MMO Updates

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• Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft
• Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity
• Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews
• World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters
• The Daily Grind: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke?
• The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes
• ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99
• Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th
• The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond
• World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers
• TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited
• City of Titans nears the end of pre-production
• John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization
• Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5
• Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update
• Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction
• Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25

Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Business Models, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous, MMORPG, Working As Intended MMORPGs struggle to meet two contradictory goals: They want to provide stability, permanence, a world you feel you can always come home to, and they want to provide dynamism, change, a world that always has something fresh and new. Lean too hard to one side -- change too much or too little -- and the backlash from fans and former fans and future fans can be overwhelming. That's something Blizzard has never learned. With World of Warcraft, Blizzard is constantly chasing different demographics to maximize its playerbase, and those different demographics typically want different things out of the game, be they veterans or returnees or hardcores or casuals. Most of the game's expansions have retooled combat and classes and specs in some way, but in Cataclysm, and now again in Warlords of Draenor, the class revamps have been so far-reaching that they actually manage to turn off both veterans and returnees. Gamers, it seems, are willing to tolerate only so much dramatic change to their precious characters before rebelling. This is a lesson City of Heroes could have taught World of Warcraft had Blizzard been listening. Continue reading Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Cottage image credit

Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Casual, Kids Funcom's website has published news of a move that gives the firm $1.6 million of additional equity as it prepares to launch LEGO Minifigures Online. In May of 2012, Funcom reached an agreement with US fund manager Yorkville Advisors and is now partially exercising the resulting option. "We are very pleased to have increased the company's financial flexibility with funds that will be used in preparing for the launch of LEGO Minifigures Online," explained CEO Ole Schreiner explained in a prepared statement. "We have several times expressed a need for additional equity and have considered different alternatives to secure this. This facility has been available to us since 2012, but the timing has not been right before." Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews Posted: 25 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert Steparu and MMO Culture are both playing Black Desert's second Korean closed beta, and both sites have published recaps of their various adventures. Steparu details the fantasy sandbox's combat and skill system as well as the process of catching a mount with a lasso! MMO Culture focuses on the melee brawler Giant class. Both sites have uploaded gameplay videos, which you can sample after the cut. Continue reading Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters Posted: 25 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), Patches, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks, World of Warplanes Wargaming is announcing the release of the newest patch for its flight combat MMO World of Warplanes today. Update 1.3 introduces a new line of American heavy fighters and an auto detect feature for graphic settings so everyone isn't playing on the medium setting by default. Wargaming will also be attending the Chicago Comic Con and Entertainment Expo where it will host two panels on World of Tanks and World of Warplanes. For those who can't attend, a stream will be available on the con's Twitch channel. [Source: Wargaming press release] Continue reading World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke? Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, H1Z1 A few weeks ago, SOE's John Smedley suggested that H1Z1's gameplay mechanics and atmosphere are intended make you "scared when you see someone" and that "your first instinct needs to be to hide." It seemed to me that what he was describing was not an MMORPG but the antithesis of an MMORPG. I usually log into MMOs to be surrounded by people, not to hide from them. Even in a game with open PvP, I don't want the entirety of my play experience to be summed up by sheer paranoia, especially a game that features so prominently a crafting-based and presumably social economy. What do you think -- how much do you want the feeling of paranoia and fear of your fellow players to dominate your play experience? [With thanks to SallyBowls and Space Cobra for the inspiration for this question!] 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: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content, Landmark There's so much creativity to experience thanks to Landmark's landmark contest, and Massively's MJ is trying to showcase as much as possible, which means she's adding plenty of obelisks, dwellings, temples, and other things that just have to be seen to her itinerary. Are you yearning to see these masterful creations up close? During the tour MJ will be giving out more beta codes so that you can join her on future tours. And for the Tigger in all of us, she'll have some Lunar Anklet codes to distribute as well. Join us live at 9:00 p.m. for the next round and astonishing creativity and a chance to add yours to the mix! Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Thursday, April 24th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Launches, Free-to-Play, Promotions, ArcheAge, Sandbox While Trion Worlds is still being coy about a release date for ArcheAge (the official line is still "2014"), the studio announced today during its livestream the details behind a trio of founder's packs for the upcoming fantasy sandbox. Here's what each of the packs contains: Silver ($49.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Founder title (with stats), 30-day patron pass, experimental hang glider, and 2,500 credits. Gold ($99.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Traveler title (with stats), 60-day patron pass, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, and 7,500 credits. Archeum ($149.99): Alpha access, beta access, four-day head start, Trailblazer title (with stats), 90-day patron pass, Daru Chests, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, Founder's cloak with customizable logo, personalizable crest, 10 pet healing potions, and 11,250 credits. We spoke to Trion earlier this week about these founder's packs and upcoming test periods -- read on! Continue reading ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Founder pack site

Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th Posted: 24 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk In a press release issued today, Snail Games announced that the closed beta for its steampunkish MMO Black Gold Online will begin on May 15th. Says the release, Closed Beta participants will see large-scale battlegrounds with customizable 'Carriers' (large battle mounts for each faction) and can develop over 100 distinct carrier-types for battle. Black Gold Online also features true hardcore PvP, where players can fight against members of their same faction as well as opposing forces across a variety of battlegrounds, arenas and 'Chambers of Greed.' Finally, players can join even larger Energy Well battles as they form armies to fight for control of precious resources in large-scale faction and guild battles. The closed beta will also include revamped graphics and a refreshed interface. We've embedded the latest trailer below! Continue reading Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank Black Desert has been filling our headlines lately because of its Korean beta, but over here in the US, we have no inkling as to when or whether we'll ever get our hands on the game. That leads us to this week's Think Tank question: Would you rather know all about the awesome games overseas we might never get to play, or would you prefer they just shut up until they have a plan for those of us in the west? I polled the Massively team members for their take. Continue reading The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Culture, News Items, Subscription The first episode of Azeroth Choppers (a collaboration between American Choppers and World of Warcraft) ended with the early frames being shown off and the promise of a cliffhanger. This week's episode resolves that cliffhanger: Everything has to be ready within five weeks' time. Which, as the episode states repeatedly, is a very difficult timeline to hit. Presumably even harder when you sit around mentioning how difficult it will be on camera, but hey. Since both bikes are still very early in design, the episode focuses on introducing Team Alliance and Team Horde, with members reacting to the short timeframe and the challenges of the design. Watch the full episode just past the break, and check out the official page introducing the team members in more depth. Continue reading World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Azeroth Chopper ep.2, Meet the Teams

TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play, TERA, Anniversaries TERA celebrates its second birthday this weekend, and for reasons that make sense only to MMORPGs and hobbits, that means it's giving its players a bunch of presents. En Masse will be handing out 20 prizes per server per day from today to May 1st, with a special jackpot chance for those who play over the weekend. The prizes include party packs, special mounts, skins, and the all-important 2013 swimsuit bundle. Everyone who logs in will be showered in daily federation bills, and this Saturday the team plans to bring in "special guests" who come bearing -- you guessed it -- more loot. The studio produced a trailer to punch up the festivities and demonstrate just how far the game has come since launch; we've included it below. Happy birthday, TERA! Continue reading TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: TERA anniversary page

City of Titans nears the end of pre-production Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Game Mechanics, News Items Producing a game means doing a lot of things, and sometimes that means choosing not to do things. Missing Worlds Media is wrapping up pre-production on City of Titans, the upcoming spiritual successor to City of Heroes, and one of the things that's been mandatory is keeping a realistic perspective on what can and cannot be achieved on a limited production schedule. The latest development blog talks about exactly that, focusing on something very familiar to everyone who has played an MMO: respawns. One of the elements included in the Unreal Engine powering the game is a respawn system. The development team had originally thought about creating an entirely new set of systems, but developing all of that would substantially add to the amount of development time needed in the game. As such, it was deemed as not mandatory for launch. It's a bit of a disappointment, but as the blog entry explains, it's a choice that needed to be made as the game approaches the full production stage. City of Titans nears the end of pre-production originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Nearing the End of Pre-production

John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization Posted: 24 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, H1Z1 Player characters in H1Z1 won't be concerned with money, seeing as how they'll be busy trying to fortify themselves against hordes of shambling zombies. Sony Online Entertainment, however, does indeed want to make money off of the game. President John Smedley took to Reddit to share the details of the team's first monetization meeting, and while it's not a decisive list of how the game will make money, it serves as a preview. The early list contains character slots, wearable items, crates with random selections of wearable items, and emotes. The team also intends to allow players to loot wearables from other players, but looted cash items will degrade over time rather than being perpetual acquisitions. Smedley makes it clear that resources like food, water, and ammunition will not be sold, nor will any boosts to those resources, since acquiring these assets makes up the core of the gameplay. Take a look at the post for the details and the community response. John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: We had our first monetization meeting

Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Shroud of the Avatar It's time to get skilled in Shroud of the Avatar's combat system. That is, it's time to actually have access to the skills that will eventually be in the game. Release 5 is now open to the game's backers, and it brings with it 35 of the 171 skills that will eventually be in the full game. Some skill lines are more fleshed out than others; while the Death line has access to death in both touch and ray form, Water is currently limited to Ice Fist and nothing else. But that will change. Aside from this major addition, the new release will also see the first wave of potential backers admitted into testing with keys that have been given out via an Alienware Arena promotion. There's also a new lighting model in place and a variety of functionality updates. Whether you're in the early access period or just want to keep an eye on the development, check out the full list of Release 5 notes for more details. Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Release 5 Notes

Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet Dragon's Prophet has announced the release of the Column of the Prophet content update today. This new challenge features a tower that reaches 100 stories into the sky with monsters that increase in difficulty with each level of the tower. Three sources can be called upon to aid your character whether solo or in a group: a medic, Skyhammer guards, or a war dragon. Right now, this update is only for European players of the game handled by Infernum, not SOE. A North American update schedule has not been announced. [Source: Infernum press release] Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction Posted: 24 Apr 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Business Models, Lore, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play Let me just start by saying that the fact that I have not completed all four of The Secret World's new investigation missions in the recently released Sidestories: Further Analysis does not in anyway diminish the awesomeness of the pack. You don't have to do them all -- or even do them at all -- to appreciate this new content. That's because the beauty of these new missions goes beyond the actual investigative content; it's the fact that it is additional content! If there is one thing that TSW fans have been clamoring for, it's more content, especially content that tosses players deeper into the world and expounds on the story. (The popularity of last Halloween's Spooky Stories of Solomon Island quests sure proved that!) So even those who would rather stab their eye repeatedly with their mouse instead of puzzling out an investigation mission should be fistpumping this new development. With this new type of content release, Funcom has hit on an idea that can satisfy nearly everyone! And that certainly bodes well for the future of the game. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription When was the last time you were in the Wolves' Den in Final Fantasy XIV? A week ago? A month? Was it never? Well, perhaps you should drop back in, because there's some new stuff in there. New armors. Attractive armors. And don't worry that veterans will have them right away when you log in; these armors require climbing the PvP ranks further, as this patch also adds ranks 31-40 to the ladder. So there's that much more reason to jump into the arena and start earning your Wolf Marks. Patch 2.25 also adds a couple of other features. Players can now use materia transmutation to exchange unwanted materia for a (hopefully more desirable) piece of materia at random. Darklight gear has been made dyeable, and Ventures have been added as a possible reward from treasure hunts. Take a look at the full notes for a few more details as well as a list of bug fixes included with the patch. Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 2.25 notes

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