MMO Updates

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• Working As Intended: What Guild Wars 2 got right
• FFXIV's Yoshida on the business benefits of the subscription model
• Six things you will and will not find in The Elder Scrolls Online
• ArcheAge Japan going F2P, getting 1.0 patch in April
• The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best 'ding'?
• An analysis of the Glitch auction house
• The Think Tank: How MMO players prepare for launch
• Founders leave Torchlight developer Runic
• WildStar bonus weekend begins Friday morning
• APB: Reloaded team details Unreal Engine upgrade
• PlanetSide 2 rolls out new missions system
• The Stream Team: More Landmark beta, more codes!
• Skyforge gives a glimpse into The Factory
• RIFT opens up player PvP dimensions
• The Elder Scrolls Online announces PvP campaign names
• Chaos Theory: Grand plans for The Secret World's Black Watchmen ARG
• Final Fantasy XIV offers more retainers for a price
• League of Legends introduces the new Team Builder queue
• Guild Wars 2 signals end of armor repair costs
• Here's an early look at Star Citizen's room system
• Age of Wushu on Steam today

Working As Intended: What Guild Wars 2 got right Posted: 28 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Hands-On, Crafting, Buy-to-Play, Working As Intended I returned to Guild Wars 2 recently after months away and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. No, there was nothing earth-shatteringly new, and no, I'm not going to praise the latest installment of the plot, but I realized that I'd forgotten just how much Guild Wars 2 managed to get right. I have many complaints about the game ranging from the way group combat in dungeons flopped to how the economy tanked to the fact that the living story bores me to tears. But Guild Wars 2 has some true nuggets of brilliance all the same, even if it doesn't have (I'm gonna say it) Cantha. Let's talk about them. Continue reading Working As Intended: What Guild Wars 2 got right Working As Intended: What Guild Wars 2 got right originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

FFXIV's Yoshida on the business benefits of the subscription model Posted: 28 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida recently expounded on the benefits of the subscription model in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. While he acknowledges the popularity of F2P, he also says that it's not necessarily the best choice for every MMO. "With the subscription model, you have that constant flow of revenue. As game developers, creators of games, we want to be able to continue providing the best gameplay experience and sustain that," Yoshida explained. "Of course, the initial subscriber numbers might not be as many as the free-to-play model, but we have that constant stream. We're not thinking just about the business of the moment. We want to think about the long term and being able to have the funding to continue making updates. Some people might be focused on quickly gaining revenue, but you have to think about the long term." FFXIV's Yoshida on the business benefits of the subscription model originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GI.biz

Six things you will and will not find in The Elder Scrolls Online Posted: 28 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, New Titles, Mac, Races, Roleplaying, Guides, The Elder Scrolls Online, MMORPG The Elder Scrolls series launched in 1994 with Arena. The game was sold on floppy disks, for goodness' sake. It's been around for a long time. With that extended life comes convoluted and complicated lore. Even after I'd heard the time period for The Elder Scrolls Online, I had to research to find out whether certain pieces of lore would actually appear in the game. Of course, I'm not going to be able to tell you everything in this one article, but before ESO launches, I can hit some of the highlights. Continue reading Six things you will and will not find in The Elder Scrolls Online Six things you will and will not find in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge Japan going F2P, getting 1.0 patch in April Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, ArcheAge, Sandbox Japanese ArcheAge publisher GameOn has announced that the fantasy sandpark will switch to a free-to-play business model on April 24th. The monthly subscription will still be available, and MMO Culture reports that players who pony up will "get tons of bonuses." The April 24th update will also bring the controversial 1.0 patch to ArcheAge Japan as well as an increase in the level cap from 50 to 55. Continue reading ArcheAge Japan going F2P, getting 1.0 patch in April ArcheAge Japan going F2P, getting 1.0 patch in April originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best 'ding'? Posted: 28 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Music Unless you're into sandboxy skill-based MMORPGs, the actual process of leveling up is probably an important part of whatever themepark you're playing. WildStar has been jeered at for its over-the-top level-up animation. EverQuest's ding is infamous; the jarring "chonnggggg" of it still haunts me, and some clever modder even made a plugin to add it to Skyrim. On the other end of the spectrum is Guild Wars 2, in which I frequently overlook the fact that I've leveled up at all because the cues are relatively unobtrusive. What do you guys think is the best MMORPG "ding" of all time? 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: Which MMO has the best 'ding'? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

An analysis of the Glitch auction house Posted: 27 Mar 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Economy, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Sandbox Glitch is gone, but it lives on in our hearts, and it makes for a fascinating case study. The game arrived, enraptured, and departed so quickly that a great deal can be extrapolated about the game. A new analysis over on Gamasutra focuses on looking at the game's economy over time, seeing how it kicked off and where it wound up, and uses that to draw conclusions about handling player-run economies in other games as well. The article outlines how Glitch handled currency and items, then notes the market trends and how players interacted with both one another and the economy. It concludes that in addition to monitoring the economy, designers need to keep an eye on the small number of players who serve as major economic drivers and watch them closely. The behaviors of players will also vary over time, meaning that past data have to be checked against more recent data to be relevant. If this is your sort of analysis, by all means, read the article in its entirety. An analysis of the Glitch auction house originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Analyzing Auctions: The Case of Glitch

The Think Tank: How MMO players prepare for launch Posted: 27 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Events (Real-World), Launches, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank Launches are a big deal to MMO players. Diablo III and SMITE both released this week, Landmark made a break for closed beta, and The Elder Scrolls Online, the first major MMORPG of the year, will become a reality next week. So how do you prepare for these launches in an era of digital downloads? That's exactly what this week's Think Tank asks the Massively team members, who cleverly pretended that they don't call in sick from Massively itself on launch days. Ahem. Continue reading The Think Tank: How MMO players prepare for launch The Think Tank: How MMO players prepare for launch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Founders leave Torchlight developer Runic Posted: 27 Mar 2014 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items Runic Games co-founders Travis Baldtree and Erich Schaefer have departed the studio responsible for Torchlight and its sequel. Baldtree announced the decision on the Runic forums, and wrote that he's "super-stoked" to return to indie development and the ability to wear many hats at once. "I should say from the outset that this is an amicable departure, that I consider the amazing team at Runic my friends and family, and that it is a privilege that they've let me get away with running the place for this long," he explained. VG247 reports that Erich Schaefer's brother Max, a fellow Blizzard North alum, is staying on as Runic's CEO. Founders leave Torchlight developer Runic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: VG247

WildStar bonus weekend begins Friday morning Posted: 27 Mar 2014 05:20 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), News Items, WildStar, Subscription, MMORPG Carbine has just announced an extra special bonus beta weekend for its upcoming sci-fantasy themepark, WildStar. Says the forum post, Starting tomorrow, Friday 3/28 at 7:00am PDT, the servers will be live and the party ain't stopping until Sunday night! Also, the level 17 cap is gone and is now being replaced with a level 20 cap. My quick math skills tell me that's an extra 3 levels! This bonus weekend is a way to get more testing time for us, awesome, as well as more game time for all of you, double awesome! This is our way of gathering the feedback we cherish and saying thank you to all of our loyal testers. Which is why we would love it if you logged in this weekend, enjoyed the extra 3 levels and the bonus game time because it will greatly help us be that much more prepared come launch day June 3rd. That's 10 a.m. EDT tomorrow for those of you on the East Coast. Have fun, and don't forget that logging in gets you mystery boxes with special loot! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] WildStar bonus weekend begins Friday morning originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar forum post

APB: Reloaded team details Unreal Engine upgrade Posted: 27 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Patches, Free-to-Play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries APB: Reloaded's Unreal Engine upgrade is detailed in the latest dev blog at GamersFirst. In it, we get word that progress is slow but steady as the current version (from 2008) needs to be stripped and rebuilt due to the custom-built additions made in the original engine. Think of it like when you have to manually update your mods every time World of Warcraft has a new patch. Although the latest version of Unreal will aid with performance and compatibility improvements, the Reloaded team says that you may not even notice much of a difference visuals-wise. GamersFirst hopes to roll the new upgrade out soon, although a release estimate is still to come. Check out the full dev blog for more details on the Unreal Engine upgrade. APB: Reloaded team details Unreal Engine upgrade originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GamersFirst dev blog

PlanetSide 2 rolls out new missions system Posted: 27 Mar 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 Players logging into PlanetSide 2 today will find a brand-new missions system perfect for their trigger fingers. The missions system is designed to help funnel players to specific offensive or defensive objectives. These include attack and defend missions and will assist coordinating squads and platoons to finding the best action. This is only the first phrase of the system, however. A future phase will include player-created missions and new mission types. PlanetSide 2 is also giving increased incentive to subscribe with a monthly members-only double-XP weekend. Even if you aren't subbing, significant store sales during this weekend could entice you to check out the game. PlanetSide 2 rolls out new missions system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

The Stream Team: More Landmark beta, more codes! Posted: 27 Mar 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, EverQuest Next, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content, Landmark Landmark's closed beta is a whole day old! That means Massively's MJ has only had 24 hours in which to lose herself in this brave new world. We know that is not nearly enough time, so she's diving right back in (has she even left?!) and exploring, mining, and logging to her heart's content. And did we mention she'll have more closed beta codes to give away? Be sure to join us live at 6:00 p.m. EDT to watch more adventures unfold (and maybe start some of your own!). Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Thursday, March 27th, 2014 Time: 6:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: More Landmark beta, more codes! The Stream Team: More Landmark beta, more codes! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Skyforge gives a glimpse into The Factory Posted: 27 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Free-to-Play, Skyforge Skyforge is looking better and better, as the team released a new set of pictures today for the upcoming MMO that focus on the title's industrial side. The three new pictures showcase the high-tech Factory, a large installation that's recently seen a riot by intelligent robots. Players will no doubt be asked to go in and quell in the microchip insurrection. "Cleaning up the plant is not an easy task," the devs teased. "Lives of the personnel are the price of a failure." You can take a peek at the Factory in the gallery below. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Skyforge gives a glimpse into The Factory originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Skyforge forums

RIFT opens up player PvP dimensions Posted: 27 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Housing, Player-Generated Content, Subscription Do you like instanced PvP but hate being subject to the PvP maps that the game's designers have put together? Maybe you have an idea for an even better map in RIFT, one that would really give even veteran players a run for their money. Good news, then: Now you can go ahead and make that map a reality with the addition of player PvP dimensions to the game's cash shop. PvP dimensions are available as part of two-team or three-team Starter Packs, or they can be purchased individually. These maps also give you access to another personal dimension, but their real purpose is letting you build custom maps with the use of scoreboards, damage areas, invisible tiles, and plenty of other tricks to create a truly memorable experience. If you've ever wanted to design an MMO battleground like an old DOOM deathmatch arena, you can go ahead and get started crafting your ideal arena now. RIFT opens up player PvP dimensions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Player PVP Dimensions available

The Elder Scrolls Online announces PvP campaign names Posted: 27 Mar 2014 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG If you're hoping to get organized for mass PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online, then there's good news for you today, as ZeniMax has just announced the names of the PvP campaigns that will be available across the game's megaservers. You can choose your home campaign at level 10, and each one will track progress separately and be available on both US and EU megaservers. The campaign names will be familiar to Elder Scrolls vets: Bloodthorn, Scourge, Chrysamere, Auriel's Bow, Wabbajack, Volendrung, Skull Crusher, Dawnbreaker, Goldbrand, Hopesfire ZeniMax also reminded players that they can use the beta client for the final game rather than reinstall. You can begin patching in prep for early access as of today. The Elder Scrolls Online announces PvP campaign names originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ZeniMax FAQ, Campaign names post

Chaos Theory: Grand plans for The Secret World's Black Watchmen ARG Posted: 27 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Events (Real-World), Interviews, The Secret World, Miscellaneous, Chaos Theory Last week we revealed that a new persistent alternate reality game is in the works from Human Equation, the studio that brought us the pre-launch and End of Days ARGs for The Secret World. But that little introduction is just a drop in the bucket compared to what the company has planned for the community. Human Equation has bought the license to operate the Black Watchmen IP from Funcom, and that means TSW players, fans, and puzzle-enthusiasts have much more in store for them than they realize. Although a major premise behind an ARG is figuring out clues and discovering information over time, I sat down and chatted with Andrea Doyon, the chief innovation officer (aka puppet master) for the ARG to bring you the scoop on those very plans. Check out all the details in this exclusive interview, including future job possibilities, and get a peek at two never-before-seen pieces of concept art. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Grand plans for The Secret World's Black Watchmen ARG Chaos Theory: Grand plans for The Secret World's Black Watchmen ARG originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV offers more retainers for a price Posted: 27 Mar 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription A new patch for Final Fantasy XIV is out and playable today. It's full of stuff to do, things to craft, and of course, items to acquire. This might not be a welcome bit of news to players already struggling to fit items into their burgeoning banks. But help is here, after a fashion. If you truly can't reduce your items any other way, you can now buy more retainers to take care of the many things you've still got kicking around in your inventory. The downside? It'll cost you real money. Players are allowed to purchase up to two additional retainers for their characters at the price of $2 per month for each. The extra retainers are available to all characters on your account and will not be deleted if you discontinue the extra monthly fee but won't be accessible until you pay again. For more details on signing up and interacting with your normal retainers, check out the full update. Final Fantasy XIV offers more retainers for a price originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Introducing New Optional Services

League of Legends introduces the new Team Builder queue Posted: 27 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends You know what you're good at playing in League of Legends. Which is all well and good, but sometimes you choose to play something that requires a degree of support that's just not there from the rest of your team. Wouldn't it be nice to just choose your character and your playstyle right from the start, so you can form a team meant to compliment your strengths and weaknesses? That's what the new Team Builder queue is all about. Queueing up requires selecting both your character's position and role, then filling in the blanks by matching with other players who can support your initial decision. You can also invite friends in to the queue along with you, filling out the missing spots with other suitable candidates. A preview video is embedded just pas the cut, but you should take a look at the full article and FAQ for more information on forming a team that's the best it can be. Continue reading League of Legends introduces the new Team Builder queue League of Legends introduces the new Team Builder queue originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Team Builder description

Guild Wars 2 signals end of armor repair costs Posted: 27 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play The latest developments in Guild Wars 2's upcoming April feature pack will improve the quality of life around Tyria, as the game will be ending armor repair and sharing gear and WvW XP across accounts. The team said that it feels as though the loss of time is enough of a death penalty that it will be removing the costs for armor repair when the patch lands. Because this will take out a goldsink, the team is also reducing the coin dropped by champion loot bags. Legendary gear, ascended items, and World vs. World XP will become account-bound rather than character-bound come April as well. This means that players can character hop and retain their progression and expensive items instead of getting them individually. Guild Wars 2 signals end of armor repair costs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Goodbye to armor repair costs, Account-bound WXP, legendaries, and ascended

Here's an early look at Star Citizen's room system Posted: 27 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Star Citizen If you missed yesterday's Wingman's Hangar, it's worth watching to get an early glimpse of Star Citizen's room system. The room system is core technology that will be used to build out planetside locations, hangars, ship interiors, and more. Montreal-based Behaviour Interactive is currently building the system out, and the video shows off plenty of behind-the-scenes footage as well as portions of Star Citizen's asteroid hangar. Continue reading Here's an early look at Star Citizen's room system Here's an early look at Star Citizen's room system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Wingman's Hangar 62

Age of Wushu on Steam today Posted: 27 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Age of Wushu Wuxia sandbox Age of Wushu is coming to Steam today. Don't go trying to download it just yet, though, as the announcement page says that there's still a few hours to go before it unlocks. The official launch time is listed as 7:00 p.m. EDT in Snail's press release, which we've made available to you after the break. [Source: Snail Games press release] Continue reading Age of Wushu on Steam today Age of Wushu on Steam today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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