MMO Updates |
- The Secret World updated 1.7 features today, not Issue #7 content
- MMO Family: Setting screen time limits this summer
- Aion 4.0 launches today, includes Asmodian incentives
- Age of Wushu releases full feature list for first expansion
- Jagex boasts best financial year ever
- The Daily Grind: Do you ever roll two of the same class?
- MechWarrior Online reveals Project Phoenix pre-order program
- Hyperspace Beacon: Why I roleplay in Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Star Trek Online dev blog outlines Lohlunat Festival rewards
- Ubisoft reads the internet, may bring The Division to PC
- ArenaNet aiming for new Guild Wars 2 content every two weeks
- Final Fantasy XIV sells $50 soundtrack with pet
- The Soapbox: Tokens suck!
- Flameseeker Chronicles: The history of weapon and armor skins in Guild Wars 2
- PlanetSide 2 launches in China to surprising numbers
- Security warning issued by Blizzard, World of Warcraft mobile auctions offline
- TERA's new battleground promotes a siege mentality
- Jukebox Heroes Exclusive: Aion 4.0's soundtrack
| The Secret World updated 1.7 features today, not Issue #7 content Posted: 26 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Patches, News Items, The Secret World, Buy-to-Play  However, even without snowmobile chases, base-jumping, and flamethrower, update 1.7 is a hefty one, filled with tons of tweaks and bug fixes to combat, signets, dungeons, PvP, and more. For a full run-down of all the changes, check out the patch notes.
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| MMO Family: Setting screen time limits this summer Posted: 26 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous  How can parents set limits on screen time and still preserve some sense of sanity this summer? Let's look at a few pieces of valuable advice in this week's MMO Family. Continue reading MMO Family: Setting screen time limits this summer
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| Aion 4.0 launches today, includes Asmodian incentives Posted: 26 Jun 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Expansions, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, Promotions  To entice players into more balanced populations, NCsoft is also implementing an incentive program to encourage folks to play as Asmodians on certain servers; Asmodians on Tiamat, Siel, and Israphel will be rewarded with weapons, armor, and other supplies upon reaching certain levels. These rewards, however, are not retroactive and will only be granted on levels moving forward. While those additions alone sound like enough to keep many a Daeva busy, there's plenty more. Other tidbits introduced in 4.0 are an extension of the Fast Track server to include Inggison and Gelkmaros and the removal of arrows when using bows. For even more details and impressions on Dark Betrayal, watch for Wings Over Atreia this weekend. And check out the new classes tonight in a two-hour show (with a special guest) on Massively TV starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT. [Source: NCsoft press release]
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| Age of Wushu releases full feature list for first expansion Posted: 26 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Historical, Expansions, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu  Age of Wushu: Legends of Mount Hua will introduce a special competition for the top players of each server, a new instance with five different stoylines, a MOBA-style battle arena, quicker training for low-level characters, the Jianghu faction system, and more. You can check out more on this new content and browse today's item shop additions at the official website.
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| Jagex boasts best financial year ever Posted: 26 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, Miscellaneous, Transformers Universe  "2013 is set to be an even bigger year for Jagex as we release the biggest update in RuneScape's history, launch Transformers Universe and publish a number of new titles." CEO Mark Gerhard pointed out in a press release this morning. The studio's flagship title, RuneScape, saw "tens of millions of new players enter the game for the first time during 2012," solidifying the classic MMO as a free-to-play powerhouse. [Source: Jagex press release]
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| The Daily Grind: Do you ever roll two of the same class? Posted: 26 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  To me, this is a hard concept to wrap my head around. MMO characters take so much time to develop as it is, and part of the joy of rolling a new alt is trying a different experience. Why would someone want to play the same class again if there are others that haven't been touched yet? I'm sure they have their reasons, and I'm curious if you've done this. Do you ever roll two of the same class, and if so, why? Explain yourself!  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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| MechWarrior Online reveals Project Phoenix pre-order program Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Promotions, MechWarrior Online  Project Phoenix offers fans "the chance to nab rare, beloved, and perk-wielding 'Mechs" at prices ranging from $20 to $80. Package purchasers will take delivery on October 15th, and Piranha Games says that the special edition rides with custom exteriors and camo schemes will never be available again following the completion of the pre-order sale. You learn more about all of the available 'Mechs on MWO's official website. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Why I roleplay in Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 25 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG  I can't even pretend that I have all the answers, but I believe the same compulsion that drives Star Wars fans back to each and every movie and convention despite the primary principles that he or she finds wrong with the franchise is the same compulsion that drives a Star Wars: The Old Republic player back to the game. Just read some of my past Hyperspace Beacons; you don't have to step back far to find an article where I extensively berate the development decisions. Yet here I am still playing nearly every day since day one. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Why I roleplay in Star Wars: The Old Republic
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| Star Trek Online dev blog outlines Lohlunat Festival rewards Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries  In two days, Star Trek Online is going to be hosting quite a party on the pleasure planet of Risa as it kicks off the Lohlunat Festival in-game event. And while you'd think the very act of being on a planet known primarily for its luxury and hospitality would be enough for most people, the folks at Cryptic know that STO players want more than just a relaxing vista; they want shiny items, too. In light of this, the latest Star Trek Online dev blog details all of the nifty rewards players will be able to get their spacefaring hands (or other alien appendages) on throughout the course of the festival. The festival will introduce two new currencies -- Lohlunat Pearls and Lohlunat Favors -- that players can collect and trade for a variety of rewards. But how do you earn these precious new currencies? Well, Favors can be earned by participating in the Horga'hn Hunt or -- we kid you not-- a dance competition. Pearls, on the other hand, are considerably more rare, and players can only earn 40 per day. Once 1000 pearls have been gathered, they can be used to complete an Event Reputation Project that rewards a shiny new Risian Corvette starship. For all the details on Favors, Pearls, and dance-offs, head on over to the STO official site.
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| Ubisoft reads the internet, may bring The Division to PC Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Consoles  Ubisoft continues its coy dance with PC gamers regarding The Division, a new action MMO announced at E3. Initially the firm said that the title was coming to next-gen consoles. Shortly thereafter, Division developers implored interested PC gamers to make their voices heard, and they did via an internet petition that garnered over 100,000 signatures.Now, in a video published on IGN, Ubisoft's Ryan Barnard says that "we're not ruling out other platforms because we do also read the internet. I think Ubisoft as a company considers maximizing the potential of a game, so if the audience is there and the desire is there..." Curiously, IGN's video was recorded at E3 but held for publication until June 24th, so Barnard's comments indicate that Ubisoft was considering a PC version of The Division even before the aforementioned brouhaha.
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| ArenaNet aiming for new Guild Wars 2 content every two weeks Posted: 25 Jun 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play  "We're doing three weeks [updates] currently, but now we're pushing to two weeks," Zadorojny told the website. "It's a marathon not a sprint and we've been getting better with each of our releases in terms of how we budget, how we plan it out, how we manage personnel, etc. Now we have four full living world teams that are building these content updates, so that we can stagger releases and make sure that people can decompress and get the quality time necessary to build a good design document before going back in and trying to implement it all over again." The twice monthly updates will reportedly include new features and story content as well as new loot and achievements. [Thanks Andy!]
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| Final Fantasy XIV sells $50 soundtrack with pet Posted: 25 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV, Promotions, Music, Subscription  The soundtrack itself is a Japanese import on Blu-Ray and includes 104 tracks and the game trailer remastered in 5.1 surround sound. The five-plus hours of music on the disc are also available in MP3 format for computers with Blu-Ray disc drives. Final Fantasy XIV: Before Meteor is currently available to pre-order for $49.99, and the price includes a code for an exclusive in-game Wind-Up Dalamud pet.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Economy, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous  It's not something that I've thought a lot about recently, but once this article triggered some introspection, I realized that the issue of trade (particularly relating to restrictions) has become a growing frustration of mine. My veteran characters in several MMOs are absolutely loaded -- with basic currency, that is (usually gold). And yet I am sitting on this Scrooge McDuck pile of wealth with no useful things to buy because (a) everything seems to take tokens these days and (b) so much of the good stuff in games is bind-to-character (or bind-to-account). I started feeling fidgety and then I let out a grunt of frustration. Tokens, in a word, suck. Continue reading The Soapbox: Tokens suck!
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: The history of weapon and armor skins in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 25 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play  The Aetherblade armor sets will be the first light, medium, and heavy skins to hit the gem store since the game's launch last August, and unlike town clothing, these steampunk-themed items can be worn in combat. Many fans will also appreciate that this new gear is available for direct purchase and not offered as a rare drop from a gambling chest. Guild Wars 2 players realize that ArenaNet needs the financial support of its gem store to sustain the game for years to come. But there has been a rash of negative feedback lately whenever a new weapon skin is offered as a rare drop from a gem store purchase. Whether we like it or not, however, randomizing the contents of a product has been proven to increase profits since the days of baseball cards. In this week's video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles, I dissect the weapon and armor skin offerings in Guild Wars 2 since launch and analyze the various methods ArenaNet has used to distribute them. Have the gem store weapons been distributed most often through random loot boxes, direct purchases, or through in-game activities? Let's investigate. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The history of weapon and armor skins in Guild Wars 2
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| PlanetSide 2 launches in China to surprising numbers Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2  Smedley's tweet claims that the game is already seeing bigger numbers than it has in the US after only eight hours of launch, although what exactly those numbers are isn't specified. Whether this is a result of a serious hole in the shooter market in China compared to the US or just a matter of marketing is up for debate, but it seems that both Sony Online Entertainment and The9 made a good call to bring the shooter over.
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| Security warning issued by Blizzard, World of Warcraft mobile auctions offline Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, News Items, Subscription  Aside from encouraging all players to take extra steps to secure their accounts, Blizzard has temporarily shut down mobile access to the World of Warcraft auction house as an added security measure. Customer service will restore any items or currency lost as a result of this action. There's no information that this represents any kind of mass hacking, but it's probably best to change your password and get an authenticator if you don't already have one.
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| TERA's new battleground promotes a siege mentality Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, TERA  Players will alternate between being attackers and defenders, with attackers trying to tear down the Anchorstone as the defenders beat them back. The map includes elements like ladders to scale, siege weapons to hit the walls, and plenty of spots for characters to engage in pitched fighting for the sake of this castle. The battleground also sees the inclusion of several pieces of pirate-themed cosmetic gear, which are also previewed in another video past the cut. There's plenty to see, in other words. Continue reading TERA's new battleground promotes a siege mentality
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| Jukebox Heroes Exclusive: Aion 4.0's soundtrack Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Jukebox Heroes, Music  Aion 4.0's score was handled by four composers: Jeon Byungkyu, Joo In Ro, Kim Won Ki, and Park Soyeon. There are action pieces, tranquil tunes, and even goofy medleys, but the theme that connects all of these composers' works together is a pristine beauty that is the hallmark of Aion's collective score. So how would you like to listen to some new music? How would you like to hear six exclusive tracks from Aion 4.0? I know I was pretty excited when the team sent me the entire soundtrack and asked me to cherry-pick my favorites for this column, and I hope you enjoy what you're about to hear. Continue reading Jukebox Heroes Exclusive: Aion 4.0's soundtrack
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