MMO Updates |
- GDC Austin 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback
- GDC Austin 2011: CCP talks community management
- GDC Austin 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model
- THQ releases flood of new details for Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online
- Introducing Shadowrun Online
- EverQuest joins Ultima Online in GDCOA's Hall of Fame
- The Daily Grind: Do you prefer historical settings?
- Nexon looking to purchase Freestyle developer
- Funcom signs on for Extra Life charity event
- GDC Austin 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math
- Rusty Hearts rolls out an Awakening
- City of Heroes announces a player summit
- Wurm Online's studio changes its moniker
- GDC Austin 2011: Riot Games' Travis S. George talks game production
- A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Begin again again
- Massively Speaking Episode 169
- Warhammer sticking with its subscription model
- Enter at Your Own Rift: A six-month retrospective
- GDC Austin 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net
- Reporting from the front: Marv Wolfman on the chronicling of PlanetSide 2's war
- Choose My Adventure: What is this I don't even
- Turbine forums down, security breach rumors rampant
- EverQuest introduces pegasuses (pegasi?) to the Marketplace
- Eden Eternal update introduces Templar, player housing
- Free for All: Why these are my top five
- Warhammer 40K Dark Millennium Online launch date revealed
- WildStar design director Tim Cain joins Obsidian Entertainment
- RIFT introduces Ashes of History edition game upgrade [Updated]
| GDC Austin 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback Posted: 13 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Bugs, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous  Continue reading GDC Austin 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback
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| GDC Austin 2011: CCP talks community management Posted: 13 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Miscellaneous  When it comes to crisis management, she stressed that it's not an exact science, that it's hard to pick apart post-analyses, and that one CM's experience is very different from another. She chose to use Tylenol as a key example of correct response to crisis. Back in 1982, a killer inserted cyanide into Tylenol bottles, thus murdering several people. Tylenol wasn't at fault, but the company reacted correctly by pulling all bottles from the shelves, recalling the product, adding tamper-resistant packaging, and discounting prices after the fact. The company's quick action restored the trust of the consumers. Who did it wrong? BP. That company shirked responsibility, waited two days before making a statement, lied about the extent of the damage, and failed to execute a clear clean-up plan fast enough. In a crisis, whether it's in game or in real life, the key is to prepare in advance. Continue reading GDC Austin 2011: CCP talks community management
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| GDC Austin 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model Posted: 13 Oct 2011 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous  Schubert wanted to call the talk "Moving Beyond Double Coding," which is a term that comes from cartoons, of all places. Double coding is content that reaches two different groups of people at the same time. Looney Tunes, for example, would entertain both adults and kids because the writers and animators designed it so. With MMOs, Schubert says that devs are often trying to double code the games for both casual and hardcore players. This is where the well-known slogan "easy to play, hard to master" originates. He held up Blizzard as a primary example of this model. Blizzard's "donut," as Schubert calls it, has a casual outer ring and a hardcore center for both types of players. By double coding, Blizzard ensures that casual players can invite their hardcore friends to experience the game and vice-versa. However, this model is faltering, and Schubert pinpoints why after the jump!
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| THQ releases flood of new details for Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online Posted: 13 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Warhammer 40k  We've got good news for you though: THQ has released a huge list of data on design, gameplay, classes and races, and much more. The information ranges from all-encompassing, such as talk of art style and who is involved in development, to very specific, such as a party size of five, raid size of 50, and level cap of 60. There's plenty more for eager fans: dual-wielding pistols and melee weapons (including chain swords), classes with three specialties, a crashed space hulk ripe for exploration, and much more. Strategy Informer has the complete summary, so head over there for your full Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online fix!
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| Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Browser  Shadowrun Online players will split their game time between prepping missions and carrying them out. While some of the maps will require all-out action efforts, others will require stealth, hacking, and even magic. Between fights, players will seek out contacts, prepare spells, and purchase gear to improve their odds when the time comes. Shadowrun Online is in pre-production and the team hopes to get it into full development by November. It is planned to be a browser-based title, and Cliffhanger is drawing from Shadowrun alumni efforts to keep the game in line with the franchise. The company is still looking for partners to help with publishing and distributing.
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| EverQuest joins Ultima Online in GDCOA's Hall of Fame Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage  EverQuest was chosen for its lengthy advancements in MMO gaming, including it's focus on raiding and guild improvements. It now joins old-time competitor Ultima Online as the only other title in GDCOA's Hall of Fame. Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley graciously accepted the honor: "When we set out to create EverQuest, many felt it was an unattainable stretch of the imagination. As it turns out, EverQuest exceeded even our wildest expectations. Twelve years later, we are about to release its 18th expansion, and have big plans for its future. We are incredibly proud of its impact on the industry and the community we have built. Tonight's honor is a testament to the hard working individuals who have contributed to EverQuest -- both past and present."
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| The Daily Grind: Do you prefer historical settings? Posted: 13 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Real life, Culture, Events, real-world, Lore, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Dark Age of Camelot certainly saw its share of success pairing real-world European legend and modern 20th-century fantasy, while its cousin Imperator, set in a futuristic Roman Empire, was canceled in favor of another Mythic game. World of Tanks thrives off historical realism, whereas the upcoming The Secret World is making an art-form of layering myth over mundane. Still, history-flavored games are very much in the minority, perhaps because they allow studios much less freedom of lore design. What do you think -- do historical (or pseudo-historical) MMOs work for you? Do you prefer pure escapism, or would you rather play in a "home-turf" setting whose real-world backstory is your own?  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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| Nexon looking to purchase Freestyle developer Posted: 12 Oct 2011 09:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Legal, Miscellaneous  Followers of the industry will no doubt notice that this is an ongoing pattern with Nexon's recent acquisition, as the Seoul-based company has purchased a variety of other South Korean development studios in recent months, as well as a Spanish development studio. What this would mean for the games in North America or for the industry as a whole is unclear as of yet, although it would certainly be another installment of Nexon solidifying its MMO catalogue.
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| Funcom signs on for Extra Life charity event Posted: 12 Oct 2011 08:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  Here's how it works: You'll need to register with Extra Life and collect pledges from friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else you come across. Then you can join either the Age of Conan or Anarchy Online in-game event and try to stay awake. What's in it for you? Well, aside from doing the right thing to help a bunch of kids in need, you might win beta access to The Secret World. While you're at it, don't forget to follow Massively's own Beau Hindman (and donate as much as you're able) as he embarks on his own Extra Life marathon.
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| GDC Austin 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math Posted: 12 Oct 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Endgame, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous  Continue reading GDC Austin 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math
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| Rusty Hearts rolls out an Awakening Posted: 12 Oct 2011 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Trailers, Video, Expansions, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  There's a lot to explore in this update, and so it wouldn't be complete without a trailer showing off all of the action-based, cel-shaded goodness. Jump on past the break to take a look at the full trailer, and you can log into the game right now to start enjoying all of the update -- or perhaps just messing around with your hairstyle without the cash shop for a while. (Yes, that's one of the update features.) [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] Continue reading Rusty Hearts rolls out an Awakening
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| City of Heroes announces a player summit Posted: 12 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play  While the details of what will take place at the summit are currently under wraps, the announcement promises that players will have a chance to chat with developers, attend special panels just for the summit, and walk away with a few extra goodies. It might be a bit of a trek if you're not already in the area, but if you're a longtime player of the game, it might be worth a trip to the West Coast just to see what will be on the agenda for the summit.
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| Wurm Online's studio changes its moniker Posted: 12 Oct 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Wurm Online, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  According to the website, the name Onetoofree was always intended to be a temporary one and was too annoying to relay to people vocally (as you'd always have to spell it out). The old title also gave no strong impression as to what the studio was like or did. Code Club fits the team's visions and is aiming to be identified as an "exotic-style" company. After all, according to its site the company serves "hot coffee and cold drinks in our spacious jungle lounge." Because the name change hurts the company's Google rankings, the studio asked that everyone in the world -- or at least dedicated fans -- start Googling "Code Club" instead.
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| GDC Austin 2011: Riot Games' Travis S. George talks game production Posted: 12 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, News items  Gamasutra has its hands on a new interview with Riot Games' lead producer Travis S. George, straight from GDC Austin 2011. In the interview, George goes into the finer points of game production and outlines five habits into which producers can find themselves falling if they aren't careful. These habits are things like writing down tasks and documentation or resolving all conflicts; in sum, they're all things that sound harmless, or even benevolent. George warns that the true danger comes when the five habits are combined, like some kind of bizarro-game-production-Captain-Planet. It's a truly interesting piece for anyone interested in game production or design, and let's be honest: There are worse people to learn from than the lead producer of Riot Games. For the full technical details, click on over to the full article.
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Begin again again Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter  Unfortunately, I am also a recidivist. When I talked about the latest update, more than a few commenters called me out, rightly, on the fact that I hadn't really played through much of the new content that the issue had to offer. So I decided that now was the time. I was going to make myself two new characters -- one hero, one villain -- and I was going to see what the new experience was like. And I was going to do so while smoking because it seemed somehow appropriate. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Begin again again
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| Massively Speaking Episode 169 Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, Culture, Opinion, Humor, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous  Also, if you want an invite to Glitch, send Shawn or Rubi an email. There are only three available from each of us, so first come, first served! Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to shawn@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes.  Massively Speaking is the official podcast of Massively.com. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer, Massively Speaking takes on the week's biggest news and dev interviews with plenty of opinion, rants, and laughs thrown in for good measure. Join us every Wednesday afternoon to listen in and see what we'll say next!Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 169
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Warhammer sticking with its subscription model Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:45 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play  "Right now, we're focused on Wrath of Heroes as our free-to-play offering in the Warhammer universe," Evans said at this week's GDC. "We believe in the community of players who are playing Age of Reckoning. Yes, we could have attracted a lot of players to it [via F2P], but it's unclear how long you'll keep them. We wanted to support our game as it currently exists."
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| Enter at Your Own Rift: A six-month retrospective Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift  In this week's Enter at your own Rift, we'll journey back to beta and look at some of the peaks and valleys as it reached its six-month milestone. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: A six-month retrospective
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| GDC Austin 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, War, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, World of Battleships  What a difference a year makes. Today, World of Tanks has weathered a successful launch, surpassing five million registered players in August and setting a Guinness World Record for simultaneous player connections at 91,311. Retail boxes are now arriving in stores, and game updates have come at a steady pace. On top of that, the company is working on World of Warplanes and World of Battleships as it expands on its wartime MMO series. This week at GDC Austin, Massively had a chance to talk to Vice President of Public Relations in North America Bryan Davies and PR Manager Arthur Pratapopau, and they shared some news about all three titles. Read on for highlights from the interview. Continue reading GDC Austin 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net
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| Reporting from the front: Marv Wolfman on the chronicling of PlanetSide 2's war Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Lore, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Interviews, PlanetSide 2  To answer this, we sat down with famed comic writer Marv Wolfman, who has once again teamed up with the MMO studio to provide the backstory for PlanetSide 2 in the form of several short stories (the first of which can be read on the official site right now). Wolfman, who has been working on this project for several months already, sees story as essential to the game experience. "Sooner or later, you want to know why you're here and doing what you're doing," he explained. The first PlanetSide had a paper-thin backstory that tended to escape the attention of most of the players, which is why SOE is trying to give this "reimaging" a solid grounding in lore. Sure, not every player cares about it, but for the ones that do, being able to read about the history of the world and the reason behind the conflict is important. PlanetSide 2 isn't just a mindless shooter to the company but a war with depth, meaning, struggles, and purpose. This is where Wolfman comes in to work his wordsmithing magic. Hit the jump as we investigate the scope of these stories and how you wish you had a history class that covered war in such a cool way. Continue reading Reporting from the front: Marv Wolfman on the chronicling of PlanetSide 2's war
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| Choose My Adventure: What is this I don't even Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Polls, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Opinion, Massively meta, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous  Where am I? What's going on? How did I get here? I'm so confused! Oh, uh, hi there. I'm Matt, or as most of you probably know me, the new guy. It looks like I'm next on the chopping block for Choose My Adventure, and I am contractually obligated to say that I was in no way coerced, blackmailed, or threatened into doing this column. Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with it. A bit about my MMO history: I've played everything. All right, super. That being said, I don't always play everything a whole lot, and right now I'm what you call "between games." That's where y'all come in. Help me out of my MMO slump by forcing me at gunpoint to play a game of your choosing. It's that simple! My playstyles vary wildly, and I can easily go from carebear PvE to hardcore PvP to melodramatic RP depending on which game I'm unceremoniously thrust into. So do your worst, Massively readers. If you're interested in knowing the logic behind the games I chose for the poll, read on past the cut. Otherwise, skip straight to the voting bit and be sure to get your votes in by 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 14th. I'll see y'all again next week! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: What is this I don't even
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| Turbine forums down, security breach rumors rampant Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, News items, Free-to-play, Rumors  A Casual Stroll to Mordor reports that Turbine has brought down the Lord of the Rings Online official forums due to a "potential issue in the forum system." But of course, in the MMO world, you can't just bring forums down without starting a few conspiracy theories. Rumors abound that the forum outage may be linked to some sort of security breach. Of course, we repeat, and please do listen when we say, this is only a rumor and in no way has it been verified. If and when it is verified or dismissed, we promise to let you know. Until then, please remain calm and carry on. That is all.
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| EverQuest introduces pegasuses (pegasi?) to the Marketplace Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Business models, News items  Citizens of Norrath, have you ever wanted to soar about the land on the back of a horse that, inexplicably, has wings? If you answered yes, then you think about some awfully specific things. Also, you're in luck. Sony Online Entertainment has announced that your dreams can now come true, as a number of pegasus mounts have been added to EverQuest's Marketplace. Yeah, that's right, it's going to cost you a bit of cash, but isn't it worth it to fly around on a frilly little equine-avian hybrid? Of course it is, now hush and go look at the pictures in the gallery below.
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| Eden Eternal update introduces Templar, player housing Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Aeria Games has been teasing Eden Eternal's latest update since late last month, and now it's finally live. Eden Eternal players get a smattering of new goodies with the new patch, from the Templar class to player housing. In addition, the level cap has been raised to level 60, and new maps and dungeons have been introduced to keep players entertained on the way to the top. To get in on the free-to-play action, head on over to Eden Eternal's official site. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
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| Free for All: Why these are my top five Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous  I decided to sit down and look at my top five most-played games over, say, this last month or two. I love analyzing my own playing because I am a pretty honest gamer. I will never feel obliged to a game or a group of friends; I never log in to grind or raid simply because everyone else does. If I find a game boring, or if it doesn't work out for any number of reasons, I don't play it. Click past the cut to see my list and be sure to leave your top five games in the comments! (If you play that many.) Continue reading Free for All: Why these are my top five
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| Warhammer 40K Dark Millennium Online launch date revealed Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, News items, Warhammer 40k  Purge the heretics! Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium Online has received a launch date. The game's page on THQ's official site marks the game down for release on March 31st, 2013. That's all the news we've got for now, but keep your eye out for more information in the (grim darkness of the) future! [Thanks to Andru for the tip!]
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| WildStar design director Tim Cain joins Obsidian Entertainment Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, WildStar  It would appear that Carbine Studios is down one great talent, as the studio's former Design Director, Fallout designer Tim Cain, has departed for greener pastures. The news was discovered via Cain's Linkedin account, confirming rumors of his departure that abounded over the summer. Greener pastures, in this case, means Obsidian Entertainment, which is perhaps best-known for Neverwinter Nights 2, Knights of The Old Republic 2, and Fallout: New Vegas. The studio is currently working on a game based on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time book series. While it's unknown whether or not Cain will be returning to his old stomping grounds of the Fallout universe, it would be considerably apropos. As for Carbine, it remains to be seen who will replace Cain in the position of Design Director, but here's to hoping it's someone who can do justice to the promising sci-fi MMO.
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| RIFT introduces Ashes of History edition game upgrade [Updated] Posted: 12 Oct 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, News items, RIFT  Did you miss out on the RIFT collector's edition? Are you jealous of all the people riding around on their fancy tartagon mounts? Of course you aren't, because they look dumb. You could grab the collector's edition for an extra $10, but maybe you'd like to one-up those people and their testudine rides. Or perhaps you just want to grab a few extra goodies to help you out in Telara. Well, boy-howdy are you in luck. Trion Worlds has introduced the new RIFT: Ashes of History edition. This new upgrade, available for $10, includes a new spindrel mount, a portable banker, and a faction tabard for each of your characters, making the upgrade perfect for those looking for a little extra convenience and cosmetic enhancement, but not-so-perfect for the arachnophobic. If you want to shell out a bit for some fancy swag, the Ashes of History edition upgrade can be purchased at RIFT's official site. [Thanks to Scott for the tip!] [Update: Trion has also announced a freebie weekend starting tomorrow, October 13th, and running through Monday morning. How's that for incentive to buy the upgrade?]
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