MMO Updates

---

• Choose My Adventure: Deep in the dungeons of Allods Online
• MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry
• Infinite Crisis adds Atomic Poison Ivy
• The Secret World's December Game Director letter talks Filth, Tokyo, and beyond
• The Stream Team: Skulking around in the WildStar beta [Updated]
• Leaderboard: Achievements vs. titles
• The Daily Grind: What upcoming MMO do you think might be a sleeper hit?
• Jukebox Heroes: Meridian 59's soundtrack
• The Stream Team: Finishing Frostfell in EQII
• The Repopulation Greenlighted, meets first stretch goal
• Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero now in testing, and here's a trailer
• DayZ won't be released in 2014
• Eldevin making a run at Steam Greenlight
• Age of Conan director's letter talks achievements and PvP
• It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer
• Smedley is on a 'personal mission' to explain SOE's business decisions
• Rumor: Ubisoft employee says The Division's 2014 release date 'feels laughable'
• ZeniMax sends out more Elder Scrolls Online beta invites
• New ArcheAge video previews Korean 1.0 update
• Hyperspace Beacon: Star Wars: The Old Republic predictions for 2014
• Final Fantasy XIV opens up a free weekend for former subscribers
• SOE cancels previous subscription changes, rolls out a bigger all-access pass

Choose My Adventure: Deep in the dungeons of Allods Online Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, PvE, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Choose My Adventure, Allods Online, Miscellaneous, Subscription, MMORPG Last week, I presented Choose My Adventure voters with one simple choice: Where, exactly, should we go next in Allods Online? The community responded by sending my low-level Psionicist directly into what many consider to be a core component of the modern fantasy MMO, the instanced dungeon. Understanding how a game approaches bosses, loot, grouping, and raiding is key in understanding that game's design philosophy, so it makes sense to dip a toe or two into the instanced content Allods has to offer. Assuming, of course, that I can find a group. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Deep in the dungeons of Allods Online Choose My Adventure: Deep in the dungeons of Allods Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest II, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, Opinion, RuneScape, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, Subscription, MMORPG, MMO Mechanics In the increasingly competitive MMO genre, games have to do all they can to keep you as a customer. MMOs have traditionally been quite difficult games to really get into since they typically require a considerable time and money investment and we tend to play them for stretches of several months to years at a time. The gameplay in MMOs is inherently social by nature, forcing you to relate to others, and there are some even more fundamental barriers that get in the way of new players signing up. I'm sure we've all enthused and rambled to our friends in the hope that they might check out our most recent gaming crush, only to see a repulsed look on their faces when they realise it's an MMO. The classic subscription model is a substantial paywall for the average gamer, and this is what has traditionally kept MMOs niche. The early game can be daunting to those who aren't familiar with the genre, and developers pour a lot of effort into easing newcomers into that gameplay. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I'm going to look at how some MMOs manage to break down these barriers through the use of clever mechanics in order to open up MMO gaming to more people than ever before. Continue reading MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Infinite Crisis adds Atomic Poison Ivy Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Classes, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis A new villain has joined the Infinite Crisis lineup, and she uses her nuclear-imbued powers to protect friends and entrap her enemies. Atomic Poison Ivy, created when a nuclear fallout withered and mutated her world's plant life as well as transformed her into a human/plant hybrid, is none-too-happy with humanity for causing the destruction. Her skills, Poisoned Earth, Bramble Rapture, and Wall of Thorns, deal power damage. Atomic Poison Ivy's passive, Toxic Growth, marks opponents for additional damage and her ultimate, Secrets of the Forest, provides an AoE stealth and power armor buff for allies. Check out all these skills in action and get a few tips and tricks for playing Atomic Poison Ivy in the video below. [Source: Turbine press release] Continue reading Infinite Crisis adds Atomic Poison Ivy Infinite Crisis adds Atomic Poison Ivy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World's December Game Director letter talks Filth, Tokyo, and beyond Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, The Secret World, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play With the holidays (and holiday events) over, eyes have turned back to the update that all Secret World fans are looking forward to: Tokyo. And December's Game Director letter assures that Issue #9 will be released within the the first quarter, so players will step into Tokyo before the end of March. Penned by Lead Designer Romain Amiel, the letter also shares that Issue #10 will introduce a new lair and Issue #11 will have a new raid. But before all that can happen, however, the Filth must be eradicated from Agartha. Amiel offers an update on The Whispering Tide event, and players may be happy to hear that the end is near; the final phase, featuring the 60-man indoor world-boss-style fight against Flappy, will commence as soon as the current gate is cleansed. Additionally, the team is working on a way to let players stream music directly through the game and player-designed outfits will be available soon. [Thanks to all who sent in tips.] The Secret World's December Game Director letter talks Filth, Tokyo, and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments December Game Director letter

The Stream Team: Skulking around in the WildStar beta [Updated] Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Livestream, WildStar, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG [Edit: Wildstar is down for maintenance, so Richie will be doing this stream at 12pm EST instead.] What has razor-sharp claws, a pair of twisting horns, and a penchant for stabbing victims in the back? It's a Draken Stalker, of course, from the upcoming MMO, WildStar. Join Massively's Richie live at 10:00 a.m. as he continues to level up his stabbing menace in the beta. Game: WildStar Host: Richie "Bog Otter" Procopio Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Time: 12:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Skulking around in the WildStar beta [Updated] The Stream Team: Skulking around in the WildStar beta [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leaderboard: Achievements vs. titles Posted: 08 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Leaderboard I've never been much of an achievement fan when it comes to video games. To me, achievements are a cheap and easy way for devs to pretend like they've added content to an MMO, all the while exploiting the completist gene that seems present in a pretty high percentage of the gamer population. Oddly, though, I love character titles. It doesn't matter if it's a crafting title, an adventuring title, or some sort of fluffy fishing-related title like the Lord of the Rings Online honorific in the screenshot above. I typically go after every title available to a given avatar in a given game, even though more often than not the mechanics are the same sort that underlie most achievement systems! What about you, Massively readers? Achievements or titles? Or both? Or neither? 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: Achievements vs. titles Leaderboard: Achievements vs. titles originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What upcoming MMO do you think might be a sleeper hit? Posted: 08 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous While a lot of time and attention might be given to upcoming MMOs that boast huge budgets, popular intellectual properties, and big-name studios, there's always the possibility that the "little guy" might become a break-out star even while lacking all of the above. Looking over the list of upcoming MMOs, we see many that aren't aiming to be a blockbuster but instead are probably hoping to be a modest sleeper hit that grows not from a marketing budget but solid word of mouth. So out of all of these, which one do think has the greatest potential to be that sleeper hit? 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 upcoming MMO do you think might be a sleeper hit? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jukebox Heroes: Meridian 59's soundtrack Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Meridian 59, Culture, Opinion, Jukebox Heroes, Music There's a lot of general distaste and dislike out there for video game music that comes in MIDI or chipset form. Many gamers have simply never really experienced eras when the sound for computers and consoles were limited in such ways, so to go back to listen to them seems downright painful. For MMO players, there are only a handful of games that came out during the MIDI era, and pretty much all of them have since updated to MP3 versions. Yet I have a fondness for older-style game music. I agree with what Ryan Shwayder once wrote when he said, "I think MIDI composers had to become masters of capturing the real core or heart of what made a song feel right. They had to take a minimalist approach to the song because they had a limited number of channels and potential sounds to work with. And it is my belief that some of the best creative works come out when an artist has to work within constraints." That said, most of Meridian 59's soundtrack out there is of the remastered variety, so that's what we'll be listening to today. By the way, the original soundtrack is available on the official website for free! Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Meridian 59's soundtrack Jukebox Heroes: Meridian 59's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Finishing Frostfell in EQII Posted: 07 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play, Livestream, The Stream Team It's always hard to see a holiday celebration go -- especially if you haven't finished everything up! So Massively's MJ jumps back into EverQuest II to make sure all her Frostfell activities are completed, and grinds up a few more tokens in the infamous holiday instance (Yeti suit optional). She'll also show you how to get your hands on a special housing item that's a hidden Easter egg before it disappears for another year! Join us live at 9:00 p.m. for this final Frostfell tour. Game: EverQuest II Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Finishing Frostfell in EQII The Stream Team: Finishing Frostfell in EQII originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Repopulation Greenlighted, meets first stretch goal Posted: 07 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, The Repopulation It's a pretty good week to be a fan of sci-fi indie sandbox The Repopulation. First off, the game is currently holding down the top stop in Massively's rotating game header. As if that weren't enough, Above & Beyond Technologies has also announced that it's reached the first stretch goal of its new Kickstarter campaign. This means that the Rocharus will be available at launch and will become the game's "first tamed mount." The title also made quick work of its Greenlight campaign, though how and when The Repopulation will become available on Steam is still up in the air. Click through the links below for more details as well as a preview of the next stretch goal reward. The Repopulation Greenlighted, meets first stretch goal originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Announcement

Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero now in testing, and here's a trailer Posted: 07 Jan 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items Today's winner of the longest-MMO-title award is Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero. Whew. OK, now that I've had a breather, let me be the first to tell you that Perfect World China's action MMO entered its initial testing phase earlier today. Actually, I'm the second one to tell you, after MMO Culture, which also reports that the game has "very limited [testing] slots available." LotCH:Z is an open world fantasy title inspired by the wuxia fiction of Louis Cha, who is currently the world's best-selling Chinese-language author. Don't forget about the test phase preview trailer embedded after the break. Continue reading Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero now in testing, and here's a trailer Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero now in testing, and here's a trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments MMO Culture

DayZ won't be released in 2014 Posted: 07 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Horror, New Titles, News Items, MMOFPS, Sandbox, Buy-to-Play If all of the reminders from Bohemia Interactive weren't enough to convey the message already, DayZ is still very early in its testing process. A recent post summing up the game's third week in early access mentions that the team is not expecting to be further than beta testing by the end of 2014, stating once again that the only people who should purchase the game's early access are those who want to be a part of the development process. Aside from that, the development team is looking toward future features including customizable vehicles, structures, and in-depth mechanics for hunting and cooking animals in the wild. At 875,000 copies sold, it seems that the game is carving a niche for itself among zombie survival enthusiasts even if it is still very early in its development. Take a look at the full list of planned improvements to the game in the post. DayZ won't be released in 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Three weeks on the road

Eldevin making a run at Steam Greenlight Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Browser, MMORPG Browser-based MMO Eldevin, which launched at the end of November and was named by our own Beau Hindman as indie browser MMO of the year, is now entering the fray that is Steam Greenlight's open voting pool. Fans of Eldevin can vote for the game if they want to see it come to Steam; Hunted Cow aims to create a standalone Java-based version of Eldevin that will run on Valve's digital distribution platform. Greenlight has proven a boon to many small studios. Since its inception, hundreds of games have been greenlit for distribution on Steam with the most recent batch landing just today. If Eldevin clears the vote threshold, it might just make it through Valve's approval process and onto Steam's digital shelves. Check out the Eldevin launch trailer after the break and have a look at the game's Greenlight listing for more information. Continue reading Eldevin making a run at Steam Greenlight Eldevin making a run at Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Forum Update

Age of Conan director's letter talks achievements and PvP Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, MMORPG Age of Conan senior designer Matthew Bennett stepped in to author the game's most recent director's letter, and in doing so offered updates on AoC's long awaited achievement system as well as some valuable intel on the state of PvP items. According to Bennett, the Age of Conan team has a rough design in place for achievements that centers on broad categories like PvE, exploration, and dungeons, with sub-categories being designed for each. Bennett also explained that the dev team is taking a hard look at Tier 3 PvP gear by working to re-balance stats on key items to make them more useful and up their damage output to an appropriate level. The PvP team is also working on Tier 4 PvP items. Finally, Bennett reminded players that starting in February, Portents will return to their normal cycle of starting on the first Wednesday of the month and lasting until the following Tuesday. As for the big things like The Palace of Cetriss raid and Age of Conan's new tradeskill system? While not the focus of this particular letter, those key game elements are still in development. Age of Conan director's letter talks achievements and PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Game Director Letter

It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Steampunk, MMORPG, Black Gold Snail Games has just unveiled a brand-new trailer for Black Gold Online, teasing a fight between an enormous goliath and equally large behemoth and showing off behind-the-scenes clips of how the goliath was designed. According to the video description, the goliath is a creation of the engineers of Steam, built specifically to counter the Erlandir-summoned behemoth. And by "counter" we mean "punch." Check out the teaser after the break. Snail describes Black Gold's universe as a "world where innovative Victorian steampunk clashes with traditional high fantasy." The game is set for launch sometime in 2014 with a closed alpha aimed at February. Continue reading It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer It's a battle of the titans in this new Black Gold Online trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments YouTube

Smedley is on a 'personal mission' to explain SOE's business decisions Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items John Smedley's been in the headlines a lot this week thanks to SOE's all-access plans and its subscription-benefits switcheroo. Now, the SOE CEO has taken to Reddit to explain the company's philosophy when it comes to monetization and game-making in general. Smedley says that in the wake of this week's PR firestorm, he's "going to make it one of [his] personal missions to explain the thought process behind [SOE's] business decisions." He wrote, "I want to be able to have an honest enough dialog that I can actually tell you 'yeah this is important to our bottom line... that's why we did it'... and have you at least not question whether that's the real reason. [...] You may disagree with it, but at least you'll be able to make a reasonably informed judgment as to whether or not we're the greedy company some of you seem to think that we are, but at least you'll hear the why." He says that while SOE is clearly a for-profit business, the firm's ultimate goal is to make good games first. He cites EverQuest Next Landmark as an example, saying that SOE rebooted the title three times, which led to a "massive delay [that] hurt [the studio] financially," even though it "was the right thing to do for [SOE] and for the industry." Smedley is on a 'personal mission' to explain SOE's business decisions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Reddit

Rumor: Ubisoft employee says The Division's 2014 release date 'feels laughable' Posted: 07 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Rumors Remember The Division? If not, then let us remember it for you: It's a pretty slick-looking MMOish shooter thing that Ubisoft unveiled at E3 2013. First it was console-only, then the internet cried, then Ubisoft caved and said, OK, we'll make a dedicated PC version, too. Apparently development on the game isn't that far along, at least according to a source inside Ubisoft Massive. "The game engine works well, it's not done but works well. The actual game development has barely started, however," the source told GameReactor. "The fact that Ubisoft has gone public with a 2014 release date feels laughable to be perfectly honest, we will never be able to release The Division this year. It's a large project, and we have very far to go." Rumor: Ubisoft employee says The Division's 2014 release date 'feels laughable' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments GameReactorJoystiq

ZeniMax sends out more Elder Scrolls Online beta invites Posted: 07 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, PvE, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG Curious about Elder Scrolls Online but stuck in the dark because the game is still, for some reason, blocked by a ridiculously limiting NDA despite being less than three months from launch? Today might be your lucky day. ZeniMax Online has announced that another round of Elder Scrolls Online beta keys have been sent out, so take a look at your email inbox to see if you've earned yourself a ticket into the party. If you didn't get an invite, don't fret; ZeniMax will be sending out more in the near future. Don't forget to check your spam folder and Gmail's "Promotions" tab, just to be sure. [Thanks to Mortis13th and Balsbigbrother for the tip!] ZeniMax sends out more Elder Scrolls Online beta invites originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments New Beta Invites

New ArcheAge video previews Korean 1.0 update Posted: 07 Jan 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox Western (and non-Russian) ArcheAge players are still waiting on pins and needles to find out when they'll get their first taste of the much-hyped sandbox title. But meanwhile, those with access to the Korean version of the game have a good deal to look forward to in the upcoming update, which will officially bring the game to version 1.0. The devs have released a nifty teaser video to give players a look at some of this upcoming content, which includes a boost of the level cap from 50 to 55, a nifty 1v1 PvP arena, and the new Library dungeon. Whether you're a Korean player looking for a preview of the new update or a Western fan hoping to get your ArcheAge fix while you wait on a release date, you can click on past the cut to check out the whole video for yourself. Continue reading New ArcheAge video previews Korean 1.0 update New ArcheAge video previews Korean 1.0 update originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments MMO Culture

Hyperspace Beacon: Star Wars: The Old Republic predictions for 2014 Posted: 07 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, Housing, MMORPG Knowing my luck, when I finish writing this, the marketing team for Star Wars: The Old Republic will release a huge announcement about 2014 that no one saw coming. And it wouldn't be hard for BioWare to release something unknown to the community at large because it's said next to zero about what we should expect for 2014. Normally, BioWare promotes the upcoming features to death. We knew about the Cathar coming at least a year before they actually hit the live servers. Players and fans (and enemies) of SWTOR have speculated wildly as to why the developers have remained silent on the subject, my favorite being that BioWare has run out of content to produce, which kind of reneges on the 10-year plan it touted before launch. Whether or not BioWare has new content in the works, we do know a few things that will be coming, and we also have some super-secret things we can speculate on thanks to some intrepid SWTOR fans. So let's talk about what we do know, what we don't know, and what we think will happen. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Star Wars: The Old Republic predictions for 2014 Hyperspace Beacon: Star Wars: The Old Republic predictions for 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV opens up a free weekend for former subscribers Posted: 07 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Endgame, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Promotions, Subscription So you bought Final Fantasy XIV, and you subscribed for a while, but you stopped subscribing before the first major patch. Maybe you were tired of waiting for it, maybe you had other things to play, maybe you were hoping the game would go free-to-play by now. Whatever the case, you can pop back into the game for a weekend and play around with all of the patch's additions, assuming you can get all of that out of the way in 48 straight hours. Starting on Saturday, January 11th, at 3:00 a.m. EST, former players whose accounts are inactive will be able to log in and play the game absolutely free until Monday, January 13th, at 3:00 a.m. EST. Nothing special is required to try out the patch; just log in, download, and go to town. The patch features beast tribe daily quests, new endgame dungeons, the Crystal Tower, and additional main scenario quests following the conclusion of the story. Final Fantasy XIV opens up a free weekend for former subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Free Login Weekend

SOE cancels previous subscription changes, rolls out a bigger all-access pass Posted: 07 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous When Sony Online Entertainment first announced its changes to the way subscription benefits would work from February on, players weren't happy. One of our columnists explained the reasons why the changes were a bad idea in great detail. SOE listened, stepped back, and according to a post on Reddit by John Smedley, is revising the plans again to better fit player needs. The subscription reward will still be in the form of Station Cash on a monthly basis rather than a single free item worth up to 2000 SC. Under the new system, subscribing to the company's all-access pass will be priced at $14.99 a month, and subscribing to any PC title makes you an all-access member automatically. You still get 500 SC every month, and you can still stockpile it as before, but you will need to claim that benefit on a monthly basis rather than see it automatically dropped into your account. For more of the fine details on children's games with subscriptions and console games, take a look at Smedley's full post. SOE cancels previous subscription changes, rolls out a bigger all-access pass originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Moving forward with subscription plan changes (on Reddit)

You are subscribed to email updates from Massively To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610