MMO Updates

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• Gloria Victis gets the greenlight on Steam
• Field Journal: Picking up the pieces of Fallen Earth
• Transform yourself in Eclipse War Online's closed beta February 25th
• Hearthstone and Destiny expected to show Activision the money
• Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part three
• The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO minigame?
• SWTOR ranked PvP rewards revealed
• Previewing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS4
• Here's 25 minutes of WildStar Exile Adventure gameplay
• EverQuest Next looks to players to improve the new play experience
• SMITE blazes a trail with Agni
• Wurm Online still offline, offers bounty for DDOS attacker
• WildStar's Adventures skew toward the unusual
• The Stream Team: Continuing EQN Landmark's creativity tour
• Choose My Adventure: Taking EverQuest by the reins
• The Elder Scroll Online showcases crafting in new blacksmithing video

Gloria Victis gets the greenlight on Steam Posted: 20 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items We all know a green light means go, and the community has told Black Eye Games to keep right on going developing Gloria Victis; the independent project has been officially Greenlit on Steam. Not only did the community vote in support of the project, it did so overwhelmingly, taking the medieval game to rank #1 in under two days. The devs noted that the next step is to complete the necessary digital paperwork and work toward an early-access launch. However, since they'd like Gloria Victis to be in a more playable state before early access, players shouldn't expect to see it on Steam for a few months yet. For those who have supported the game through donations, an option to tie accounts to Steam will be available at a later date. [Thanks to Alleomurand for the tip!] Gloria Victis gets the greenlight on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Greenlit on Steam

Field Journal: Picking up the pieces of Fallen Earth Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fallen Earth, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Crafting, Field Journal I was introduced to Fallen Earth way back in the mists of time, around when I first started reading Massively. It was one of the earliest Choose My Adventures, and I was so impressed that I made my own account and joined in on the fun part of the way through. My character even made a few cameos in the column later on. I have a lot of fond memories of the game, and a significant part of that is due to the crafting system. There are some really good ideas in there, even if the execution has always been a bit flawed. Despite those flaws, I wouldn't trade my early days with the game for anything. Well, other than a better version of the same game. Continue reading Field Journal: Picking up the pieces of Fallen Earth Field Journal: Picking up the pieces of Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Transform yourself in Eclipse War Online's closed beta February 25th Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE A game that lets players transform into the mobs they kill? If you've got to see it to believe it, Eclipse War Online is opening its closed beta doors from February 25th to March 11th. All interested players have to do to get access to the beta is become a member of Playrohan.com, then watch the official Facebook page and Twitter for the exact times the servers open. Besides collecting transformation cards from monsters, players can also participate in PvP in arena mode or in the three-lane AOS mode (complete with minions and towers). If you just want just a bit more challenge to your PvE instead, know that time of day, geographic location, and predator/prey status affect gameplay in Eclipse War Online. [Source: Playwith Interactive press release] Transform yourself in Eclipse War Online's closed beta February 25th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hearthstone and Destiny expected to show Activision the money Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Trading Card Games, MMOFPS, Destiny, MMORPG, Hearthstone After reporting earnings that beat expectations for last year, analysts are expecting Activision to have an even better 2014 monetarily thanks to Hearthstone and Destiny. Although Blizzard's Hearthstone hasn't released yet, players have been able to purchase card packs in beta, and while Bungie's Destiny isn't even in beta, it's already doing well with preorders. The company's eggs aren't in any one basket, either; add in all the other games and it looks to be a banner year. Doug Creuts, an analyst at Cowen & Company, noted to investors: "We believe Activision Blizzard is the best-managed company in the video game sector. We also believe that Blizzard is the single best, most consistent content-creation asset in our coverage universe. We also expect current cornerstone franchises Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Skylanders to continue generating strong revenue and operating profits for the next several years." Hearthstone and Destiny expected to show Activision the money originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamesbeat

Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part three Posted: 20 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous For this week's Ask Massively, longtime reader Avaera has asked us to do another round of "why we cover what we do," and I am happy to oblige. Avaera wrote, Can I ask (with what I hope is genuine curiosity) what guidelines you generally try to follow when choosing which news stories to cover? I do understand that it just isn't feasible to cover every update, patch, developer's announcement, press release, expansion, research paper, Kickstarter project, or success/failure story relating to the thousands of MMORPGs out there, but sometimes the criteria seem opaque to me. As an example, since the start of 2014, I counted 22 news articles exclusively focused on Brad McQuaid's Pantheon Kickstarter. In contrast, the active and available MMOs that I am most interested in don't seem to make much of a splash at all. Is this just a reflection of the gaming community's hunger for something new and original, of hype and promises being much more satisfying and desirable than the tangible and playable worlds from which the curtain of hopes and dreams has been stripped away? Is it a reflection of the personal interests of the Massively team, who certainly can't be expected to take up much time with games that simply don't do anything for them? Or is there something unfortunate about the gaming media that unknowingly feeds the hype and disappointment cycle through disproportionate reporting of developer plans and marketing over actual development? Complicated questions demand complicated answers. What do we consider when deciding whether something is newsworthy? Continue reading Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part three Ask Massively: Why we cover what we do, part three originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO minigame? Posted: 20 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind Tuesday's announcement by Jagex that it had implemented a bank heist minigame into RuneScape struck a personal chord. I love MMO minigames, and here's one I haven't really seen before! I'm not sure how it will stack up to EverQuest II's aether races, Vanguard's diplomacy, or Lord of the Rings Online's music system in terms of my personal favorites, but it sounds pretty slick. What about you, Massively readers? Do you dig minigames in your MMOs? Which one is your favorite? 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's your favorite MMO minigame? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR ranked PvP rewards revealed Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic The end of Season 1 PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic is coming with Game Update 2.7. Why should you care? Well, because that means you don't have a lot of time left to rank up and partake of the various tier rewards. BioWare has outlined them in a new post on its official website, and we're pretty sure you're going to want the ranked weapon set as well as the Rancor mount! [Thanks Dengar!] SWTOR ranked PvP rewards revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Previewing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS4 Posted: 19 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Events (Massively's Coverage), Final Fantasy XIV The original release of Final Fantasy XIV in 2010 and subsequent updates received a poor reception from the public with significant criticism over quality and stability. After several years of fundamental redevelopment including a new game engine, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was successfully launched on the PC and PS3 in 2013, receiving strong accolades from players. Buoyed by the strong relaunch, it is now is set for a full PS4 launch on April 14th in most parts of the world including Europe and North America. This will be quickly be followed by a launch in China sometime in the summer of 2014, followed by Russia, Taiwan and the Middle East. I recently had a chance to preview the game on the PS4 and chat with Square-Enix's Naoki Yoshida. Continue reading Previewing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS4 Previewing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS4 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's 25 minutes of WildStar Exile Adventure gameplay Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, WildStar, Subscription Want an early look at WildStar's Hycrest Insurrection Exile Adventure? Massively's Richie Procopio has you covered with a 25-minute video designed to show off some special content that's still under NDA for most users. Hycrest requires a level-15 character, and it's basically a five-person choose-your-own-adventure instance. Head past the cut to watch Richie play through it! Continue reading Here's 25 minutes of WildStar Exile Adventure gameplay Here's 25 minutes of WildStar Exile Adventure gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: BogOtter's YouTube

EverQuest Next looks to players to improve the new play experience Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, EverQuest Next, Sandbox Sometimes, existing players don't really know what new players need. But EverQuest Next Landmark is still very new, and everyone who's in the game is still very much learning what can be done. So the development team at Sony Online Entertainment has turned to the players to ask what can be done to make the new user experience for players that much easier. As the thread opener from lead designer Darren McPherson explains, sometimes as a developer it's hard to see what a game is missing simply because you're too close to the game. You know how all the systems work; you built most of them, after all. Players, on the other hand, can find holes in explanations that might otherwise be unavailable. If you've been playing around in the test and want to add your thoughts, head over to the official thread and let the team know what's intuitive and what isn't. EverQuest Next looks to players to improve the new play experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: New User Experience thread

SMITE blazes a trail with Agni Posted: 19 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play The latest addition to SMITE's roster of deities is a real hothead. He's a firebrand. He is literally on fire. What we're getting at is that he's a god of fire. Agni, a deity of the Hindu faith, has been brought on board as a mage with a variety of flame-based abilities, allowing him to unleash major fire-based damage across a battlefield. Agni's core gameplay revolves around ticking damage and interplay between his abilities. His first ability, Noxious Fumes, allows him to place a damage-over-time field on the ground, which he can ignite with any of his other abilities. He also gains a buff to set enemies ablaze with his spells after landing several normal attacks. With a combination of mobility, area effects, and steady burns, he seems the sort to play if you enjoy laying a burning field of destruction... but perhaps you should check the video past the cut to be sure. [Source: Hi-Rez Studios press release] Continue reading SMITE blazes a trail with Agni SMITE blazes a trail with Agni originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wurm Online still offline, offers bounty for DDOS attacker Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Patches, Wurm Online, Legal, Sandbox Wurm Online's 1.2 patch was supposed to herald a day of rejoicing for the community, but that quickly turned sour as a severe DDOS attack on its hosting forced the devs to take the game offline for over a day now. "Shortly after todays update we were the target of a DDOS attack and our hosting provider had to pull us off the grid for now," Code Club posted. "As annoying as this may be, we are taking steps to turn this to everyones advantage. I announced earlier that we were already looking at migrating the hosting of Wurm. When the attack forced us offline, we went straight ahead and pushed for this to happen as soon as possible." The team is working on switching hosting and said that service should be restored within a day. Code Club is offering a bounty of 10,000 Euro "for any tips or evidence leading to a conviction of the person responsible for this attack." Wurm Online still offline, offers bounty for DDOS attacker originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: DDOS attack update, Bounty notice

WildStar's Adventures skew toward the unusual Posted: 19 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Dev Diaries, WildStar, Dungeons, Subscription Did you read Eliot's first-hand tour of WildStar's Adventure content and find yourself wanting to know more? Carbine Studios posted an excellent follow-up today giving players the full scoop on this unique group content. Adventures aren't to be confused with WildStar's dungeons and Shiphand missions, a point the studio wants to make clear. Instead of being a linear challenge, Adventures are simulated scenarios that offer a "choose your own adventure" tour through an open zone, throwing in options for specific paths and even a MOBA-like battle. These also have demphasized traditional combat (although it's still present) and created "unusual" encounters instead. There will be six Adventures at launch that will come in both normal and veteran modes, with the first one opening up at level 15. Carbine said that there will be a wide variety of loot for Adventure seekers, including housing items, recipes, and gear. Veteran-mode Adventures are also presented as a good method of gearing up for raids. WildStar's Adventures skew toward the unusual originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: What are Adventures?

The Stream Team: Continuing EQN Landmark's creativity tour Posted: 19 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Livestream, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content On the last tour through EverQuest Next Landmark, Massively's MJ found some pretty spectacular creations, from a ship to a crypt with an underground dungeon. Of course, that wasn't even a drop in the bucket of what's out there, so she's heading back out and taking you on another whirlwind tour. Join us live at 3:00 p.m. to check out more amazing player creations. She might even stop by your place! Game: EverQuest Next Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 Time: 3:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Continuing EQN Landmark's creativity tour The Stream Team: Continuing EQN Landmark's creativity tour originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Taking EverQuest by the reins Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Choose My Adventure Another week, another wild Choose My Adventure ride through EverQuest. And this time, I have a better understanding of this beast I am riding and feel more confident and in control! Contrary to my experiences in newer games where things feel familiar from the outset, it has taken me a little longer to start getting comfortable in my Norrathian skin. That total-newb-outsider feeling has been slowly diminishing so that I feel like a real citizen. Between knowing where to find things in the world and just getting the hang of the controls, I can now start relying on my gaming muscle memory to guide me instead of actively searching for everything. Of course, that doesn't mean that the world is now a piece of cake and that there is nothing left to learn! Far from it: There are still many new experiences to be had, some of which you will be selecting for me for this week's adventure. But before we get into that, let's take a look at this past week in EQ. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Taking EverQuest by the reins Choose My Adventure: Taking EverQuest by the reins originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Elder Scroll Online showcases crafting in new blacksmithing video Posted: 19 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New Titles, News Items, Crafting, The Elder Scrolls Online Fans wanting to get a taste of crafting in The Elder Scrolls Online can watch a new dev play session video that highlights blacksmithing while describing crafting as a whole. In ESO, crafters will control not only the the type of materials an item is made out of and its level but its innate properties and look as well. Regardless of profession, all players can pick up any kind of resource in the world; however, only crafters who spend points in the skill Keen Eye will see the materials highlighted. Additionally, raw materials can be salvaged from loot and other items. Crafting is also tied into exploration in more ways than just gathering. Instead of having to travel to cities in order to create goods, crafters have specific locales throughout the world that allow them to make special set items with bonuses unique to each locale. And in order to put specific traits on an item, a crafter must have already learned said trait by studying (read: destroying) other items with it. Check out all the details in the video below. Continue reading The Elder Scroll Online showcases crafting in new blacksmithing video The Elder Scroll Online showcases crafting in new blacksmithing video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Crafting video

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