MMO Updates |
- Jump into the Tribes: Ascend beta with a key from Massively
- The Sandbox interviews Repopulation developer
- Mabinogi prepping Merchant of Venice, offers three new levels of premium service
- Glyph Wakfu's Feca class a break, it rocks
- KingsIsle teasing new Wizard101 content
- EVE CEO: 'We are back in the spaceship business'
- Our interview with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida
- The Daily Grind: Do single-player games influence your MMO choices?
- DC Universe Online announces Legendary subscription plan
- The MMO Report: Purple tie edition
- Marvel Universe Online's newest addition is... not U.S.Agent
- Behind the Mask: Mind over matter
- Captain's Log: More on the economy
- CCP talks flying in space, says EVE is a healthy subscriber-based game
- Play Golden Age in style with a gift pack from Massively!
- Star Trek Online's Path to F2P highlights crafting changes
- Ask Massively: Several reasons edition
- Perpetuum adding distress beacons, relaxing trial restrictions
- The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMOs
- The Secret World's Dragon Week continues with new video, interview
- EVE Online adding implants to killmails
- Free Realms clocks 20 million players over two-and-a-half years [Update]
- Guild Wars 2 audio team heads to nuclear power plant for sound recording
- City of Heroes' Cord 'Thinktank' Carney details Dr. Kane's Mansion
- Wish granted: Nadirim launching next month
- Spiral Knights adds Shadow Lair boss content
- Digimon Masters launching October 25th
| Jump into the Tribes: Ascend beta with a key from Massively Posted: 21 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Giveaways  We've got something for those fans this morning. The team at Hi-Rez was kind enough to send us a handful of beta keys, and we're in a sharing mood. To get and apply your beta key, just visit our giveaway page to snag your key, then download the Hi-Command game installer. Launch the installer, then log in to your existing Global Agenda account (or create a new account via the installer). Click the "Tribes" tab, hit Enter, and follow the prompts to apply your beta key. Enjoy the beta, and join us in thanking the Hi-Rez gang for the beta keys! 
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| The Sandbox interviews Repopulation developer Posted: 21 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox  The themepark bells and whistles are front-loaded into the game in order to provide players with adequate tutorials. After that, Hall says, you're free to build your own nation, explore, and do whatever it is that tickles your creative fancy. Hall also gives a bit of detail on the size of the dev team ("four or five guys" at the moment) as well as some commentary on the Hero engine and various aspects of The Repopulation's gameplay. Head to the The Sandbox for the full show.
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| Mabinogi prepping Merchant of Venice, offers three new levels of premium service Posted: 21 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Economy, Patches, Free-to-play, Mabinogi  Mabinogi's commerce system offers players a way to experience the highs and lows of trading with a little danger thrown in for good measure. Players will start out with a limited amount of new currency, ducats, which can be used to buy and sell from trading posts. Newly minted traders will then have to transport the currency personally while coming under fire by bandits. Pull off enough successful trade routes, and awesome new weapons will become available to you! Nexon has also introduced a few new levels of premium service for players looking to enhance their Mabinogi experience. These optional services grant players additional inventory, free gifts, XP bonuses, and exclusive missions. As players wait for the launch of the update, Nexon is extending its free premium service for everyone to enjoy.
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| Glyph Wakfu's Feca class a break, it rocks Posted: 21 Oct 2011 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  Feca disciples utilize a mixture of protective shields and glyphs to protect themselves and lay down elemental law on enemies. They may not top the damage charts, but their durable nature and flexible spellcasting system allows Feca to fit in anywhere that's needed. Feca glyphs take a little bit of preparation to get going, but once they're up and running, they provide helpful area effects. Feca's water abilities focus on support, the fire branch is all about offense, and the earth branch is defensive in nature. It seems as though the Feca are geared toward jack-of-all-trades players, so if that fits the bill for you, you may be interested in reading more on this class in the latest Wakfu dev diary.
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| KingsIsle teasing new Wizard101 content Posted: 21 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Wizard101, Promotions  Take a look at the image above and put on your thinking caps. KingsIsle let slip the fact that this picture is the first in a series of three to be released over the next week or so, and there's some sort of message hidden in each image. As we understand it, all three will be needed to decipher the full message, which ultimately has something to do with some "mysterious upcoming new content." [Source: KingsIsle press release]
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| EVE CEO: 'We are back in the spaceship business' Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox  "We're really focused on making kick-ass EVE expansions in the more traditional way that we've done so many times in the past. What becomes of the store and Incarna is something that's not a big priority right now," he said. Petursson also has some interesting things to say about his own accountability during EVE's turbulent summer and the role of the player-run Council of Stellar Management. "I'm starting to get feedback from players that they worry the CSM is too pre-occupied by a certain playstyle. That might mean we may need to change the structure, but definitely the CSM has worked as a feedback tool greatly throughout the years," he explained. Head to Eurogamer for the full report.
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| Our interview with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  We were fortunate to have a chance to talk with the man at the head of all the changes, Naoki Yoshida, about the changes already put into place and the ones on the horizon. Past the break are Yoshida's opening remarks regarding the state of the game and the community as well as our questions, which covered everything from class balance to the end of the very extended free trial period. Continue reading Our interview with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida
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| The Daily Grind: Do single-player games influence your MMO choices? Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, DC Universe Online  Arkham City is so good, in fact, that it's made me patch my long-neglected DC Universe Online client just in case I feel like soaking up some more Gotham City atmospherics while I'm away from my Xbox 360. And how sad is that, seriously? Anyway, since this is the Daily Grind and not the daily-random-game-related-rambling, I'll cut to the chase in favor of the traditional question: Do single-player games influence your MMO playing?  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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| DC Universe Online announces Legendary subscription plan Posted: 20 Oct 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, News items, DC Universe Online  DC Universe Online's PlayStation 3 players are getting a new payment option for their DCUO fix today. Due to the game's imminent conversion to F2P, Sony Online Entertainment is introducing the Legendary subscription model. The Legendary model is DCUO's premium membership plan, and the only thing that has changed so far is the name. However, new features will be applied to the subscription once the game transitions to free-to-play, though no details have been released regarding what those features may be.
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| The MMO Report: Purple tie edition Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Video, MMO industry, News items, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous  After a quick dip into the mailbag, Casey ends on a serious note by pointing out his swanky purple duds are his way of showing support for bullied LGBT youth among the gaming populace. The next time you hear a slur in a game, Casey advises, you should demand to know why the hater's "intellect is in a constant state of debuff." All that and more embedded after the break! Continue reading The MMO Report: Purple tie edition
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| Marvel Universe Online's newest addition is... not U.S.Agent Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Universe Online  When Cable was revealed as the newest Marvel Universe Online hero, another mysterious character was teased in silhouette form. No, guys, it's not U.S.Agent. We know, we're just as shocked as you. In fact, it's his less-popular counterpart, Captain America. What a disappointment. All jests aside, it's now official: Cap is the newest addition to the MUO roster, bringing the total count up to four. So what do you think, Marvel fans? How is the roster shaping up so far, and who do you hope will be added next?
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| Behind the Mask: Mind over matter Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask  The Mind is the Silver answer to a dedicated support character, and it is perhaps by accident that she is also the most interesting and powerful archetype in the game. She combines team support, healing, survivability, DPS, and self-sustainability into one neat package that is literally unrivaled by any other archetype, free or otherwise. Unlike other archetypes, the Mind is too complex to be summarize by one article. She's an exceptionally varied creature with many options. Because the essential advantages in her build are pretty loose, she can get all of her key powers with a minimum of sacrifice. Hit the jump and I'll show you how playing the Mind is more like playing a freeform character and less like playing an archetype. Continue reading Behind the Mask: Mind over matter
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| Captain's Log: More on the economy Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Economy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log  Hello, computer (and players)! As I discussed last week, heated discussions surround Star Trek Online's change to a F2P hybrid model and planned game mechanics updates. While new updates are being pushed to the Tribble server for testing and feedback, many aspects are in a state of flux as such feedback is collected, evaluated, and implemented. The biggest area affected is the economy. While everyone has his own thoughts on the matter, Cryptic is leaving no feedback forum post unread -- the players will help shape these changes. Last week, we saw the push of another patch that seems to have made some giant strides toward solving some of the biggest concerns, including significant reductions in prices for most items and the return of free ship tokens for most ranks. Stephen D'Angelo, acting Executive Producer and Emergency Executive Producer Hologram (EEPH), explained: "Based on how rapidly we're getting data and revising the game, we're still probably two more weeks away from having the economy in a state that is close to good enough." Since he said a lot more in his recent dev blog post, I thought I should take some time to expound on it. Ensign, warp 10! Let's take a look at what else the EEPH had to say and break it down... Continue reading Captain's Log: More on the economy
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| CCP talks flying in space, says EVE is a healthy subscriber-based game Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox  In terms of CCP's bread-and-butter spaceship gameplay, Touborg confirms what all the company dev blogs have been saying lately, which is that EVE's flying-in-space elements are once again the top priority. "The number of people working on things related to flying in space has probably tripled, so we are ready to start delivering a load of content," he says. The interview also touches on EVE's payment model, and specifically, why CCP has resisted the urge to jump on the free-to-play bandwagon. "We are a really healthy, subscriber-based game," Touborg says. "Does that mean we will be a subscriber-based game in five or 10 years? Maybe not, but as it currently stands, we have 400,000 subscribers, and there's really no reason to turn that bucket upside-down."
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| Play Golden Age in style with a gift pack from Massively! Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Contests, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Giveaways  What's that you say? You're not in the closed beta? Well, fear not, because this is the most open closed beta ever. Aeria Games tells us that the closed beta is "open to everyone at this point," and we've got something to make your experience even more fun: goodie bags! Simply create a Golden Age beta account, log into the game, and click the "mall" button at the bottom of your screen. Select the "redeem code" option, enter your key, and your items will arrive in your in-game mailbox. What are the items? Follow along after the jump, then grab your code and enjoy some Golden Age goodies from Massively and Aeria Games!  Continue reading Play Golden Age in style with a gift pack from Massively!
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| Star Trek Online's Path to F2P highlights crafting changes Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Star Trek Online, Crafting  The Path to F2P continues for Star Trek Online, and this episode focuses on the recent update to crafting, which is now available on the Tribble server. Crafting basics remain unchanged: Players scour the galaxy for anomalies in order to gather samples, and then return to Memory Alpha or Qo'noS to craft those samples into useable items. Crafting is separated into tiers, with each tier composed of two (or in the case of tier five, three) levels of quality. For instance, tier one consists of Mark I and Mark II gear, while tier two consists of Mark III and Mark IV. As it stands, Marks I, III, V, and VII are crafted using samples only, while Marks II, IV, VI, VIII, IX, X, and XI require Refined Dilithium on top of the samples. As such, the Marks that require Dilithium will be of considerably higher quality than those that do not. For the full details on the new crafting system, head on over to the full post at STO's official site.
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| Ask Massively: Several reasons edition Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Patches, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous  Anyway, I can promise this week's answers in Ask Massively involve a larger number of reasons than does our header image. This week, the questions at hand are the reasons why players might choose to play on the test server and the reasons we're still knee-deep in elves, dwarves, and dragons. As always, if you'd like a question answered in a future edition of the column, just mail it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments. Continue reading Ask Massively: Several reasons edition
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| Perpetuum adding distress beacons, relaxing trial restrictions Posted: 20 Oct 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  The new gameplay adds a bit of PvE flavor to what is otherwise a PvP-focused title (or at least, a title in which the vast majority of the playerbase PvPs in some fashion), and Avatar is also adding new module tiers, which may be looted from the officers and commanders who respond to the distress beacon calls. Finally, Avatar's latest Perpetuum dev blog brings some good news for those of you looking to partake of the game's free trial. Most of the trial's restrictions are being lifted, and you'll now be able to do just about everything in the game with the exception of founding your own corporation and sending money to other players. Check out the game's website for all the details, and don't forget to have a look at the distress beacon video after the break. Continue reading Perpetuum adding distress beacons, relaxing trial restrictions
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| The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMOs Posted: 20 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Guild Wars, RuneScape, Free Realms, Champions Online, Wizard101, RIFT, Dragon Nest, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous  The truth is that MMOs are often very intimidating to the newcomer, and a bad first impression can push a player away for life. You have to contend with a typically busy user interface, you have to master keys and mouse buttons all over the place, you have to learn the lingo, you have to pick up skills on how to survive, and you have to do all of this almost all at once or risk feeling completely lost. This is why many MMO studios place such a priority on an excellent, welcoming tutorial experience. I can relate to the newbie because my first MMO was Anarchy Online. I've never felt so out of my depth than when I played that back in 2002, and I don't think I ever quite understood it all before I left. My second MMO, City of Heroes, was far more friendly to my newbish soul, and it was smooth sailing from there on out. For today's Perfect Ten, I want to highlight MMOs that I feel would be the best for a completely new player to experience. These are titles that combine a welcoming beginner journey, intuitive controls, a helpful community, and enough similarities with other video games to help the transition. Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMOs
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| The Secret World's Dragon Week continues with new video, interview Posted: 20 Oct 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, Lore, Previews, News items, The Secret World  Dragon Week is in full swing over at The Secret World, and today players get a double dose of Dragon with a new video and an interview with Ragnar Tørnquist. The video highlights a previous trailer's character -- referred to hereafter as Milkshake Girl -- and her initiation into the Dragon. Poor Milkshake Girl's idea of chaos prior to the Dragon was "a messy apartment," but disorderly living spaces have nothing on the Dragon concept of chaos, as the video points out. The interview focuses entirely on, surprise, the Dragon faction and the lore behind it. Tørnquist is reluctant to give away any juicy gameplay details, however, and refuses to reveal what faction-specific abilities the Dragon will have access to. But if you're a lore junkie, read on: Tørnquist discusses the hierarchy of the Dragon, the organization's modus operandi, the central characters of the faction, and the group's relation to the Templar, Illuminati, and the Council of Venice. So head on over to IGN for the full interview, jump past the cut for the video, and remember, Dragon Week isn't over yet. Check back tomorrow to see what else Funcom has in store. Continue reading The Secret World's Dragon Week continues with new video, interview
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| EVE Online adding implants to killmails Posted: 20 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Dev Diaries  In a new devblog, CCP Masterplan describes the introduction of one of EVE's most requested features: implants on pod killmails. When an escape pod is destroyed, a list of all the expensive implants installed in the corpse's head will be added to the currently blank killmail, letting players put a much more accurate value on successful kills. This comes as good news to corporations and alliances judging their war performance using killboard valuations.
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| Free Realms clocks 20 million players over two-and-a-half years [Update] Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Kids, Family  John Smedley is, of course, as pleased as punch: "This benchmark is an honor and a true testament of SOE's success with free-to-play games." It turns out that the PS3 was a godsend for the already hot title, as over three million additional console and PC players jumped on board the Free Realms train following new platform's release. While SOE didn't comment on how many of those new players stuck around after the entire system was taken offline for the better part of a month, this milestone speaks well to the game's popularity. The company is not releasing information as to how many of those 20 million are still actively playing the game. [Update: Clarified numbers on console players added after the PS3 launch.]
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| Guild Wars 2 audio team heads to nuclear power plant for sound recording Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2  Yep, you read that correctly -- the team took a two-hour drive to the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant to record some audio for Guild Wars 2. Why? Well, while the new ArenaNet offices have some fantastic sound facilities, you can't beat a huge concrete-and-metal building complete with 450-foot-wide cooling towers for some great sound effects. Audio Director James Ackley took his team and a pile of gear to the plant to record all sorts of sounds, including "tone sweeps, train-bys, monster sounds, and even Maclaine's best Eddie Van Halen impression on Rob's guitar," all enhanced to make the most of the unusual acoustics. The new blog entry has plenty of details on the trip as well as a three-minute video showing off some of the highlights of the trip. Check it out at the ArenaNet blog!
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| City of Heroes' Cord 'Thinktank' Carney details Dr. Kane's Mansion Posted: 20 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play  Halloween is almost here, and of course that means that many MMOs are gearing up for seasonal events. One of those MMOs is Paragon Studios' City of Heroes. A new addition to the festivities this year is Dr. Kane's Mansion, and World Designer Cord "Thinktank" Carney has taken time out of his busy schedule to talk a bit about the creation of City of Heroes' Halloween event and Dr. Kane's Mansion. One of the key challenges, Carney says, was balancing the event so that it's accessible to new players brought in by the game's free-to-play transition as well as ensuring that it isn't a cake-walk for veterans. Also of note is the task of making the event feel dynamic and alive by providing a variety of NPCs you can speak to, a multitude of triggered events, and so forth. For the full article on the making of Dr. Kane's Mansion, head on over to the official City of Heroes site.
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| Wish granted: Nadirim launching next month Posted: 20 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Free-to-play  Nadirim is Twisted Tribe's first MMO, and the company is placing high expectations on its future. "We wanted to create a game that stands out among browser games and we are on the right path. We'll be rolling out features and expansions throughout the year. We're focused on bringing players a magical gaming experience," said Twisted Tribe's Balazs Sipocz. As it is both a free-to-play title and fully playable within a browser, Nadirim is accessible as can be for the curious adventurer looking for a change of scenery. The beta process resulted in several changes and additions to the game, including PvP duels, better combat mechanics, and a bigger open world experience. Twisted Tribe is holding a contest to reward players for inviting friends into the game, and will be handing out in-game currency as prizes. If you're curious about what Nadirim is like, make sure to watch our Rise and Shiny recap of it from August. [Source: Twisted Tribe press release]
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| Spiral Knights adds Shadow Lair boss content Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Players who recover iron lockboxes have a chance to find shadow keys which can then be used to unlock one of several express elevators that lead right into the depths of the Shadow Lairs. The bosses themselves will provide "trickier, tougher boss fights [and] will challenge even the bravest, boldest, and best-equipped knights, presenting the greatest challenges the game has seen so far," according to a new Three Rings press release. There's more info available on the official Spiral Knights forums, and you can download the game via the official website.
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| Digimon Masters launching October 25th Posted: 20 Oct 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play  The game features "a deeper RPG experience, enhanced graphics, and adrenaline-pumping real-time combat," according to the latest Joymax press blurb. DMO will purportedly satisfy fans of the original Digimon television series too, as it features more than 1000 characters who appeared on the show during the first five seasons. Joymax says that Digimon Masters is faithful to both the original art design and the series' storyline, and you can learn more about the pet-centric RPG title at its official website. [Source: Joymax press release]
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