MMO Updates

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• Norrathian Notebook: Happy 15th anniversary, EverQuest!
• Black Gold's closed alpha starts today
• Allods Team and Obsidian unveil Skyforge announcement trailer
• New Elder Scrolls Online API changes affect UI mods
• GDC 2014: Ubisoft shows off its Divison-powering Snowdrop engine
• Hands-on with WildStar's PvP
• Guild Wars 2 announces 'April 2014 Feature Pack'
• The Daily Grind: Do you still expect MMOs to be 'fun'?
• Boatloads of classes are coming to Pathfinder Online
• Make My MMO: Crowdfunding March 9 - March 15, 2014
• Order of Magic releases on popular GameXP Connect F2P platform
• Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade plans to launch a founder program
• Here's how you can play World of Tanks Blitz on your iOS device
• Blizzard wins court case over patent troll Worlds Inc.
• Choose My Adventure: MAXing out in PlanetSide 2
• The Secret World fans get a persistent ARG
• Leaderboard: ArcheAge vs. ESO vs. WildStar... Fight!
• Elder Scrolls Online's crafting is as easy or complex as you want it to be
• PlanetSide 2 players make thousands from Player Studio
• GDC 2014: A video interview with Elite: Dangerous' David Braben
• Final Fantasy XIV half-off on Amazon
• The Soapbox: Does Trion realize what it has in ArcheAge?

Norrathian Notebook: Happy 15th anniversary, EverQuest! Posted: 20 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play, Anniversaries, Norrathian Notebook This past Sunday marked the 15th anniversary of EverQuest. Any way you look at it, 15 years is a long time, and few are the games that can make this claim to fame. Such an achievement is certainly worth a hullabaloo! Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've witnessed a bit of this celebration; it's been touted across the entire franchise (not to mention the rest of SOE's portfolio!). Much has been said about the journey from day one until now, with folks sharing stories that span the entire life of EQ. Devs even offered an infographic highlighting how far the game has come since 1999. What a difference 15 years makes! But what about the difference just one year makes? Today's Norrathian Notebook is an anniversary retrospective that looks back at the last 12 months in the life of EverQuest. Join me for a jaunt down memory lane to see how Norrath has evolved this past year, then take advantage of the special deals and festivities commemorating this auspicious year. Continue reading Norrathian Notebook: Happy 15th anniversary, EverQuest! Norrathian Notebook: Happy 15th anniversary, EverQuest! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Gold's closed alpha starts today Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk, Black Gold Snail has announced that the closed alpha for its steampunk Black Gold MMO begins today. Eligible players will be able to test through March 30th. If you're wondering how to become one of those eligible players, it's as easy as registering a Snail account, filling out a survey, and hoping for the best. If that doesn't appeal to you, the company says it will be "distributing access keys on a wider scale as Black Gold Online approaches its Closed Beta testing period later this year." [Source: Snail press release] Continue reading Black Gold's closed alpha starts today Black Gold's closed alpha starts today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Allods Team and Obsidian unveil Skyforge announcement trailer Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play Obsidian is getting into the MMO business, as we initially reported almost a year ago. Now, the famed RPG maker and developer Allods Team have officially announced the Skyforge project to western audiences via a new video. Yes, that's the same Allods Team responsible for Allods Online, and it's also worth noting that the game is bankrolled by My.com which is a subsidiary of Russian publishing giant Mail.Ru. Skyforge is a free-to-play sci-fantasy MMORPG "set in a brand new universe of gods and heroes who use futuristic technologies to fight off incredible creatures and protect their planet against space invasions," according to the announcement post on the game's official forums. You can view the trailer after the cut. [Thanks Feodor!] Continue reading Allods Team and Obsidian unveil Skyforge announcement trailer Allods Team and Obsidian unveil Skyforge announcement trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

New Elder Scrolls Online API changes affect UI mods Posted: 20 Mar 2014 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Modding and The Elder Scrolls series have long been a match made in gamer heaven, but ZeniMax's latest API changes to The Elder Scrolls Online has the fantasy MMO's modding community up in arms. In a nutshell, the new version of the API removes the ability to track what others are doing to your avatar. You'll still see various effects, but you'll no longer see which spell was cast. The impetus behind the changes seems to be to level the playing field between those using the standard UI and those using add-ons like Foundry Tactical Combat. [Thanks Andre!] New Elder Scrolls Online API changes affect UI mods originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit

GDC 2014: Ubisoft shows off its Divison-powering Snowdrop engine Posted: 20 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Real-Life, Video, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Dev Diaries Ubisoft Massive showed off a three-minute trailer focused on its Snowdrop game engine at this week's GDC event in San Francisco. The first title powered by the new tech is UM's MMO shooter The Division, which also features heavily in the clip's behind-the-scenes footage. "Working with the engine is kind of like solving a puzzle," explains environment artist Jill Jarlestam. "The elements are already there so it's just a matter of how you combine them together." You can watch the full video by clicking past the cut. Continue reading GDC 2014: Ubisoft shows off its Divison-powering Snowdrop engine GDC 2014: Ubisoft shows off its Divison-powering Snowdrop engine originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

Hands-on with WildStar's PvP Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Oddly, for all that WildStar's development team has talked up combat, we've seen virtually nothing of the game's PvP beyond tantalizing promises. And beta tests, of course. Considering that the game's launch is in a couple of months, if you're pre-ordering you might want to know what you'll be getting yourself into. Which is why the team has, thankfully, produced a new DevSpeak video -- embedded past the cut -- that provides a top-level overview of the game's two most accessible PvP modes, Arenas and Battleground. Normally, these are accompanied by lengthy question-and-answer sessions, but in this case I jumped in for one purpose and one purpose only: smashing heads. As a proud member of the Dominion, I was pitted against the filthy exiles in Walatiki Temple. So let's talk about how the match played, and how a few subtle twists on a relatively simple format combined to make the whole thing a much more invigorating experience than I'd expected. Continue reading Hands-on with WildStar's PvP Hands-on with WildStar's PvP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 announces 'April 2014 Feature Pack' Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play ArenaNet has just announced what it's calling Guild Wars 2's first-ever update focused entirely on new features and feature enhancements, one that will "introduce a sweeping range of new systems and feature enhancements to the game." Dubbed the "April 2014 Feature Pack," the update is set to go live on April 15th, but in the interim, the studio plans to roll out multiple videos and dev blogs, starting with this first one: a dev blog discussing the overhaul of the trait system, the introduction of 40 new traits, and inbound "horizontal progression opportunities." Guild Wars 2 announces 'April 2014 Feature Pack' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Anet blog and press release, Feature pack site

The Daily Grind: Do you still expect MMOs to be 'fun'? Posted: 20 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Though the game is a bit out of our wheelhouse, Massively reader WNxArcticwolf tipped us off to a GDC talk this week about Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry, in which the developers argued that games no longer have to be fun. Admittedly, the developers are were attempting to justify confronting players with hard choices and uncomfortable situations via the plot, but the brazenness of the statement struck me over here in MMOland too. How many MMOs actually promise us fun when they're rattling off their feature lists? They'll promise grinds and raids and PvP, but as players, we process those things as achievements and challenges, as activities that were satisfying to have done, not fun to do. In fact, fun is almost seen as a dirty word, something casuals might seek. Do you actually expect MMOs to be a fun experience, or are we playing for something else entirely? 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 still expect MMOs to be 'fun'? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Boatloads of classes are coming to Pathfinder Online Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, News Items, Community Q&A, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crafting, Crowdfunding, Pathfinder Online, MMORPG The latest Pathfinder Online video dev blog has arrived, and it features Goblinworks' Lee Hammock and Stephen Cheney answering questions about which classes will enter the game in which phase. The Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, and Cleric will be first during early enrollment, followed by the more crafting-based roles like the Aristocrat, Commoner, and Expert, and then the core classes of the Barbarian, Paladin, Sorcerer, and Bard. The Ranger, Druid, and Monk are likely to emerge during open enrollment. The accompanying blog post also explains how experience and skills will map from the tabletop game to the MMORPG. We've included the complete video diary below. Continue reading Boatloads of classes are coming to Pathfinder Online Boatloads of classes are coming to Pathfinder Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Pathfinder dev blog

Make My MMO: Crowdfunding March 9 - March 15, 2014 Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Crowdfunding, Make My MMO This week we say goodbye to Terrayn's Kickstarter campaign, which came up short of its $300,000 goal. We say hello to MyDream, though, which has already raked in over a quarter of its $100,000 goal with more than 20 days left to go! MyDream bills itself as an open-world sandbox based on creativity and collaboration. Player-constructed adventures, environments, and structures are also in the mix. Click past the cut for more of this week's choicest MMO crowdfunding news. Continue reading Make My MMO: Crowdfunding March 9 - March 15, 2014 Make My MMO: Crowdfunding March 9 - March 15, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Order of Magic releases on popular GameXP Connect F2P platform Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, New Titles, PvP, Free-to-Play "Hardcore PvP gameplay and [a] Western-style fantasy setting are the basic values to define Russian online gamers' product preferences," says Nikita Online's Pavel Elchenko when referring to the company's latest MMO, Order of Magic. The Russian publisher, along with indie developer RosIgra, has created the fantasy PvP MMO to center around seven battle arenas on three large islands for players to kick the snot out of each other. Order of Magic will release on the GameXP Connect platform which already boasts 11 million unique users. "It's vital for a PvP-centered title such as the Order of Magic that the game is played by as many users as possible," adds Maxim Shiyanov, CEO of RosIgra. You can check out the game now over at its GameXP portal. [Source: Nikita Online and RosIgra press release] Order of Magic releases on popular GameXP Connect F2P platform originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade plans to launch a founder program Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Business Models, News Items, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous The Warhammer 40,000 Eternal Crusade team sent out a newsletter to fans today discussing the progress of the game since January. Behavior Interactive Creative Director David Ghozland explained that the team is busy stress-testing tech and preproducing everything from the story to the design and visuals. "We are already playing with three fully functional classes out of four," he wrote, and the first working outpost is in the game. Notably, he promises both a new website that will include a guild listing and a pre-order "founder" program set to launch during this year's E3. [With thanks to Dengar for the tip.] Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade plans to launch a founder program originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Email blast

Here's how you can play World of Tanks Blitz on your iOS device Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Casual, World of Tanks It's been nearly a year since Wargaming announced World of Tanks Blitz, its 7-on-7 mobile title inspired by World of Tanks and said to "rival anything on a console." The firm has officially announced that WoTB's closed beta will commence once it "roll[s] out the server infrastructure and accumulate[s] enough beta applications." That's where you come in, because Wargaming has also published beta application links for both Europe and North America. Here's how you can play World of Tanks Blitz on your iOS device originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Blizzard wins court case over patent troll Worlds Inc. Posted: 19 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Legal, Miscellaneous A Boston court ruled in Blizzard's favor last week against a lawsuit brought on by Worlds Inc. (aka Worlds.com) that claimed the studio infringed on four patents that Worlds Inc. made in the mid-1990s. This ruling is the latest development in a case that spans back to 2012, when Worlds Inc. filed the suit. The company claimed that Blizzard violated patents that showed the invention of "a method for enabling a first user to interact with other users in a virtual space," among other items. A U.S. District Judge ruled that these patents are invalid because those inventions already existed prior to the filings. This isn't Worlds' first attempt to sue an MMO studio over these allegations, as it went after (and lost to) NCsoft and Linden Lab several years ago. Blizzard wins court case over patent troll Worlds Inc. originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gigaom Via: WoW Insider

Choose My Adventure: MAXing out in PlanetSide 2 Posted: 19 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, MMOFPS, Choose My Adventure, PlanetSide 2 Back in PlanetSide 2 for this week's Choose My Adventure, I found myself strangely drawn into the game every chance I got. And that's really part of the beauty of PlanetSide 2: You can jump in and out of the action without any unnecessary foreplay. I continued to play my Heavy Assault for most of the week but did flirt with both the MAX and the Light Assault trooper to see what I'm missing. My verdict? I miss my Engineer. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: MAXing out in PlanetSide 2 Choose My Adventure: MAXing out in PlanetSide 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World fans get a persistent ARG Posted: 19 Mar 2014 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, The Secret World, Buy-to-Play If you've wanted to get in on the ground floor of an Alternate Reality Game tied to The Secret World, the time is now! A brand-new ARG developed by Human Equation has just entered the scene. Focusing on the Black Watchmen, this ARG differs in that it will be a persistent, complete game with features (such as a class system and NPCs) designed in partnership with Funcom. However, players will have plenty of real-world and online puzzles to work through as well. Check out the official site now to start on the first mission; the second mission unlocks tomorrow, March 20th. Then stay tuned to Chaos Theory for an upcoming interview with the creators for even more details about this new game and what they have in store for this IP. [Source: Human Equation press release] The Secret World fans get a persistent ARG originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leaderboard: ArcheAge vs. ESO vs. WildStar... Fight! Posted: 19 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, ArcheAge, Sandbox, WildStar, Leaderboard, The Elder Scrolls Online Now that Trion has confirmed a 2014 launch date for ArcheAge, my excitement level for this year's crop of triple-A MMORPGs is on the rise. I've been warming to The Elder Scrolls Online in recent weeks, and hell, I may even play WildStar. All three of these games are timesinks, though, so I'm glad that they're not releasing one on top of the other. What about you, Massively readers? Are you excited for all three of 2014's triple-A launches? Which one will you play the most? 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: ArcheAge vs. ESO vs. WildStar... Fight! Leaderboard: ArcheAge vs. ESO vs. WildStar... Fight! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elder Scrolls Online's crafting is as easy or complex as you want it to be Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Dev Diaries, Crafting, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Elder Scrolls Online's crafting was designed for all types of players in mind, ZeniMax posted in an article today. In the piece, the studio gave an overview of the system along with several helpful tips for newbie crafters. "We want you to be able to get something out of crafting even if you aren't making it your character's focus," the studio said. "And, conversely, if you want to invest a lot of time and effort, we want the rewards to be worthwhile." ZeniMax designed Provisioning for casual crafters, Enchanting and Alchemy for mid-core crafters, and Smithing for hardcore crafters. Players can choose as few or many of these to pursue as they wish, but the studio said that there will still be "interesting choices" while players are picking traits and doing the actual crafting. There are several more tips and facts in this article, including the confirmation of "secret crafting stations" hidden in the game that can bestow powerful bonuses. Elder Scrolls Online's crafting is as easy or complex as you want it to be originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Crafting in ESO

PlanetSide 2 players make thousands from Player Studio Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Economy, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 A new video from SOE discussing PlanetSide 2's Player Studio showcased three players who have made $4,000, $7,800, and $12,000 from the program respectively. The video lightly touches on why the players started creating items, such as decals and helmets, and tips for others to make and promote their own items through the revenue-sharing system. According to SOE, Player Studio items represented more than 10% of total in-game item sales and 35% of all cosmetic items in PlanetSide 2 during January and February. There have been 2,000 submissions for the program in less than eight months, with 469 of those accepted into the marketplace. You can watch the full video after the jump! Continue reading PlanetSide 2 players make thousands from Player Studio PlanetSide 2 players make thousands from Player Studio originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

GDC 2014: A video interview with Elite: Dangerous' David Braben Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Events (Real-World), New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Elite: Dangerous GDC 2014 in San Francisco is a great time to catch developers and ask them burning questions about their games. And that's exactly what one fan of Elite: Dangerous did, sitting down with Frontier Developments' CEO David Braben for a long chat about the upcoming MMO edition to the Elite franchise. The nearly 25-minute video interview includes information about the game, Braben's history in the gaming business, and footage of the interviewer playing the game using an Oculus Rift. Braben revealed that "the original Elite was never conceived initially, in [his] opinion, as a space game." Instead, it was all about the freedom, being an open world. How did it come to be in space then? According to Braben, that setting was ultimately chosen because "it was easier to render." Hear more of his thoughts in the video below. Continue reading GDC 2014: A video interview with Elite: Dangerous' David Braben GDC 2014: A video interview with Elite: Dangerous' David Braben originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Video interview

Final Fantasy XIV half-off on Amazon Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, Final Fantasy XIV, Promotions, Subscription If you've been waiting for a reason to grab a copy of Final Fantasy XIV, we have 15 of them for you! Those are the dollars you'll save by purchasing the game on Amazon right now. FFXIV's standard edition for the PC is currently priced at $15.00 for the digital download (half the original list), and $24.27 for a boxed version (a savings of almost six bucks). The price on the collector's edition, however, remains unchanged. Those who nab the game now will be ready to enjoy the upcoming 2.2 patch with all its crafting, gathering, fishing, and adventuring updates. Final Fantasy XIV half-off on Amazon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Amazon

The Soapbox: Does Trion realize what it has in ArcheAge? Posted: 19 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Soapbox, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Crafting Can I share how nervous I am about the fact that ArcheAge is finally heading West? Thanks because I really need someone to talk to about this stuff. I'm going to skip over the F2P hand-wringing, both because I covered it nine months ago and because there's nothing anyone can do about it. And there's plenty of reason to fret about the rest of what's in store for starving western sandbox fans, anyway. Join me after the cut and we'll worry about it together. Continue reading The Soapbox: Does Trion realize what it has in ArcheAge? The Soapbox: Does Trion realize what it has in ArcheAge? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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