MMO Updates |
- Age of Conan dev update talks new content, crafting revamp
- Star Wars Galaxies fan site hacked, 23K passwords stolen
- Trion extends RIFT half-birthday bonuses because of Hurricane Irene
- SWTOR launch date hinges on fan beta reaction
- PAX 2011: Massively's hands-on with WildStar
- PAX 2011: Funcom discusses The Secret World's PvP, ARG, and more
- PAX 2011: Hands-on with TERA
- The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO made by Rockstar Games?
- Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond meets fundraising goals, updates FAQ
- MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me
- City of Heroes Freedom announces VIP head start, Level Pact changes
- Protect Isengard with the new LotRO Guardian dev diary
- EVE Online dev blog hints at new economic datastream
- One Shots: Look at my horse, my horse is amazing
- Proposed Fallen Earth F2P chart separates the scavengers from the commanders
- Hyperspace Beacon: More nuna bites
- Embers of Caerus: 'MMO guilds suck'
- gPotato partners with Overwolf for social media client
| Age of Conan dev update talks new content, crafting revamp Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Dungeons, Crafting  This month's AoC development update has the details, along with teasers for a new adventure pack in the early part of 2012, not to mention additional content before the end of 2011. That content includes the conclusion of tier four raid progression in Khitai as well as the long-awaited House of Crom dungeon. Funcom game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison describes the space as part open dungeon (similar to the Onyx Chambers) and part team instance with dynamic opportunities for both cooperation and conflict. Today also marks the deployment of the Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack to the live servers (though it's worth noting that you won't be able to access it until September 8th unless you ordered the early bird pack), and Funcom currently advises players of a six-hour down time on the AoC patcher. Finally, the devs have put together a community survey that is open to everyone, so be sure and fill it out to make your voice heard with regards to AoC's future development.
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| Star Wars Galaxies fan site hacked, 23K passwords stolen Posted: 31 Aug 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Legal, Miscellaneous  VentureBeat reports that Star Wars Galaxies.net, a major SWG fan site, was hacked yesterday. Star Wars Galaxies.net is part of a LucasArts fan site network, and apparently was not being actively maintained, as the last update was in June of 2009. Still, over 21,000 email addresses and 23,000 passwords were stolen -- some of which could lead to identity theft, according to authorities. The hack was perpetrated by ObSec, a small group in the vein of LulzSec. The hackers posted the email addresses and passwords online for all to see. Analysis of the passwords found that 71% were relatively weak and easy to crack anyway. Some Star Wars Galaxies players may see this as an unfortunate echo of the much larger Sony hack that happened earlier this year. We at Massively urge any players who have used this fan site to make sure that they change their passwords elsewhere as well.
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| Trion extends RIFT half-birthday bonuses because of Hurricane Irene Posted: 31 Aug 2011 09:15 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, RIFT  "They did," came the next reply. The many, many half-birthday bonuses that came with RIFT's kooky in-game party were set to end tomorrow, September 1st, but are now being extended until September 6th so that players affected by last weekend's hurricane can enjoy it as well. Subscribers are still expected to receive their in-game gifts tomorrow that include bonus potions and a reusable birthday cake. James Nichols delivered the happy news: "We know many of you have been weathering out the storm on the east coast -- so we're keeping the subscriber bonuses turned on an extra week. You now have until September 6th to enjoy all the bonuses to XP, Guild XP, Favor, Prestige, Planarite, and dungeon & raid currencies. Have fun!"
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| SWTOR launch date hinges on fan beta reaction Posted: 31 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The latest release-related blurb comes courtesy of EA bigwig Frank Gibeau, who told CVG that while EA-BioWare does have a date in mind, fan reaction to the beta will ultimately tell the tale. "It [the launch date] is definitely tied to the beta test feedback that's ongoing and so far, so good. We feel good about the date that we're heading towards but you're right, you could have a Crazy Ivan show up in the September/October beta test and be like, 'wow, I've got to fix that,'" Gibeau said.
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| PAX 2011: Massively's hands-on with WildStar Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, New titles, Previews, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, WildStar  At my look of the wasp-waisted, big-eyed bunny girl with the crazy long tail, I rolled my eyes and dismissed the game as silly. For about 10 seconds. By the time I got to the end of the trailer, the self-deprecating sense of humor and quirky style had sucked me right in. I watched pretty carefully for more information and was eager to get a firsthand look at WildStar at this year's PAX Follow along after the jump to see what I found out. Continue reading PAX 2011: Massively's hands-on with WildStar
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| PAX 2011: Funcom discusses The Secret World's PvP, ARG, and more Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, News items, PvE, The Secret World  From missions to PvP to character progression, the team had a lot to say. For the full details on both small- and large-scale PvP, skill progression, and the game's ARG and puzzle elements, head on past the cut. Continue reading PAX 2011: Funcom discusses The Secret World's PvP, ARG, and more
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| Posted: 31 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, TERA, Dungeons  The devs told us we'd be facing a pair of BAMs as a 5-man group. After a good deal of japes regarding whose fault it is in the case of a wipe (for the record, it's totally the healer's), we jumped right into the dungeon. And then, chaos. I had hardly any time to read my abilities' tooltips, so for the first couple of pulls I was just spamming buttons and praying for the best. How did the rest of the dungeon play out for my poor, inexperienced self? Follow me after the cut and I'll tell you allllll about it. Continue reading PAX 2011: Hands-on with TERA
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| The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO made by Rockstar Games? Posted: 31 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Ahem. Anyway. You could say I'm a fan of the studio. And while I'm completing yet another play-through of GTA IV, I can't help but think about how well Rockstar might be able to do a massively multiplayer, persistent online world. I'm not talking about a game made like a Rockstar game (like APB: Reloaded); I'm talking about any subject matter being turned into an MMO by Rockstar Games. So I know I want to see a Rockstar MMO, but what about you? Should it stick to what it knows best (amazing single-player games) or join the BioWares of the world and make an MMO once and for all?  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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| Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond meets fundraising goals, updates FAQ Posted: 30 Aug 2011 07:00 PM PDT  The devs have issued a press release proclaiming the success story and are drafting a FAQ document designed to get more information out there to potential investors (and eventually, players). The latest version of the FAQ is viewable on the official website, and we've included a few highlights for you here:
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| MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me Posted: 30 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Opinion, Mobile, Casual, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility  "You write about games... on your phone?" "Yes, massively multiplayer games." "Huh?" Luckily there are many new ones that offer a much more robust gaming experience. I can proudly show people examples of games like Order and Chaos Online, Star Legends or Illyriad. Of course, I sift through many poor examples before I get to the good ones. So let's take this opportunity to discuss what I think makes for a good game. Click past the cut and feel free to add your ideas in the comments section! Continue reading MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me
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| City of Heroes Freedom announces VIP head start, Level Pact changes Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Miscellaneous  City of Heroes Freedom is on the horizon, and it will allow players to get a taste of the super-powered fun without paying a dime. However, Paragon Studios has promised that its VIP subscribers would continue to reap benefits for their loyalty to the game. The first of these benefits is a head start on the official launch of City of Heroes Freedom. While the studio hasn't yet given a start date for the head start, VIP subscribers can rest assured that their loyalty will not go unrewarded. In addition to this news, Paragon has also announced that Level Pacts will be seeing some changes "in order to have them work within the constraints of the upcoming systems." During the VIP head start, Level Pacts will remain active. However, at the end of the event, Level Pacts will be disabled until the team has the opportunity to revisit and redesign them. So, as Paragon sums it up, Level Pacts created before or during the VIP head start will continue to work, but after the game's launch, new Level Pacts will not be available. So get your pacts up and running now if you want to take advantage of them at the launch of City of Heroes Freedom.
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| Protect Isengard with the new LotRO Guardian dev diary Posted: 30 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  It's time for another Lord of the Rings Online developer diary, and this time around the Guardian is up to bat. So what's in store for the plate-wearing, shield-toting class come Rise of Isengard? Well, of course Turbine realizes that many Guardians are tanks first and foremost, and it will ensure that Guardians are able to continue tanking with the best of them. On top of that, however, some passes are being made to increase Guardian DPS, which Turbine feels is substandard. In order to accomplish this, they will be raising Guardian DPS "in a behind-the-scene fashion." This means that many abilities, such as Guardian's Ward, will simply "do more damage inherently as the Guardian levels up from 65," and Guardians will also be granted some additional damage from their shield abilities thanks to increased Shield Use rating from new Legendary Traits. If you're interested in the finer details, the full list of skill changes can be found in the full dev diary.
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| EVE Online dev blog hints at new economic datastream Posted: 30 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crafting  To make a long story short, CCP is getting ready to take the wraps off a new datastream that will "give EVE players access to historical time series on items sold in the main EVE market hubs." What does that mean? In a nutshell, "more data, more knowledge, more power to the pod pilots of New Eden." The final presentation format for the data dump has yet to be decided, but the initial test run is available in your choice of files types (CSV or SQL). You can read more specifics at the official EVE website.
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| One Shots: Look at my horse, my horse is amazing Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Age of Conan, One Shots  I wanted you to see this one because it's a bug that I find hilarious in Age of Conan. When you zone, your mount is there, but it's invisible. Enjoy this one; it's been around since the game first came out.We're revisiting an old favorite of One Shots this week: bug week. Whether it's unwanted guests in cutscenes, funny graphic glitches, or a prank you played on a buddy, we want to see. Send your screenshots in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature them in next week's One Shots!
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| Proposed Fallen Earth F2P chart separates the scavengers from the commanders Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic  Similar to other F2P charts we've seen, this boasts a variety of subscription levels, from the F2P "Scavenger" to the ultra-deluxe "Commander." The good news is that a majority of the game would, under this matrix, become simply free to all, including all zones, all levels, and skills. Free players will face a few restrictions, including crafting limitations, no access to global chat, only one character slot, and a slower rate of gaining XP and AP. The better subscription levels offer discounts to the game's store, faster progress in the game, monthly gifts, and a full range of features. Subscribers will also receive an in-game "aura," that will allow them to share some of these bonuses with their less-fortunate F2P brothers and sisters. No prices have been attached to this chart, and it could be subject to change between now and the F2P conversion, which should happen sometime between October and December.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: More nuna bites Posted: 30 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon  As I did in the last nuna bites segment, I'd like to take a moment to discuss some of the smaller bits of news that you may have missed. At the same time, I would also like to weigh in on the same-gender-romance-arc subject because it is important, and I would like others to feel comfortable about expressing their personal viewpoints on the subject too. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: More nuna bites
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| Embers of Caerus: 'MMO guilds suck' Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Guilds, New titles, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  "For that part traditional MMORPG guilds have done their job, and they haven't done it badly, but it can certainly be improved," the team writes. It's their opinion that guilds are a little too exclusive and inflexible, not allowing players to mingle in multiple groups as they would in real life. Using Facebook as an example of how people categorize friends into different groups, the devs show that we have grown to expect flexibility in structuring our relationships and social circles. It's the opinion of the team that MMOs should evolve with the times to include the same types of features: "Once we break the bonds of traditional guilds, and work instead to define ways to organise and control our relationships and groups, the possibilities are pretty much endless." Embers of Caerus plans to allow players as much flexibility as possible in their goals and their social groupings, so that an adventurer could be part of both a thieving guild and a merchant troupe if so desired. The title is only a few weeks into development at this point. [Thanks to the good folks on the Massively forums for bringing this to our attention!]
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| gPotato partners with Overwolf for social media client Posted: 30 Aug 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous  The software features an integrated web browser, Facebook, Twitter, MSN, and Skype support, as well as the ability to record and share in-game videos and screenshots. gPotato's in-game client is customized and optimized for its stable of free-to-play games, and you can see the service in action via the beta that is currently attached to Aika Online.
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