MMO Updates

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• Final wave of War Thunder Ground Forces beta begins, massive content update announced
• Blizzards reasoning behind $60 cost of WoW's level 90 boost revealed
• Massively Speaking Episode 286: The gang's all here
• Diablo III's Paragon 2.0 just might be going live today
• The final battle for Lion's Arch begins in Guild Wars 2's next content release
• Ultima Online brings back the player counselor program
• The Daily Grind: What MMO feature did you appreciate only after it was gone?
• Not So Massively: Star Citizen's procedural planets, Diablo III's Paragon 2.0, and Pokemon's Democracy mode
• Pando Media Booster 'update' is actually a browser hijack
• The Stream Team: Cannonballing through EVE Online's deep black
• Chaos Theory: Every game needs a Gatekeeper like The Secret World
• Black Gold starts alpha 'test drive' next month
• The Stream Team: Checking out Villagers and Heroes' new client
• Elder Scrolls Online will give option to bypass starter island
• Marvel Heroes introduces new game mode in Training Day update
• Dean Hall is leaving behind DayZ and Bohemia Interactive
• Watch Lion's Arch fall in Guild Wars 2

Final wave of War Thunder Ground Forces beta begins, massive content update announced Posted: 25 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Historical, Expansions, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Player-Generated Content The third and final wave of War Thunder's closed beta for its Ground Forces expansion has begun. Eager tank drivers who have completed the November challenges or have purchased the game's starter packs can now join the battle. Open beta will then commence right after this closed beta concludes, with starter pack owners getting a head start as well as rare tanks. But that's not all the War Thunder news today. Gaijin Entertainment announced that the biggest game update to date will go live this spring with a plethora of goodies planned for players to enjoy. Update 1.39 will introduce user-generated content tools that will enable players to not only create their own planes and unique camouflage patterns but locations and missions as well. On top of that, there will be 18 new planes to choose from, new squadron features (like Squadron vs. Squadron battles), the ability for planes to overheat, and an improved UI. Check out images of the new planes and more in the gallery below. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release] Final wave of War Thunder Ground Forces beta begins, massive content update announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blizzards reasoning behind $60 cost of WoW's level 90 boost revealed Posted: 25 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, MMO Industry, News Items What reason could Blizzard possibly have for the $60 price tag on World of Warcraft's upcoming level 90 boost? According to the studio, it's so that the accomplishment of actual leveling isn't devalued. Ion Hazzikostas, WoW's lead encounter designer, told Eurogamer that the idea behind selling the boost separately was so that players didn't have to buy additional copies of the Warlords of Draenor expansion to take advantage of the included free character boost to level 90 on multiple characters. So instead of spending the $60 on an expansion and juggling multiple accounts, players can spend the same amount and use it on a toon on their existing account. At the same time, the team didn't want to diminish the hours and effort that players have invested in leveling nor create a world where no one levels. Hazzikostas explained, "If our goal here was to sell as many boosts as possible, we could halve the price or more than that -- make it $10 or something. And then hardly anyone would ever level a character again." Instead, the aim is to allow those who want a second or third alt but don't have time to level it because of other real-world commitments the chance to have it. Blizzards reasoning behind $60 cost of WoW's level 90 boost revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eurogamer

Massively Speaking Episode 286: The gang's all here Posted: 25 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous Massively Speaking is experimenting with a new technology that will change podcast recordings each and every time you listen to them, offering an unlimited array of opinions and branching conversations. Maybe this time you'll hear Justin sing, or Bree rant, or special guest star Snoop Dog offer keen insight into Middle East politics. You'll never know! And the best part is that you can listen to it again... and again... and again! This week we've invited several Massively staffers on board to answer a few roundtable questions, a couple of pieces of news, and an interesting mailbag query. Get all of our opinions and analysis on the most important stories of the past week right here on Massively Speaking, the industry's leading MMO podcast. And if you have a comment, question, or topic for the podcasters, send 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 286: The gang's all here Massively Speaking Episode 286: The gang's all here originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 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

Diablo III's Paragon 2.0 just might be going live today Posted: 25 Feb 2014 06:45 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Endgame, News Items, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play Although there is no official word on Diablo III's site, Senior Producer Alex Mayberry tweeted that patch 2.0.1 will be going live today. The major feature of this patch, also known as Paragon 2.0, is that it adds more end-game character advancement and replayability with the updated Paragon leveling system. The changes include removing the level cap for earning Paragon experience, making Paragon levels account-wide, and allowing players the freedom to allocate Paragon Points however they want within the category (defense, offense, core, or utility) that each specific level's point is awarded. Catch more details about Paragon 2.0 on the official site. [Thanks to Wesley for the tip!] Diablo III's Paragon 2.0 just might be going live today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Twitter announcement

The final battle for Lion's Arch begins in Guild Wars 2's next content release Posted: 25 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Interviews, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play After long months of planning, preparation and manipulation, Scarlet Briar finally made her move on what appears to be her ultimate target: Lion's Arch, the central hub city of Guild Wars 2. Zhaitan's rise flooded it, Risen attacked it, and everything from dead kings to Karka have destroyed its landmarks, but an overwhelming air raid finally reduced L.A. to rubble. In the upcoming GW2 content release, Battle for Lion's Arch, it'll be up to the good people of Tyria to rally, avenge the fallen, and try to reclaim their city. Massively got to chat with ArenaNet's Colin Johanson about the Lion's Arch rescue effort, rewards for good behavior, and what L.A.'s feathery neighbors think about all of the screaming, dying, and carrying on. Click past the break to check it out, along with a brand-new teaser trailer! Continue reading The final battle for Lion's Arch begins in Guild Wars 2's next content release The final battle for Lion's Arch begins in Guild Wars 2's next content release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ultima Online brings back the player counselor program Posted: 25 Feb 2014 05:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Ultima Online, Subscription Ultima Online is looking for a few good men and women to sign up for a tour of duty as a counselor. Broadsword is bringing back the game's counselor program in the near future to lend assistance to newer and more inexperienced players by pairing them up with vets. The counselor program is looking for players who are 18 or older and "have great game knowledge and a desire to work with others." In addition to being part of this team, Broadsword said that it will give an additional (work) account to those participating in the program. Interested participants need to email the devs to join. Ultima Online brings back the player counselor program originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Return of counselors

The Daily Grind: What MMO feature did you appreciate only after it was gone? Posted: 25 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Game Mechanics, Patches, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I liked City of Heroes, obviously. I miss a lot of things about the game. But you know what I miss right now? The economy. I had never thought about how well-balanced it really was, especially considering that it was a late addition to the game... but I miss it just the same. It was spectacular, and now it's gone, and I didn't really appreciate how good it was until now, when it's not around any longer. We've all got blind spots like that. There are certain things you just don't fully appreciate while they're around; it's only when you realize they're gone that you can keenly feel the loss. Sometimes features are lost because a game closes down; sometimes it's just because they get patched out. So what about you, readers? What did you learn to really appreciate only after the feature was already gone from the game? 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 MMO feature did you appreciate only after it was gone? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Star Citizen's procedural planets, Diablo III's Paragon 2.0, and Pokemon's Democracy mode Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Patches, PvP, Endgame, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Player-Generated Content, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile Star Citizen reached a whopping $39 million in crowdfunding this week amidst controversy over feature creep and the delayed dogfighting module. The next stretch goal will fund an R&D team to look into the possibility of procedurally generating entire planets for players to explore, but this feature will not be coming until after release. Developers on Elite: Dangerous were surprised this week when two games they developed as part of a company game jam event led to $6.2 million in signed publishing contracts on a yet-to-be-named platform. Blizzard revealed the final details of Diablo III's upcoming Paragon 2.0 update that will provide theoretically endless progression, and players have figured out how to power-level characters with Diablo II style runs. As the release of Path of Exile's first mini-expansion draws near, Grinding Gear Games revealed details of what will be in the expansion, including a strange new Vaal Orb currency that can significantly buff items. Valve announced that it will be releasing a new feature-length documentary named "Free to Play" next month, which chronicles the struggles of three participants in Dota 2's first ever million-dollar tournament. SMITE's launch event has been expanded into a new GameVid Expo event featuring prominent livestreamers and YouTube celebrities, and old character Agni received a graphical overhaul. And Twitch Plays Pokemon continues to grow in popularity, reaching over 100,000 simultaneous viewers this week and adding new Democracy and Anarchy modes. Continue reading Not So Massively: Star Citizen's procedural planets, Diablo III's Paragon 2.0, and Pokemon's Democracy mode Not So Massively: Star Citizen's procedural planets, Diablo III's Paragon 2.0, and Pokemon's Democracy mode originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pando Media Booster 'update' is actually a browser hijack Posted: 24 Feb 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items Remember Pando Media Booster? No? It was bloatware third-party software that some MMO companies -- notably Turbine and NCsoft -- used to force onto their users' machines, ostensibly to speed up peer-to-peer downloading of launchers and game clients. Fortunately PMB died a well-deserved death in August of 2013, but those of you who may have unintentionally left it lurking on your machine should be aware of a security risk masquerading as a Pando update. According to Reddit user object404, if you receive a pop-up message offering you the chance to update PMB, what it's really offering is the Sweet Page browser virus, which you can remove by following these instructions. Pando Media Booster 'update' is actually a browser hijack originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit Via: CTSM

The Stream Team: Cannonballing through EVE Online's deep black Posted: 24 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, PvE, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG EVE Online is full of danger. Traveling through the game's low-security systems is an invitation to the pirates and plunderers of the world to take your stuff, and to take it by force. But flying into the deepest depths of EVE's space doesn't have to be a frightening prospect, which is why Massively's Mike Foster is hopping in a rookie ship and daring to test the waters of New Eden's most dangerous systems. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST to see if things go horribly awry. Game: EVE Online Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, February 24th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Cannonballing through EVE Online's deep black The Stream Team: Cannonballing through EVE Online's deep black originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Every game needs a Gatekeeper like The Secret World Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Endgame, The Secret World, Dungeons, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play It finally happened. I've been playing The Secret World since launch, wading through lots of lore, wracking my brains on investigations missions, collecting clothes, and soaking up the amazing atmosphere, among other things. But there is one activity that I have successfully dodged participating in that entire time until the moment came when I could no longer justify evading it. I'm talking about the Gatekeeper. For those who aren't familiar with TSW's Gatekeeper, here' the scoop: He's the giant golden golem that stands between you and the PvE endgame. He's the feature that all players who want to participate in the hardest mode of dungeons and acquire the best purple PvE gear must prove themselves against before being allowed to move their play to that next level. Consequently, he prevents those who are completely unprepared for that level of challenge from getting in over their heads and dragging down their groups in the process. Golden boy is a powerful (and merciless) teacher who can humble those not ready for the fight as well as those who are by really testing their knowledge about the game's combat system and forcing all to face up to their inadequacies. So I finally faced this Agarthan nemesis, and he was all I expected him to be. And yes, I was initially schooled. But I did end up laying the smack down on him, learning a few important things in the process. And one of the top lessons? I think every single game should have a Gatekeeper! Continue reading Chaos Theory: Every game needs a Gatekeeper like The Secret World Chaos Theory: Every game needs a Gatekeeper like The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Gold starts alpha 'test drive' next month Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Black Gold Do you have the golden ticket? No, not the one to a whimsical and deadly chocolate factory, but the ticket to get into Black Gold Online's upcoming alpha test. If you do, then you've got a few weeks to prepare: Snail Games will be starting the alpha "test drive" on March 20th. The steampunk fantasy title has distributed keys from various giveaways over the past year. Starting now, those in the test can go ahead and activate their accounts on the official website. The March 20th test will be using an earlier version of the game and will include eight of Black Gold Online's classes. Black Gold starts alpha 'test drive' next month originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Alpha announcement

The Stream Team: Checking out Villagers and Heroes' new client Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Hands-On, Casual, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team Massively's Beau Hindman and members of the Mad Otter team are on hand to show off some of the new test features and the new client (with better graphics) of Villagers and Heroes. If you like sandbox gameplay, crafting, and combat, check it out. Game: Villagers and Heroes Host: Beau Hindman Date: Monday, February 24th, 2014 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Checking out Villagers and Heroes' new client The Stream Team: Checking out Villagers and Heroes' new client originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elder Scrolls Online will give option to bypass starter island Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription The Elder Scrolls Online's beginning experience will become optional, as ZeniMax is making a significant change to allow players to skip over it entirely. The latest build on the public test server now gives players the option to bypass the starter islands and the connected tutorial. They can do this by talking to an NPC, after which their character will be taken to a central city. The starter zones have been subject of criticism by some press and players for being too slow and plodding. According to the patch notes, players who choose to skip it can go back and experience the starter island at their leisure. Elder Scrolls Online will give option to bypass starter island originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit Via: Ten Ton Hammer

Marvel Heroes introduces new game mode in Training Day update Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes Over the weekend Marvel Heroes launched Game Update 2.3, also known as Training Day. This latest update introduced an all-new game mode for players to enjoy. The S.H.I.E.L.D Holo-Sim game mode lets players dive into a high-tech holographic simulation room either alone or with a friend and face waves of enemies and iconic villains; the more waves of enemies defeated, the better the reward. The update also includes design reviews for both Human Torch and Daredevil (the latter of which also got a snazzy new Noir costume) as well as item, crafting, and loot changes. Full details can be found in the Training Day patch notes. [Source: Gazillion press release] Marvel Heroes introduces new game mode in Training Day update originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dean Hall is leaving behind DayZ and Bohemia Interactive Posted: 24 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous Games are a bit like children. You work with other people to craft them, to help them go from little more than a twinkle in your eye to something capable of surviving without you. Dean Hall created DayZ, but he's jumping ahead to the part where he metaphorically kicks it out of the house and tells it to get a job. Or he's kicking himself out of the house... the metaphor is a bit tortured, but the important point is that he's leaving DayZ behind. Why leave a game that's still early in testing and doing well? As Hall puts it, keeping him on the project could eventually lead to his being someone who tells others how things are done rather than adapting along with a changing game and culture. Instead, he's heading to New Zealand with plans of opening a different studio. The changeover is not happening immediately but should take place before the end of the year. [Thanks to Zipzopboobidybop for the tip!] Dean Hall is leaving behind DayZ and Bohemia Interactive originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Joystiq

Watch Lion's Arch fall in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:10 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play Lion's Arch is a center for both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It has endured through countless trials. And now it's nothing more than ash and wreckage. Whether you've had a chance to experience the latest patch to Guild Wars 2 or have yet to sift through the damage, you can watch it fall in the latest trailer out of the ArenaNet community team. Admittedly, the trailer doesn't go into full detail showing the lengthy siege that took place, but you can fill in some of those details yourself. And it's quite a sizable chunk of destruction, razing familiar features across the city and reducing the game's iconic location to little more than rubble. Click on past the break to see the devastation unfold before your eyes. [Source: ArenaNet press release] Continue reading Watch Lion's Arch fall in Guild Wars 2 Watch Lion's Arch fall in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Feb 2014 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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