| Fallen Earth shares State of the Game birthday blog Posted: 05 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fallen Earth, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries, Anniversaries While many are celebrating (or suffering) back-to-school this month, Fallen Earth is focusing its celebratory sights on a different event: its birthday! That's right -- this month the post-apocalyptic wasteland turns four years old. And as part of the festivities, AP Augmented weapons will be released, rifles are getting a power boost, and new player-requested clothing items are hitting the scene. Players can custom color a set of Phoenix Plate armor, grab a new duster with removable spiky shoulder pads, or wear a hoodie that would make Tiggs happy. All subscribers will get a revamped Lifenet suit for the anniversary. Also coming soon are more dyeable accessories and clothes (like boots, belts, and head wear), holiday garb, and a special something in honor of the Breaking Bad series.  Fallen Earth shares State of the Game birthday blog originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Get a behind-the-scenes peek at Infinite Crisis in new video Posted: 05 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Infinite Crisis Sometimes when you look at an aspect of a game, you think, "Wow, where did the devs get that idea?" Other times you wonder "What were they thinking?" In both cases, a nice behind-the-scenes look at things can at times help answer those questions. And Turbine Entertainment has released one such video for Infinite Crisis wherein the development team talks about how the DC Multiverse is integrated in the game design, from various champions to the items available in the artifact foundry. For your own peek behind the dev curtain, check out the video after the break. And if you want to join the closed beta, head on over to the official site to sign up. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release] Continue reading Get a behind-the-scenes peek at Infinite Crisis in new video Get a behind-the-scenes peek at Infinite Crisis in new video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Apocoplay unveils new digital CCG, Alteil: Horizons Posted: 05 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: New Titles, News Items, Browser, Trading Card Games, Miscellaneous, Crowdfunding Seems like everyone's getting into the digital card game business, with Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and Cryptozoic's HEX leading a pack of big-budget, flashy releases due sooner rather than later. As of today, there's one more contender in the ring. Boston-based indie startup Apocoplay has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund Alteil: Horizons, a digital collectible card game that relies on "turn-based RPG-style tactics" and the introduction of a day and night cycle that changes the behavior of specific cards. Apocoplay is reaching out to notable artists for card designs; according to the studio, interest has been "secured" from the likes of Ctrl+Alt+Del's Tim Buckley and Saturday Morning Breakfast's Zach Weinersmith, along with artists who have worked on things like Pacific Rim and The Legend of Zelda. Here's head producer Sean Molyneaux (no relation to Peter Molyneux) on the announcement: I've been in this industry long enough to see collectible card games grow from a niche interest here in the US to a hugely popular mainstream genre. Fast growth like this means that new CCGs have to be very high-quality to get attention, and with the caliber of artists we've signed and our focus on deeper, tactical gameplay, Horizons can be the best out there. Apocoplay is seeking $100,000 for Alteil: Horizons' development and is offering decks and other bonuses to funders. [Source: Apocoplay press release] Apocoplay unveils new digital CCG, Alteil: Horizons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Secret World looks forward to scenarios and augmentation Posted: 05 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, The Secret World, Buy-to-Play One of the downsides of The Secret World's advancement system is that if your build works early on you can wind up with loads of AP and nothing to spend it on. That's part of what Augments are designed to fix. The latest game director's letter discusses the Augment system, explaining that Augments are collected via Scenarios and can be used at significant AP cost to learn new skills. Players attach those skills to active abilities, some of which enhance a specific ability and some of which enhance your character overall. That's hardly the only thing in development at the moment, however. Issue #8's exploration of Venice and Issue #9's Tokyo adventure are both well on the way to completion, both replete with new challenges for players to explore. There are also plans for a new event starting tomorrow that pits players against one of Gaia's natural defense mechanisms rampaging across the globe. Whether you prefer the high-end challenges of The Secret World or prefer more casual play, there's plenty on the table for anyone. The Secret World looks forward to scenarios and augmentation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Heva Clonia Online announces gameplay test on September 19 Posted: 05 Sep 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play OGPlanet has announced today that beta testing for its newest free-to-play MMO Heva Clonia Online will run from September 19th through the 30th for North American players. Heva Clonia Online offers players the ability to clone monsters they find in their adventures and use those clones as pets in PvP monster battles. The game also features large guild vs guild battles, two-person dungeons, mini games, and more. You can sign up for the test at the official site, and be sure to check out the gameplay video just after the jump. [Source: OGPlanet press release] Continue reading Heva Clonia Online announces gameplay test on September 19 Heva Clonia Online announces gameplay test on September 19 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Age of Conan's August letter previews the Great Hyborian Race Posted: 05 Sep 2013 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Events (In-Game), Previews, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play How do you implement open world PvP in an aging game? Age of Conan is going to do precisely that by running a race. Director Joel Bylos discusses the upcoming Great Hyborian Race in his director's letter for August, an event designed to promote PvP as well as give everyone a chance to see the game through new eyes. New players and old will have a chance for glory, fame, and fantastic prizes. How will it work? After the server merge (which has been delayed slightly by moving the game's offices), a new Blood and Glory ruleset server will be started specifically for the race. Players will have sharply limited use of XP potions, no use of offline levels, and a simple goal of reaching level 80 as fast as possible. Prizes will be given to players who reach the top first and who gain the most PvP experience. The letter also discusses upcoming unchained dungeons and upcoming unchained PvP, so even if you don't want to race you'll have something to explore. Age of Conan's August letter previews the Great Hyborian Race originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Will you repeat old content with a new class? Posted: 05 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind, DC Universe Online There's a new power set in DC Universe Online this week. In fact, there's a whole lot of new stuff courtesy of the game's eighth DLC drop. Sons of Trigon added the Celestial power -- among other things -- which puts another healer class in the game's extensive toolbox. I've played the game quite a bit but I've never gone the healer route, so the new Celestial trees are somewhat appealing. The problem, though, is that I've played DCUO's 1-to-30 stuff numerous times already, and I'm intimately familiar with nearly all of the quests and locations in Gotham and Metropolis. As interesting as Celestial sounds, I'm probably going to leave it alone until some fresh lower-level content makes its way into the game. What about you, Massively readers? Is a new class or archetype enough to get you to repeat oft-repeated older content?  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: Will you repeat old content with a new class? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Free for All: The truth behind the importance of community Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, PvP, Opinion, Roleplaying, Free for All I've talked about community in the past, and it's still an important topic. The fact is that defining community or what makes a good community -- or even what qualifies as an MMORPG -- has come up for discussion many, many times on this site. For those who might still be confused, I can say that the reason the discussion keeps cropping up is due to the ever-changing market. If we didn't attempt to dissect the new genres and changes that come to this genre, then we would be doing a disservice to our readers. That's why we cover MOBAs, pseudo-MMOs, semi-MMOs, MMO- like games, social games, multiplayer shooters, and even the occasional lobby-based action title. The only thing I can assure you of is that Massively (and that includes me, of course) knows the true meaning of MMORPG. When I say true meaning, you either know what I mean or you don't. Having said that, I'd like to ask whether community and the multiplayer aspect is really that important beyond the reason that it must be considered in order to categorize games. Is having many other players around you really that big a deal? Continue reading Free for All: The truth behind the importance of community Free for All: The truth behind the importance of community originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the superheroic news that was fit to print in August Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, A Mild-Mannered Reporter Some months surprise you. When I went back through July's news a month ago, I was surprised to see that there had been a lot of superhero stories that I had collected but not really thought about; what I thought was a quiet month turned out to be quite active. August, on the other hand, was a pretty light month with only one major update that arguably could be pushed to next month depending on perspective. Incidentally, this was the first summer in a while that didn't have a good superhero film come out. Coincidence? Almost certainly. Our current month promises to have some shakeups. There's a Kickstarter in the wings for The Phoenix Project, and the other major titles all have patches just over the horizon. But today we're looking at the calm before the storm, known to most people as "August." Even if there weren't many world-shattering revelations, there are still some elements worth discussing. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the superheroic news that was fit to print in August A Mild-Mannered Reporter: All the superheroic news that was fit to print in August originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| LotRO expansion bundle on sale for $39.99 Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Promotions Are you feverishly leveling your Lord of the Rings Online avatar in preparation for Helm's Deep but you lack all of the game's 50-to-85 content? Have you heretofore held off on purchasing the game's four previous expansions? Turbine is offering all of them for $39.99 in its digital storefront. You get Mines of Moria, Siege of Mirkwood, Rise of Isengard, and Riders of Rohan as part of the Expansion Quad Pack, or you can buy them individually for $19.99 each (except for Mirkwood, which is $9.99). LotRO expansion bundle on sale for $39.99 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Aion adding fourth race to the Atreian struggle? Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Lore, News Items, Free-to-Play, Races The battle for power across Aion's world of Atreia is currently fought between the clawed Asmodians, the light-winged Elyos, and the dragon-esque Balaur. But NCsoft Korea has posted a picture on the Korean forums teasing the entry of a fourth race to the mix. The line above the poster translates to, "A mysterious army begins to step forth from the shadows of the Abyss." And the text below the ominous red eyes reads, "The 4th race" followed underneath that by "Elyos, Asmodian, Balaur and ..." And what exactly? Could a fourth race really be entering Atreia for good, and if so, will the race be NPC-based like the Balaur, or could a new player race actually be in the works? Or could this be just a special event? And what race could those eyes represent? According to the announcement, we'll know more come September 6th. Until then, feel free to leave your speculations in the comments below. And you can check out the entire poster after the break. Continue reading Aion adding fourth race to the Atreian struggle? Aion adding fourth race to the Atreian struggle? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Guild Wars 2 interview picks Colin Johanson's brain Posted: 04 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Interviews, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play If you could corner a developer and ask any question that popped into your mind, what would it be? Matt Visual attempts to cover all of the burning questions that many players have about Guild Wars 2 in his piece with Colin Johanson from PAX Prime. The half-hour interview covers a wide range of topics including gear progression, dungeon hard modes, legendary items, a new wardrobe system, housing, and dueling. One interesting tidbit is that the devs have been working on cloaks but have had some issues with the animations. Check out the full video after the break and see if your burning question gets quenched. Continue reading Guild Wars 2 interview picks Colin Johanson's brain Guild Wars 2 interview picks Colin Johanson's brain originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MechWarrior Online adds Protector Orion and new tutorial Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Patches, Free-to-Play, MechWarrior Online, MOBA Are you amped up for this month's official launch of MechWarrior Online -- or will it not really change anything for you whatsoever? Perhaps we can get you more excited about a new content update that went live today and features an improved tutorial and a new hero 'mech. The update adds the first of several announed tutorials that will help players acclimate to the to the unique challenges of piloting a 'mech. Today's tutorial is just about the basics of movement and combat, but that's what tutorials are for, right? The Protector Orion hero 'mech has come online today as well, a hard-hitting, tough-as-nails machine that's got a nice array of weapon choices. The Protector Orion comes with a 30% boost to C-bill acquisition and can be spotted in the trailer after the break. [Source: Piranha Games press release] Continue reading MechWarrior Online adds Protector Orion and new tutorial MechWarrior Online adds Protector Orion and new tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Bungie: Destiny is different 'every time you experience it' Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Interviews, New Titles, News Items, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous, Destiny Bungie's David "DeeJ" Dague sat down for an interview with the official PlayStation blog at Gamescom, discussing Destiny's world design, class mechanics, and replayability. According to Dague, Destiny takes place in a world of "mythic science-fiction" where fantasy, mysticism, and technology collide. Destiny's plot revolves around humanity's quest to recover the artifacts of the Golden Age and find redemption in the post-apocalyptic wastelands that its brazen rush for advancement has created. Dague explained that Destiny is about making choices, with one of the most important being the class you decide to play. Whether it's the tanky Titan, the stealthy Hunter, or the magic-y Warlock, class selection will determine how you interact with the world, and groups with mixed classes will see greater success. According to Dague, the dynamic world of Destiny and its reliance on inter-player reactions ensure that no two playthroughs are the same. Bungie is expecting the game to have a very long life cycle due to the idea that "the game is completely dynamic and will be different every time you experience it with other people." Also mentioned was Destiny's focus on dynamic group events and the way in which players choose to deal with them. If you're on your own, you may see a public event and decide that you want to jump in and participate in it, or you can bypass all of the actions over here and continue on your own path. You're going to see other players participating in their own portions of the game and you can decide to participate or just go your own way. Bungie: Destiny is different 'every time you experience it' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Leaderboard: What's your favorite DCUO power set? Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online, Leaderboard DC Universe Online's newest DLC pack came out yesterday, and with it came the game's latest superheroic power set. DCUO's power sets are sorta like classes, though the game also makes use of weapon skills, movement skills, and universal DPS options to differentiate itself from typical class-based MMOs. Still, Fire- and Ice-based heroes are generally tanks, for example, while the new Celestial power set gives fans of healing another option. For today's Leaderboard, tell us which of DCUO's power sets is your favorite. Vote after the cut!  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: What's your favorite DCUO power set? Leaderboard: What's your favorite DCUO power set? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Elder Scrolls Online's Paul Sage talks about dungeons and player experience Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Contests, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription How closely have you been following The Elder Scrolls Online? Are you eagerly devouring every new piece of information that's trickled out following PAX Prime? Because there's a new video interview out with creative director Paul Sage that should provide you plenty to devour. Sage comments on some of the major changes made to the game for its PAX appearance (such as the implementation of the new compass and a more "weighty" feel to the combat) as well as the game's launch dungeons. He also mentions the Veteran Point system currently in development, a form of alternate advancement after your character hits the level cap. Of course, anyone eager for information has no doubt signed up for beta, which means you'll want to check your mail religiously today as a new round of testing invitations has gone out. Would-be players can also take part in an emote contest to win beta access as a grand prize. Or you can just check out the full interview video after the break. [Thanks to Jeff for the tip!] Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online's Paul Sage talks about dungeons and player experience The Elder Scrolls Online's Paul Sage talks about dungeons and player experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's Jon Peters on the state of PvP Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Interviews, Guild Wars 2, Events (Massively's Coverage), MMORPG, Buy-to-Play At this year's PAX Prime, we attended a party hosted by ArenaNet at which the studio demoed the second world of Super Adventure Box. There was a raffle, plenty of drinks, and a lot of ANet people. In fact, I mentioned to ArenaNet's reps that I was really into competitive play, PvP, and e-sports. Not five minutes later, I was introduced to Jon Peters, lead gameplay designer for Guild Wars 2. I was a bit intimidated; I mean, this was the guy who singlehandedly created over 70% of the skills in GW2! But he was surprisingly down-to-earth with our conversation. Continue reading PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's Jon Peters on the state of PvP PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's Jon Peters on the state of PvP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A different take on the all-in-one form factor
Taking another stab at Surface
A smaller, less expensive Surface
Tiny PC supports a variety of open source platforms
