MMO Updates

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• PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash
• One Shots: Shields up!
• New trailer teases space update for Star Wars: The Old Republic
• The Daily Grind: Do you attend player events?
• PAX Prime 2013: The strange case for EverQuest Next Landmark
• The Tattered Notebook: Will EQ Next bolster or break EQII?
• PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's story, boss revamps, LFG, and the next big update
• PAX Prime 2013: WildStar dungeon preview
• PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar
• The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's launch week

PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash Posted: 01 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Previews, Guild Wars 2, Events (Massively's Coverage), Anniversaries, Buy-to-Play It seems that more and more studios at PAX are electing to avoid the convention hall altogether and go for off-site venues, especially when it comes to parties and fan events (I was told that even a small booth on the exhibit floor can cost a company $100,000). So while Guild Wars 2 was notably absent from the PAX Prime exhibit hall this year, it was quite a different story a few blocks away at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle where ArenaNet set up camp for the title's anniversary bash. Players began lining up for the panels, playthroughs, and party hours in advance, all sharing the same glow of enthusiasm for the game they've enjoyed over the past year. By all accounts (I wasn't there a year ago), the launch party for Guild Wars 2 at last year's PAX was far more insane. Yet I think that this year there was a better feel to it. It wasn't about hype and anticipation for the fans but about experience and shared affection for the title they'd been enjoying since last August. So join me as I recap the anniversary bash, step by step, and perhaps we'll learn a thing or two about where this game is going in the near future. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Shields up! Posted: 01 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, One Shots, Miscellaneous, Neverwinter Reader Mary is in a tight spot. It all rests on her shoulders now, and if she dies, she will be responsible for letting down her entire team. The fate of this day -- nay, of the future, rests upon her quick thinking and reflexes. "I'm shielding!" she cries triumphantly. "I juuuust managed to get my shield up in time to deflect a dying Spookat's final attack. Meanwhile, Astro is distracted by the emerging Black Kat in the upper left corner, seeing as it was the first time we found one during Spiral Knight's now infamous Black Kat event." Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that Black Kat bar! Folks, it doesn't get any less punny from here, so hold your nose and jump into the rest of this week's player screenshots. Continue reading One Shots: Shields up! One Shots: Shields up! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New trailer teases space update for Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 01 Sep 2013 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic For quite a while now, the Star Wars: The Old Republic space project has been spoken of only in whispers. Fans have been waiting and looking, but what exactly the project is has been a mystery inside a cipher wrapped in an enigma. But the dev team has revealed a bit more during the most recent stop of the game's community tour. The trailer raises more questions, but it opens the door for more rooted speculation. What's clear from the narration is that both the Imperial and Republic fleets are preparing for a major offensive. The footage itself, however, suggests some high-speed dogfighting with the standard Imperial and Republic fighter craft. Will this be a form of space-based PvP? Missions that include free-form flight? Personalized ship exteriors? It's impossible to know just yet, but you can check out the trailer past the cut to form your own opinions on what this means. [Thanks to Jose for the tip!] Continue reading New trailer teases space update for Star Wars: The Old Republic New trailer teases space update for Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: TORWars

The Daily Grind: Do you attend player events? Posted: 01 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Events (In-Game), Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Confession time! I am a total hypocrite: I love the idea of player events but I rarely attend them in-game. Actually, maybe that just makes me more lazy than hypocritical. I think that a player event can boast more ingenuity and yield more memories than developer efforts, even if players are hamstrung by not always having the tools to do everything they'd like. We've all heard stories of funerals, of PvP wars, of naked Gnome races, of scavenger hunts, of concerts, and of costume contests. But the question today concerns attendance. Do you go to player-created events or just read about them in the paper the next day? 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: Do you attend player events? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: The strange case for EverQuest Next Landmark Posted: 31 Aug 2013 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Interviews, Previews, Events (Massively's Coverage), EverQuest Next, Sandbox It's early on the first day of PAX Prime and I haven't had my coffee yet. The coffee is necessary to catch me up to the boundless enthusiasm of the ponytailed dev who sits across from me gesticulating wildly. With each wave of the hand a new image pops on the large monitor to the right of us, showing off another captivating snapshot of a fantasy world and its potential inhabitants. It's one thing to watch Dave Georgeson be giddy about EverQuest Next and its slightly-more-sandbox-than-thou EverQuest Next Landmark from afar. It's another thing to be close enough that his hand gestures threaten my full cup of joe. And either near or far, it's hard not to ride the wave of enthusiasm to the shores of hype, hopes, and dreams. Georgeson and company are strongly pushing EverQuest Next Landmark these days, possibly because it's coming out in a couple of months and possibly because it's a strange game to explain to players. Just what is it? Sandbox? MMO? Real estate simulator? Parkour paradise? Capitalistic haven for up-and-coming designers? According to him, it's all of the above and then some. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: The strange case for EverQuest Next Landmark PAX Prime 2013: The strange case for EverQuest Next Landmark originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Will EQ Next bolster or break EQII? Posted: 31 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook, EverQuest Next Doom! Gloom! Kaboom! As is wont to happen, the recent news about SOE's layoffs sparked a flurry of speculation about the fate of the various games in the studio's portfolio. In fact, it's not terribly unlike the the speculation after the unveiling of EverQuest Next. Will EQ Next/SOE layoffs kill off my beloved *insert game title here*? In the case of EverQuest II, I feel fairly confident that the answer is a resounding no. I've even said as much before. Unfortunately, I can't confidently say the same for other titles, even though I'm pulling for the success of them all. If anything, I get the impression that SOE is circling the wagons around its flagship IP, solidifying its attention on the franchise that started it all. Where do I get that idea? Well, keep reading to find out! Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Will EQ Next bolster or break EQII? The Tattered Notebook: Will EQ Next bolster or break EQII? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's story, boss revamps, LFG, and the next big update Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Interviews, PvP, Guild Wars 2, Events (Massively's Coverage), Buy-to-Play Not many MMOs can say that they've done as much in their first year as Guild Wars 2. The team at ArenaNet is rightly proud of what it's accomplished over the past 365 days, but the devs also know that all of what's come before is just a drop in the bucket compared to their plans for the future. At PAX Prime yesterday, Lead Game Designer Colin Johanson brought us in for an overview on Guild Wars 2's progress and upcoming direction. It's not just living story, although there is a lot of that; the team has ambitious plans that are only beginning to be revealed to the playerbase after months of preparation and build up. We've got the full scoop on where the game's headed in both PvE and PvP (or WvW if you're nasty). You know you want to know. Go ahead. Click. Let's do this. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's story, boss revamps, LFG, and the next big update PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's story, boss revamps, LFG, and the next big update originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: WildStar dungeon preview Posted: 31 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Screenshots, Interviews, Previews, Events (Massively's Coverage), WildStar, Subscription WildStar's dungeons won't be for everyone. They're a bit tougher, a bit wilder, and a bit longer than the standard MMO crop today. If you're looking for a breezy PvE experience, you might not even want to consider running one. However, Carbine hopes that you'll look past the increased difficulty and run-time to be intrigued by some of the most unique encounters and locales in the game. This was the word from WildStar Design Producer Stephan Frost at PAX Prime. Frost ran us quickly through a pair of dungeons -- The Ruins of Kel Voreth and Stormtalon's Lair -- to give us the lay of the land and an idea of what we'll be in for when we timidly step over these thresholds. These dungeons might not be everyone's cup of tea, but those who appreciate a challenge will find it and the rewards to match. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: WildStar dungeon preview PAX Prime 2013: WildStar dungeon preview originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar Posted: 31 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Hands-On, First Impressions, Events (Massively's Coverage), WildStar, Subscription Sometimes you just know that an upcoming game is going to be perfect for you. You know this because the art style sends shivers of delight down your spine, the video previews send you salivating for more, and the news that it's adopting a sub-only model doesn't quite faze you as much as you would've expected. Still, even though you know it'll be right for you, you don't really know until you get your hands on it for the first time. And even then, you don't really know until you've played it for a good, long while to see whether it sticks or not. While my total playtime with WildStar is a few sessions spread over two days at PAX Prime, I have seen nothing that makes me regret being interested in this title as both a super-professional video game press dude and as a humble player. I can recall letting out my breath in relief in the first zone once I saw and felt how it handled. WildStar may not be for everyone -- and that's fine -- but it left me happy, satisfied, and smiling. That's what the Chua said. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's launch week Posted: 31 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log It's been a week now since the start of early access in Final Fantasy XIV, and it's been a weird launch. Partly because it's not really a proper launch, it's a relaunch of a game that hadn't been playable for several months and is now back in a form that has changed so much that it's almost unrecognizable. And partly because the servers have sort of been a force of unfettered malevolence; that's definitely an issue as well. Playing the game this week has ultimately been a verbal tug-of-war between two separate but equally important groups. There are the players who can't get in and hold very strong opinions about not being able to get in, and there are the players who can get in and are just playing the game. So it's impossible to talk about the launch week without talking about the launch issues and the servers... which also requires a bit of perspective on MMOs as a whole. Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's launch week The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's launch week originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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