MMO Updates |
- Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs, part 2
- Destiny previews its endgame systems
- Daum hiring industry 'veterans from western region' for Black Desert
- Final Fantasy XIV gets a real-world theme cafe in Tokyo
- The Daily Grind: I'll miss you, Vanguard
- Combatless MMO Wander releases Gamescom trailer
- WoW's Warlords of Draenor expansion is making faces at you
- Oort Online strives to create a 'universe-sized' sandbox
- World of Tanks builds strongholds for Update 9.2
- Hearthstone unlocks the doors to the Plague Quarter
- Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's eternal crafting problem
- Defiance's Silicon Valley expansion arrives next week
- NCsoft launches Lineage II's Ertheia expansion today
- APB update pwns cheaters and creates quicker matchups
- RuneFest tickets on sale this week
| Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs, part 2 Posted: 31 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play  Last week we began our exploration of the value of The Secret World's DLCs by looking at the cost of the additional content relative to those who subscribe, those who don't, and those who are lifetime member grandmasters. But money isn't everything to everyone. As noted previously, value is a subjective judgment determined by whatever factors are most important to the individual making the assessment. So making the call on value will depend on which category/categories are used in the judging process. With that in mind, this week we're going to delve into the content aspect of the various DLCs. Specifically, we'll look at quantity, quality, and type of content in each issue and sidestories pack. Other key factors that are of equal -- if not paramount -- importance to some players are whether or not the additional pack is necessary to further TSW's story (who wants to miss some important tidbit?) and how fun playing through it actually is. Continue reading Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs, part 2
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| Destiny previews its endgame systems Posted: 31 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Endgame, News Items, Consoles, MMOFPS, Destiny  Not into that sort of play? There's also a set of bounties available on a daily basis, aimed at rewarding players for what they're already doing and creating a parallel progression path along that line. There are also daily challenges and Nightfall activities to keep players going. If you're looking forward to the game and want a closer look at what you can get from endgame, hop on over to the full preview. [Thanks to Olorunsegun Adewumi for the tip!]
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| Daum hiring industry 'veterans from western region' for Black Desert Posted: 31 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert  That last point was recently addressed by Pearl Abyss Director of Overseas Business Brian Oh, who spoke with MMO Culture at ChinaJoy 2014. "Daum is looking to set up a new games business team and hiring veterans from the western region to operate the new games platform," Oh explained. The interview also delves into Black Desert's translation process as well as IP restrictions and other notables.
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| Final Fantasy XIV gets a real-world theme cafe in Tokyo Posted: 31 Jul 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription  Opening on July 31st, the cafe features drinks inspired by the jobs, moogle-themed desserts, and what appears to be a burger based on the Lord of the Crags himself, Titan. There are also PCs set up for people to play the game at their leisure. It's going to be a bit of a hike out to the Akihibara district, but where else are you going to find a Titan Burger while drinking a Dragoon cocktail? [Thanks to Kythas for the tip!]
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| The Daily Grind: I'll miss you, Vanguard Posted: 31 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, Vanguard, The Daily Grind, Crafting, Sunsets  I wish you could stay longer. Yeah, you've been hanging around my hard drive since 2007, but that first year was a mess. You launched right next to The Burning Crusade, which would have been the kiss of death even if you hadn't debuted with a bunch of bugs. SOE eventually fixed you up, and the result was a niche and highly enjoyable MMO world of the kind that no one wants to make any more. You were vast, you were an explorer's dream and, stutter-step chunk lines notwithstanding, you were seamless. You had more races and classes than I can remember, though I will remember the Dread Knight and the Disciple quite fondly. I wish more people had given you a whirl. I wish more devs would copy your crafting. I wish all MMO quests were as fun as that lengthy, lovely unicorn mount chase. I'll probably get in trouble for saying so, but I wish your labyrinthine code could've led to an emulator. Most of all, though, I wish you weren't leaving. You were the first themepark I actually enjoyed, and that's no small feat. You will be missed.  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!
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| Combatless MMO Wander releases Gamescom trailer Posted: 30 Jul 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, News Items, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  Enjoy the video below. Continue reading Combatless MMO Wander releases Gamescom trailer
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| WoW's Warlords of Draenor expansion is making faces at you Posted: 30 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Races, Subscription  Our next big focus is doing justice to the facial options. With the original models and their simplistic geometry and low-resolution textures, a lot of facial expressions were simply painted on. Now that we've moved to higher-polygon models with lips, teeth, and fully articulated faces-not to mention higher-resolution textures-recreating those same facial options isn't as simple as painting them onto a flat surface. Previously, to get a sneer out of a model, you'd just paint a sneer on its face, and that was that. To do it correctly now-and make it look great-we have to fully pose a sneer, create a custom texture, and mesh that base pose with all of the existing emotes and animations.Robinson also said that Blizzard is "committed" to launching all of the new models together rather than roll them out independently post-launch, but a later tweet indicated that Blood Elf models will not make it in for launch.
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| Oort Online strives to create a 'universe-sized' sandbox Posted: 30 Jul 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Sandbox, Crowdfunding  "We think fans of procedural games are going to love Oort Online! We're making a universe-sized sandbox and giving players control over what happens," developer Wonderstruck said. Oort Online has been in development for six months and is available right now as an early access prototype for funders who spend $95 or more. The crowdfunded project also has cheaper tiers for alpha and beta access and promises a package of goodies (including a chance to win instant access) for those who send out a tweet promoting the game. Get a sneak peek of Oort Online in a dev video after the break! Continue reading Oort Online strives to create a 'universe-sized' sandbox
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| World of Tanks builds strongholds for Update 9.2 Posted: 30 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Patches, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks, MOBA  Strongholds are a new game mode in which players can lay out a virtual base and fight over it. If a clan can upgrade its base enough, it will be treated to limited-time bonuses that will cover all clan members across the game. Update 9.2 also comes with eight reworked maps, more medal achievements, HD upgrades to a few tanks, and the Fire Arc battle arena. Check out what 9.2 has to offer in the update video after the break. Continue reading World of Tanks builds strongholds for Update 9.2
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| Hearthstone unlocks the doors to the Plague Quarter Posted: 30 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, Trading Card Games, Hearthstone  The Plague Quarter has unlocked for players, but unlike the free taste of the Arachnid Quarter, this one will require gold to purchase. Inside the quarter, you will find Noth the Plaguebringer, Heigan the Unclean, and the big boss Loatheb. Players that master the Plague Quarter not only will be treated to new cards for their collection but can also go on to tackle two class challenges with additional card rewards. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
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| Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's eternal crafting problem Posted: 30 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log, Crafting, Subscription  Back at the start of this year, the column took a look at the state of Star Trek Online's crafting and asked whether there really is a future left for it. After all, crafting as a source of items was up against the fleet stores and reputation items. Could you make something better than those systems without replacing those systems? Would it even be worth it? What could be done to clean up crafting? We've gotten our answer about what will be done, but is it a net benefit for the game as a whole? Continue reading Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's eternal crafting problem
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| Defiance's Silicon Valley expansion arrives next week Posted: 30 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance  Within the world expansion, players will find Karl Von Back has disappeared into Silicon Valley with his EGO-imbued followers, but it's not the paradise they promised. The valley is overrun with Grid, and a strange cult, the Pilgrims of the Guiding Light, have taken hold in locations across the zone. As all new mysteries unravel, the populace of Silicon Valley calls for help, and only ark hunters have what it takes to face the trials ahead.Trion intends to stream on Twitch this evening at 6 p.m. EDT to answer questions about the update. [Source: Trion press release]
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| NCsoft launches Lineage II's Ertheia expansion today Posted: 30 Jul 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Video, Lineage 2, Classes, Expansions, Lore, Patches, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Races, Dungeons  Former players can take advantage of a welcome-back promotion that includes a pack of goodies for veteran characters and a free mount for freshly rolled toons. We've included some concept art as well as videos describing the lore and new classes below. Continue reading NCsoft launches Lineage II's Ertheia expansion today
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| APB update pwns cheaters and creates quicker matchups Posted: 30 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Patches, PvP, Free-to-Play, Legal, All Points Bulletin  Today, Reloaded Games released its Open Conflict patch that contains the much-vaunted "FairFight" technology that monitors for illicit behavior and nips it in the bud on the spot. This system also publicly shames hackers and botters as they are banned so that the entire server can witness their downfall. Open Conflict also contains cloud saves for character settings and a new matchmaking mode that lumps people together based on availability instead of skill. [Source: Reloaded Games press release]
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| RuneFest tickets on sale this week Posted: 30 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, RuneScape, Free-to-Play  The event starts at 10:00 a.m. local time and runs through 7:00 p.m., with an afterparty and late-night gaming scheduled through 11:00 p.m.
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