MMO Updates

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• The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel
• LotRO and DDO offline, Turbine working with 'our vendors to resolve the issue'
• Black Desert interview and video offer a look at more features
• The Stream Team: Labor Day edition, September 2 - 8, 2013
• Rumor: XLGAMES eyes restructuring after disappointing ArcheAge performance
• The Daily Grind: What was your favorite piece of PAX Prime news?
• MMO Week in Review: The MMOs and MOBAs of PAX Prime (so far)
• PAX Prime 2013: Guns of Icarus Online's new Adventure mode, features, and PS4 version
• EVE Evolved: Odyssey 1.1 and PvP balance
• PAX Prime 2013: S2 Games shows off Strife
• PAX Prime 2013: FFXIV's Yoshida on rebuilding trust and expanding functionality
• PAX Prime 2013: Exploring Wander with creator Loki Davison
• PAX Prime 2013: Final Fantasy XIV's presentation apologizes for a 'rocky' launch
• Civ Online to launch with four civilizations and win conditions
• Rise and Shiny: UFO Online
• PAX Prime 2013: EverQuest Landmark screens and video

The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel Posted: 02 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph, Subscription, Buy-to-Play The title up there is kind of glib, I admit it. We certainly heard more about WildStar during the game's presentation at PAX Prime. But most of what we heard was filling in blanks and elaborating slightly upon what we hard already learned, sort of an extended postscript to the presentation offered at PAX East. I sat down and watched through the whole panel as it streamed, and after it was over I was left with a distinct sense of confusion about how little new information was actually included. Out of the entire panel, the biggest reveal was the fact that the game does have a dye system, plus the roundabout mention of experience earned at the level cap converting into a form of currency. (Along with more use of the term "elder game," which I increasingly dislike.) Both of these are interesting tidbits, but the former isn't all that surprising and the latter is of interest only to those invested in the game as it stands. This was not a panel stuffed with information. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel The Nexus Telegraph: No WildStar reveals at PAX Prime panel originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

LotRO and DDO offline, Turbine working with 'our vendors to resolve the issue' Posted: 02 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play If you've been frustrated by attempts to log into Lord of the Rings Online or Dungeons and Dragons Online this morning, you're not alone. Turbine is experiencing some sort of technical issue that began on Sunday and continues to prevent customers from connecting to the live service for both free-to-play fantasy MMOs. The LotRO Twitter account mentions that Turbine is working with "our vendors to resolve the issue," but it gives no indication as to the nature of the problem nor an ETA for any resumption of services. We've contacted Turbine seeking comment and will update this post if any is forthcoming. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us!] LotRO and DDO offline, Turbine working with 'our vendors to resolve the issue' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Twitter

Black Desert interview and video offer a look at more features Posted: 02 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert Want to know a few more details about Black Desert? The fansite Black-Desert.com caught up with Pearl Abyss CFO Brian Oh and COO Jaemun Youn recently, and the duo shared tidbits such as the estimated leveling curve (one to 50 will take approximately 200 hours), the plan for a single server, non-instanced housing, and more. If that isn't enough info for you, even more in-game features are highlighted in a short video that includes hauling sheep on your shoulders and chopping trees as a group. Check out character creation, gathering resources, and trading in the clip after the cut. For a look at a few new screenshots and art, Black-Desert.com also has a small gallery. [Thanks to James for the tips!] Continue reading Black Desert interview and video offer a look at more features Black Desert interview and video offer a look at more features originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Black-Desert.com Interview, Features video

The Stream Team: Labor Day edition, September 2 - 8, 2013 Posted: 02 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team To the youngsters, Labor Day has always always seemed misnomer since folks actually get to take time off from school and work. So a more appropriate moniker would be Play Day, amirite? But the older crowd knows that the day was meant to honor the hard work and contributions of workers. So in the spirit of honoring hard work, we pay homage to those who tireless toil to entertain us -- The Stream Team! Hats of to you, and a three-BBQ-rib salute to boot! Want to join us in this week-long celebration for our streamers? Then tune in to Massively TV and watch a live show or two and catch a few reruns as well. We've got all you need to know right here. (For the snacks, however, you're on your own.) Continue reading The Stream Team: Labor Day edition, September 2 - 8, 2013 The Stream Team: Labor Day edition, September 2 - 8, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: XLGAMES eyes restructuring after disappointing ArcheAge performance Posted: 02 Sep 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Rumors, ArcheAge, Sandbox Is XLGAMES in trouble? There's a rumor coming out of Korea that may indicate as much, according to MMO Culture. The website says that XL is preparing for a round of restructuring "after ArcheAge did not meet financial expectations in the Korean market after the massive outlay for its development." The fantasy sandpark title has been in development since 2006 and debuted with a subscription business model before going free-to-play. ArcheAge still has not launched in the West, and publisher Trion remains mum on any sort of release date. [Thanks Dengar!] Rumor: XLGAMES eyes restructuring after disappointing ArcheAge performance originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Rumor Via: MMO Culture

The Daily Grind: What was your favorite piece of PAX Prime news? Posted: 02 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, The Daily Grind, Events (Massively's Coverage) Usually we preface Daily Grind questions like this one with a lengthy preamble. Sometimes it's borne of our personal experience relative to the gaming topic at hand. Sometimes it's for restating an earlier news post or opinion column that we're about to reference with our question. And sometimes it's an unabashed rant or love letter to a game, dev, or mechanic that was inspiring enough to warrant a post. This Daily Grind has no such preamble. In fact, it's basically just some filler text designed to look pretty on the page and provide an easy visual segue into the question that you already read up there in the title. So, let me state it again in case you missed it. What was your favorite piece of PAX Prime news? 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 was your favorite piece of PAX Prime news? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Week in Review: The MMOs and MOBAs of PAX Prime (so far) Posted: 01 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Events (Massively's Coverage), Week in Review, Miscellaneous At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. Massively's Justin Olivetti, Patrick Mackey, and Jasmine Hruschak are heroes, folks. They've braved the dangers of con-flu, the lines of rabid fans, and the annoyances of blazingly short demos, all to bring you, the reader, a glimpse of what PAX Prime is all about. It turns out it's mostly about running to appointments, which sort of tarnishes the glamour. But in between all the running, there's WildStar, Guild Wars 2, EverQuest Next, and The Crew. We think you'll agree their sacrifice is worth it, especially since they were the ones making it. Read on for the complete roundup of Massively's PAX coverage (so far), plus the highlights from the Final Fantasy XIV relaunch and the rest of this week's top stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: The MMOs and MOBAs of PAX Prime (so far) MMO Week in Review: The MMOs and MOBAs of PAX Prime (so far) originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: Guns of Icarus Online's new Adventure mode, features, and PS4 version Posted: 01 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Interviews, MMO Industry, Patches, Events (Massively's Coverage), Steampunk, Buy-to-Play Guns of Icarus' Online's concept of crewing airships in a steampunk future might be a little strange at first, but it's something that Muse Games is really passionate about. I linked up with founder Howard Tsao yesterday at PAX Prime to talk about the game's upcoming Adventure Mode, which will add new context to battles over the unfriendly skies. The new online mode won't replace Guns of Icarus' current lobby-based multiplayer mode, but it will add new content, including missions and factions to provide a backdrop for actions in the game's steampunk world. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Guns of Icarus Online's new Adventure mode, features, and PS4 version PAX Prime 2013: Guns of Icarus Online's new Adventure mode, features, and PS4 version originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Odyssey 1.1 and PvP balance Posted: 01 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Dev Diaries It's been just under three months since EVE Online's exploration-focused Odyssey expansion went live, bringing in a new hacking minigame and significantly buffing the underused tier 1 and tier 2 battleships. With a complete rebalancing all of the tech 1 sub-capital ships now complete, CCP has turned its attention to some of the oldest tech 2 ships in the game: Heavy Assault Ships and Command Ships. Developers have been testing out changes to these ships on the test server and hitting up players for feedback since Odyssey went live, and the results are finally ready to deploy. Odyssey 1.1 will go live in two days time on September 3rd and contains some pretty big changes that are sure to shake up the PvP landscape. Medium-sized long-range weapons have been buffed beyond all recognition, and a buff to active tanking may soon make it viable in PvP. Heavy Assault Ships and Command Ships have been beefed up, the Dominix is getting a small nerf following its absolute dominance in the Alliance Tournament, and the Nosferatu energy vampire module may be about to make a return to PvP setups. In this week's EVE Evolved, I analyse the upcoming Odyssey 1.1 patch and what the new ship balance changes mean for the average player. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Odyssey 1.1 and PvP balance EVE Evolved: Odyssey 1.1 and PvP balance originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: S2 Games shows off Strife Posted: 01 Sep 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, First Impressions, Events (Massively's Coverage), MOBA I was pretty interested to see S2 Games' newest venture into the MOBA genre, Strife, at this year's PAX Prime. It's a more newbie-friendly take on the traditional DotA concept while still retaining high levels of complexity and a high skill cap. S2 Games has learned a lot of lessons from Heroes of Newerth, and I spoke with creative designer Doug Houserman about what the team is bringing to the table to make Strife a better game. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: S2 Games shows off Strife PAX Prime 2013: S2 Games shows off Strife originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: FFXIV's Yoshida on rebuilding trust and expanding functionality Posted: 01 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Events (Massively's Coverage), Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription Apart from Square's public presentation, which was open to both media types and fans at this year's PAX Prime, we were also able to sit down with Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida for a more intimate interview session. Join us after the cut as we talk about classes, jobs, consoles vs. PCs, and a boatload of other Eorzean tidbits. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: FFXIV's Yoshida on rebuilding trust and expanding functionality PAX Prime 2013: FFXIV's Yoshida on rebuilding trust and expanding functionality originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: Exploring Wander with creator Loki Davison Posted: 01 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Interviews, Launches, MMO Industry, PvE, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous, Sandbox, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play Wander is an MMO that eschews the primary mechanics of traditional titles and instead relies on what creator Loki Davison refers to as "collaborative exploration." Designed to recreate the feeling you get when you discover something beautiful in real life and rush home to tell your friends, Wander has no maps, checkpoints, or objectives. The only ways to uncover the game's secrets are to discover them yourself or have another player show you the way. Our own Jasmine Hrushcak snagged some time with Wander and its creator at PAX Prime 2013 and managed to ask a few questions in between acrophobic Oculus Rift-induced panic attacks. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Exploring Wander with creator Loki Davison PAX Prime 2013: Exploring Wander with creator Loki Davison originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: Final Fantasy XIV's presentation apologizes for a 'rocky' launch Posted: 01 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Events (Massively's Coverage), Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription Final Fantasy XIV had a sizable presence at PAX Prime this year. Massively sat in on Square's presentation and group interview, and we also managed a separate session with producer Naoki Yoshida apart from all the hustle and bustle. In this recap, we'll walk you through the highlights from the first session, which also featured sound director Masayoshi Soken and localization lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, who handled translation duties. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Final Fantasy XIV's presentation apologizes for a 'rocky' launch PAX Prime 2013: Final Fantasy XIV's presentation apologizes for a 'rocky' launch originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Civ Online to launch with four civilizations and win conditions Posted: 01 Sep 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Interviews, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMORTS, MMORPG In an interview with 2P, XLGames CEO Jake Song talked a bit about upcoming Civilization Online and delved deeper into how the game will function. Civ Online, which is currently not officially scheduled for a North American release, will go live with four playable civilizations: China, Rome, Egypt, and Aztec. Each civilization controls three starting cities that cannot be conquered; players must strike out on their own to found cities once they have gathered enough resources. Song also revealed four of the game's classes, confirming Engineers, Miners, Soldiers, and Farmers for release. Players will be allowed to change careers if desired, though career-swaps carry risks. Progression requires that players develop skills in order level their characters up. Technology advances will be made based on how players focus their resources. Civilization Online will be different from previous Civ games thanks to its MMO nature. However, Song confirmed that the game will have several win conditions that end the session, such as a player conquering all other civilizations or launching a spaceship. When a player wins, the game starts over with everyone back at square one. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Civ Online to launch with four civilizations and win conditions originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 2P

Rise and Shiny: UFO Online Posted: 01 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, War, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Post-Apocalyptic, Rise and Shiny, Livestream I really enjoyed taking a look at UFO Online a few years ago at E3, but the game has been stuck in what seems to be that standard gamigo tunnel of time, where games go to be semi-released. What do you get when you start playing? Well, if turn-based, squad-based combat is your idea of a good time (mixed with doses of factional control), then you will enjoy the game. Unfortunately it's still a bit rough around the edges and could really use a pass with the text and control brushes, but I'll cover that in a minute. First, let's talk about why folks enjoy squad-based gaming so much. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: UFO Online Rise and Shiny: UFO Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX Prime 2013: EverQuest Landmark screens and video Posted: 01 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Events (Real-World), New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), EverQuest Next, Sandbox, MMORPG EverQuest Next Landmark is a prime (get it?!) focus for Sony Online Entertainment at this weekend's PAX Prime 2013 (now you get it) and the studio has released some new videos and screenshots showing off what players can expect from the title's sandbox of world-editing tools. On display is a time-lapse of player creation in a lava-filled cave, with a closer look at EverQuest Next's dwarf race. There's also a quick look at EverQuest Next's parkour-inspired free running in action. Check out both videos after the break and hit the gallery for the latest images. Gallery: EverQuest Next Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: EverQuest Landmark screens and video PAX Prime 2013: EverQuest Landmark screens and video originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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