MMO Updates

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• ArcheAge closed beta coming in mid-July
• WildStar's Strain patch is live today
• What you need to know about Guild Wars 2's second season living story
• The Daily Grind: Do you like to tank in MMOs?
• DayZ switches over to DirectX 11 and reworked controls
• PSA: SWTOR double XP week starts tomorrow
• Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, God of Destiny's greenlighting, and Dead Island's MOBA
• H1Z1 releases E3 gameplay demo
• SOE Live schedule has been posted
• Marvel Heroes' super first year
• Age of Empires Online shuts down tomorrow
• The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's first dose of Strain
• The Stream Team: Talking Marvel Heroes 2015 with David Brevik

ArcheAge closed beta coming in mid-July Posted: 01 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox The good news for fans of the approaching ArcheAge is that the game will be using update 1.2 for the game, news that brought forth much rejoicing. The bad news is that as a result, the game's beta has been somewhat delayed. Trion Worlds has outlined the state of the game in a recent blog post explaining where the game is in testing and what players can expect in the future. In order to get the new version into testing as soon as possible, the developers are not adding in the Trion-specific features to the game which were mentioned previously on the forums. Closed beta events will be starting in mid-July, with a separate alpha server available to see how the 1.2 play environment plays and what benefits it offers. If you're interested to hear about the state of development, take a look at the full update and get ready for the paradigm shift. ArcheAge closed beta coming in mid-July originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Preparing Archeage for Version 1.2 on Alpha, Beta, and Beyond

WildStar's Strain patch is live today Posted: 01 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play There's been plenty of chatter about WildStar's first major patch, but the team at Carbine Studios has been largely silent on when all of this content would be available for players. Turns out it's right now. Yes, the servers should be up now (barring extended maintenance) for max-level players to enjoy all the lore, infections, and so forth that they could possibly want. For those of you who have missed the prior updates, this patch is adding new costume pieces, new housing decor, two new zones, a new mount, new dyes... a lot of things. You can find out a little more on the official patch page, complete with videos and the like. If you've been looking forward to spending a little more time with the game's big creepy disease carpet, today's your day. [Source: Carbine Studios press release] WildStar's Strain patch is live today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Strain page

What you need to know about Guild Wars 2's second season living story Posted: 01 Jul 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Interviews, Patches, Guild Wars 2, Events (Massively's Coverage), Buy-to-Play The wait for Guild Wars 2's Season 2 is finally over! Today, players will dig into the next arc of the living story with the new Gates of Maguuma content (or save the content for later by unlocking it in their story journals). What exactly is in store? If you don't mind a few spoilers, we've got some of those answers for you right now. Back at E3 2014, ArenaNet Associate Game Director Steven Waller and Studio Design Director Chris Whiteside gave us a recap of the first season, but they also gave us a preview of the second. And yes, that next step is through a portal into a whole new zone! Continue reading What you need to know about Guild Wars 2's second season living story What you need to know about Guild Wars 2's second season living story originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you like to tank in MMOs? Posted: 01 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Classes, Game Mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Dungeons The very first serious MMO tank I ever played was my day-one Warrior in World of Warcraft. I'd had dozens of characters in MMOs before that, but I was too chicken to step up and actually tank endgame fights. After all, as Massively commenters pointed out, there's a lot more to tanking than just taunting the boss and knowing when to hit your specials. Tanks need leadership and game knowledge far exceeding what's expected of other party archetypes. They're expected to lead the party, to know how the fights work, and to keep everyone else in line. Tanking is setting yourself up for a world of stress and the judgment of strangers. Depending on your temperament, it can become unfun in a hurry. I still play that Warrior when I resub, Protection-specced for all the days I've played her (minus an hour back in 2006 when I foolishly thought Fury might be nice for a change). But I'm always leery of dungeon-queueing with that character even though I love the actual mechanics of being the meatshield. What about you folks? Do you actually like tanking in MMOs? How do you overcome the stress? 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 like to tank in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DayZ switches over to DirectX 11 and reworked controls Posted: 30 Jun 2014 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, Interviews, MMOFPS, Buy-to-Play The days of DayZ as we knew it are over; all hail the upcoming changes to everyone's favorite gankfest featuring the occasional zombie! In an interview this week, DayZ creator Dean Hall outlined six improvements that the team is working on for the standalone version of the game. Right out of the gate is the decision to add an option to toggle DirectX 11 to make everything look a lot better. "Implementing DirectX 10 or 11 will have a dramatic, instant visual difference and quite a significant performance difference," Hall said. Other changes include new 64-bit server architecture, better hunting mechanics, improved controls, a reworked loot system, and an early game experience fashioned specifically for new players. DayZ switches over to DirectX 11 and reworked controls originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamespot Via: VG247

PSA: SWTOR double XP week starts tomorrow Posted: 30 Jun 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic Ladies and gentlemen, Star Wars: The Old Republic's Kuat burnout week double experience week is almost here. This means that yours truly will be queuing for KDY flashpoints until my fingers bleed in an attempt to bypass that godawful planetary grind and get a couple more class story alts to 50. The XP extravaganza starts July 1st at 2:00 p.m. EDT and runs through July 7. PSA: SWTOR double XP week starts tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, God of Destiny's greenlighting, and Dead Island's MOBA Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Expansions, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MOBA, Age of Wushu, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Hearthstone Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs. Hearthstone's expansion, Curse of Naxxramas, launches in July. Star Citizen topped 47 million in crowdfund money; we examined the game's complexity. Stunlock Studios released a trailer for the Dead Island: Epidemic MOBA (below). Dota 2's The International prize pool surpassed 10 million bucks. The Oculus and ZeniMax legal smack talk heated up. Snail Games announced King of Wushu, a MOBA based on Age of Wushu. Elite: Dangerous entered its second round of premium beta. MOBA SMITE added new playable god Rama and Fourth of July skins. Destiny's COO outlined the game's 10-year-plan and business model and promised more work to come on the much-maligned voice acting. ÆRENA: Clash of Champions updated with a new character and game mode. The Orcs Must Die devs waffled over the role of toxic players. CCP kicked off a DUST 514 contest; kill enough players and you'll get to win a weapon. God of Destiny, another new MOBA, was greenlit on Steam. We've got the trailer below! Continue reading Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, God of Destiny's greenlighting, and Dead Island's MOBA Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, God of Destiny's greenlighting, and Dead Island's MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

H1Z1 releases E3 gameplay demo Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, H1Z1 Unless you were personally at E3, you didn't get to see the H1Z1 gameplay demo shown to the media, but SOE rectifies that injustice today with a new video in which Senior Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt walks viewers through a version of the same demo shown at the con. Clocking in at over 11 minutes, the video demonstrates resource acquisition, crafting, driving, scavenging, archery, dynamic weather, and more gameplay elements. You know -- killin' baddies, choppin' trees, just a day in the life of a dude with a rusty jeep and a zombie plague chasing him down. Continue reading H1Z1 releases E3 gameplay demo H1Z1 releases E3 gameplay demo originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE Live schedule has been posted Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: EverQuest II, Culture, Events (Real-World), News Items, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous, Landmark Today's the last day for SOE Live 2014 early bird registration. Still on the fence about attending? Not sure if there will be enough awesome events there to justify your presence? Good news, then; the official schedule has been posted, so you can figure out exactly what's going down and when. Fan site EQ2Wire has highlighted the general events as well as the material specific to EverQuest Next, EverQuest II, and Landmark. Landmark players will enjoy the largest number of events, including a special mega-build event on Thursday and a panel explaining how the game will interact with EverQuest Next. There will also be details about the next EverQuest II expansion, previews of combat for EQN and Landmark, and plenty of community Q&A sessions. Take a gander at the full schedule if you need a little more information to justify your attendance. SOE Live schedule has been posted originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EQ2Wire

Marvel Heroes' super first year Posted: 30 Jun 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Patches, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Anniversaries In a game focused on super heroes with super powers facing super villains, you wouldn't expect a birthday bash to be just ordinary, would you? Of course not; it should be super! Gazillion agreed: Marvel Heroes just wrapped up its mega month-long first anniversary celebration this past weekend. From multiple buy-one-get-one-free offers to plentiful buffs and boosts to 365 birthday gifts for each player, the event was filled with festivities fit to bear the "super" moniker. The celebration itself capped off a year of growth and expansion for the action RPG; the Marvel Heroes of today is not the Marvel Heroes that players logged into back in June of 2013. Even before the big release of Marvel Heroes 2015, which kicked off the anniversary festivities on June 4th, the game had already evolved quite a bit. How has it changed over the last 12 months? Let's take a hop, skip, and super leap down memory lane for a look. Continue reading Marvel Heroes' super first year Marvel Heroes' super first year originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Age of Empires Online shuts down tomorrow Posted: 30 Jun 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Free-to-Play, MMORTS, Sunsets After tomorrow, Age of Empires Online will be no more. The online adaptation of the popular Microsoft RTS franchise will be shut down along with the PC Marketplace as of 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 1st. "On July 01, 2014, Age of Empires Online will shut down permanently. We thank the loyal fans for their support and commitment and look forward to many more battles before Age of Empires Online is retired," the studio posted on Facebook last year. This will come as a shock to no one, as Age of Empires' population decline was well-known and acknowledged by the dev team itself. The studio hasn't been developing new content for the game since January 2013. Age of Empires Online shuts down tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Facebook, Global Geek News

The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's first dose of Strain Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph, Subscription, Buy-to-Play The funny thing about launches is that they're like every other aspect of the game industry: They're based on momentum. Create the feel that you're coming out with new content on a quick basis and you get points from players, even if it's inevitable that some of this content is stuff that was almost-but-not-quite ready for launch and just had to be trimmed back a little before we first got to dip our toes in the official swimming pool. You can see the zones on your map in WildStar right now, even. Does it matter to me? Nope. I have to admit it doesn't. I'm satisfied. The bulk of the news this month has been about the game's first major patch, which is due for "early July" without a harder date. I have not yet gotten to go hands-on in this content; I've been too busy focusing on the live game and advancing there (up to 50 on one character, at least!), but let's talk a little bit about what's being added in the patch. Fair warning: Spoilers may ensue. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's first dose of Strain The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's first dose of Strain originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Talking Marvel Heroes 2015 with David Brevik Posted: 30 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Video, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Livestream, The Stream Team Want to hear about Marvel Heroes 2015 right from the source? Massively's MJ has a direct line open with CEO David Brevik to talk all about the action RPG's latest update and upcoming plans. Maybe he'll even spill which heroes players can expect to see in the future! Rumor has it there will be code giveaways as well, so join us live at 1:00 p.m. EDT to revel in super hero adventures, talk about your favorite Marvel experiences, ask any burning questions, and maybe even get free stuff! Game: Marvel Heroes Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Monday, June 30th, 2014 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Talking Marvel Heroes 2015 with David Brevik The Stream Team: Talking Marvel Heroes 2015 with David Brevik originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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