MMO Updates |
- Patch 8.6 brings more balance to World of Tanks, ups SPGs to tier X
- WolfKnights Online debuts from Kim Hakkyu
- Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launch-day roundup
- Neverwinter team offers token of peace for beta mess
- The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game
- ArenaNet permanently lowers Guild Wars 2's price point
- Dragon's Prophet blasts beta doors open on May 30th
- Dawngate beta starts this Friday
- The Daily Grind: Do you think MMO gamemaking is fundamentally broken?
- PlanetSide 1 appears to be going free-to-play... eventually
- Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website
- EVE Mobile is coming according to Jon Lander
- Cloud Imperium unveils Star Citizen hangar module
- Gloria Victis pre-alpha screens show forest updates
- Guild Wars 2 prepares for Southsun showdown
- It's a ship in a box in Star Trek Online
- Elder Scrolls Online elaborates on crafting and exploration
- Leaderboard: Which upcoming fantasy MMO are you looking forward to the most?
- Chaos Theory: Opinions, facts, and open flames
- Rhode Island selling 38 Studios' game assets
- Captain's Log: What to expect in Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion
| Patch 8.6 brings more balance to World of Tanks, ups SPGs to tier X Posted: 21 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks  Update 8.6 will push the SPG armor line to tier X by promoting current tier 8's up to the top and then adding new SPGs to the middle tiers. The American, Soviet, French, and German tech lines will all receive new artillery units and the British line gets a new premium tank, the A33 Excelsior. A new Korean-based map will also be introduced. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
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| WolfKnights Online debuts from Kim Hakkyu Posted: 21 May 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New Titles  For fans of IMC Games following along at home, this looks to be what was previously known as Project G2, not to be confused with Project R1, which is an entirely different game being worked on by the same studio. Check out the gallery below and let us know what you think in the comments. Like I even have to tell you that part!
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| Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launch-day roundup Posted: 21 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Launches, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Races  If, however, you're stuck in spacedock and unable to head out yet, you can check out the changes awaiting you in the guides, videos, news briefs, and galleries below. Continue reading Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launch-day roundup
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| Neverwinter team offers token of peace for beta mess Posted: 21 May 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, Neverwinter, Buy-to-Play  For all characters created before 8 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. PDT) on Sunday, May 19th, this pack is waiting in their in-game mailbox. In it, each character will find a Stone of Health, a Dwarven Facemask, five teleport scrolls to the Protector's Enclave, two Adventurer's XP boosters, and a Cape of Catastrophe. Hey, at least they have a sense of humor about it.
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| The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game Posted: 21 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, The Soapbox, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play  Diablo II was consistently popular for over a decade thanks to its immense replayability. At its core, D2 was a game about building new characters and gearing them up by any means necessary. Every enemy in the game was a loot pinata just waiting to be popped, and players farmed endlessly for a few sought-after unique items. You almost never found an item that was ideal for your particular class and build, but you could usually trade for what you needed via trade channels and forums. Blizzard claimed that the auction house was intended just to streamline this process, but when Diablo III launched, it was clear that the entire game had been designed to make the auction house almost necessary for progress. The fault here lies not just with the concept of an auction house but with the game designers. That's right: I'm here to argue not only that Jay Wilson was right about the auction house ruining Diablo III but also that it was his own damn fault. Continue reading The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game
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| ArenaNet permanently lowers Guild Wars 2's price point Posted: 21 May 2013 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Economy, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play  Content releases in Guild Wars 2 continue apace. Since launch, we've seen a handful of special events alongside one-time content, persistent content, and added features. On the other hand, NCsoft recently reported lower sales for this quarter than the previous one, citing "the reduction in Guild Wars 2 package sales" as part of the cause. We're scheduled for a chat with ArenaNet's Colin Johanson later today; we'll be sure to update you with more information as soon as we can. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
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| Dragon's Prophet blasts beta doors open on May 30th Posted: 21 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet  Players can also expect to hear more about the game; as of today, SOE has lifted the closed beta NDA. Current testers can now begin sharing tales of their adventures with family, friends, and random strangers in line at the supermarket. You can also watch some of those adventures this week on Massively TV, with a two-hour show today at 10 a.m. EDT and one featuring a special dev guest on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. And check out the video after the cut! [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading Dragon's Prophet blasts beta doors open on May 30th
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| Dawngate beta starts this Friday Posted: 21 May 2013 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, MMO Industry, MOBA  A new video exclusive at Machinima (also embedded below) shows off a bit of a behind-the-scenes explanation of what Dawngate offers to MOBA fans. Members of the Waystone Games team explain the game's rich lore, unique mechanics such as regenerating towers, resource gathering, RTS-style strategies, and more. Beta testing starts this Friday, and you can head on over to the game's official site to sign up. Continue reading Dawngate beta starts this Friday
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| The Daily Grind: Do you think MMO gamemaking is fundamentally broken? Posted: 21 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind  Hartsman also hinted at his views on current industry trends, saying that "this model of gamemaking is so fundamentally broken." Given the limitations of Twitter and fact that Hartsman didn't elaborate, it's hard to know exactly what he meant, though we can extrapolate based on his prior positions on F2P and the context surrounding the Trion situation. What about you, Massively readers? Do you agree with Hartsman? Is this model of MMO gamemaking fundamentally broken?  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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| PlanetSide 1 appears to be going free-to-play... eventually Posted: 20 May 2013 10:40 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, PlanetSide, Business Models, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Anniversaries  We did a mass grant of anyone who has ever played ps1 or ps2 with free time in ps1. We weren't ready to announce it yet because the database grant is still ongoing and won't be done till tmw morning. So please if you didn't get flagged chill. We are trying to do something cool for everyone and we were going to tell people when it's done. But people saw it and others broadcast the info. Please don't complain :) we aren't raising your taxes we are making a game free. This also gives us more time to make it f2p. So enjoy starting tmw late morning.This news comes just as PlanetSide 1 is celebrating its 10th birthday. Smedley's tweet refers to a new SOE promotion that will grant PlanetSide 2 players six free months of PS1 play.
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| Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website Posted: 20 May 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Culture, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Casual, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Anniversaries, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Path of Exile  League of Legends revealed the new custom item set feature coming in Patch 3.7 and published a new champion spotlight video on classic ranged carry Ashe. Guardians of Middle-Earth also released its latest paid DLC character, The Mouth of Sauron, based on a character who was originally cut from the cinematic release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Diablo III celebrated the first anniversary of its release on May 15th with anniversary livestreams and a magic-find bonus for all players. The latest patch also raised the increments in which money can be sold on the Real Money Auction House to ten million in response to massive oversupply. Path of Exile revealed details of its upcoming Patch 0.1.1.0 that will add new party loot options and other features, and Star Citizen showed off its new website with a special e-commerce section in which players can buy ships for cash.
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| EVE Mobile is coming according to Jon Lander Posted: 20 May 2013 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, New Titles, Previews, News Items, Mobile, Sandbox, Subscription  Rather than simply being a series of spreadsheets for your smartphone, Lander has made it clear that the mobile team wants for the various EVE mobile apps to be functional games in their own right. It's a field that CCP has explored before, stopping either due to technical hurdles or business concerns. But Lander's confident that players will be using the mobile applications by the time next year's Fanfest rolls around.
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| Cloud Imperium unveils Star Citizen hangar module Posted: 20 May 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play  The hangar module is "about 50 percent fleshed out right now," according to the spiffy Cloud Imperium video tour that you can watch after the cut. [Thanks Eric!] Continue reading Cloud Imperium unveils Star Citizen hangar module
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| Gloria Victis pre-alpha screens show forest updates Posted: 20 May 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox  "The forest is now filled with life," the post says, including boars, foxes, wolves, and plenty of raw gatherables like bark, timber, hops, flax, and sunflowers. Black Eye has also enlarged the game world proper and added humanoid mobs. There are screens of all this stuff and more behind the links below. You'll also find some Massively-exclusive screens behind the break. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us!] Continue reading Gloria Victis pre-alpha screens show forest updates
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| Guild Wars 2 prepares for Southsun showdown Posted: 20 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Lore, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play  A showdown with Canach is set to happen when the next chapter of the game's living story rolls out on May 28. The update, titled Last Stand at Southsun, will contain a solo dungeon where players will go mano-a-planto with Canach. ArenaNet says that those who defeat Canach will then open up new group content to tackle. Other changes on deck include a zone-stomping monster and plenty of changes to world-vs.-world content. Southsun living story events, achievements, and rewards will be available until June 11th.
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| It's a ship in a box in Star Trek Online Posted: 20 May 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Previews, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play  Yes, the newest lockbox in the game will give players a chance to earn the strange ships of the Tal Shiar, giving all captains a chance to fly some of the strangest ships yet seen in the game. The ships perform similarly to Romulan crafts with their built-in cloaks, but they exchange some of the active Romulan cloaking power for tactical weapons like Shrapnel Torpedoes. For more details on what awaits in the upcoming lockboxes, take a look at the full rundown of potential prizes.
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| Elder Scrolls Online elaborates on crafting and exploration Posted: 20 May 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Community Q&A, Crafting, The Elder Scrolls Online  TESO will feature five crafting professions: weaponsmith, armorsmith, enchanter, alchemist, and provisioner. Of these, players are able to train in two fields so that a robust economy will develop between crafters. While there aren't any recipes in the game, players have multiple avenues to combine ingredients and make the same item. The studio indicated that those who have played previous Elder Scrolls games might have an advantage in knowing familiar plants and crafting ingredients and how they interact. Other topics in the AMA include fishing lures, how big your library can get (there's no limit, basically), the use of Mundus Stones, and the difficulty of lockpicking. "Your lockpicking will automatically improve as you level, gradually making chests that were once very difficult to open a much easier prospect. Though your lockpicking skill will increase as you level, the chests you encounter in higher level areas will also be more difficult," ZeniMax explained.
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| Leaderboard: Which upcoming fantasy MMO are you looking forward to the most? Posted: 20 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, Leaderboard  The prize? The coveted title of Most Anticipated 2013/14 Fantasy MMO in the Massively Comments Section, which is going to be really hard to cram onto the trophy. In any case, vote for your favorite after the break.  Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!Continue reading Leaderboard: Which upcoming fantasy MMO are you looking forward to the most?
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| Chaos Theory: Opinions, facts, and open flames Posted: 20 May 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play  Nothing. Seriously, I can't call to mind a single thing in the game deserving of a rant. Sure, TSW isn't perfect; there are flaws and there are things that could use improving, things that are certainly worth discussing. But rant-inducing? Nope. Too bad the same can't be said for people. It doesn't matter how many times I've witnessed it: It never ceases to amaze me when folks trumpet their own opinions as fact while insisting dissenting opinions can't possibly exist. It's like they board the crazy train where the lines between opinion and fact are swirled together like coffee and creamer, where reality and logic are tossed right out the window. So as a public service, I'm going to derail that train. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Opinions, facts, and open flames
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| Rhode Island selling 38 Studios' game assets Posted: 20 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Legal, Miscellaneous  The state is looking to recoup some of it $130 million debt that it fell into once 38 Studios went belly-up. One of Rhode Island's lawyers says there "is interest" in the studio's assets, including concept art, design documents, and computer software. The sale of 38 Studios' IP includes the Amalur franchise, which encompassed the Project Copernicus MMO. The state is also set to begin a lawsuit this week against former 38 Studios execs, including founder Curt Schilling. The suit claims that the executives did not inform the state when they knew that the studio would have a hard time keeping afloat financially. Schilling has asked the judge to dismiss the suit.
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| Captain's Log: What to expect in Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion Posted: 20 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Launches, Patches, Previews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log  Yet here we are, on the eve of the release of Star Trek Online's first expansion and a flood of new material. Beware, I will be writing spoilers about the new content, but if you're not worried about that, feel free to join me as I touch on most of what we're going to see! Continue reading Captain's Log: What to expect in Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion
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