MMO Updates

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• Flameseeker Chronicles: I'd like to build a Guild Wars 2 home
• Aura Kingdom launches into open beta
• Defiance getting third DLC in February
• Massively Speaking Episode 279: Bring it on, 2014!
• Catch up on Guild Wars 2's first act with a new video and developer blog
• The Daily Grind: Do you track your progress?
• Not So Massively: LoL downed by DDoS attack, Star Citizen hits $36 million
• The Stream Team: Heroics continue in World of Warcraft
• DayZ destroys Hall's early sales expectations
• SOE considering an one-subscription-covers-all plan for $14.99 a month
• The Stream Team: Wracking our brains in Brain Storm
• The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Cassians of WildStar
• World of Warcraft updates its realm connection timetable
• Chaos Theory: My modest Secret World wish list

Flameseeker Chronicles: I'd like to build a Guild Wars 2 home Posted: 07 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Roleplaying, Flameseeker Chronicles, Housing, Buy-to-Play Happy 2014, everybody! For the first time in a long while, Guild Wars 2 has gone without updates for a few weeks while the ArenaNet team took a well-deserved break. The next content release will drop on January 21st and will reportedly herald the beginning of the end of the Scarlet Briar story arc. I've been spending my free time reading through the latest collaborative development initiative thread on the official forums. A few weeks ago I wrote about horizontal and vertical progression in GW2 and the CDI thread related to it; at this time the discussion on the forums has narrowed specifically to horizontal progression and what players would like to see from it. After posting our top three priorities for horizontal progression, we were asked to further narrow it down to one, in order to develop a proposal. Since it's been such a popular suggestion in the thread, I think it's a good time to talk about a subject near to my shriveled, cold Necromantic heart: player housing. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: I'd like to build a Guild Wars 2 home Flameseeker Chronicles: I'd like to build a Guild Wars 2 home originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aura Kingdom launches into open beta Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play Closed beta is now a thing of the past as Aura Kingdom moves into its open beta phase. As of today, anyone can hop into the free-to-play game and experience this new anime-styled world. Players can also take part in various GM events going on daily throughout open beta. Events include a screenshot contest (Can you capture a pic of a GM running by at superhuman speeds?), boss spawns, GM hide and seek, item matching, and more. A schedule of events can be found on the official site. Additionally, on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. EST, GMs will host welcome sessions to answer questions, and Saturdays will have live tutorials broadcast on Twitch at 5:00 p.m. EST to help new players get started. To learn even more about Aura Kingdom, check out Massively's Ride and Shiny. [Source: Aeria Games press release] Aura Kingdom launches into open beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Defiance getting third DLC in February Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Lore, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Defiance, Buy-to-Play Hot on the heels of Arkbreaker's release, Trion has announced the third DLC coming to Defiance. Dubbed 7th Legion, this update will hit the sci-fi game in February. Although more specifics won't be released until later this month, the studio did offer a snippet of lore from the Defiance Blog to help whet fans' appetites: When the world fell apart, one group kept their courage. Guided by the teachings of the Code of Bushido, the soldiers of the 7th Legion marched across Canada gathering survivors as they went. From one outpost to another they marched until finally they found a city which did not fall: Manhattan. There, they made their stand against the darkness, and Commander Yoshida Hiro called an end to their long journey. Now they have come to Paradise. What dread news could this herald? [Thanks to Swag for the tip!] Defiance getting third DLC in February originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 7th Legion DLC

Massively Speaking Episode 279: Bring it on, 2014! Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous It's the first Massively Speaking for 2014, and Bree and Justin are charging out of the gate with wild-ass predictions, goofy mistakes, and keen insight into what little news we've gotten from this year so far. Studios messing up? Studios fixing things? Studios trying to make money? Looks like 2014 might not be so different after all. Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 279: Bring it on, 2014! Massively Speaking Episode 279: Bring it on, 2014! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Catch up on Guild Wars 2's first act with a new video and developer blog Posted: 07 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play Whether you love the villainous Scarlet Briar or want to dangle her off the edge of the Zephyr Sanctum by her spiky pigtails, it's hard to deny that she's done a bang-up job of getting her fingerprints all over Guild Wars 2's living world. Game director Colin Johanson has penned a developer blog which provides a recap of 2013's major plot points -- as well as confirmation that the worst of Scarlet's (usually literal) machinations is yet to be revealed. The next GW2 content release will go live on January 21st, and promises to be the beginning of the end of the first living story arc. ArenaNet has also released a brand new video to refresh players on the story so far, so if you're looking to get caught up -- or you're searching for hints about the upcoming content -- be sure to click past the break and check it out! Continue reading Catch up on Guild Wars 2's first act with a new video and developer blog Catch up on Guild Wars 2's first act with a new video and developer blog originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Living world recap dev blog

The Daily Grind: Do you track your progress? Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous For most of my time in MMOs, I have had a spreadsheet. It tracks my levels in various game-relevant categories, it tracks my income over the past several days, it tracks my assets, and so forth. At a glance, it tells me everything I know about where I am in a given game... even if I know that it's largely irrelevant and I should really just be having fun and not worrying so much about transcribing every relevant bit of financial data. In a game like EVE Online, of course, there's a lot of benefit to keeping close track of your money and making sure that you know exactly how your assets are allocated. This is slightly less important in, say, Wizard101. But there's still a sense of fun to be found from tracking your progress in the game as a whole. So do you track your progress? Do you have a spreadsheet? Do you keep a list? Or do you just play the game without worrying too much about that sort of thing? 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 track your progress? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: LoL downed by DDoS attack, Star Citizen hits $36 million Posted: 06 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Contests, Culture, Events (In-Game), Patches, Endgame, News Items, Free-to-Play, Legal, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Path of Exile Livestreamer James Varga became the target of a vicious online attack this week that started with the League of Legends servers being shut down by a DDoS attack. A group calling itself "Derp" claimed responsibility for the attack, which ended with a hoax 911 call that sent armed police to Varga's home address. The Dota 2 servers also came under attack, but Valve extended its holiday event by a few days to give players a final chance to grind up some Phantom Fragments. Path of Exile celebrated the new year by releasing some interesting stats on the game's performance in 2013 and launching a special week-long ladder event with the properties of both the Domination and Nemesis game modes. Despite speculation to the contrary, Blizzard confirmed this week that Diablo III players will not be getting a seventh skill slot. And Star Citizen has hit its $36 million stretch goal, unlocking a new solar system named Tamsa that's collapsed into a black hole. Continue reading Not So Massively: LoL downed by DDoS attack, Star Citizen hits $36 million Not So Massively: LoL downed by DDoS attack, Star Citizen hits $36 million originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Heroics continue in World of Warcraft Posted: 06 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, PvE, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, Dungeons, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG Massively's Mike Foster is something of a dungeon junkie when it comes to World of Warcraft. This week, he's chanining through heroic instances with random groups, hoping both for solid, talented party members and a little bit of favor from the loot gods. Will his runs go smoothly, or will they turn into the slow crawl of despair seen only when a tank forgets his armor and the DPS can't figure out which buttons to push? Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST to find out. Game: World of Warcraft Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, January 6th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Heroics continue in World of Warcraft The Stream Team: Heroics continue in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DayZ destroys Hall's early sales expectations Posted: 06 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Buy-to-Play DayZ's standalone client continues its surprisingly successful run, topping 800,000 sales in three short weeks. Creator Dean Hall says he and Bohemia Interactive "had very ambitious plans for 2014, already, however this amount of sales was completely unexpected." Hall goes on to explain that he would've considered 250,000 sales in the first quarter to be a success, "so to move nearly 800,000 in under a month is crazy." Finally, Hall recommends that gamers do their homework before shelling out $29.99 for the zombie survival sandbox's early access client. "I would recommend a very careful and critical review of whether purchasing now is such a good idea," he wrote on Reddit. "There are many problems which can ruin your gameplay experience. These are being actively fixed, but if you delayed your purchase by a month you would pay the same price but it would be a better experience." DayZ destroys Hall's early sales expectations originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments IGN

SOE considering an one-subscription-covers-all plan for $14.99 a month Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Business Models, Economy, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next, PlanetSide 2, Dragon's Prophet, Wizardry Online, Subscription SOE President John Smedley took to Reddit today to address the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" that's been swirling about regarding the subscription changes made to its games, most notably PlanetSide 2 and EverQuest II. While he lists several reasons why the studio is doing this, the main reason is a big change in the works: SOE is considering implementing a one-subscription-covers-all plan moving forward. "We are considering (and are likely going to move forward with) a plan that means if you subscribe to one of our games you are a subscriber to all our games (this applies to PC titles only, by the way) all for the current $14.99 a month," Smedley wrote. "That's a benefit most companies simply can't offer because they don't have our portfolio of games. The goal would be to let you pick an item in each game you play." He implied that this plan will also cover EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next. Other reasons for the subscription change include helping players buy larger items on the marketplace, internal issues regarding people stockpiling Station Cash, and disparity between computer and console promotions. For a more in-depth look at the subscription plan changes, read our recent Norrathian Notebook column. SOE considering an one-subscription-covers-all plan for $14.99 a month originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Reddit

The Stream Team: Wracking our brains in Brain Storm Posted: 06 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Real-Life, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Previews, Opinion, Browser, Hands-On, Casual, MMORTS, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team Join us as we explore Brain Storm, an interesting quiz-based, browser-based MMORTS. Yes, it's a real thing and so far looks pretty cool, so join Massively's Beau Hindman in the chat room and ask your curious questions! Game: Brain Storm Host: Beau Date: Monday, January 6th, 2013 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Wracking our brains in Brain Storm The Stream Team: Wracking our brains in Brain Storm originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Cassians of WildStar Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Lore, Opinion, Races, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Imagine, for a moment, that your self-esteem has been validated completely by an external force. In fact, let's turn that up a little more -- let's say it's been validated by every single person you've ever idolized. Imagine that they all showed up at your front door and said you were awesome and that if you would just give them your cat, you would be granted a marvelous dominion over everything. First of all, it would be time to say goodbye to the cat. Second, it would mean that from that moment on, your future actions would all be entirely validated no matter what you did. Seriously, how could it ever be otherwise? Every authority you respect came around to tell you that you are supremely awesome, and you are apparently the last person any of them talked to. This should give you the barest hint of what it's like to be one of the Cassians in WildStar. You are born into greatness, into a legacy of being the greatest thing ever, and you don't just have to live up to that legacy -- you have to outdo it. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Cassians of WildStar The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Cassians of WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Warcraft updates its realm connection timetable Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Subscription Do you play on a lower population server in World of Warcraft? Fear not, as more server merges connected realms are incoming for everyone. The next batch of connections will be taking place on Thursday, January 9th. Maintenance for these realms starts at 9 a.m. EST and should run until 2 p.m. EST; as always, completion times are subject to change based upon unforeseen issues. Another group of realms is slated for connection but does not currently have a timetable, although one of the slated connections (Anvilmar and Undermine) is currently on hold due to undisclosed technical issues. The addition of new realms means more people to play alongside, so for lower-population servers these merges can't come fast enough. Check out the official post for the full list of realms being merged. World of Warcraft updates its realm connection timetable originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments News post, Forum post

Chaos Theory: My modest Secret World wish list Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I'm not a greedy man. At least, I like to think I'm not. I try hard to be content with what I have, including the bounty of gaming options before me. And when it comes to The Secret World, I find that I have plenty to be thankful for. I have a wonderful cabal that gathers together once a week for a riotous good time. I'm still in love with TSW's atmosphere and story well over a year after its launch. I adore the game's wardrobe options and can't stop playing dress-up with my Templar. I find the intellectual aspects of the missions and builds stimulating. I even get to write about all of this right here on Massively. So don't take the following wish list as a lack of contentment. I'm really happy with the game as it is, but as with any gamer, there are always desires and wants that rise unbidden into my consciousness while I play. I recognize that Funcom has its hands very full as it tries to create as much content as it can with a reduced team, but that's not going to stop me today from wishing out loud for a few quality of life improvements for 2014. Continue reading Chaos Theory: My modest Secret World wish list Chaos Theory: My modest Secret World wish list originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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