MMO Updates

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• Leaderboard: Why do you play MMOs?
• Choose My Adventure: Dabbling in LotRO's skirmishes
• New ArcheAge video showcases new outfits and riding shotgun
• Diablo III teaser suggests expansion name is Reaper of Souls
• RaiderZ shutting down in Korea, NA version endures
• The Daily Grind: What's your favorite in-game outfit?
• Yep, you can have a beer belly in The Repopulation
• Jukebox Heroes: City of Steam's soundtrack
• The Soapbox: Gaming addiction isn't about games
• See 13 minutes of epic Final Fantasy XIV footage in this new trailer
• Serpent Men abound in Age of Conan's new Dragon Spine dungeon
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 election postmortem
• SOE Live 2013 recapped in just two minutes
• Robots by the dozen: 12v12 goes live in MechWarrior Online
• The Elder Scrolls Online plans to update early and often
• Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Czerka dailies, the F2P experiment, and sitting in chairs
• Curt Schilling discusses life after 38 Studios
• First Defiance add-on content launches August 20th [Updated with trailer]

Leaderboard: Why do you play MMOs? Posted: 14 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Leaderboard Welcome back to Leaderboard, Massively's completely unscientific weekly polling adventure from which no serious conclusions should ever be drawn. With that caveat out of the way, I'd like to examine the readership's reasons for playing MMOs in today's column. Whether you're a fan of immersion, progression, playing with other people, or some other MMO-specific angle that I probably haven't thought of, head past the cut and cast your vote. Be sure to leave a comment detailing your reasons if they aren't listed. 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: Why do you play MMOs? Leaderboard: Why do you play MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Dabbling in LotRO's skirmishes Posted: 14 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Choose My Adventure This week on Choose My Adventure, I discover skirmishes in Lord of the Rings Online and realize that Turbine invented the MOBA. OK, not really, but I did enjoy the similarities. As voted in last week's poll, I dedicated this week to playing in a few skirmishes before I go full-force into Evendim. I dipped my feet in the skirmish waters and then dived back in for more, but was it an entirely positive experience? Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dabbling in LotRO's skirmishes Choose My Adventure: Dabbling in LotRO's skirmishes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New ArcheAge video showcases new outfits and riding shotgun Posted: 14 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox What's better than owning a hot rod to show off to your friends? Why, taking those friends for a spin in it, of course -- even if for no other reason than to increase their envy factor! If there was any question about whether folks could bum a ride on the land like they can the sea in ArcheAge, the newest video sets the record straight. And if you are the type who really pushes your rig to its limits, be prepared to spend some time under the hood for repairs. Also highlighted are new outfits, including French maid and butler ensembles as well as leopard-print swimsuits. See them all modeled in the clip after the break. But don't say we didn't warn you about those last few moments. Continue reading New ArcheAge video showcases new outfits and riding shotgun New ArcheAge video showcases new outfits and riding shotgun originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ArcheAge news Via: Official Twitter

Diablo III teaser suggests expansion name is Reaper of Souls Posted: 14 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, MMO Industry, News Items, Consoles, Diablo III Yesterday we speculated where Blizzard's recently trademarked name The Dark Below would go -- to a new game or an expansion for Diablo III or World of Warcraft? Well Diablo III appears to be out of the running; according to a teaser page found on the official site, the new title for that expansion is Reaper of Souls. And we already know that Blizzard planned on showing off a new cinematic at Gamescom, so we'll probably have an official reveal of the expansion next week. Of course, with Diablo III's expansion named, that leaves The Dark Below still open for other use. Will it belong to WoW, or something new entirely? Only time will tell. [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip.] Diablo III teaser suggests expansion name is Reaper of Souls originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Champion

RaiderZ shutting down in Korea, NA version endures Posted: 14 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Sunsets RaiderZ just can't catch a break, it seems. Just a few weeks after the title was shuttered in Europe, Neowiz announced that it will be taking the game offline in South Korea next month. The Korean version will go dark on September 24th, and the publisher said that it will be reimbursing cash purchases through October. The North American version is still alive and kicking, however, and has released a state of the game post to rally players behind the title. Perfect World said that it's preparing new monsters, zones, dungeons, and loot for the near future. The company also took the opportunity to promote its in-game events, such as GM-run hide-and-seek games. RaiderZ shutting down in Korea, NA version endures originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture, State of the Game

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite in-game outfit? Posted: 14 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Every Monday night my cabal meets in The Secret World supposedly to run instances and tough group content. In actuality, we get together to show off whatever new outfit that we've put together over the week and see who looks the most dashing, fashionable, or interesting. Guys and girls alike, we're all suckers for an eye-catching outfit. Of course, I always have the best. Visuals almost always mean more to me than stats, which is why I prize a good-looking piece of gear highly. I love MMOs with wardrobe or cosmetic outfit systems, and I'm constantly fiddling with new outfits to see if I can make something that stands out from the crowd. So for my fellow fashion fiends, what are your favorite outfits? A description is fine, but bonus points if you can link to a picture! 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: What's your favorite in-game outfit? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Aug 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Yep, you can have a beer belly in The Repopulation Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, The Repopulation Indie sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation may be in closed beta testing, but those of us on the outside can still take a gander at the game's character creation thanks to a six-minute video just released by Above & Beyond Technologies. If the clip is any indication, The Repopulation has a healthy amount of sliders, face morphing, and other assorted options to ensure that your avatar isn't a carbon copy of someone else's avatar. The game also eschews the mandatory physical perfection that's usually on display in modern MMOs. In other words, yes, you can have a beer belly and/or a vertically challenged character! Check out the full video after the break. [Thanks Dan!] Continue reading Yep, you can have a beer belly in The Repopulation Yep, you can have a beer belly in The Repopulation originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Jukebox Heroes: City of Steam's soundtrack Posted: 13 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Opinion, Free-to-Play, City of Steam, Jukebox Heroes, Music, Steampunk City of Steam has to be the first MMO soundtrack that I've seen sold prior to the game actually launching. I mean, it's probably happened before, but I can't recall when. In any case, I had a good listen to this steampunk-inspired score months before its launch, but its lack of a presence on YouTube kept me from writing it up. Enter Composer Daniel Sadowski, who emailed me asking why I hadn't covered his soundtrack yet. I was like, "Well, it's not on YouTube," and he was like, "Well it is now," and I was like, "I saw Ferris pass out at 31 flavors last night." True story. I'm glad he did because this is a surprisingly decent score. With many browser-based MMOs, it might be easy to dismiss the music with the same wave of the hand that some dismiss the game itself, but that would be a shame. There's a lot of passion and ingenuity at work here. Let's listen! Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: City of Steam's soundtrack Jukebox Heroes: City of Steam's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Soapbox: Gaming addiction isn't about games Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous When I was 21, I was miserable. I was stuck in a long-distance relationship with someone I couldn't trust and could barely see, I was stuck with no real career opportunities, and I had my entire lifestyle ripped away from me unexpectedly. I felt like I was willing to climb, but I didn't see any handholds out of the pit I was stuck in. The only thing I looked forward to was the end of the day, when I could crawl into a game and let my actual day-to-day life evaporate into memory. I wasn't an addict. Barely. This isn't a plea for sympathy; all of this happened years ago, and it's not where I am now. Things got better. This is a talk that we need to have about addiction because the few times that addiction gets brought up, it's addressed by people who seem to have only the vaguest grasp of the games involved. Addiction isn't a result of game mechanics or playstyles or subscription formats or anything else. It's a result of people. Continue reading The Soapbox: Gaming addiction isn't about games The Soapbox: Gaming addiction isn't about games originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

See 13 minutes of epic Final Fantasy XIV footage in this new trailer Posted: 13 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Final Fantasy XIV If you're on the fence about Final Fantasy XIV, or heck, even if you're already a fan, you'll probably want to check out an epic new promotional trailer that shows off just about everything you need to know about the reboot known as A Realm Reborn. There is a catch, and it is that the entire 13-minute video is in Japanese. Still, you can get glimpses of the game's character creation, crafting, job system, armory, and more. See for yourself after the cut! [Thanks tipsters!] Continue reading See 13 minutes of epic Final Fantasy XIV footage in this new trailer See 13 minutes of epic Final Fantasy XIV footage in this new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steparu

Serpent Men abound in Age of Conan's new Dragon Spine dungeon Posted: 13 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dungeons Age of Conan updates have slowed somewhat since Funcom restructured itself over the past year, but the dev team is still adding new stuff to its rendition of Robert E. Howard's Hyboria. The latest patch features a new dungeon called Coils of Ubah Kan which offers a "brutal challenge" for six-man groups along with appropriate loot and rewards. The instance is part of AoC's Dragon's Spine content, which became the title's second adventure pack when it released in early January, 2013. Players must fight their way into the ancient underground city of the Serpent Men in order to complete the new dungeon. Funcom says that "even more content will come to this area in the near future." [Source: Funcom press release] Serpent Men abound in Age of Conan's new Dragon Spine dungeon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 election postmortem Posted: 13 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play We were young. We were trusting. We didn't understand the power we wielded. When the voting booths closed and the last ballots were cast, a dark portal yawned wide in Lion's Arch, unleashing the terrible titan version of candidate Ellen Kiel upon the unsuspecting Guild Wars 2 playerbase. ArenaNet didn't see fit to warn us of the true consequences of the Cutthroat Politics update, but at least we can take some comfort in the fact that Evon Gnashblade didn't win the election. He's got claws. And really pointy teeth. Fortunately, the citizens of Tyria have been distracted from their inevitable doom by the current Queen's Jubilee patch, which is showering us with loot in the manner of a quenching summer rain. I'm the kind of person who will happily farm for multiple hours if given the opportunity, but I'm going to try to drag my hollow eyes from the slaughter long enough to talk about how the previous living story chapter was a great experiment in evolving the world of GW2 -- and how it didn't quite hit the mark. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 election postmortem Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 election postmortem originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE Live 2013 recapped in just two minutes Posted: 13 Aug 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Super-hero, Video, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Free Realms, Events (Massively's Coverage), DC Universe Online, Clone Wars Adventures, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, Dragon's Prophet, MMORPG SOE Live 2013 was a blur of tournaments, panels, announcements, and keynotes. It brought news for games like PlanetSide 2, Vanguard, Free Realms, Dragon's Prophet, and DC Universe Online, along with the industry-shaking reveal of EverQuest Next. In other words, it was kind of a big deal. And you can see what it was like to be there in person by watching the two-minute recap video just released by SOE. Check it out after the break, and feel free to browse back through our coverage for in-depth looks at everything that was on display. Continue reading SOE Live 2013 recapped in just two minutes SOE Live 2013 recapped in just two minutes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EverQuest II Blog

Robots by the dozen: 12v12 goes live in MechWarrior Online Posted: 13 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, New Titles, Patches, PvP, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, MechWarrior Online If you've played MechWarrior Online and thought to yourself, "This is fun and all, but I wish there were even more giant robots shooting my face off," today's news from Piranha Games might be what you've been waiting to hear. The studio announced that 12v12 battles are now live on MWO servers, bringing new strategies and opportunities for sharp tactical minds. Along with 12v12 matches comes a new hero mech by the name of Golden Boy and the Terra Therma map. Terra Therma is a volatile environment that features tectonic and volcanic activity that must be considered when developing attack and defense plans. MechWarrior Online is still in "beta," set for release on September 17th. In the meantime, check out the new game mode and mech in the trailers after the break. [Source: Piranha Games press release] Continue reading Robots by the dozen: 12v12 goes live in MechWarrior Online Robots by the dozen: 12v12 goes live in MechWarrior Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Elder Scrolls Online plans to update early and often Posted: 13 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Endgame, News Items, Consoles, The Elder Scrolls Online Players will be waiting until next year for The Elder Scrolls Online, but the development team is already looking to the post-launch environment. Creative director Paul Sage has stated that the team wants to have new content coming out for the game on a frequent basis. Sage emphasizes that players should always feel that something new and exciting is just around the corner, considering that many players will be chewing through launch content with lightning speed. The game's story will also be expanded post-release. A conclusion for the main story will be present in the game on release, but Sage states that it's simply a springboard into something bigger and better for the future. When asked about launch dates, Sage stated that the team cannot promise simultaneous release on all platforms, although the current target date for all incarnations of the game is spring of 2014. The Elder Scrolls Online plans to update early and often originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Sage on TESO updates

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Czerka dailies, the F2P experiment, and sitting in chairs Posted: 13 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG Commenters and followers of my work have asked about multiple things over the last couple of weeks. When are you going to finish the free-to-play experiment? Are you going to do a monetary breakdown of the new Star Wars: The Old Republic daily zone? What do you think about the sitting-in-chairs news revealed at the cantina tour? The unfortunate bit about all of those questions is that the answers are far too short to make up their own article and far too long to answer on Twitter. So I've decided to answer all of these questions in one hodgepodge of an article that I'm calling nuna nuggets. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Czerka dailies, the F2P experiment, and sitting in chairs Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Czerka dailies, the F2P experiment, and sitting in chairs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Curt Schilling discusses life after 38 Studios Posted: 13 Aug 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Legal, Miscellaneous There's not a lot of love in the gaming world for Curt Schilling. The closure of 38 Studios that left the state of Rhode Island with a $75 million debt and hundreds of people out of jobs has colored perceptions. A recent piece from the Boston Globe takes a look at Schilling with a slightly gentler approach, discussing the heart attack he suffered eight months prior to the studio's closure and the stress he's felt over the failure. Schilling once again puts the blame for what happened at the feet of Governor Lincoln Chafee, who he claims failed to help 38 Studios when assistance was required. The article goes into more depth discussing the many assets from Schilling's baseball career that were auctioned off to pay damages, as well as his retirement from public life in favor of coaching his daughter's softball team. Those still interested in the fallout can take a look at the full article for more perspectives from both Schilling and his wife. Curt Schilling discusses life after 38 Studios originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Schilling's new lease on life

First Defiance add-on content launches August 20th [Updated with trailer] Posted: 13 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, PvP, News Items, PvE, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play Trion Worlds announced today that the Castithan Charge Pack, Defiance's first big content addition, is primed for release. The pack includes a new playable species, new story missions, new weapons, and new game modes, with some content available even for those players who elect not to purchase it. Free content includes new charge weapons, sieges, a PvP map, duels, and the Monolith Major Arkfall, while the playable Castithan race, a horde mode arena, unique four-passenger truck and new achievements/trophies will be available only to purchasers. Other small tweaks include a new chat window and enhanced map. The Castithan Charge Pack launches on August 20th for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and is priced at $9.99/800 Microsoft Points. Season pass owners will receive the add-on as part of their subscription. If you're curious about this first batch of DLC, be sure to check out our preview from E3 2013. We've also tucked the new trailer behind the break -- thanks to Gaius for that tip! [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Continue reading First Defiance add-on content launches August 20th [Updated with trailer] First Defiance add-on content launches August 20th [Updated with trailer] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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