MMORPG News

MMORPG News

Star Wars: The Old Republic: UK Pre-Order Hiccup Causing Angst

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 08:45 AM PDT

According to a thread on the official Bioware Star Wars: The Old Republic forum, fans in the United Kingdom who preordered the collector's edition of the game from Game.co.uk have yet to receive their early access pre-order codes even several days after the order was placed. This causes an issue as entry of the code is time-sensitive and the earlier it is entered, the earlier players get access to the head start.

Runescape: Clan Citadels Expansion Released

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 08:01 AM PDT

The RuneScape dev team has officially announced the release of the Clan Citadels expansion for the game. Clan Citadels brings new clan headquarters improvements as well as the much-anticipated and customizable clan battlefields feature. With the new tools provided, RuneScape fans can create custom environments to take on rival clans.

Fallen Earth: Subscriber Appreciation Gifts Incoming

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 07:54 AM PDT

Current subscribers to Fallen Earth will be receiving some nifty rewards for their loyalty to the game in the form of Subscriber Appreciation gifts. The dev team has both text descriptions or, for the more visual among us, a great graphic to show off what players can expect to receive.

World of Warcraft: Latest Novel Excerpts Released

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 07:49 AM PDT

Blizzard's World of Warcraft site has been updated with three excerpts from the latest WoW-based novel, "Thrall: Twilight of Aspects" by Christie Golden. The novel follows the former leader of the Horde as he journeys through the events surrounding the Cataclysm. If you've been sitting on the fence about grabbing the novel, this might help you make the decision.

League of Legends: The Numbers Tell the Story

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 07:41 AM PDT

Riot Games and League of Legends developers have a lot to be proud of this morning with the revelation that their premier title has scored over 15 million registered accounts and that over 1.4 million players take part in the mayhem on a daily basis. The team also shared some other interesting factoids.

TERA: Spell Effects Better Than Fireworks

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:52 PM PDT

Welcome to the latest installment of our continuing series, TERA Tuesday. MMORPG.com has partnered with TERA devs and En Masse to bring you the best TERA screens on the Net. This week, we feature three screens featuring some of the most awesome spell effects seen to date! Check them out in our TERA: July Screens feature.

World of Warcraft: Blizzcon 2011 Community Site Opens

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:44 PM PDT

Blizzard Entertainment has thrown open the doors of a new community site devoted to this year's Blizzcon gathering. The site is anticipated to provide information about convention happenings, tournament updates, a community forum to discuss all things Blizzcon and much more.

ACE Online: Into the Wild Blue Yonder with Ripper X

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:21 PM PDT

Ripper X is at it again with his first impressions of the aerial combat MMO, ACE Online. See what Ripper discovered in the wild blue yonder of ACE Online by watching his first impressions video.

Gunshine.net: One Hell of a Browser MMO

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:01 PM PDT

Some folks summarily dismiss games if they're called 'browser-based' but MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy says a proverbial "Wait a second, pardner!" Bill's just returned from a stint in Gunshine and he's got a ton to say about what he calls "One Hell of a Browser MMO". Find out why and then let us know what you think in the comments below.

General: More from the Crystal Ball

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:36 PM PDT

MMORPG.com's resident swami, Richard Aihoshi, has once again gazed into the crystal ball conveniently located on his desk between mouse and keyboard. In it he has divined a pair of new predictions for the online gaming world that he'd like to share. Check out The Free Zone and see what Richard's prognostications.

Forsaken World: Mounted Combat Coming

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:23 PM PDT

In the latest exclusive developer blog here at MMORPG.com from the Forsaken World team, it has been announced that mounted combat is coming to the game! The exclusive blog post is packed with screenshots and information about the upcoming feature. Be sure to swing by for a look!

Runes of Magic: New Update to Feature Colorweave Festival

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:41 AM PDT

A new Runes of Magic update is scheduled to go live on Tuesday, July 26th and will feature the addition of the new "Colorweave Festival". In addition, the Warden class will undergo a skill and abilities balance implementation, the world map will be updated and those who enjoy gardening will reap some nifty new rewards.

Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising: Featured as Steam's Deal of the Week

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:33 AM PDT

Folks interested in trying out Heatwave Interactive's Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising will want to head over to Steam. Gods & Heroes is Steam's "Deal of the Week" and can be purchased for $14.99 USD.

General: Selling Junior to Pay for MMO Habit

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

According to a shocking report at ABC News Radio Online, a Chinese couple has been arrested for selling, not one, but THREE of their children to secure funds to pay for their online gaming habit. The sum total of the three children's worth? $9,700 USD.

General: Roper Dons Mouse Ears

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:55 AM PDT

Former Cryptic Studios and Flagship Studios developer Bill Roper is now working for Disney Interactive Media Group. Roper has been named the vice president to oversee all current and future games based on the Marvel IP. This is the first major announcement since the acquisition of Marvel by Disney.

Conquer Online: Fighting on Horseback

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:37 AM PDT

In a new Conquer Online developer blog here at MMORPG.com, the team reveals more information about the mounted cavalry combat that players can engage in and give readers a bit of information about special riding crops that can be used to provide players with the ability to use their class skills while mounted. Check it out!

Jade Dynasty: Imperial Citadel Overhauled

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:31 AM PDT

According to the latest post in our exclusive Jade Dynasty developer blog, the Imperial Citadel has received some love and attention from Perfect World Entertainment developers. High level players will be able to take on new monsters in search of Chroma Beads as well as participate in Imperial Tests. Included in the dev blog are several terrific screenshots so be sure to swing by for a look!

Forsaken World: Chains of Kluer Update Site Launches

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:27 AM PDT

Perfect World Entertainment has launched a new teaser site for the next update coming to Forsaken World. Called Chains of Kluer, the update will bring a host of new content into the game including mounted combat and much, much more. Check out our exclusive Forsaken World developer blog for more!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: 17 Now, 500 in 2025

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:09 AM PDT

If the nebulous title brought you in, you're not alone. Yet in an interview during last weekend's ComiCon in San Diego, Bioware's senior creative director James Ohlen mentioned that Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch with seventeen explorable worlds but the road map allows for over 500 worlds in 2025. That's over a decade's worth of content additions, folks.
Posted by Shri Krishna

General gaming

General gaming

Darksiders II Skipping Multiplayer Due to Technical Challenges

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:50 PM PDT

Darksiders II

Disappointing as it may be that Darksiders II will, like its predecessor, have you playing solo, it wasn't because of a lack of interest in multiplayer. On the contrary, developer Vigil Games has been interested in multiplayer since it began development on the first game, but the challenge of implementing it has proven to be too much thus far.

"When we put together the pitch for Darksiders 1, we wanted it to be multiplayer then," Director Marvin Donald told IGN. "It's just too much work when you're starting a brand new studio with a new [intellectual property] and you're building your own technology. We're also evolving the series into more of [a role-playing game], which was something else we wanted to do from the beginning, but we just didn't have the resources or time or money to do it the first time around and do it justice."

Donald explained that each character -- War in the first game, and Death in the sequel -- has its own animation set consisting of 800 to 1,000 animations. That might not be an issue if animations could be shared between characters, but that's not possible because each has different proportions.

What is the Battlefield 3 Alpha Test All About?

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:17 PM PDT

Battlefield 3

You may have heard that some people are playing Battlefield 3 right now. While it's entirely possible that friend of yours claiming to have multiplayer access is a big liar, there are people participating in an ongoing alpha trial. Despite what some people may erroneously be referring to it as, this is not the beta that will kick off later this year.

A new post on the Battlefield blog has cleared up some confusion. DICE Community Manager Daniel Matros laid out exactly what the purpose of the current alpha -- not beta -- is: "It is a highly tech focused test period where the main purpose is to do a number of server related tests in preparation for game launch requiring a set amount of players online to ensure the final experience is as much fun and easy as possible."

Matros continued, "[T]his is an Alpha Trial, meaning this software is still not at the 'Beta' development milestone."

Beg for Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and You Just Might Get It

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Nintendo gave The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time the full remake treatment for its 3DS release last month. The company has yet to commit to remaking fellow N64 title Majora's Mask, a game that some prefer to OoT. While it's no guarantee, clamoring for a 3DS remake might convince Nintendo to make it happen.

"It's been 13 years since Ocarina of Time was originally released, and one of the big things that we made this remake possible was that there was an outpour of emotions from people who said they would like to see this game done," explained longtime Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma in an interview with Nintendo Power (via Zelda Informer, CVG). "We said we could do it in 3D, so we did. I think certainly if there was a similar output of emotion and clamor from fans for a remake of Majora's Mask, it wouldn't be an utter impossibility."

Suggesting that an outpouring of support would convince Nintendo to do something seems like a joke in light of what's happened with Operation Rainfall and its attempts to encourage Nintendo to bring several Wii RPGs to North America. (Nintendo's answer, in sum: No.)

Get a Taste of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with Tekken Hybrid

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:20 PM PDT


The previously announced Tekken Hybrid is a Blu-ray-only collection of Tekken content. Before now, its big draw was a new, full-length CG movie called Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D which, rest assured, has nothing to do with the abysmal live action movie that came out last year. Hybrid also packs in an HD version of Tekken Tag Tournament, the old arcade/PlayStation 2 fighting game. Over the weekend, Namco announced a third aspect of Hybrid, one that'll likely make it a must-buy for fans: a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue-esque taste of Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue is a smaller, standalone version of the Tekken Tag sequel. Since being announced last year, there had been no word on a console release, making this especially good news for anyone without easy access to a Japanese arcade.

Prologue is comprised of four characters from Blood Vengeance: Alisa Boskonovitch, Ling Xiaoyu, Devil Kazuya, and a fourth character who is being kept a secret for now. All four will come with two costumes -- one reflecting their Tekken Tag 2 look, and another based on how they look in the movie.

Watch the EVO Fighting Game Tournament Finals From PlayStation Home

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:16 PM PDT


The 2011 EVO World Finals are set to take place this weekend, and whether you couldn't afford to make the trip to Las Vegas, are too young to attend, or whatever else, you'll be able to watch all the action from PlayStation Home.

Sony announced today it will be broadcasting all three days of the world's largest fighting game tournament through its virtual world. By visiting the PlayStation Home Theater, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to watch tons of fighting game action as reigning two-time reigning Street Fighter champ Daigo Umehara goes for his third championship in a row.

As for what you can watch from Home, things kick off with three rounds of Super Street Fighter IV action on Friday morning. Saturday is dedicated to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and then the top eight from each of the tournaments will compete for their respective championships on Sunday in the following order: BlazBlue Continuum Shift, Tekken 6, Mortal Kombat (the new 2011 game), Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Super Street Fighter IV. The full schedule can be seen on the PlayStation Blog.

1UP's Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One Giveaway

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:35 PM PDT

1UP's Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One Giveaway
How To Play

Prizes

Do you enjoy monsters, mysteries, and adventures across time and space?

If so, then today's giveaway is for you! Yup, we're giving away Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One all day long! Here's what it takes to win:

ESA Wants California to Fork Over $1 Million in Attorneys' Fees

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:19 PM PDT

Supreme Court videogame law

It was almost a full month ago now that the United States Supreme Court decided to strike down California's violent videogame law. Opponents of the law argued that it was a waste of California taxpayers' money to continue pursuing the law, which had been ruled unconstitutional several times before it reached the Supreme Court. Now it may end up costing the state another million dollars, as the Entertainment Software Association has filed a motion to be reimbursed for attorneys' fees totaling $1.1 million.

"We look forward to moving forward and working together to raise awareness about the valuable tools and information available to parents," said ESA CEO Michael D. Gallagher in a press release. "From the start of this misguided legislation, then-Governor Schwarzenegger and specific California legislators knew that their efforts to censor and restrict expression were, as court after court ruled, unconstitutional and thus a waste of taxpayers' money, government time, and state resources."

The ESA, which filed the motion in the U.S. Supreme Court according to today's press release, is the trade association responsible for representing the videogames industry. It was the main opponent of California's law and, under its previous name (the Interactive Digital Software Association), it founded the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) back in 1994.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel Review

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT

The Call of Juarez series has comfortably been akin to that distant older relative (grandfather, uncle, cousin) "from the old country." That is, well-meaning and full of interesting stories and mannerisms, but also prone to moments of slight stereotyping or racism. Yet, you could chalk that latter point to coming more from cultural ignorance rather than outright malevolence. Unfortunately, this newest installment, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, then feels like that blatantly annoying contemporary relative -- a sort of unironic Ali G.

I've called the previous COJs, "Polish Call of Duty with hats" before, in that they are linear first-person shooters that funnel players through combat and scripted moments like a rollercoaster, but with the aesthetics of the Western rather than the War Movie. Like Call of Duty 4, The Cartel attempts the bold move of shifting time periods from the olden days into the present. Though, while the previous games were homages to iconic Westerns, The Cartel feels more like a clumsy fusion of The Shield and Bad Boys II.

Avatar Kinect is Out, Now You Can Make Your Own Talk Show

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:44 AM PDT


Microsoft's visual chatroom of sorts, Avatar Kinect, which allows players to control their Avatars in a 3D space, has been released today. It's available from the Kinect Fun Labs area of the dashboard, the home for various "experiences" and "gadgets" that was announced and then launched during E3 last month.

Avatar Kinect's existence was first leaked in January and then officially revealed at CES. Kinect owners can watch as their Avatar mimics their facial movements (raise your eyebrows, smile, nod, talk, etc. and your Avatar does the same) with up to seven friends across a variety of settings. These include a late night talk show set, news set, and a parking lot for tailgating.

While sitting around and talking to friends as your Avatar might not be something that ends up being used more than a few times, the ability to record and share videos on KinectShare.com could make it very useful for some. From Microsoft's website, you can download the video and upload it to YouTube, Facebook, or wherever else, thereby giving camera shy people the ability to make, say, their own talk show.

Posted by Shri Krishna
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