MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Perfect Ten: Why the second half of 2014 will be awesome for MMOs

Posted: 19 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT

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In the midst of mid-summer doldrums, it's easy to fall into a mild depression thinking that everything cool that was going to happen this year already has -- especially in gaming. The spring launch blitz is now officially over, with two highly anticipated MMOs launched, and now some people might be wondering if the rest of 2014 will be all downhill.

Spoiler: It will not be.

We started talking the other day in the Massively office about just how much there's coming for the latter half of this year and why we're excited to see what the fall and winter months bring. There's so much to look forward to, in fact, that it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to a mere 10 entries. But that's my job, and that's what I did. Here's why the second half of 2014 will be awesome.

Continue reading Perfect Ten: Why the second half of 2014 will be awesome for MMOs

MassivelyPerfect Ten: Why the second half of 2014 will be awesome for MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    WRUP: Just a beta

    Posted: 19 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT

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    wowwww
    Welcome back to Massively's What Are You Playing, the game in which we tell you what we're playing this weekend and you tell us how gaming journalists who are paid to preview games should handwave worrying fundamental problems in a major pre-launch MMO because, you know, it's just a beta. After all, you definitely don't want to hear about games before they launch, unless it's an opinion that perfectly mirrors your preferred reality, which is why you don't patronize MMO websites. Right? Right.

    Continue reading WRUP: Just a beta

    MassivelyWRUP: Just a beta originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Should old MMOs retire gracefully while they still can?

      Posted: 19 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT

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      eq
      You can't deny that certain MMOs from the dawn of the genre are getting a bit long in the tooth. Heck, some of them lost their teeth a while ago and replaced them with wooden dentures of power. Take EverQuest, for example. Even with a free-to-play transition, numerous updates, and a dev team that's pushed that game engine as far as it can go, it's still an old title with a high-water mark that peaked before most current players started on their first MMO.

      So here's a contentious question for the day: Should games like EverQuest retire? Should they go out with some dignity right now rather than face future humiliation by becoming increasingly obsolete? Wouldn't studios be better off focusing resources on new additions to their franchises? What do you think?

      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!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should old MMOs retire gracefully while they still can? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Betawatch: July 12 - 18, 2014

        Posted: 18 Jul 2014 07:00 PM PDT

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        ArcheAge
        ArcheAge officially dropped into closed beta mode this week; according to Trion Worlds, the beta saw over a million sign-ups, with so many logins that the team was forced to open new beta servers on short notice. What else is new in the world of MMO testing? The complete Betawatch roundup follows.

        Continue reading Betawatch: July 12 - 18, 2014

        MassivelyBetawatch: July 12 - 18, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Stream Team: Seeking danger in Elite: Dangerous

          Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT

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          You don't have to be an ace pilot in Elite: Dangerous to enjoy flying, as Massively's MJ can certainly attest. She's hopping back in her cockpit and is ready to take on those nefarious waste containers! Or maybe she'll just accidentally shoot down some other players again. Hey, space is a dangerous place! Either way, it's sure to be an entertaining flight, so join us live at 8:00 p.m. to discuss the game with other fans in chat.

          Game: Elite: Dangerous
          Host: MJ Guthrie
          Date: Friday, July 18th, 2014
          Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT

          Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

          Continue reading The Stream Team: Seeking danger in Elite: Dangerous

          MassivelyThe Stream Team: Seeking danger in Elite: Dangerous originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Ultima Online overhauls factional PvP in publish 86

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 05:00 PM PDT

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            Broadsword Online has announced that Ultima Online's publish 86 will arrive on the test server this evening. Notably, the patch includes the first phase of the game's new Vice vs Virtue system, a massive ground-up rework of the existing faction PvP system intended to bring rewarding, objective-based PvP back to the cities. The update also features a new trading-based quest system, new property generation mechanics for spawned loot, and a refreshed Cleanup Britannia vendor.

            Check out the complete patch notes on the official site. If you're a former player thinking of dropping by your old haunt to see how it's doing, recall that last month, the developers hinted at a return-to-UO promotion coming in August.

            MassivelyUltima Online overhauls factional PvP in publish 86 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            PlanetSide 2 opens up double XP to celebrate new Hossin map

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT

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            PlanetSide 2
            To help celebrate the release of Planetside 2's Hossin content, Sony Online Entertainment is opening up a Double XP weekend for all players from July 18th (today) through the 20th.

            This double XP can stack with other in-game XP boosts including VIP membership, Hossin continent lock, purchased consumables, and more. If you want to go a step further and track your XP gain in its newly doubled state, you can do so through the Planetside 2 Players site, the PS2 app, the Recursion Stat Tracker, or the DasAnfall Stats page.

            MassivelyPlanetSide 2 opens up double XP to celebrate new Hossin map originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Warlords of Draenor encourages the return of free-form world PvP in Ashran

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT

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            wow
            World of Warcraft players who pine for the "good old days" of open world PvP may get to sup from that cup again come Warlords of Draenor. The devs are whipping up a new island, Ashran, that pulls upon lessons from past PvP zone designs to create something that encourages as close to the real open world PvP experience as one can get (and still have it designed).

            Ashran is for level 100 players who want to pop in and engage in up to 100v100 battles. Unlike past PvP zones, players won't have to join a raid group to partake in the fun and can choose between world and objective-based PvP. "We want players to get caught up in the moment and become emotionally invested in the outcome of each new encounter, whether it's just getting the drop on a member of the opposite faction player or getting revenge for a stolen kill," Blizzard wrote.

            The team also previewed another one of Warlords of Draenor's zones with Gorgrond. Gorgrond is an area split between the themes of creation and destruction and the biomes of heavy flora and barren wasteland.

            MassivelyWarlords of Draenor encourages the return of free-form world PvP in Ashran originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Trove: 'Let everything in the game be made by the community'

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT

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            trove
            User-generated content isn't just a pipe dream of the Trove team; it's the central tenet of its design philosophy. In a new video, the devs talk about why allowing players to design the world, both inside the game and outside of it, is vital to drawing the community into it.

            One of the results of listening to player feedback is the creation of a new biome called Dragonfire Peaks, which is full of canyons, lava, and most likely heartburn.

            "We've taken the development cycle and pried it open for everyone to see," says Art Lead Brian Clarke. The team goes on to show off several player-made dungeons and talk about how the community has made better content than the dev team thought possible. We've got the video after the break, so check it out and see if you've got the Trove stuff!

            [Source: Trion Worlds press release]

            Continue reading Trove: 'Let everything in the game be made by the community'

            MassivelyTrove: 'Let everything in the game be made by the community' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Destiny beta changes Dinklage's voice after criticism

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT

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            Destiny
            When Peter Dinklage, aka Tyrion Lannister, was announced as the voice of Destiny's voice-in-your-head companion, Ghost, fans went nuts. That is, until they heard the lines in the game's alpha build. Many complained that the Game of Thrones star wasn't giving the role his best effort, and a bit of a meme even formed from some particularly lackluster lines in the game's trailer.

            But now, it seems Bungie listened to players and added a bit of effect to Dinklage's voice to spice things up a bit. The studio even went so far as to remove the now-internet-famous line, "That wizard came from the moon." Take a listen to the voiceover comparisons in the CVG video after the break to decide for yourself: did the mechanization of the audio improve things? Heck, it supposedly works for Britney Spears, right?

            Continue reading Destiny beta changes Dinklage's voice after criticism

            MassivelyDestiny beta changes Dinklage's voice after criticism originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Nerd Kingdom on Yogventures!'s implosion and the future of TUG

            Posted: 18 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT

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            Yesterday, Massively reported on the impending bankruptcy filing and cancellation of Kickstarted Winterkewl/Yogscast game Yogventures! and the alleged transfer of its assets over to TUG, a sandbox game by Nerd Kingdom that we've written about since its reveal last year. Journalists and gamers have suggested that in spite its claims to the contrary, Yogscast itself might be liable for refunds, as would any beneficiary of assets entangled in a future bankruptcy filing. We spoke to TUG's Peter "Ino" Salinas to shed light on the situation and its implications for TUG.

            Massively: Yogscast has distanced itself from Winterkewl, the studio making Yogventures!, but statements made by Winterkewl seem to suggest that Yogscast is simply transferring its support for Winterkewl's game to your pre-existing game, TUG, causing Yogventures to go bankrupt and disavowing any obligation to underwrite the spent half million in Kickstarter funds. Is that your understanding of the situation? Can you clarify it for our readers?

            Nerd Kingdom's Peter Salinas: There are a lot of details to the discussions that Yogs and Winterkewl had before we started to develop our friendship with the Yogscast. We were also honestly wary of the situation ourselves at first, having been aware of Yogventures! around the time we did our own Kickstarter campaign. The reality of the situation was this: A young and ambitious developer overscoped a project... this would not be the first time that happened; it's just a total bummer that it had to happen with a massive community involved. And during that time, the Yogscast group, knowing little enough about development, agreed to let them use their likeness in their own project. Yogs knew that Yogscast itself was not equipped to manage the project, so they let Winterkewl use their brand and a community to build on. Sadly in that process, all the milestones that were set by Winterkewl, which would have allowed the Yogscast to promote the project, never were hit. How can you promote or make an experience with nothing to share? Even we had our own time to put in before we were able to demonstrate anything reasonable.

            Continue reading Nerd Kingdom on Yogventures!'s implosion and the future of TUG

            MassivelyNerd Kingdom on Yogventures!'s implosion and the future of TUG originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Elite: Dangerous aims to be future-proof

              Posted: 18 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT

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              Elite: Dangerous
              Time is not always kind to video games -- especially MMOs. So Frontier Developments decided to plan ahead by future proofing its sci-fi space MMO Elite: Dangerous.

              "Moore's law is our friend," company head David Braben told Eurogamer in a recent interview. "Even if your PC of today can't run [Elite] with all the features on, your PC of tomorrow might." The thought is to plan ahead by implementing graphical features that are so advanced, they can't even be run on modern computers yet. So when technology catches up, the advancements will already be in place.

              Check out the entire interview for more on how the team at Frontier aims to plan for the future in Elite: Dangerous.

              MassivelyElite: Dangerous aims to be future-proof originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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