| Aion Europe going F2P on February 28th Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play We told you earlier this week about Aion's incoming North American free-to-play transition (not to mention a little ditty called Ascension/3.0), but today we've got word that Gameforge AG has released the official date for Aion's European payment plan switcheroo as well. The change-over will occur simultaneously on February 28th for the English-, German-, and French-language versions of Aion's EU client, and you can download said client right now at the game's official website. Gameforge also says that the Ascension patch will hit Europe "in the spring," but no more specifics than that. We'll bring you more definitive info from the world of Atreia as soon as we have it. [Source: Gameforge press release]  Aion Europe going F2P on February 28th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| CCP still planning to expand EVE's station gameplay Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Promotions, Sandbox Just when you internet-spaceship-only types thought it was safe to resume your relationship with CCP, the EVE Online studio has dropped a dev blog detailing its plans for further Incarna-style avatar development. The recent CCP reorganization put bidpedal gameplay on the back burner due to a player outcry in favor of the game's flying-in-space elements, but as it turns out, CCP "still believes in the vision to bring your characters fully into the world of EVE." CCP t0rfifrans says it will simply take a bit longer for the firm to realize its ambitious sandbox goals. He also says those goals are currently up for debate, and while gambling minigames, corporation-owned hubs, and contraband trading haven't been ruled out entirely, Team Avatar has gone "back to the drawing board" in the interests of identifying rewarding gameplay and developing a prototype. In other New Eden news, CCP's Power of 2 promotion is making a return engagement, and you can create a second account at a discount price through April 1st. [Thanks to Kane Hart for the tip!] CCP still planning to expand EVE's station gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Rumor: Blizzard embracing F2P for unannounced game Posted: 23 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Rumors Rumor has it that Blizzard is hopping on the free-to-play crazy train. Develop reports that the company "will embrace free-to-play and will apply the model in an upcoming, as yet unannounced game." The website says that Blizzard has declined to comment in an official capacity, and their source could not provide more details. It's been speculated that World of Warcraft's recent subscription losses, the fact that DOTA is free-to-play, and the game's unlimited free trial though level 20 all indicate a shift in the Blizzard's business model mindset. COO Paul Sams also paid lip service to F2P at BlizzCon last October, saying that "it [F2P] certainly is possible, if we find ourselves in that circumstance, or if we come up with a game where we think that's the right business model, the most appropriate for players to experience it." Could the long-awaited Project Titan MMO be Blizzard's first F2P offering, or is a completely new title in the works? We'll update you as the story develops. Rumor: Blizzard embracing F2P for unannounced game originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| World of Warplanes accepting global alpha signups Posted: 23 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Historical, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Warplanes We first heard tell of Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes way back in the summer of 2011. Since then, the company has pumped out quite a few screenshots, several interviews, and press releases regarding its aviation-themed follow-up to World of Tanks. The game is still in testing as of today, and Wargaming.net is kicking off what it calls a global alpha designed to bring in new testers from North America, Europe, and Russia. Each region has its own website and alpha signup process, so head to your respective portal right away if you're itching to be a test pilot. The current client offers access to 20-plus aircraft and two battle arenas, and Wargaming.net says that "the amount of content will be growing steadily" as the test phases progress. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] World of Warplanes accepting global alpha signups originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SOE responds to ProSiebenSat.1 fiasco, says it's not a done deal Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Sony Online Entertainment has finally responded to the ProSiebenSat.1 brouhaha. Director of Global Community Relations Linda " Brasse" Carlson gave beleaguered fans a faint glimmer of hope with a forum post last night that basically said the controversial deal isn't quite a done deal. In a nutshell, SOE plans to divide its long-time gaming community by region, with European player accounts handed off to ProSiebenSat.1 and Alaplaya. The announcement sent shockwaves through the EverQuest II community, as many guilds and sub-communities feature players from both sides of the Atlantic. The forced transfer of player accounts and personal information from SOE to Alaplaya also raised eyebrows, as some in the player community voiced concerns over security and convenience given that Alaplaya reserves the right to delete inactive accounts after 90 days and has published real names on past-due accounts (the company has since denied the latter). SOE's forums have been on fire over the past two days, with dozens of bans handed down by moderators (including one to noted community leader Morgan Feldon of EQ2Wire). Feldon's fansite is the place to go for info about the ongoing fiasco, and it provides a wealth of opinion on why the proposed deal sucks for players as well as a collection of community reactions. Aside from Brasse's post, SOE has been silent about the deal, which comes on the heels of the firm generating quite a bit of fan goodwill by reversing its decision to shelve the Mac version of EverQuest. SOE responds to ProSiebenSat.1 fiasco, says it's not a done deal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic Fallen Earth has a new ally in its war on boredom: Steam. The digital games distributor added the title to its MMO free-to-play library yesterday, offering its users an additional way to get into the wasteland. To encourage Steam users to sign up, GamersFirst is dishing out a few in-game goodies for those who do so. Players can nab an in-game Steam t-shirt and Gordon's Ward, two items which boost crafting and social skills. Additionally, if you previously played Fallen Earth through Steam, you'll be treated with three days of premium subscription status and a non-combat pet, Trashy the Hermit Crab. GamersFirst SVP of Marketing Rahul Sandil thinks this is a match made in heaven: " Fallen Earth's return to the Steam Network is a huge milestone for us here at GamersFirst. Reintroducing the game on Steam side-by-side with APB Reloaded further cements our commitment to offering the hard-core gaming experience to players without an entry cost." Fallen Earth is a staff favorite here at Massively, and if you're curious about the title, check out our recent Why I Play column on the game. Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you take time off work to play games? Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Culture, Launches, MMO industry, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, The Daily Grind, The Secret World, TERA Holy shitaki mushrooms! There are a lot of cool MMOs coming out this year! If 2011 was kind of a downer for new AAA titles, 2012 is more than making up for it with the likes of Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, and TERA (at least two of which will release within a month of one another). The only problem is finding enough time in the day to play all these gems (not to mention making time to keep up with old favorites). Heck, I'm even contemplating a brief vacation of sorts, the better to have some uninterrupted sessions with all these new games. What about you, dear readers? Have you ever taken time off from work for an MMO?  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: Do you take time off work to play games? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter In a subscription game, the developers have a certain degree of built-in obligation to the playerbase. You pay $15 a month, and while some of that goes toward the simple logistics of running the game, some of that also goes toward keeping the game in development. When you're putting down money, there's a tacit understanding that you are owed something in return. Strictly speaking, we know the only thing we're owed is access to the game, but even that is something. City of Heroes has entered the realm of free-to-play, though, and that means the expectations of what players are owed has become all kinds of skewed. There's a huge pile of content available to players who haven't paid a cent. What do free players actually deserve in this environment? What do paying players deserve? Where do you draw the line between what should be free for everyone, what should be free for subscribers, and what should just plain cost money? Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze? Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Xsyon, Sandbox Do you feel lucky when you log into Xsyon? Do you feel as if you can go anywhere and do anything in complete safety? Then perhaps you'd like to test your skills this weekend when the game unleashes the Mutant Maze event starting at 3 p.m. EST (12 p.m. PST). Open to everyone who wishes to take part, the event will teleport all volunteers to the designated grounds at the start and teleport them back at the conclusion... but there's no certainty you'll emerge victorious. So what is the Mutant Maze? It's a labyrinth filled with all sorts of nasty mutants, hence the name. Players will be able to keep the spoils of their kills, and there's a special prize for completing a round of the maze by both surviving and finding the exit successfully. There are three total rounds, enough to test the game's most seasoned veterans -- but for the glory of a prize, won't you spend a weekend ambling through a maze filled with enormous bears? [Source: Notorious Games press release] Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, New titles, News items Are you eagerly awaiting Diablo III's eventual release? Well, perhaps you shouldn't be quite that eager. Community manager Bashiok recently made some comments in a thread on the official forums expressing some concern that players are getting too excited about the potential of the game and that players should instead lower their overall expectations of Diablo III. He closes by saying that fans should at the same time still purchase the game but perhaps lower the threshold of awesome it has to clear. It's possible to read this as an attempt to control the game's hype before release, and it's possible to read this as a roundabout statement of overall quality. Either way, it's an odd statement coming from Blizzard's public relations team, since very few developers have historically told their fans to be a little less excited for release. Of course, with that having been said, it's unlikely that the level of excitement will go down at all. (Bashiok's full quote is just past the cut.) Continue reading Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Online announces an impending Inferno Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Patches, DUST 514, Dev Diaries EVE Online Senior Producer Jonathan Lander says now that some of the nitty-gritty reorganization within CCP has been completed, the devs "are back in the serious business of making EVE better and better." Citing several small releases over the next few months as proof, Lander lets loose with the announcement of the game's next big expansion: Inferno. Inferno will hit EVE "just before the summer" and will attempt to bring EVE's conflicts to a whole new level. Concord-sanctioned warfare and factional warfare will be getting tweaks as a result of this focus. More specific details about Inferno will be revealed at the EVE Fanfest in March. And while he won't go into specifics (yet), Lander says that CCP will reveal "more concrete steps" of how both EVE Online and DUST 514 are connected in the next couple of months. EVE Online announces an impending Inferno originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is rather audacious Posted: 22 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  Lord of the Rings Online's PvMP changes just keep rolling in, it seems. Last week, the Turbine team announced that a new currency known as commendations will be replacing the role of destiny in matters of PvMP transactions. Today, we've got a new dev diary that announces the upcoming addition of a new PvMP-only stat called Audacity. What is Audacity, exactly? Well, put simply, it's a PvMP stat that will provide players with benefits such as reducing incoming damage and lowering the duration of crowd control abilities. Higher audacity, obviously, equates to lower incoming damage and shorter crowd control effects. But why introduce this feature in the first place? According to the post, the team believes that having PvMP and PvE gear on the same progression path resulted in underwhelming or overly difficult-to-obtain PvMP gear since the team had to ensure that "the PvMP items did not devalue the PvE offerings." In addition, Turbine feels that, thanks to the damage changes made in Rise of Isengard, PvMP combat was too fast-paced. The addition of audacity is intended to nix both of these problems. Freeps will acquire their first rank of Audacity automatically at level 40, and further ranks will be boosted by PvMP gear that can only be purchased with commendations. Creeps, meanwhile, will gain their first rank of Audacity upon creation, and they'll gain further ranks by purchasing them directly from class trainers (seeing as how Creeps don't wear equipment). For the full details on this new system, just click on through the link below to the official dev diary. Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is rather audacious originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley Posted: 22 Feb 2012 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA If you haven't ponied up for a TERA pre-order or scored an invite to the game's ongoing closed beta weekends, you might want to head to MMORPG.com and check out the newest zone preview video. Even if you are gearing up for another jaunt through Arborea this Friday, the clip is worth a look because it shows off more of the game's gorgeous environment, character, and mob visuals. Feral Valley is the setting, and lest you think the location is mislabeled, one of TERA's ubiquitous big-ass monsters calls the place home (and throws his weight around quite handily as wave after wave of player characters attempt to take him down). See for yourself after the break. Continue reading Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| City of Heroes' newest Incarnate Trial learns from past mistakes Posted: 22 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Incarnate Trials have proven to be some of the most challenging -- and interesting -- endgame content in City of Heroes to date, and players who have enjoyed them are undoubtedly anxious for the latest one, Dilemma Diabolique, which is coming with Issue 22. Senior Designer Chris Behrens wrote an informative dev diary in which he outlines five lessons the studio's learned from past Incarnate Trials and how these lessons will affect Dilemma Diabolique. These lessons include adding rest periods between fights, giving players clear information, keeping trash mobs from exhibiting super-powered (more so than usual) abilities, delivering attractive rewards, and tuning special mechanics so they don't overwhelm players. Dilemma Diabolique looks to be a quicker trial than its brethren, although Behrens sees this as a virtue: "We feel that the faster pace of the trial for maxed Incarnates is reward in itself, since it makes accumulating Empyrean Merits for our most dedicated Incarnates a faster endeavor." City of Heroes' newest Incarnate Trial learns from past mistakes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: Guild Wars 2 crafting explained Posted: 22 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST |
| Why I Play: Fallen Earth Posted: 22 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Opinion, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Why I Play I'm going to start my Fallen Earth testimony by echoing the same sentiment that Shawn shared last week with WURM Online: I really didn't get it the first couple of times I tried it. I had heard great things about this post-apocalyptic title from Massively and elsewhere at the time, but it felt so different and kind of raw when I logged in that I didn't stay for long. In fact, it wasn't until I forced myself to sit down and devote an entire evening to Fallen Earth that I got past my initial objections and it clicked for me. It clicked hard. Since that time, I've been an ardent fan of Fallen Earth, using it as Exhibit A whenever people complain that all MMOs are too much alike and boring. Well, here you go, I say. An MMO in a contemporary setting that also happens to embrace apocalyptic themes. An MMO that revels in dark humor and edgy themes. An MMO where 95% of the gear in the game can be crafted and used by you. An MMO with free-form character growth and -- this is important -- motorcycles. An MMO with a world that's genuinely fun to explore (and might I add, huge). It's not perfect, it's not my main MMO squeeze, but it is a title I've carried a torch for since my first days in the wasteland. I've got no shortage of words when it comes to this game, especially if there's a chance that my verbosity will get you to take a closer look at Fallen Earth (which is easier than ever since its free-to-play conversion). Continue reading Why I Play: Fallen Earth Why I Play: Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon Posted: 22 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Behind-the-scenes videos are quite a lot of fun, and we're pleased to bring you the latest such from Sony Online Entertainment and the EverQuest II dev team. The new clip gives us a peek at the birth of Lumpy the dragon. For all intents and purposes, Lumpy is EQII's first low-rider dragon, since the rest of the game's drakes are sinewy, towering masses of muscle and scale. Senior character artist Steve Merghart describes Lumpy as "low to the ground and stocky," and the video clip shows us everything from initial concept sketches to the various stages of poly modeling, painting, and animation that make up the finished product. Have a look-see after the cut. [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArenaNet announces 48-hour beta signup for Guild Wars 2 Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:10 AM PST |
| Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Business models, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Virtual worlds, Free for All, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Over the last few weeks I have been taking a look at different free-to-play payment models in the hopes of showing just how much variety there is in today's market. The term free-to-play is open to interpretation, and every time I become involved in a discussion about what the term means, I come to the same point: Show me the game and I'll tell you how "free" it is. While more titles than not can be enjoyed completely for free, it's important to note that every game needs to make money, so every developer hopes some players pay for something. We also must note that the term "free-to-play" is almost like the term "rock-and-roll." It is a general term that can be broken into many sub-genres. In other words, don't be so uptight about the literal meaning of the word. If you are not sure, check out the game in question. Continue reading Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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