MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Second Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded

Posted: 26 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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APB reloaded screenshot
I could make this a very short piece by saying that APB: Reloaded is simply as fun now as it has ever been. The game is a blast in more ways than one. Heck, I could close it right now by telling you that not only was my return to the game well worth the effort but also that it also served to slap me on the side of the head to say, "Hey, dummy, remember how fun it is to run over people?" I'd rather give you more details, though, especially for those of you who might not have played the game or haven't played it in a long time.

APB: Reloaded is essentially a lobby-based shooter. The lobby -- or social district, as it is called -- and the instanced battle arenas are massive places. While I livestreamed the game last week (you can watch the embedded video after the cut), someone accurately commented that watching it was like watching "GTA Online." I agree, but it's also so much more than that. Join me past the cut and I promise not to run you over.

Continue reading Second Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded

MassivelySecond Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    City of Steam open beta early admission starts May 10

    Posted: 26 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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    City of Steam open beta early admission starts May 10
    Want an early look at steampunk browser MMO City of Steam? Mark May 10th on your calendar, because that's the day that Mechanist is launching an "early admission" ramp up to its forthcoming open beta test.

    The testing phase will be continuous (as opposed to that trendy weekend-only tomfoolery), and Mechanist will start with three classes and four races with more to come as the process matures. If you don't have a key already, you can get one by subscribing to the City of Steam newsletter on the official site.

    MassivelyCity of Steam open beta early admission starts May 10 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    WildStar's Crimson Isle detailed

    Posted: 26 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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    WildStar's Crimson Isle detailed
    Carbine has released a few info nuggets on Crimson Isle, one of the locales players will visit in its upcoming WildStar sci-fantasy MMO.

    The Isle is far off the beaten path and boasts rocky terrain as well as deadly wildlife. In other words, it's shaping up to be an adventurer's paradise. The news blurb gives us a general overview of the location as well as intel on enemies (unidentified humans, designation Species CI36) and allies (the Crimson Isle Strike Team).

    Read all about it at the WildStar website.

    MassivelyWildStar's Crimson Isle detailed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    World of Darkness development shown at EVE Fanfest 2013

    Posted: 26 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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    When the World of Darkness MMO was first announced in November 2006, it was just an idea and we knew that it wouldn't be released any time soon. The chance to play a sandbox game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe nevertheless made fans of the series go nuts, but now over six years later we haven't seen much progress on the game. At EVE Fanfest 2013 today, CCP laid the current state of development bare for all to see and showed some plans for the coming year. There are now 70 people on the WoD team, and they've spent the past week working on everything from art tools and server infrastructure to vampire powers and social options.


    "You're a powerful, immortal lord of the night. You don't want to stitch a shirt."

    Development plans for 2013 include working on out-of-game web-based social tools, clothing systems, and PvE game environments. There are also plans to work on item creation, but direct crafting is probably not on the cards. As the presenter put it, "You're a powerful, immortal lord of the night. You don't want to stitch a shirt." Though the game is still in the pre-production stage, CCP was keen to show off the tools it's made to speed up the development process. "Some of these videos are a bit dry and technical," joked the presenter, but it came across as more real and honest than another trailer or musings on theoretical gameplay.

    CCP showed some interesting tools that it will use to rapidly develop procedural content like buildings and cityscapes. It's not the gameplay fans were eager to see, but it was an honest look at the state of the game and it shows that development really is still ongoing. We saw a building going through the entire development system from basic block shapes to the graphically impressive final results, with plenty of eye candy to go around. As an indie game developer who specialises in shader programming, I can say that the video they showed of shader tech was genuinely impressive. Whenever World of Darkness finally does release, it's going to look amazing.

    Developers also showed video footage of their own internal visual targets running in the WoD engine but were adamant that we not film it since it's not actual gameplay footage and may give a false impression of how far along development is. The animations were clearly unfinished and much of the graphical detail was added in post-processing, but the video clearly showed the direction the game is heading and it looks like it'll be worth the wait.

    Whether you're a die-hard fan of internet spaceships or just a gawker on the sidelines, EVE Fanfest is the EVE Online event of the year (and the key source of new DUST 514 and World of Darkness scoops!). Follow Massively's Brendan Drain as he reports back on this year's Fanfest starpower, scheming, and spoilers from exotic Reykjavik, Iceland.

    MassivelyWorld of Darkness development shown at EVE Fanfest 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Has an MMO ever implemented your idea?

      Posted: 26 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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      City of Steam
      Earlier this month, Massively's MJ sat down with the City of Steam devs and discovered that you, the Massively readers, had actually influenced one of the game mechanics. Wrote MJ,
      There is one new feature that was put into game specifically because of Massively fans: jumping! That's right. You made it clear you wanted jumping in game, and the devs listened. Who says you don't have the power to change things?
      Leaving aside the implication that we spent one of our precious wishes on jumping, I thought this was really cool, and I tried to think of other examples of players coming up with amazing (or not) design ideas that were subsequently implemented in a game. I can think of certain demands that were met in classic MMOs. World of Warcraft is infamous for implementing the most popular player mods as official features, and in more recent news, there are Guild Wars 2's efforts to split reset times for different continents after much player protest.

      How about you? Has an MMO ever implemented your idea or the ideas of a fellow player?

      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!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Has an MMO ever implemented your idea? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        What to expect from EVE Fanfest today: World of Darkness, EVE Keynote, and an interview with Jon lander

        Posted: 26 Apr 2013 05:00 AM PDT

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        What to expect from EVE Fanfest 2013 World of Darkness, EVE Keynote, and an interview with Jon lander
        The second day of EVE Fanfest 2013 is now underway, and the schedule is packed! Today kicks off with a highly anticipated talk on World of Darkness at 7:00 a.m. EDT, and continues with the CSM Panel at 8:00 a.m. EDT, Alliance Panel at 9:00 a.m. EDT and Art Panel at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The CSM and Alliance panels are usually filled with hilarious banter, but this year the CSM Panel happens at the same time as the Faction Warfare roundtable and a talk on DUST 514 planet conquering in lowsec. The big event today is of course the EVE Online Keynote at 1:00 p.m. EDT, where we'll find out details of the upcoming Odyssey expansion.

        World of Darkness is still pretty early in development, so the presentation will be talking mostly about the tools being used to build it. We're unlikely to get a release schedule or any solid gameplay demos, but with developers raving about their internal play-tests I expect to see some serious progress compared to last year. Since the CSM panel is likely being streamed, I'll try to hit up the Faction Warfare roundtable and see what CCP's current thoughts are on how to improve this aging game system.

        The EVE Online keynote usually rounds up all the details from the previous days' talks, but so far most of the presentations have been on DUST 514. The lowsec changes and ship rebalancing plans will definitely make an appearance, but aside from a reveal at PAX East, CCP has played its Odyssey plans pretty close to its chest. The expansion is due to go live on June 4th, so its likely we'll see some solid details of the new exploration mechanics. Today, we also have a quick interview with EVE Online's Executive Producer Jon Lander who led the team through the Crucible, Inferno and Retribution expansions. If you have any burning questions on EVE for Jon, let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to ask him if there's time.

        Whether you're a die-hard fan of internet spaceships or just a gawker on the sidelines, EVE Fanfest is the EVE Online event of the year (and the key source of new DUST 514 and World of Darkness scoops!). Follow Massively's Brendan Drain as he reports back on this year's Fanfest starpower, scheming, and spoilers from exotic Reykjavik, Iceland.

        MassivelyWhat to expect from EVE Fanfest today: World of Darkness, EVE Keynote, and an interview with Jon lander originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          EVE Fanfest 2013 day one: DUST 514, wormholes, and lowsec PvP

          Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT

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          EVE Fanfest 2013 day one roundup DUST 514, wormholes, lowsec PvP and Retribution
          The 10th anniversary EVE Online Fanfest is beyond massive, with over 1,400 players piling into Reykjavik's Harpa building for three days of intense internet spaceshippery. Players fly from across the world to meet their corpmates and chat with other players as passionate about EVE as they are. CCP runs a packed schedule of game design presentations, reveals, and roundtable discussions with players, but for many attendees, the event is about being a part of a tight-knit community that usually exists only inside a game server.

          CCP made the bold statement to the press team this morning that its goal is "to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life," and with so many people flying across the world to meet other players face to face, I'd say the studio has succeeded. Today saw talks on EVE's hugely successful Retribution expansion, ship rebalancing, map generation in DUST 514, and lowsec PvP, and of course, we attended the DUST 514 keynote speech. There were also some hilarious shenanigans with the wormhole roundtable room filling to bursting and a guest science lecture on the possibility of faster than light travel in real life.

          Continue reading EVE Fanfest 2013 day one: DUST 514, wormholes, and lowsec PvP

          MassivelyEVE Fanfest 2013 day one: DUST 514, wormholes, and lowsec PvP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing

            Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:00 PM PDT

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            The Summoner's Guidebook Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing
            Out of all the roles in League of Legends, support is the most misunderstood. People expect supports to be similar to healing classes in other games, the kinds of characters who knit sweaters and cook dinner while the real warriors go out and fight on the front lines. When people first learn about the metagame, they often have the mistaken impression that because the support doesn't farm, there are fewer expectations of the playstyle.

            However, supports are less like MMO healers and more like the shortstop in baseball. He's not a baseman, but that gives him flexibility to be where a baseman can't be. He's constantly in the thick of the action, and his team regularly relies on him to make plays. In League, the support's freedom from farming gives her the freedom to roam, to fish for aggressive opportunities and shut down the enemy. She can even wander into mid lane or the enemy jungle in search of these opportunities. Far from a shrinking violet, the support is one of the biggest playmakers on her team.

            I got my start in LoL playing support, and it's a role I inherently understand well. I'm not really happy making aggressive lane plays and would prefer to relax and let my mechanics win my games for me (hence why I like ADC), but when thrust into the role of playmaker, I do reasonably well. For team leaders or just people who like to make others play by their rules, support is the role of choice.

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Support in League of Legends doesn't mean healing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Trion responds to Defiance cheating reports

              Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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              This Defiance player is not cheating
              Trion has responded to reports of cheating in its new Defiance MMO shooter. Community manager Mathew "Sledgehammer70" Everett says that the firm's "anti-cheat measures are both client-side and server-side" and that Trion is "beefing up on all aspects around this."

              He goes on to explain how the community cheat-reporting has been helpful to the developers, and that "in most cases these players are truly cheating." You can contact Trion's customer support if you want to report suspicious in-game activity, and be sure to check Sledgehammer's full post on Reddit.

              [Thanks Robert!]

              MassivelyTrion responds to Defiance cheating reports originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Guild Counsel: Guild leadership isn't a job

              Posted: 25 Apr 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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              The Guild Counsel Guild leadership isn't a job
              Guild leadership is challenging, but as I've written before, sometimes guild leaders shoulder the burden of extraneous responsibilities and make the role harder than it should be. You'll often hear players referring to the leadership role as a job, meaning that it's work rather than fun.

              But while running a guild can be tricky at times, it shouldn't be a job, and there are some important differences between the two that are helpful reminders for guild leaders. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look why the role of guild leader should remain distinctly separate from that of an employer.

              Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Guild leadership isn't a job

              MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Guild leadership isn't a job originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer

                Posted: 25 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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                Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer
                We haven't talked about Icarus Online after its unfortunate journey to the sun last year, so it's definitely time to check in with this South Korean import. The flight-centric MMO is gearing up for closed beta next month, and players can sign up right the heck now if they want to participate in the beta.

                The first closed beta test is scheduled for May 2nd through 5th and will feature five classes and a level cap of 25.

                WeMade Entertainment has a new trailer showing off Icarus Online and its aerial combat, which your peepers may partake of after the jump.

                [Thanks to Steparu for the tip!]

                Continue reading Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer

                MassivelyIcarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                New Earthrise: First Impact screenshots unveiled

                Posted: 25 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT

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                Screenshot -- Earthrise: First Impact
                We're sure many sci-fi sandbox fans have been looking forward to the (re)launch of Earthrise: First Impact since German studio SilentFuture took the helm in May of last year. Unfortunately, those fans are going to have to wait a bit longer before they can get their hands on the game in earnest, but in the meantime, SilentFuture has released a new bevy of screenshots to help satiate their hunger.

                And we've gotta say, they look pretty darn spiffy. The screens include an arid desert outpost, mysterious ruins admist a lush, verdant jungle, and what appears to be an absurdly oversized artillery gun, amongst other things. It would certainly appear that the folks at SilentFuture have been hard at work, and although screenshots are no substitute for actual gameplay, they're still a feast for the eyes nonetheless. So how about checking them out in the gallery below?

                [Source: SilentFuture press release]

                MassivelyNew Earthrise: First Impact screenshots unveiled originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Paladin and Warrior go mano-a-mano in new Hearthstone video

                  Posted: 25 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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                  Screenshot -- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
                  Blizzard's online World of Warcraft CCG, Hearthstone, is supposed to be heading into beta sometime soon[TM]. But to hold fans over until then, the studio has released a new video featuring a duel between the Warrior and Paladin classes, complete with play-by-play commentary.

                  Whether you're looking to wrap your head around the basic rules of the game or trying to pick up on some more advanced strategies to get a leg-up on the competition, this video has something for you. So what are you waiting for? Click on past the cut for the full video; it's time to d-d-d-d-duel! Or something like that, anyway.

                  Continue reading Paladin and Warrior go mano-a-mano in new Hearthstone video

                  MassivelyPaladin and Warrior go mano-a-mano in new Hearthstone video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Snail to show off Black Gold steampunk MMO at E3

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 02:30 PM PDT

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                    Black Gold Online concept art
                    We've written about Black Gold Online in the past, but the upcoming MMO is decidedly more interesting on the heels of publisher Snail Games' successful Age of Wushu launch.

                    The company will show off its Wushu follow-up at E3 2013. A new post on the firm's website says that players can look forward to 3000-plus dynamic events as well as "actions that can change the game world itself." Avatars can "change forms" in combat and and "drive giant armors," all while exploring a unique world blended from sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk elements.

                    Would you like to know more? There's a fresh trailer just after the break.

                    Continue reading Snail to show off Black Gold steampunk MMO at E3

                    MassivelySnail to show off Black Gold steampunk MMO at E3 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    How to tame your Dragon's Prophet

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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                    How to tame your Dragon's Prophet
                    Wanna-be dragon tamers are probably all over Dragon's Prophet and the promise of making a magical lizard your willing servant. But if you're looking for more details about the whole Smaug slavery deal, then a new dev post on the official site should clear things up.

                    Dragons come in many packages. First off, there are the three species in Dragon's Prophet: elder dragon, legendary dragon, and regular dragon. Only the last type are available to bond with, however. Dragons then come in four varieties: flying, aquatic, gliding, and land.

                    To snag a dragon of her own, a player has to engage in a capture minigame to charm a beast. If successful, then the dragon joins forces and can use one of its many skills in combat. Dragons can also give players special skills as well. When players aren't using dragons, they can put them in a dragon lair or assign them to tasks such as gathering materials.

                    MassivelyHow to tame your Dragon's Prophet originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    EA suffers additional layoffs

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:30 PM PDT

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                    EA goes through additional layoffs
                    Citing a reorganization to focus on new technologies and mobile development, EA announced that it has let another round of its employees go. No firm numbers or estimates on how many were fired have been officially released, however.

                    The publisher released the following statement on its blog:
                    In recent weeks, EA has aligned all elements of its organizational structure behind priorities in new technologies and mobile. This has led to some difficult decisions to reduce the workforce in some locations. We are extremely grateful for the contributions made by each of our employees - those that are leaving EA will be missed by their colleagues and friends.

                    These are hard but essential changes as we focus on delivering great games and showing players around the world why to spend their time with us.
                    A Gamasutra source said that the EA Partners publishing label has been abolished in the reorganization, although the games it was handling are still in the works.

                    MassivelyEA suffers additional layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    SOE Live registrations open, offer early bird specials

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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                    SOE Live registrations are a go, flight!
                    Thinking about heading to SOE Live this August? Then it's time to get your pass to the event! SOE has opened up registrations to the convention today and has a few special deals for folks who book in the next couple of weeks.

                    Event attendees can purchase single-day passes, evening passes, or all-access passes. Through May 22nd, the single-day passes are $10 off and the all-access pass is $20 off the normal price. The day and all-access passes include special goodies such as a t-shirt, in-game items, future expansions to both EverQuest titles, and access to the showroom.

                    Children 12 and under can attend for free, and players may elect to spring for a brunch with the developer team for an extra $59. SOE Live will take place from August 1st through August 4th at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

                    MassivelySOE Live registrations open, offer early bird specials originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Darkfall Unholy Wars hits Steam as Valve introduces new subscription service

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                    Darkfall
                    In a press release issued on Steam today, Valve announced that it now offers something of particular value to MMOs on the platform: subscription plans. Gamers can now subscribe to MMOs on Steam and manage recurring payments to those games using Steam itself.
                    With Subscription Plans, Steam offers gamers the ability to sign up and manage payments for subscription-based games on Steam. [...] Steam customers may now sign-up for, manage, cancel or renew game Subscription Plans at any time, online directly through Steam.
                    On the front lines of this new Steam feature is none other than subscription-based sandbox MMO Darkfall Unholy Wars, which relaunched just last week.

                    Valve promises that "additional subscription-based games [will] follow" and posted a lengthy FAQ to ward off the tinfoil hat crowd.

                    MassivelyDarkfall Unholy Wars hits Steam as Valve introduces new subscription service originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 2

                    Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                    The Perfect Ten Final moments of MMOs, part 2
                    LAST TIME ON THE PERFECT TEN: Games were shut down, tears were shed, memories were dragged unwillingly from long-term storage, and videos were shown. Also, Marty totally suckered Biff into driving into a truck full of manure and then got his parents to kiss at a dance so that he wouldn't be erased from the space-time continuum.

                    AND NOW FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION!

                    Is it completely morbid to want to revisit (or see for the first time) the final moments of MMOs? Yes, but also no. Really, it's just interesting to me, and I have no great agenda at play here. Sometimes seeing how a game goes out can tell you a lot about its community and dev team. So join us now as we hit the second half of 10 videos showing the last few minutes of these online RPGs.

                    Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 2

                    MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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