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