MMO Updates

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• Own a piece of limited-edition Elder Scrolls Online art
• Jack Black plans MMO mockumentary Wizard's Way remake
• The Repopulation begins lengthy lore series
• Free for All: An interview with Ever, Jane's Judy Tyrer
• The Daily Grind: Would you prefer new story content or new features?
• Learn about claims in EQ Next Landmark's livestream tomorrow
• The Stream Team: Ambling through EQII's Advanced Solo dungeons
• Doctor Who: Worlds in Time shutting down
• Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Nightfall's soundtrack
• McQuaid's Pantheon adds pledge tiers, touts $50k in 20 hours
• The Stream Team: The SHSO devs play the game with an eight-year-old
• Stahl vacates STO lead role for 'exciting new project' at Cryptic
• Final Fantasy XI introducing challenge versions of old bosses
• Firefly Online shows off the AFAS fighter
• Vanguard's Cave of Wonders releases today
• The Stream Team: Healing for gold in FFXIV's duty roulette
• Hyperspace Beacon: Entering the SWTOR Kuati Drive Yards
• ArcheAge's English version in Friends & Family testing
• Greg Street is now lead game designer at Riot Games

Own a piece of limited-edition Elder Scrolls Online art Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Promotions, The Elder Scrolls Online You may have to keep waiting to play The Elder Scrolls Online, but you can get a hold of a lithograph of Jorunn the Skald-King, Queen Ayrenn, or High King Emeric for your wall come this Friday. Art of these three alliance leaders will be available in the Bethesda Store starting January 17th, and players can pick one for $40.00 or get all three bundled together for $90.00. The lithographs are limited, however, so if you're aching for the artwork, be sure to grab yours while supplies last. Own a piece of limited-edition Elder Scrolls Online art originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Limited-edition lithographs

Jack Black plans MMO mockumentary Wizard's Way remake Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Video, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry MMOs in movies are all the rage now (if by rage we mean exist or are currently casting), and Jack Black is getting in on act. The actor and his production company, Electric Dynamite, have secured the rights to remake a British mockumentory Wizard's Way, a film that focused on MMOs and the people who play them. The plot centers on two gamers who spend their time playing a fantasy game called Wizard's Way and includes the pair discovering secrets about the game and one's real-life quest to find his in-game wife. While there's no release date for the remake, you can catch a screening of the 2012 original on January 19th at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. And don't miss a sneak peek of the original trailer below. Continue reading Jack Black plans MMO mockumentary Wizard's Way remake Jack Black plans MMO mockumentary Wizard's Way remake originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Polygon

The Repopulation begins lengthy lore series Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Lore, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, The Repopulation Lore junkies are getting nearly a week-long fix beginning today as The Repopulation starts its new lore series. Chapter one of the short story Evening Star, centered around the landing on Rhyldan, was posted today, and a new chapter will be added each day this week. If you are wondering why the story is broken up, it's because this is no snippet of story; Chapter 1: Green Lights alone comes in at over 4K words. So grab a chair, settle in, and meet Ralf Hound as he starts the adventures off. As an added bonus for The Repopulation fans, Lead Developer J.C. Smith elaborated on a variety of topics in a recent interview, including siege system alerts, crafting mini-games, AI, and the ability to build underground. For more details, check out World Factory. [Source: Above & Beyond Technologies press release] The Repopulation begins lengthy lore series originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Worlds Factory interview, Evening Star, Chapter 1

Free for All: An interview with Ever, Jane's Judy Tyrer Posted: 15 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Real-Life, Trailers, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Casual, Free for All, Crowdfunding, Subscription Ever, Jane caught my eye as soon as I read about it. I wish we had access to more non-combat MMOs, or MMOs that attempt to do something so different that they are hard to categorize. I have to say that I had never read a word of Jane Austen -- the author whose books Ever, Jane is based on -- but I didn't care. If anything, the interesting gameplay described by Judy Tyrer, the creator of the game, made me want to pick up a book or two. Of course, the game is barely in a playable state at this time and will likely be in development for a time longer. Still, the MMO genre needs games that takes chances, or we'll all find ourselves stuck on some hamster wheel of grind. I asked Judy a few questions and she surprised me with some of her answers. She's been making games for a long time, so hopefully you'll be hearing more from her here on Massively for a while! Let's get to the interview. Continue reading Free for All: An interview with Ever, Jane's Judy Tyrer Free for All: An interview with Ever, Jane's Judy Tyrer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Would you prefer new story content or new features? Posted: 15 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Patches, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Say there's a big content update coming for your favorite MMO in the next month and a developer calls your phone, beseeching you to make a decision. The team doesn't have enough resources to deliver both new story content and new features, the dev explains, so would you kindly choose one of those for the team to deliver? In other words, if you had your way, would you prefer additional quests and stories and zones in your game, or would you prefer new game systems and features? Personally, that's a tough call to make. I love me some great stories, but new features and systems typically get me far more excited. I think the latter enriches and grows the game more than the vertical building that more zones provide. What do you think? 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: Would you prefer new story content or new features? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Learn about claims in EQ Next Landmark's livestream tomorrow Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Livestream, Sandbox There are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to EverQuest Next Landmark, which is all the more reason to catch tomorrow's official livestream! Starting at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday the 15th, devs will take to the airwaves to answer more questions about the upcoming sandbox -- specifically about claims. So if you want to get the scoop on snagging your own plot (including its square footage), be sure to tune in to EQN's official twitch channel. And for those who are contemplating heading to San Diego and getting some hands-on experience with the game, the team will also offer more details about the Landmark Community Celebration coming up on the 31st. Learn about claims in EQ Next Landmark's livestream tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments EQNL claim livestream

The Stream Team: Ambling through EQII's Advanced Solo dungeons Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Video, EverQuest II, Livestream, Dungeons, The Stream Team If you can't find a group for some of the highest dungeons in EverQuest II, that's OK -- there are Advanced Solo versions that you can do with just a friend or even a mercenary. Between Destiny of Velious and Tears of Veeshan, there are plenty of these that Massively's MJ has yet to venture into, so she's going to grab a friend and dive into one. Join us live at 9:00 p.m. to be a part of the adventure. Who knows, you just might be the friend that accompanies her! Game: EverQuest II Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Ambling through EQII's Advanced Solo dungeons The Stream Team: Ambling through EQII's Advanced Solo dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Doctor Who: Worlds in Time shutting down Posted: 14 Jan 2014 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Browser, Sunsets It's a day that ends in 'Y,' which means that somewhere someone is shepherding a free-to-play pseudo-MMO through its death rattle. Today that title is Doctor Who: Worlds in Time, a browser-based thing from developer Three Rings that's been operating since March of 2012. According to the official website, the game will shut down on February 28th. Microtransaction services have already been suspended. Doctor Who: Worlds in Time shutting down originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Nightfall's soundtrack Posted: 14 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Opinion, Jukebox Heroes, Music We're slowly but steadily working our way through the Guild Wars library, having already covered Prophecies and Factions in this space. It's time to move on to the third and final full campaign of the original game: Nightfall. Nightfall has a special significance for me in that it was my starting point for actually going through the entirety of the game prior to Guild Wars 2's release. While I've never been a fan of desert and Middle Eastern settings, I must admit that Jeremy Soule's return to the score isn't something to be ignored. Perhaps there aren't as many stand-out tracks as in the previous campaigns, but on the whole the score is well above-average compared to many MMO soundtracks. Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Nightfall's soundtrack Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars Nightfall's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

McQuaid's Pantheon adds pledge tiers, touts $50k in 20 hours Posted: 14 Jan 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Crowdfunding, Subscription Brad McQuaid has posted a lengthy update on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen's Kickstarter project page. He says that the fledgling MMO surpassed $50,000 in donations within 20 hours of the crowdfunding launch, and that this is proof positive that a "large crowd" wants a game "that returns to the roots of what made MMOs so popular in the first place." The update also mentions additional pledge tiers, including a $250.00 and a $750.00 tier designed for guilds. The latter features 10 copies of the game, and 30 days of subscription time and beta access for each along with a custom guild tabard. McQuaid's Pantheon adds pledge tiers, touts $50k in 20 hours originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Update

The Stream Team: The SHSO devs play the game with an eight-year-old Posted: 14 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Humor, Kids, Livestream, The Stream Team From the moment we first saw the demonstration for Super Hero Squad Online, Massively has had a soft spot for it. Then about a month ago, Massively's Larry Everett and his son played this game in a Family MMO Night livestream. One of the developers loves it so much that she requested to join them. And you can join them, too, at 7:00 p.m. EST. You won't want to miss this. Game: Super Hero Squad Online Host: Larry Everett Date: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: The SHSO devs play the game with an eight-year-old The Stream Team: The SHSO devs play the game with an eight-year-old originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stahl vacates STO lead role for 'exciting new project' at Cryptic Posted: 14 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play Star Trek Online executive producer Daniel Stahl is now former Star Trek Online executive producer Daniel Stahl, according to a post from new executive producer Stephen D'Angelo. He writes that Stahl "decided to step down from the captain's chair to pursue an exciting new project at Cryptic Studios." D'Angelo also thanks Stahl for his service, which included leading "STO for three of the four years since the game launched." D'Angelo previously served as STO's executive producer for six months when Stahl left Cryptic for Zynga before returning and reclaiming his original post. Stahl vacates STO lead role for 'exciting new project' at Cryptic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Announcement

Final Fantasy XI introducing challenge versions of old bosses Posted: 14 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Patches, Previews, Endgame, News Items, Consoles Remember Rise of the Zilaart in Final Fantasy XI? For most American players that's kind of difficult to do; the expansion came baked in with the launch client and more or less formed part of the base game from a player standpoint. It's probably part of the reason the expansion's two main antagonists, Kam'lanaut and Eald'narche, have been quietly forgotten, even while the game's other villains have received updated forms (like the Shadow Lord and Promathia) or still command player respect (Odin and Alexander). But it's time for the brothers to step back into the spotlight with the introduction of new high-level battlefields, pitting players against bosses in recreations of their original arenas. Rewards are given both for surviving and for downing the boss, including materials to upgrade artifact armor to level 119. So if you've been spoiling for a rematch with all of your character's new skills and items, you're about to get your chance. Final Fantasy XI introducing challenge versions of old bosses originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: New High-Level Battlefields

Firefly Online shows off the AFAS fighter Posted: 14 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Dev Diaries The titular ship class in Firefly Online won't be the only spacecraft players will encounter when the game goes live this summer. The arrogant Alliance have their own spiffy line-up of ships, and today Quantum Mechanix revealed the faction's first one: the Alliance Fast Attack Ship. The AFAS, also known as Shinigami, was created to counter gunboats such as the Firefly Series 3 military variant in the Unification War. It's a short-range attack ship that might not be as powerful as some of the other hardware in the Alliance's arsenal, but it's cheap and effective enough that they flourished even so. The AFAS is small, quick, has a decent armament of turrets and cannons, and operates in three-ship wolf packs. While the AFAS was mostly retired in favor of the follow-up ASREV, there are still a few in operation in the 'Verse even today. Firefly Online shows off the AFAS fighter originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Meet the AFAS

Vanguard's Cave of Wonders releases today Posted: 14 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Endgame, News Items, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Dungeons What once was lost is back again: Vanguard's Cave of Wonders, present back in beta but nixed from the launched version, has returned! And devs have not only excavated this long-buried cave but reworked it to fit the current lore and add all-new raid mechanics. In this next step in the City of Brass plot, players will enter the first wing of the Cave of Wonders and take on four new bosses in 24-man raids. This cavern reopens today, filled with treasures (and all-new raid gear) for those willing to brave the dangers. For a peek into the cave, check out the six new screenshots in the gallery below. Vanguard's Cave of Wonders releases today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Cave of Wonders

The Stream Team: Healing for gold in FFXIV's duty roulette Posted: 14 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, PvE, Final Fantasy XIV, Livestream, Dungeons, The Stream Team Patch 2.1 gave players the duty roulette system, Final Fantasy XIV's take on random dungeon finding. Alts are now faster to level, tomestones are easier to collect, and lower-level folks have slightly less horrifying queue times for story dungeons! Join Massively's Jasmine live at 3:00 p.m. EST as she shows viewers the ins and outs of FFXIV's duty roulette system. Game: Final Fantasy XIV Host: Jasmine Hruschak Date: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 Time: 3:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Healing for gold in FFXIV's duty roulette The Stream Team: Healing for gold in FFXIV's duty roulette originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: Entering the SWTOR Kuati Drive Yards Posted: 14 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Lore, Patches, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, First Impressions, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, Dungeons, MMORPG You all remember the very first scene from Star Wars. A tiny ship carrying very important cargo was fleeing an imposing mammoth of a battle cruiser. The gigantic ship eventually swallows up the smaller one. We eventually learn that the Empire owns fleets of these Star Destroyers, but we never learn where they all came from. In the Expanded Universe, we find out that the Empire-loyal planet of Kuat manufactures these behemoths in the Kuati Drive Yards. ​ During the time of Star Wars: The Old Republic, we really haven't heard much about this planet or its starship manufacturing. We know that Grand Moff Vaiken created the first dreadnaughts the Sith Empire uses now on Dromund Kaas. We could only assume that Kuat was a member of the Galactic Republic. And we had no indication whether the Drive Yards existed at all until the latest expansion and the flashpoints that hit the SWTOR test center this week. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Entering the SWTOR Kuati Drive Yards Hyperspace Beacon: Entering the SWTOR Kuati Drive Yards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge's English version in Friends & Family testing Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox No matter how dedicated you might be to the idea of ArcheAge, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was never coming out in the US. But there is something worth looking forward to on the horizon after all. The game's English client is apparently now in Friends & Family testing over at Trion Worlds, which means progress is being made. The game still does not have any sort of official date for wider-scale testing, much less release. Trion states that the UI is about 80% translated, with most of the base quest text having received a first pass. So it's not perfect news, but it at least means that the localization process hasn't completely stalled out. ArcheAge's English version in Friends & Family testing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMORPG.com

Greg Street is now lead game designer at Riot Games Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends, MMORPG Greg Street, also known as Ghostcrawler, was the lead systems designer for World of Warcraft for much of the fantasy MMO's life. When he left Blizzard late last year, the rumor mill exploded with speculation on where (and why) one of WoW's most familiar and visible developers might be going. As of today, the mystery appears to be solved. Information on Street's LinkedIn profile, supported by several industry sources, indicates that he is now working as lead game designer at Riot Games, known for the massively popular League of Legends. Street has yet to confirm the move via Twitter or any other official channel. Greg Street is now lead game designer at Riot Games originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments WoW Insider

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