MMO Updates |
- Aeria reveals Lime Odyssey Turga cinematic
- Guild Wars 2 console version confirmed
- Editorial examines MMO mentoring, community dynamics
- New Secret World ARG puzzle hidden on Funcom website
- Webzen giving away fully geared high-level characters
- Aika prepares for battle on March 8th with Epic II: Hestia
- The Daily Grind: What will your favorite MMO look like in 20 years?
- Allods Online releases Game of Gods patch notes [Updated]
- Final Fantasy XIV previewing player residences for patch 1.21
- Reports of EverQuest Mac dying have been greatly exaggerated
- Bigpoint goes live with Pirate Storm
- ArenaNet closes the book on Guild Wars' Winds of Change
- Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch in the Asia Pacific region on March 1st
- City of Heroes introduces the super pack, players respond with rage
- Gazillion shutting down Fortune Online
- Going toe-to-toe with TERA's first beta weekend
- Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes
- Hyperspace Beacon: Finally 50
- The Soapbox: TERA's rocky road to release
- WAR producer's letter talks bug fixing, patch schedules
- The Game Archaeologist mourns the end of EQMac
| Aeria reveals Lime Odyssey Turga cinematic Posted: 15 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Races  In mechanical terms, the Turga represent one of three playable Lime Odyssey races, and they begin their journey on the West Tumbara Plain of North Orta. The village is a stone's throw from Talunvara Canyon, the area's first dungeon that will test the mettle of the Turgas brave enough to enter it. Head past the break to get a look at the Turga cinematic. [Source: Aeria Games press release] Continue reading Aeria reveals Lime Odyssey Turga cinematic
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| Guild Wars 2 console version confirmed Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:45 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, Consoles, Blade & Soul  The call also mentions beta testing for the upcoming fantasy game. "In March and April there will be large-scale testing for GW2; depending on results of testing a finalized commercialization schedule will be determined. [The] console version will be launched separately from [the] PC [version] at a later date," the fan site reports. NCsoft also says it will be considering "seasonality factors" when determining "final commercialization" for both Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul. Head to Guild Wars Insider for more, including audio of the call.
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| Editorial examines MMO mentoring, community dynamics Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV  The piece looks at several current games -- including Final Fantasy XIV, RIFT, and Dungeons and Dragons Online -- and analyzes how they both succeed and fail at bringing players together. Particular attention is paid to mentoring systems, though EverQuest II's (perhaps the best in the industry) is omitted. What ultimately emerges from the lengthy read is a portrait of a challenging issue that has its roots in both operational and design considerations, and while the piece doesn't offer any particular solution, it does provide quite a lot of food for thought.
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| New Secret World ARG puzzle hidden on Funcom website Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World  What's that, you say? You didn't know there was a new TSW puzzle? Well, head to the official Funcom website. Once you're there, single-click on something that isn't a link (the red title text that says The Secret World should work), and then type in the number 33. If you do it correctly, you should eventually see a bunch of glyphs, and we're assuming they're written in some sort of Runic script. That's about where our knowledge stops, though, so check out the forum thread and let us know what you find out!
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| Webzen giving away fully geared high-level characters Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions  If so, Webzen has a promotion for you. It's called Skip the Low, Jump to High, and it kicks off today and runs through March 14th. The company is giving away free high-level characters and items in ArchLord, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, and MU Online. ArchLord players will receive level-60 characters that are fully geared, while S.U.N. fans can look forward to level-90 toons with gear and level-up boxes. Last but not least, MU players will get level-220 characters and +9 weapons and armor. But wait, there's more! MU is offering double XP during the promotion period, and S.U.N. is bringing a new server online. [Source: Webzen press release]
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| Aika prepares for battle on March 8th with Epic II: Hestia Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Expansions, Patches, Free-to-play, Aika  Epic II: Hestia is a top-heavy expansion for the game, bringing plenty to see and do for level-capped players. Not only will it be adding several new regions to the game, but 24-person level-80 raids and a half-dozen additional gear sets as well. To assist players in preparing for the epic (II) conflict, gPotato is giving all players level 60 and below a 50% XP boost so that they can get into the endgame by the time March 8th rolls around. You can check out a few screenshots from the upcoming expansion below! [Source: gPotato press release]
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| The Daily Grind: What will your favorite MMO look like in 20 years? Posted: 15 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  So assuming that they don't go belly-up or invent free-free-to-play-supreme editions that sinks them for good, what do you think your current MMOs might look like in the year 2032? Will we be playing World of Warcraft in holodeck simulators, be teaching Star Wars: The Old Republic in grade-school classrooms, or be experiencing EVE Online's radical "walking in spaceships" feature? Cast your prognosticating abilities far into the future and tell us what we have to look forward to with our favorite games!  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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| Allods Online releases Game of Gods patch notes [Updated] Posted: 14 Feb 2012 08:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Allods Online  The marquee items, of course, are all still there. The game's level cap will be raised to 51, and the new Bard class will be added to the game for players to enjoy. New areas and new ship mechanics are also being added to keep players engaged. But there are other new features, such as the addition of "overflow" slots to player bags, stat rearrangement for caster classes, and new performance options for older computers. It promises to be a huge patch, so before you go playing tomorrow, peruse the patch notes today. [Update: Added the new expansion trailer after the cut.] Continue reading Allods Online releases Game of Gods patch notes [Updated]
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| Final Fantasy XIV previewing player residences for patch 1.21 Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Following the patch, players can acquire a private residence after completing a quest handed out in the inn. These quests can be accepted any time after a player finishes the first installment of the storyline quest, making them rather easy to pick up. When logging out in a private room, players will acquire rest experience to hasten leveling, replacing the previous system of Guardian's Aspect. While it's a bare-bones implementation, it's a foundation to ensure that the game's major revamp coming in November will have something to build off of -- and there's more promised for the future. [Thanks to Derrick for the tip!]
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| Reports of EverQuest Mac dying have been greatly exaggerated Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Mac  Yes, there is apparently both a Santa Claus and a Tooth Fairy, because John Smedley has stated that not only are the EQMac fans "a wonderful group of players," the game will be left running. Better yet, it will continue to run as-is and with no subscription fees. If you're part of the fanbase, no, you don't need to pinch yourself, this is actually a thing that is happening. Further details are to be announced soon, but just the facts alone should make fans very happy.
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| Bigpoint goes live with Pirate Storm Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Miscellaneous  Pirate Storm: Death or Glory, a free (you guessed it!) pirate-themed game from Bigpoint, is now live! Hop into the game to act out all your piratical dreams: fighting sea beasties, swash-buckling with the most fearsome of foes, and pursuing that whimsical mistress, fortune. Pirate Storm has been launched worldwide and is available in more than 24 languages. It's designed to be beginner-friendly while retaining exciting and challenging missions. Bigpoint's team isn't a stranger to making pirate games -- Seafight and Kultan are other titles it's put out in the same genre -- but the company appears to be taking special pride in this new title. The game world boasts12 different maps spread across three regions, customizable ships and armors, and all the interactive fun of buddy lists, groups, and a guild system. So what's your delay? Those sea serpents are waiting. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
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| ArenaNet closes the book on Guild Wars' Winds of Change Posted: 14 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play  ArenaNet also acknowledges the community feedback regarding the difficulty of the Winds of Change content, and the firm says that initially "the difficulty was getting in the way of people enjoying the story, making it far more of a slog than we'd intended and actively undermining their enjoyment of it." Happily, recent updates have led to "major balance tweaks" and second looks at both normal and hard-mode content, so if you were frustrated before, it's worth your time to give it another go.
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch in the Asia Pacific region on March 1st Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Naturally, there are fans in those regions who would prefer to play on regional servers but have already started play on existing servers via imported copies of the game. BioWare is promising that players in these regions will be able to transfer characters for free for a limited time following the launch date, allowing everyone to move to regional servers if desired. The game is also available for pre-order now, so if you're in the affected region and want a copy, best take a look at stores near you for order options.
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| City of Heroes introduces the super pack, players respond with rage Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, News items, Free-to-play  Do you want to pay money in a store for a chance at getting valuable rewards for your in-game character? Judging from previous community responses, we'd guess the answer is "no." However, the reaction from the City of Heroes community has been... well, still "no." While some players are reporting that the drop rates aren't too bad on a whole, there's a definite discontent about this grab bag among the players. Even if it does contain neat new pieces, the addition has a ways to go to win over the hearts of the players.
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| Gazillion shutting down Fortune Online Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual  "We will continue delivering and refining content for Super Hero Squad Online, along with building and developing the Marvel Heroes game," a Gazillion spokesman told Joystiq. The firm also denied speculation that it is preparing for a Disney acquisition, and it declined to announce a timetable or job losses resulting from the Fortune closure. [Thanks to Space Cobra for the tip!]
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| Going toe-to-toe with TERA's first beta weekend Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, TERA  Over the past months, many fans of En Masse Entertainment's upcoming "real action combat" title TERA have been wondering whether the game will ever see the light of day. Between sparse development details and word of legal troubles, TERA's future seemed to be in constant jeopardy as cries of "vaporware!" grew steadily louder. Well, those voices can finally have a bit of a reprieve because over the course of this past weekend, players were able to jump into the world of Arborea and experience TERA's action combat firsthand. I was among those players, and after a joy-filled romp through TERA's gorgeous landscapes (thanks in no small part to my fabulous guild -- hi Territ!), I'm ready to conjure up some thoughts that will hopefully somewhat resemble my impressions of the closed beta weekend. So if you want to know whether the game's real action combat hits the mark or it's a swing and a miss, follow me past the cut and let's take a look. Continue reading Going toe-to-toe with TERA's first beta weekend
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles  Miku's Tale in particular boasts a few distinct differences from earlier parts of this storyline -- largely, the consensus seems to be, for the better. There was a fair bit of griping after the first portion of Winds of Change went live and a widespread agreement that something was not quite right about the way the quests at the start of Winds of Change were being handled. ArenaNet responded to this with promises to go back and retune quests, mostly in response to the argument that mobs were too hard. While I certainly understand a fiendish level of mob difficulty acting as an intimidating gateway to players less comfortable with fighting in Guild Wars, I don't think it was really the heart of the problem with the earlier Winds of Change content. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes
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| Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Endgame, Opinion, Roleplaying, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon  Of course, you've taken a bit of time to explore this wondrous universe. If you're a space explorer extraordinaire like I am, then you've danced with your share of Twi'leks on Nar Shaddaa. It's a good thing they have enough Twi'leks to balance out the Hutts, amirite? Hoth was cold, of course, but there's nothing like a war and a couple of Wampa battles to warm the blood. And what's up with the Voss? People who wear such funky make-up shouldn't be that stuffy. Still, it does make me think: How many Voss can fit in a speeder? The galaxy is yours, and you're now a Darth or a Moff or something. Do you sit back and twiddle your thumbs? Of course not! A new game begins. It's a vastly different adventure than the one you just finished, but the features are still shiny. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Finally 50
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| The Soapbox: TERA's rocky road to release Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, TERA, The Soapbox  What a difference a year makes, eh? February of 2011 found me drooling over my keyboard as I devoured all the screenshots and gameplay footage leaking out of TERA's Korean launch (yes, the westernization process really has been dragging on for a year). Fast-forward 12 months and the game is losing a little bit of its luster because of certain En Masse decisions and in spite of the fact that the firm has a potentially awesome MMO on its hands. Continue reading The Soapbox: TERA's rocky road to release
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| WAR producer's letter talks bug fixing, patch schedules Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items  Next up is the 1.4.6 patch, and Mythic has switched gears to focus on bug fixing instead of the previously planned open RvR tweaks. There are also some additional items of interest on the horizon, including a new live event and some changes to crafting. Head to the WAR Herald to read up on all the details. [Thanks to Benjamin for the tip!]
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| The Game Archaeologist mourns the end of EQMac Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist  While the population didn't exactly explode, especially as the progression of time rendered EQMac stuck in a type of video game amber, a singular community of dedicated, helpful players formed, and they became proud of their hardcore home. According to many of them, EQMac was the way EverQuest was always meant to be played, frozen in time at the release of one of the game's best expansions. It was a mark of pride to say that you played on Al'Kabor, especially now as massive AAA MMOs dwarf the original EQ -- to say nothing of this odd EQ spinoff. Yet, as SOE posted, "all good things must end," and with the news that EverQuest is being prepped for free-to-play, EQMac players learned that they would not be joining the rest. Unless higher powers intervene, on March 29th, Al'Kabor will be turned off for good. As such, I felt this was a good time to look briefly at the history of this unique title and the testimonies of its passionate fans. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist mourns the end of EQMac
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