MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: Resolutions, Baggins and Took-style
• WRUP: Remaining a horrible person edition
• The Daily Grind: When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit?
• Betawatch: December 31, 2011 - January 6, 2012
• SWTOR's 1.1 patch adds anti-aliasing, level 50 Flashpoint
• World of Warcraft is going down in Europe... in price, that is
• CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest
• Fallen Earth lays the foundation for 2012 in its January state of the game address
• Storyboard: Let the gate be
• Some Assembly Required: A virtual world roundup

The Road to Mordor: Resolutions, Baggins and Took-style Posted: 07 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor Mmm... smell that? It's the smell of a fresh new year, that is! Rolled right off the factory floor with no dings, the warranty still intact, and a tank full of gas and dreams. Makes one want to abandon the routine and head out onto the open road, does it not? I'm one of those old fuddy-duddys who actually does New Year's resolutions, whether or not I'm actually capable of keeping them. I think it's important to try to better oneself and keep reaching for higher goals and standards, and if a new year is a convenient excuse to get my butt in gear, then I'm not complaining. So right now I'm staring at a field of endless potential for Lord of the Rings Online in 2012. I've actually been giving it a lot of thought -- what do I want out of this year? As LotRO heads toward its fifth anniversary, is there really anything new left that I haven't experienced? And what the heck am I going to write about for 52 more weeks? Never fear because the more I pondered, the more I realized that there's plenty of content yet to plunder (plus, of course, whatever Turbine has up its sleeves for the year). So for today's column, I sat down and drew up a list of resolutions in two parts: "Bagginsish" resolutions that are all about fluff and creature comforts and "Tookish" resolutions that are more concerned with high adventure. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Resolutions, Baggins and Took-style The Road to Mordor: Resolutions, Baggins and Took-style originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: Remaining a horrible person edition Posted: 07 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous We are horrible people. Well, OK, not all of us are horrible people -- I'm pretty sure that Justin is a good egg, for instance. But I know for sure that I'm a terrible person, and most of my resolutions for the next year don't even touch on fixing any of that. It's another year of being morally and fiscally irresponsible, cursing in front of children, putting my foot in my mouth, and laughing at fart jokes for me. Stick with your strengths, right? Anyway, it's time for the first edition of WRUP for the new year, and clearly nothing has changed. After all, it's still a recounting of what the Massively staff will be up to over the weekend, complete with our own resolutions for the new year as they pertain to gaming. So jump on past the cut to see what we're up to, and let us know what you'll be doing on this first full weekend of the year in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Remaining a horrible person edition WRUP: Remaining a horrible person edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Image Source

The Daily Grind: When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit? Posted: 07 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Bugs, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Trouble has been brewing this week over a Star Wars: The Old Republic "exploit" in which people use seemingly legitimate (but perhaps unintended) game mechanics to tip the balance of the game in their favor. Of course, this is nothing new to veteran MMO players, who have seen hundreds, even thousands, of such loopholes and bugs spackled and patched since first MMO came online. Entire World of Warcraft guilds have been banned, however temporarily, for "exploiting" poorly coded raid AI, for example. I've always felt that it's the game company's responsibility to counter loopholes before anyone takes advantage of them; the onus should be on the developer, not the player, to set the rules of the game using hardcoded mechanics. The players can't be expected to suss out the game-designers' intent, after all. Other gamers believe that "exploiters" really ought to know better and deserve whatever punishments the game's GMs mete out. What do you think? When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit? 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! The Daily Grind: When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Betawatch: December 31, 2011 - January 6, 2012 Posted: 06 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous This week as promised, the North American open beta test for Wakfu got underway. We also learned of Trion's new beta-status iOS app for RIFT, listened to the Eligium devs explains why the "testing" part of beta testing actually matters, and uncovered how Funcom's The Secret World, currently still in closed beta, might bring the company out of its slump. Enjoy our whole Betawatch list after the break! Continue reading Betawatch: December 31, 2011 - January 6, 2012 Betawatch: December 31, 2011 - January 6, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR's 1.1 patch adds anti-aliasing, level 50 Flashpoint Posted: 06 Jan 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Bugs, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic's next big update is live on the game's public test shard. BioWare says that the 1.1 patch is chock full of bug fixes and is "the first of many content updates" for the sci-fi MMO. New stuff includes a level 50 Flashpoint (Kaon Under Siege) and four new bosses for Operation: Karagga's Palace. Also of note is an anti-aliasing option in the preferences menu and a correction for the problems plaguing Kira Carsen's affection conversations. The full patch notes are viewable on the official SWTOR website. SWTOR's 1.1 patch adds anti-aliasing, level 50 Flashpoint originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 1.1 patch notes

World of Warcraft is going down in Europe... in price, that is Posted: 06 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, MMO industry, News items Reports of the demise of World of Warcraft have been greatly exaggerated, but the price of the game is falling. This isn't entirely unexpected, but the game's two more recent expansions have just seen a significant drop in their EU prices, with Wrath of the Lich King dropping to €19.99 and Cataclysm dropping to €29.99. If you've been playing the game in Europe but have yet to pick up the later expansions, this might be your incentive. While some retailers have instituted their own price cuts in the time since the release of these expansions, these latest price drops come from the upper management at the company rather than being a limited-time sale or a reduction of overstock. The price move seems to be a result of the newly free-to-play nature of the early game and the upcoming Mists of Pandaria. No word yet on whether or not a similar official price drop will be mirrored in the US. World of Warcraft is going down in Europe... in price, that is originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official Announcement Via: WoW Insider

CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest Posted: 06 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, News items At the end of March, it's time for EVE Online players the world over to once again come together in their shared love of backstabbing, corporate management, and monocles. Yes, the EVE Fanfest is approaching swiftly, and if you're planning to head over to Iceland for the event, now is probably the time to start making some plans about how to get there. Fortunately, CCP Games has made some accommodations for players so that getting to the event and in the door can be a wee bit easier. Tickets to the event can be purchase from the game's account management page, with a special early bird discount available through the end of January and bulk discounts on groups of 5-10 tickets. You can also book Fanfest activities through the same purchase page, allowing you to save time when you actually get on the ground. There are also deals available for players flying in via Icelandair, making it easier than ever to get to the convention -- a welcome change for the legions of fans not already based there. CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE Fanfest details

Fallen Earth lays the foundation for 2012 in its January state of the game address Posted: 06 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Previews, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries Senior Game Designer Marie Croall sounded the klaxons and ran up the flag for the wastelanders of Fallen Earth in the latest state of the game address. For her and the team, it's time to shake off the ravages of holidays and get to work on laying the foundation for the game in 2012. Croall says that this month players should expect to get the ability to use bombs in Territory Control, which should change things up somewhat. The Territory Control PvP feature will be significantly expanded in the months afterward as well. Also on tap for the near future are additional mid-level quests, the augmentation system for customizing gear, improving the flow of starter areas, and better rare drops across the board. The art team is excited to move on to giving Haven a facelift much like the work the team did on the recent Embry Crossroads revamp. Perhaps the most intriguing is that Croall hints at a major top-secret project in the works: "This month we're also breaking ground on one of the biggest systems we've ever done. It's still too early to really get into details on but we'll make sure this one was worth waiting for." Fallen Earth lays the foundation for 2012 in its January state of the game address originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Fallen Earth blog

Storyboard: Let the gate be Posted: 06 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Over the past two weeks, I've been essentially playing politics. That's a bit glib, sure, but if you have a better term for arguing two sides of the same issue over the course of two separate essays, I'd love to hear it. Of course, turning around and arguing the other side of my own points is something that I've been doing for years now; it's really not surprising. For those of you just catching up, we've been discussing player-generated story in games -- whether it deserves to be the only form of story and whether or not it's any good at that goal. Today, I'm going to try to wrap up this discussion forever, or at least for the purposes of this little mini-discussion. That requires a bit of re-framing, since I think that like a lot of other issues, this one isn't nearly as monochromatic as we like to pretend it is. There are virtues to both sides, and the real danger lies not in preferring one but demonizing the other. Continue reading Storyboard: Let the gate be Storyboard: Let the gate be originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Some Assembly Required: A virtual world roundup Posted: 06 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Super-hero, Aion, Anarchy Online, City of Heroes, Darkfall, Dofus, EVE Online, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Final Fantasy XI, Flyff, Lord of the Rings Online, PlanetSide, Ryzom, Wurm Online, Opinion, Second Life, Star Trek Online, Ultima Online, Vanguard, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds, Mabinogi, Mortal Online, Wizard101, Runes of Magic, DC Universe Online, RIFT, Xsyon, Family, Post-Apocalyptic, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox If you are perusing this column, chances are you are a fan of virtual worlds and the sandbox genre. Join the club! (Dues will be due on the third Tuesday.) The aspect that compels many aficionados to delve into a game is the ability to make an impact on the world in some small respect instead of making them into Hive Member 1593072 running a static, predetermined gauntlet. How that impact is accomplished, however, varies; there are multiple features that can facilitate it, and which ones are considered most important depends on the player. With the loss of one of the best sandbox games just last month, some players may be feeling a void. Others still are looking/hoping for the "ultimate" sandbox that contains nearly every virtual world feature. Certainly, there are some upcoming games that make some drool-worthy promises, but what about playing something now? There are actually games out on the market that have at least one aspect of the genre, if not more. To start off the new year, Some Assembly Required looks at some of the top features of virtual worlds and lists games that incorporate these features. While this list isn't exhaustive (considering the sheer number of games when you include all of the smaller free-to-play titles, I'd run out of column space!), it is a comprehensive enough overview to point you toward some games worth playing that perhaps you hadn't considered before. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: A virtual world roundup Some Assembly Required: A virtual world roundup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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General gaming

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• Review: NFL Blitz Serves Up Violence With a Side of Football
• Five Cancelled Games You Never Knew About
• Steam Experiences Another Year of Sales Growth in 2011
• PlayStation Boss Kaz Hirai to Become Sony's President - Report
• Xbox 360 Successor, PS4 to be Revealed at E3 - Report
• Following PR Blunder, Avenger Controller Makes a Child's Play Donation

Review: NFL Blitz Serves Up Violence With a Side of Football Posted: 06 Jan 2012 06:00 PM PST If the impending conclusion to the NFL season is giving you a case of the crazy eyes, it might be a good idea to take your aggression out on NFL Blitz, EA's addition to (formerly) Midway's hyperviolent football series. This downloadable title features the same frantic action that fans of the franchise have loved for the past decade -- seriously, the exact same action. It's so faithful that playing it takes me back to the halcyon days of 1998 when we had dial-up internet, a Clinton in the White House, and Chumbawamba had a bright future ahead of them. The only thing missing from this iteration is the post play grab-assing which allowed you to brawl for a few moments before the play selection screen reappeared. Evidently the NFL didn't want their sport -- which is built upon the pillars of violence -- to be marred by such behavior. Minutia aside, fans of the original home or arcade versions of NFL Blitz will be pleased to know that this current outing does the series justice. The basic game is still a fast paced, violently simplified take on the Sunday tradition, and this downloadable entry surprises with an impressive level of polish. The HUD and transition effects -- things too often ignored -- get presented with a certain sheen and flourish that enhances even the simplest menu navigation. Likewise, the announcers have just enough wit to keep me from muting my television -- which is a rarity for sports games. While the core mechanics of the game may be carried over from the late '90s, the presentation makes it clear that this is a Blitz for today's gamer. This fact is further pronounced in the plethora of different modes. The Blitz Gauntlet charges you with climbing a ladder of opponents similar to how you would in a classic Mortal Kombat title. Every few victories against NFL teams rewards you with a Boss Fight: four quarters against a squad comprised of hot dogs, Neanderthals, and other assorted macho warriors. These specific matches take a page from NBA Jam by adorning the field with various power-ups, making the games even more frantic.

Five Cancelled Games You Never Knew About Posted: 06 Jan 2012 03:46 PM PST Feature Share it: Tweet Five Cancelled Games You Never Knew About 1UP's exclusive look at five discarded projects from five legendary developers. By: Bob Mackey January 6, 2012 Though we'd like to believe legendary game developers exist in a lawless world rife with boundless potential, the untold millions funneled into their projects provide a compelling reason to keep these talented folks on a tight leash. After all, it only takes a single slip-up before you go from designing triple-A system-sellers to working in a dank pachinko warehouse under a guy with elaborate tattoos and a conspicuously missing pinky finger. Even if you manage to whip up a basket of innovative, untested gameplay mechanics, they won't go far beyond the prototype stage without first winning over the slack-jawed masses enticed into a focus group with the promise of free Baconators and access to indoor plumbing. And while these half-formed ideas usually end up buried in Disney-style vaults, 1UP's vast array of resources and lack of shame over dumpster-diving has given us access to five unproduced projects from five mega-talented game developers. It's a shame we'll never get to play any of these for ourselves, but we can at least feel relieved that the next time we drop a quarter into a panhandler's crumpled hat, it won't belong to someone who once held court over GDC. Shigeru Miyamoto - Wii Scrimshaw It's no secret that Miyamoto's games often draw inspiration from his actual life. From the wonder of exploring caves as a child (The Legend of Zelda), to the horrors of adult-style weigh-ins (Wii Fit), to the questionable effects of waving your arms around like a person covered in deadly bees (Wii Music), the pastimes of Nintendo's Godfather have made many appearances in the company's most popular titles. But Miyamoto's latest hobby didn't promise the same joys usually attached to the dalliances of a bored multi-millionaire. Based on Miyamoto's love of carving elaborate 18th Century tableaus onto whale bones, Wii Scrimshaw vowed to bring all the fun of this lost art to a casual audience -- though its implicit anti-whale message and costly pack-in ivory Wii-mote caused stockholders to send at least 80 "warning bricks" through the windows of Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters. A sad fate for a game wrapped up in the throes of cultural relativism. After all, what rational person hasn't laid their eyes on a whale without pondering on the majesty, wonder, and many industrial uses of the valuable goo inside its skull? Tomonobu Itagaki - Dead or Alive Beach Babies

Steam Experiences Another Year of Sales Growth in 2011 Posted: 06 Jan 2012 03:12 PM PST Although it feels as though the market for digital PC games distribution is becoming more and more competitive, that hasn't stopped Steam from continuing to grow. The Valve-operated distribution service saw sales increase by over 100 percent in 2011 as compared with 2010. Remarkably, that's seven years in a row it has managed that feat, though it wasn't the only milestone Valve had to brag about. During the Steam Holiday Sale at the end of the year, Steam surpassed 5 million simultaneous players.

PlayStation Boss Kaz Hirai to Become Sony's President - Report Posted: 06 Jan 2012 01:35 PM PST The former president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Kaz Hirai, may soon be taking on the role of president once again, only this time it will be for the entirety of Sony. According to Japanese publication Nikkei (as reported by Mashable) Hirai will soon be promoted to the role of president of Sony Corporation, a position he may assume as soon as this April. Current president Howard Stringer would vacate the role but continue on as CEO and chairman.

Xbox 360 Successor, PS4 to be Revealed at E3 - Report Posted: 06 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST According to the latest report regarding the inevitable successors to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, not one but both are set to be revealed at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. This news comes from industry sources speaking with MCV. No details were shared regarding the specifics of what Sony or Microsoft will show, nor we do know the extent of what either has planned. While Nintendo will be further detailing the Wii U ahead of its release later this year, we don't know that either the third Xbox or PlayStation 4 will be coming out this year. As such, that means that both companies would still have ample time to continue unveiling aspects of their respective systems if they decide to only share a few tidbits at E3.

Following PR Blunder, Avenger Controller Makes a Child's Play Donation Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:32 AM PST Trying to make up for the PR disaster that happened just before the end of the year, the company behind the Avenger Controller, N-Control, has made a sizable donation to the Child's Play charity. N-Control was faced with a nightmare last week when an email chain between a customer named Dave and a PR/marketing rep working for the company was made public. Dave was looking to find out when his order of the PS3 Avenger Controller -- a modified PS3 controller that allows disabled gamers to use the controller's shoulder buttons -- would ship. Paul Christoforo, the rep in question, was of little help, and as the email chain goes on he can be seen becoming increasingly rude and aggressive, at one point saying, "You just got told bitch." (At other points he bragged about the connections he has, including the mayor of Boston, which shockingly turned out to be untrue.) Penny Arcade co-founder Mike Krahulik became involved after he was looped in on the emails and he, too, became Christoforo's target -- at least until Krahulik revealed to Christoforo just who he was.

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MMORPG News

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• Firefall: Typhon & Mourningstar Brought to Life
• Rift: Screenshot of the Week: RIFT Edition! Winner's Announcement
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Official SWTOR Video Review
• Rift: Greenscale’s Blight
• Wakfu: Cra Gameplay Trailer
• General: Developer Perspectives: We Plan To Fail

Firefall: Typhon & Mourningstar Brought to Life Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:19 AM PST Red5 Studios has a new video out showing how a pair of Firefall characters are being brought to life. Former American Gladiator Lee Reherman talks about becoming Typhon and viewers will also see the completed suit for Crystal Graziano's Mourningstar. Check it out!

Rift: Screenshot of the Week: RIFT Edition! Winner's Announcement Posted: 05 Jan 2012 03:04 PM PST Earlier this week we kicked off our inaugural edition of our new "Screenshot of the Week" community feature, this time focusing on RIFT themed screenshots. After reviewing all of your submissions this week we are excited today to announce our first "Screenshot of the Week" winner!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Official SWTOR Video Review Posted: 04 Jan 2012 07:00 PM PST Just in case you don't feel like reading, or in case you missed it in embedded in the Official Review itself, take a look at our video review of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Rift: Greenscale’s Blight Posted: 05 Jan 2012 03:51 PM PST In today's Chronicles of One Telaran, Caedryn the Dwarf continues his epic journey in Rift by exploring the second Chronicle, Greenscale's Blight. Find out what Caedryn discovered during his time amongst the Fae. Leave us a comment or two when you're finished!

Wakfu: Cra Gameplay Trailer Posted: 05 Jan 2012 09:26 AM PST Now that the official Wakfu open beta has kicked off in North America, Square Enix and Ankama Games wanted to show off the final class, the Cra. MMORPG.com has partnered with Square Enix and Ankama to bring our viewers the first ever gameplay video of the Cra in action. Enjoy!

General: Developer Perspectives: We Plan To Fail Posted: 05 Jan 2012 09:35 AM PST In today's Developer Perspectives, we take a look at the fact that any time a game is being created, failure will happen and that it can happen in so many different places. See why it's important for devs gird their loins in preparation for this and find out exactly what the 'bus factor' is and then let us know what you think in the comments.

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