MMO News

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• Vindictus Launches Episode 10
• Blacklight Retribution Launches New Mode And Map
• The West To Get A Job Overhaul
• Netdragon announces Conquer Online 3
• C9 Introduces Pre-Creation Registration And Witchblade
• Requiem Celebrates 4th Anniversary
• Jade Dynasty Celebrates With New Three Year Anniversary Trailer
• Perfect World International Showcases New Imperial Fury Trailer
• Board Games Re-imagined into Video Games

Vindictus Launches Episode 10 Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:41 PM PDT Nexon America has launched Episode 10 of Vindictus. The new update introduces three new raid bosses, the Ice, Earth, and Black dragons. Also introduced are new metallic inner armor, two new haircuts for each character, skill reset capsules (cannot be used for Paladin or Dark Knight), and Hardened Steel Armor.  Surprise Supplies have also been updated for the new episode. Finally, a quiz event will run until July 11, rewarding players for beating the Strange Traveler at his trivia. Nexon also publishes Dragon Nest and Combat Arms. Vindictus: Episode 10 Trailer Source: Episode 10: Forked Tongues and Broken Hearts   Episode 10 has arrived! With the Fomors' sinister shadow looming over the horizon and fulfillment of the prophecy drawing ever-closer, Keaghan sets out to save Tieve from her grisly fate. Desperation leads him to make a choice that will decide both of their futures forever, and Keaghan will have to take action before the Pontiff's men arrive and Colhen falls to a sea of burning torches meant for his head.\ Attack Episode 10 head-on to unravel the dramatic conclusion to Keaghan and Tieve's story!   Supply Depot Changes   The Charge NX button has been removed from the Supply Depot window. In order to charge NX via the Vindictus client, you will need to click the new button located in the lower right corner of the game user interface. The button is labled “Charge,” and is located just above the Supply Depot button.   Metallic Inner Armor and New Hair Styles in the Avatar Shop!   Turn some heads with the sexy new Metallic Inner armor. You’ll be leaving jaws on the floor as you strut by mercenaries in Colhen. Make sure to check out the brand new hair styles as well! Each character has two new cuts added to their repertoire that will help you make your character truly unique. For more details on Metallic Inner Armor and new hair styles, CLICK HERE!   Skill Reset Capsules in the Supply Depot   Did you lock yourself into a build you’re no longer happy with and wish you could start over without really starting over? Now you can! A single Skill Reset Capsule will reset a skill rank all the way to Rank F and refund you all the spent AP. Note: you cannot reset Paladin or Dark Knight skills with this item.   Surprise Supplies Updated with Episode 10 gear   Another Episode, another set of Surprise Supplies! Both Armor and Weapon Surprise Supplies have been updated to reflect the new gear that has been introduced with Episode 10. Grab a few Surprise Supplies for your chance to recieve pre-enhanced and pre-enchanted gear without having to do any of the work! You’re sure to strike fear into the hearts of the dragons you’ll be facing by wearing hardened steel that looks as if it were torn straight from their own hides!   Quiz Event Starting June 14th through July 11th, the Strange Traveler, Self-proclaimed “master of knowledge,” sends an invitation to challenge you Mercenaries to partake in his quiz event. Prove to him that you're not all brawn and no brains; beat him at his own game and win a prize!   The more your participate, the better the prize pool gets! Check out the event post here for more details on what you can win!

Blacklight Retribution Launches New Mode And Map Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:20 PM PDT Perfect World Entertainment has released a new game type, plus a new map, for Blacklight Retribution. The new game type, “Kill Confirmed,” tasks players with neutralizing enemy Agents and collecting kill-data left on their bodies (which appears as a small holographic Blacklight logo). Kill-data can also be collected from your team’s agents, effectively blocking your enemies from confirming the kill. Also new is the Seaport map, a large map supporting different playstyles including holding chokepoints and moving swiftly along the map to handle each objective. Perfect World Entertainment also publishes Rusty Hearts and Jade Dynasty. Blacklight Retribution: Kill Confirmed Game Mode Source: Kill Confirmed and Seaport are now live!  Read on to get all the details on this new mode and map. Kill Confirmed is Blacklight's newest game type.  The objective of Kill Confirmed is to neutralize enemy Agents, and then "confirm" the kill by collecting the kill-data that they leave on their body.  Kill-data appears as a small holographic Blacklight logo.  To collect it, simply run over it.  You can also collect kill-data from friendly agents who have fallen, and deny enemy Agents the ability to confirm the kill.  Check out our launch trailer for this brand new game type:   Why not play some rounds of Kill Confirmed on Blacklight's newest map – Seaport?  Seaport is an intricate map that supports many different playstyles.  As a larger map, Seaport is suited for light armor builds to stay on top of shifting objectives, while snipers and heavily armored Agents will be critical for holding chokepoints and other areas of strategic advantage.

The West To Get A Job Overhaul Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:06 PM PDT InnoGames has announced a new update for The West, version 2.0. The 2.0 version update will do an overhaul to the game’s job system, revising jobs in both their graphics and functionality. Jobs will be grouped under job groups, helping improve the look on the new map and useability for players. The update will also redesign the work duration system, letting players choose faster or longer jobs based on their gameplay style. It will also feature a new map, redesigned interfaces, and changes to the quest system. InnoGames also publishes Tribal Wars and Forge of Empires. The West Gameplay Screenshot Source: New Job Opportunities in the West 2.0 Hamburg, June 15, 2012. InnoGames released further details today about the 2.0 version of its frontier adventure browser game, The West. The new update will introduce an overhauled job system to the game, featuring fundamentally reworked jobs and a new work duration system to foster a more active play style. The West 2.0 is expected to launch this summer. The jobs in The West 2.0 will be completely revised in both visual representation and functionality. Up to five jobs are being grouped together under one job-group in a radial-menu. This new system helps to improve the visual representation of the new map and increases the usability for the players, helping them to find different jobs much easier. The West 2.0 will also introduce a totally redesigned work duration system, as each job offers a unique duration setting. Players can therefore adjust the game to their style of play – active players can choose faster jobs, while long-running tasks are more suitable for casual gamers. Aside from the job system, the new update will also feature a number of other major improvements to the game: a new map, redesigned interfaces and a changed quest system. The West is a role-playing browser game set in the Wild West. Players are placed on a hunt for adventure, gold and fortune. Cowboys and cowgirls partake in interesting and exciting stories, help settlers and collect bounties. With over 80 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and publishers of online games. In addition to The West, the Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Tribal Warsand Grepolis.

Netdragon announces Conquer Online 3 Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:35 PM PDT Netdragon (also known as TQ Digital) has announced that it is developing Conquer Online 3. Conquer Online 3 is a follow-up to Conquer Online, holding to the game’s core successful elements while expanding on new ideas. The game will feature seven unique classes, each with its own specialties and skills. The game will make some “subtle” changes to pacing, adjust class balance, remove Battle Power, improve the economy, improve the graphics, and make improving and crafting gear more interesting. TQ Digital also publishes Eudemons Online and Crazy Tao. Source: NetDragon Announces Conquer Online 3 Hong Kong – June 15, 2012 – NetDragon Websoft, the leading online game developer and publisher in China, announces the development of Conquer Online 3, which is a follow-up on their famous free-to-play game, Conquer Online. Conquer Online 3 is a fresh take on the oriental style of free-to-play online games, while holding true to Conquer Online’s successful elements, including simple gameplay, multiple classes, Chinese Kungfu, intensive PvP, as well as the special Rebirth system. In Conquer Online 3, there will be 7 unique classes to choose from, with each class having its own specialties in magic and skills. Players can guide their character’s to challenge the fiercest monsters and bosses, collecting formidable gear, fighting side by side with their comrades and be the Conqueror! Compared to what the current iteration presents, the Conquer Online 3 game experience aims to make subtle changes to pacing, allowing both fierce actions and more relaxing enjoyments to harmoniously coexist. In the meantime, the balance for classes will be reshaped. The controversial Battle Power feature will be removed, and the economy system will be improved upon. What’s more, forging and improvement of gear and characters will be of more interest, as well as the social interactions available to the community will be more convenient and useful. Last, but not least, the graphics will see a major improvement over the current look. While in the process of developing Conquer Online 3, NetDragon Websoft focuses on the main concept of “We Listen, We Care”, with the hopes of creating a free-to-play game that is really “for the players”. To learn more, you can follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/conqueronline for the latest updates and activities.

C9 Introduces Pre-Creation Registration And Witchblade Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:08 PM PDT Webzen has revealed a new registration and class for C9 (Continent of the Ninth Seal). Players who sign up before June 21 on the official C9 website will get a beta key and be able to pre-create their character, reserving name, class, and server for open beta and commercial service. This also gives players the chance to play the game before open beta launches. Also revealed is the new Witchblade class. This class specializes in melee and magic combat, using acrobatics and spells to stun her foes. The Witchblade will offer two advanced classes, Warden and Slayer, and will be available during the game’s early access. Webzen also publishes Archlord and Arctic Combat. C9 – Witchblade Trailer Source: 'C9'Character Pre-creation and Early Access Before the Open Beta Test   WEBZEN Inc. (WWW.WEBZEN.COM), the Next Generation of Free-to-Play Online Games, opened the official teaser site of 'C9' (Continent of the Ninth Seal) on June 7th to accept character pre-creation registrations prior to the open beta test.   On June 7th, the teaser site for 'C9' had opened, continuously receiving registrations for character pre-creation. Players who sign up before June 21st will receive a beta key and will be able to pre-create their character, name, server, and class that will remain throughout the commercial service.   Along with these benefits, players who register before the 21st will be able to participate in the early access automatically, earning the chance to play before the open beta begins. Players who miss the pre-creation registration can still register for early access from the 21st. Users who don't have a WEBZEN.com account can receive the beta key by simply making a new account.   Also, WEBZEN will reveal the new class 'Witchblade' for the first time. The 'Witchblade' specializes in both magic and melee combat with acrobatic movements. This class has been one of the most demanded classes in C9. The 2 advanced classes of 'Witchblade', 'Warden' and 'Slayer', will be available with the start of the early access.   Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said, "With the results and feedback from past beta tests, we have been putting our best efforts for localization and adding contents." Also he said, "We hope players keep their interest and anticipation for the series of upcoming tournaments as well as the open beta test that begins on June 30th.   Meanwhile, WEBZEN has started an event for the 'C9' live streaming VJ recruitment. The selected VJ will live stream C9 with various contents including game guides, beginner's guide, PvE / PvP contents, and more.   More information about the Action RPG 'C9' can be found at the official Facebook community (www.facebook.com/C9Webzen) and website (c9.webzen.com).

Requiem Celebrates 4th Anniversary Posted: 14 Jun 2012 07:01 PM PDT Gravity Interactive is celebrating the fourth anniversary of Requiem. The anniversary offers a series of events for players. Collect anniversary coins to exchange for in-game items, or Event Flags for a Limited Coin worth 10,000,000 Lant. A seven day mount is also available for players who turn in 200 Event Flags at the end of the period, and five players from each server will get a free 30-day exclusive pet. The event also launches a patch that updates skills for  all job classes, and players can purchase Job Change Certificates for 4,500 Lant during the Anniversary Event. Gravity Interactive also publishes Dragon Saga and CrimeCraft. Requiem Gameplay Screenshot Source: Felix Sit Natalis Dies Requiem! Gravity Interactive, a publisher of exciting massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), today announced its anniversary event for Requiem: Memento Mori, the popular dark-fantasy MMO title. To celebrate the game’s four years in service, the in-game merriment kicks off with a variety of cool events including exclusive prizes and a lengthy list of skill updates. To join the celebration and take a shot at winning cool prizes, players can visit http://www.playrequiem.com/ Starting today, all monsters will drop several event items including anniversary coins which can be sold for in-game items and Event Flags which can be turned in to an event NPC for a chance to receive a Limited Coin worth 10,000,000 Lant! A never-before-released seven day mount will be awarded to all players who turn in 200 Event Flags by the end of the event period, and of the qualified players, five from each server will also receive a free 30 day exclusive never-before-released pet! “We want to thank our Requiem community for four fabulous years by throwing this prize-filled anniversary celebration event,” said Jay Choi, Chief Operation Officer at Gravity Interactive. “We also want to invite new players to come and check out Requiem as this is a great time to get in the game and earn never-before-seen items.” With the Anniversary Event, comes a lengthy list of updates to skills for each job class. Players are invited to check out the changes and join in the discussion. To help players adjust to the latest changes, there will be NPC Job Change Specialists available in each town selling Job Change Certificates for 4,500 Lant during the entire Anniversary Event! For more information on all of the anniversary events visit http://www.playrequiem.com/events/428 And for a complete calendar of the event schedule players can go to http://forums.warpportal.com/index.php?/calendar/3/event-83

Jade Dynasty Celebrates With New Three Year Anniversary Trailer Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:03 PM PDT Perfect World Entertainment has released a new trailer for fans of Jade Dynasty. The trailer, dedicated to the game’s loyal fans, is part of a month-long celebration of Jade Dynasty’s three year anniversary, and highlights special moments from the team and longtime players. The anniversary is still ongoing and offers special prizes, tournaments, titles, and more for players. Product Manager Dean “Dvorak” Sakurai commented: “We’ve got so many great memories working on this game and interacting with everybody in the community. Community Manager Matthew “Trailturtle” Pecot is doing a great job keeping the game lively and interesting. There are a lot of great updates coming later this year — and I really look forward to coming back to the fourth year anniversary to give you the same message. Happy anniversary.” Perfect World also publishes Perfect World International and Blacklight Retribution. Jade Dynasty Three Year Anniversary Trailer Source: Perfect World Entertainment is proud to share a special trailer dedicated to fans of its popular MMORPG, Jade Dynasty. As part of a month-long celebration of the game’s three-year anniversary, the Jade Dynasty Anniversary trailer highlights some of the most memorable moments from longtime players and the Jade Dynasty team. “We’ve got so many great memories working on this game and interacting with everybody in the community. Community Manager Matthew “Trailturtle” Pecot is doing a great job keeping the game lively and interesting,” said Product Manager Dean “Dvorak” Sakurai. “There are a lot of great updates coming later this year — and I really look forward to coming back to the fourth year anniversary to give you the same message. Happy anniversary.” Both new players and veterans are encouraged to visit the Jade Dynasty Anniversary site, where they can look forward to joining the festivities. With PvP tournaments, special events, contests and prizes, including pets, wings and a special anniversary in-game title, the Jade Dynasty Anniversary will have something for everyone. It’s been a great three years. Here’s to many more!

Perfect World International Showcases New Imperial Fury Trailer Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:40 PM PDT Perfect World has released a new trailer, showcasing the upcoming content for its Imperial Fury update in Perfect World International. Imperial Fury was announced last month, and tasks players to face Dark Lord Jian’rin’s four powerful emperors in the new Advanced Endless Universe dungeon. This dungeon is available six times per week with three variations and valuable chance box rewards. Lunar Glade and Warsong City will also get some face lifts to their difficulties and rewards, and many other additions are also included in the update. The trailer showcases new bosses, new fashions, and new flying mounts for the best of its players to enjoy. Perfect World also publishes Rusty Hearts and Jade Dynasty. Perfect World International: Imperial Fury Gameplay Trailer

Board Games Re-imagined into Video Games Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:48 PM PDT By, M. Hauschel The recent release of Battleship, the Hollywood interpretation of the childhood game, stirs up the nostalgia of other childhood board game classics. If Battleship can be turned into a blockbuster film, what if other board games were turned into blockbuster video games? And not just an electronic version of game, but a reimagining of what the game is, just how extraterrestrial beings are now part a of Battleship. What could possibly go wrong? The classic childhood board game, Candyland, filled with gumdrops and rainbows would make an excellent transition into the world of video games. Keep the world as the same, but make into a world that can be explored by "The Kids". Instead of the Candy Land characters helping The Kids along the way to King Kandy's Candy Castle, the Candy Landians are merely obstacles. The Kids are equipped with Candy Cane Shotguns, leaving behind a trail of wreckage through Candy Land. Once at Candy Castle, The Kids take out King Kandy is order to free themselves and the world from cavities. Naturally, the game will have a sponsorship from the American Dental Association to help promote healthy teeth. As the board game is already in the works of becoming a movie, creation of this game needs to happen quickly. Maniacal tycoon in the early 20th century, the William Randolph Hearst type, taking over metropolis to fulfill a desire unknown to most. Rather than viewing properties as static cards, you would view the properties with the people occupying them as well. Each property you rent out could charge outrageous prices; as a player you can view the look on a single mother's face when she realizes that month she doesn't have the $1200 to make rent. Following the objective of the game, you of course have to hire security to escort delinquent renters from the property. Being a tycoon obsessed with appearance, you have to find means of making your buildings look attractive while also disposing the homeless problem you yourself have caused. As a maniacal tycoon, you of course have to quietly put these people somewhere. Some may call you heartless, evil, selfish, but in the end you're just playing the game of Monopoly. Already an excellent movie, and mediocre board game, Jumanji could become a fantastic video game to bind the film and board game correctly. The problem with the board game is that we all saw the movie, and expected the board game to be just as exciting as the movie (But it clearly wasn't.). But a video game could capture the adventure of the movie and put it on the small screen. I know what you're thinking, you're saying, "Hey! They already made it into a videogame, and it sucked!" Yes, that's true, but there's so much potential in a Jumanji game, if done correctly. First off, Robin Williams has to be in the game, there's no way around it. No Robin Williams, no deal. Not having him involved will doom any chance of the game being successful. Secondly, it has to be set in the '90s, landlines, dial-up modems, terrible haircuts, and dorky catchphrases. Just like in the movie, the game can infiltrate reality, having wildlife wreck havoc on suburbia. Sure, the older and younger generation will think this is a terrible idea, but they're just not a true believer of the dream of the '90s. If used correctly, nostalgia is a powerful tool that could create amazing video games based on the memories of our childhood. By our childhood, I mean my childhood. Sure, these ideas are amazing, but they're just that, ideas. In no way would any of these games be made in this fashion. But if they were, it would be so rad. I'd surround myself with Lisa Frank, Spice Girls, and Pokémon, and relive my childhood to no end.

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MMO Updates

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• The Firing Line: Defiance, Arctic Combat, and other E3 leftovers
• MMObility: Parallel Zombies, Glitch's new butlers, and a new space MMO
• Second Embers of Caerus feature week video introduces Dynamic Events Team
• WildStar aims to be 'anything but WoW'
• BioWare considering free-to-play for Star Wars: The Old Republic [Updated]
• The Daily Grind: What's your favorite game-related webcomic?
• The MMO Report: Back in E3 style edition
• The Summoner's Guidebook: Why last-hitting is important
• The Secret World talks Founding Cabals and corrupt sun gods
• Perfect World International's latest Imperial Fury trailer released
• Champions Online features a new grab bag with a potential freeform prize
• Guild Wars 2 could launch before Thanksgiving, release date announcement 'imminent'
• Win a DUST 514 beta key in the Event Horizon competition
• Get a fighting edge with TERA's combat indicator guide
• Turbine sweetens Riders of Rohan's editions, includes instance cluster
• Scarlet Witch joins the Marvel Heroes roster
• Sorting through the SWTOR server transfer mess
• The Repopulation publishes nation, city, and combat gameplay details
• EVE Online reveals ship revamp details, shows off new mining ship

The Firing Line: Defiance, Arctic Combat, and other E3 leftovers Posted: 15 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage, Defiance Ah, home. A full-screen monitor, a fridge full of Diet Sunkist, plenty of columns to be written, and my own vehicle! Public transportation doesn't agree with me, folks, as I learned last week at E3 in Los Angeles. I also learned a lot about PlanetSide 2, a little about DUST 514, and tidbits about Defiance and something called Arctic Combat. For this week's Firing Line, I figured I should pay a little lip service to those last two. And we'll also recap some of this week's crucial online shooter news. To the cut! Continue reading The Firing Line: Defiance, Arctic Combat, and other E3 leftovers The Firing Line: Defiance, Arctic Combat, and other E3 leftovers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: Parallel Zombies, Glitch's new butlers, and a new space MMO Posted: 15 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, New titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, Miscellaneous, MMObility It's been a great week for mobile MMOs. That's a wonderful thing to type up, especially considering how few mobile MMOs are released when compared to standard browser- or client-based games. This week, I found myself logging in quite a bit of time with a few titles, but I still want a lot more time to explore some of these games. One you can't play yet, another you have played probably quite a bit already, and the last one promises to suck up a lot of your time in between meetings. It's neat to see another iOS MMO. iOS doesn't seem to get as many MMOs popping up in its market as with Android, but things are slowly evening out. The imbalance right now might be due to the fact that Android phones feature larger screens and sometimes more power than the latest iOS phones, something that is simply appealing to gamers. I wonder whether we'll see a larger iPhone screen anytime soon? Probably so -- and that would mean more MMOs! Continue reading MMObility: Parallel Zombies, Glitch's new butlers, and a new space MMO MMObility: Parallel Zombies, Glitch's new butlers, and a new space MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Second Embers of Caerus feature week video introduces Dynamic Events Team Posted: 15 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Community Q&A, Sandbox Who doesn't love unique live events guided by real people interacting directly with the participants? If you don't, then there is no need to read further. But if you do, have we got some news for you -- a sandbox promising just that! As Embers of Caerus' feature week for Kickstarter continues, Forsaken Studios released the second video blog, this time highlighting the Dynamic Events team. After a few minutes of answering viewer-submitted questions brought on by the first video feature about death, Technical Director Dave Belcher introduces the star of the clip. What exactly is the Dynamic Events Team? Dave likens this group to pen-and-paper Dungeon Masters; they will have tools to run dynamic stories in-game on both a small, local scale and world-wide. They will also work around the clock to monitor the health of the world, using events for such things as encouraging players to disperse from overly populated areas or to replenish resource-depleted areas. This whole system is meant to really bring the game world to life. To illustrate an example, Dave reads through a sample event. Catch his remarks after the break. [Thanks to Flintwick for the tip!] Continue reading Second Embers of Caerus feature week video introduces Dynamic Events Team Second Embers of Caerus feature week video introduces Dynamic Events Team originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Second feature week video blog

WildStar aims to be 'anything but WoW' Posted: 15 Jun 2012 07:15 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Community Q&A, WildStar Carbine Studios Executive Producer Jeremy Gaffney took the microphone at a recent Reddit AMA (ask me anything), where he addressed several burning questions that the community had about WildStar. Right off the bat, he was asked what sets this MMO apart from the pack. Gaffney had a laundry list in reply, saying that the largely ex-Blizzard team's motto is, "We just crunched for six years, we want to do anything but WoW." Layered content is a big buzz-phrase for WildStar, and Gaffney attempted to provide an example of the game's flexibility. "You're on a mission to kill alien jungle cats. You see one that's irradiated and start scanning it. Or it's too tough, so you scare some prey away from you into the cats, and they start attacking the prey, and then you jump in when everyone is weakened. They're tough, so you see a huntress and drag them to her to get her cheering on for rep -- you see a second huntress and now you're bouncing between them for double rep rewards." Other AMA topics included polish, microupdates, competing with World of Warcraft, bunny ears, the future of the MMO industry, and a hint at an unannounced race. WildStar aims to be 'anything but WoW' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar AMA

BioWare considering free-to-play for Star Wars: The Old Republic [Updated] Posted: 15 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, Star Wars: The Old Republic BioWare Lead Designer Emmanuel Lusinchi dropped a word-bomb on the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, stating that the game may be heading in the direction of free-to-play. Lusinchi said that the studio is investigating possibilities: "We are looking at free-to-play, but I can't tell you in much detail. We have to be flexible and adapt to what is going on." This comes out of an interview in GamesTM magazine, in which Lusinchi addressed the challenges of being competitive in a largely F2P industry. While SWTOR has a large playerbase, it lost 400,000 subscriptions from its peak earlier this year as well as several members of its dev team. Lusinchi says that the challenge isn't just that SWTOR is a subscription-based game, but that there's a lot of great options in the field. "If it was just free-to-play games and they weren't very good it wouldn't even be a question," he said, "but there are definitely good games out there and good games coming out, so of course all of this competition impacts your plan with what you want to do." Of course we did hear about the limited free trial at E3, but this interview seems to indicate the possibility of a move to full F2P in SWTOR's future. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] [Update: It seems the original article at GamesTM was pulled.] [Update #2: You can find images of the interview here and here.] BioWare considering free-to-play for Star Wars: The Old Republic [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GamesTM

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite game-related webcomic? Posted: 15 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous Geeks and webcomics go together like pennies and arcades, but finding a good gaming webcomic that also covers MMOs is sometimes a challenge. As gamers, we like to have fun, and it's assumed that with that sense of fun comes a sense of the funny. Luckily, we have some true works of art with such comics as Ctrl+Alt+Del, Penny Arcade, and Order of the Stick, which not only appeal to our deepest gamer sensibilities but also regularly cover MMO topics. New comics are popping up all the time, and it's good to see budding young artists trying their hands at the popular genre. But we want to hear your favorites! Which game-related webcomics do you enjoy the most? 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: What's your favorite game-related webcomic? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The MMO Report: Back in E3 style edition Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous The MMO Report has been on hiatus since April, and we've all felt quite alone without it. But Casey Schreiner's gotten a new haircut, a new suit, and presumably a new shoeshine to go along with a very special new episode of the show. No, it's not an episode about teenage drug use; it's an episode packed with all of the post-E3 2012 goodness that a fan of MMOs could possibly want in a 14-minute broadcast. Unfortunately, Casey himself couldn't be at E3, but that didn't mean that he couldn't round up plenty of video interviews. That means some video coverage for The Elder Scrolls Online, PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, Age of Wushu, and the rest. Could you ask for anything more? Perhaps to have the video embedded just past the cut? You're in luck on that count, and you should tune in on future weeks for another installment of the MMO Report from G4TV and Massively. Continue reading The MMO Report: Back in E3 style edition The MMO Report: Back in E3 style edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The MMO Report

The Summoner's Guidebook: Why last-hitting is important Posted: 14 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook We've covered last-hitting quite a bit in previous editions of the Summoner's Guidebook. However, a lot of people new to the MOBA scene don't understand the importance of last-hitting. I don't mean that they don't understand the importance of the action within the game; I'm sure we all understand that getting gold is a good thing. But last-hitting is important from a design perspective too. I think League of Legends (and MOBA games in general) are better because last-hitting is a part of the game. I didn't always feel this way, of course. When I was a MOBA nooblet, I thought last-hitting was an unnecessary PvE element in a competitive PvP game, and it took away from the game's clear objective: taking enemy turrets. When I really sank my teeth into LoL, last-hitting finally clicked. It's a really critical element of the genre, and this week, I'll explain why. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Why last-hitting is important The Summoner's Guidebook: Why last-hitting is important originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World talks Founding Cabals and corrupt sun gods Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-fi, Guilds, Lore, News items, The Secret World, Dev Diaries As part of the process of gearing up for launch, The Secret World's community team is setting a lure for cross-game guilds. Any existing guild leader can apply for a chance to have his or her guild to to be selected as a Founding Cabal. Cabals are TSW's super-secretive-sounding version of guilds. Founding Cabals come with a whole host of benefits including guild name reservation, beta keys for members, a lifetime account and 5,000 Funcom points for the leader, and the possibility to get five years of hosting via Guild Launch. Check out the forum post for application details, and prepare to marshal your forces to stake your claim in the world. While we're speaking of marshaling forces, a lore post today shed some light on the dark powers stirring in the once-hidden city of the sun god. After the Black Pharaoh Akhenaten was driven mad by the beckons of the evil sun god Aten, the vizier Ptahmose and his seven children worked to end the pharaoh's reign and protect the world. To that end, the seven children turned themselves into statues infused with the powers of the Egyptian gods, the better to hide the dark city from the rest of the world. There's no such thing as a happy ending for this kind of story, though: The city has been found by cultists, ghouls, jinn, and other baddies. The living statue Sentinels are having a hard time holding back the dark corruption, which means it's time for a hero -- you. Players will help the Sentinels, retrieve relics, rally spirits, restore balance, hack mainframes, and come face-to-face with the Black Pharaoh himself. [Thanks to Spartan for the tip!] The Secret World talks Founding Cabals and corrupt sun gods originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: City of the Sun God, Founding Cabal forum post

Perfect World International's latest Imperial Fury trailer released Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Perfect World International, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play Last month we told you lot all about Perfect World Entertainment's upcoming additions to its F2P title Perfect World International. The update, known as Imperial Fury, includes a cornucopia of additions and revamps to the game such as the new Advanced Endless Universe dungeon, tweaks to existing dungeons, city redesigns, and more. If you're a PWI player who is interested in voraciously devouring every tidbit of information available, then you're in luck. PWE released a new trailer today highlighting many of the new bits and pieces coming to the game with Imperial Fury. From new big-bad-bosses to fabulous new in-game fashions, it looks like there's a little something for everyone here. So what are you waiting for? Click on past the cut and check out the full video. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] Continue reading Perfect World International's latest Imperial Fury trailer released Perfect World International's latest Imperial Fury trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Champions Online features a new grab bag with a potential freeform prize Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Promotions The big draw behind Champions Online has always been making a freeform character, selecting powers and abilities to your taste instead of along a pre-determined path. Cryptic Studios knows this quite well, hence why freeform characters are normally restricted to subscribers. But the newest grab bag unveiled by the game offers everyone, paid and free, a chance to win a new slot for freeform character creation. And you don't even need to pay money for the chance. Freeform Grab Bags are awarded from the new daily quests from the Drifter, giving players a chance at earning a new Free Form Slot. Subscribers still get a new character slot out of the deal, but free players get a new slot that will unlock every available power for use on that character. You can also pick it up in the C-Store, but it won't be available there after June 22nd. So if you want a chance to play with a freeform character without a subscription, now's your chance... at a chance. Champions Online features a new grab bag with a potential freeform prize originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Freeform Grab Bag

Guild Wars 2 could launch before Thanksgiving, release date announcement 'imminent' Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2 Yes, Guild Wars 2 fans, we know that ArenaNet can't put the game out quickly enough. Believe us, we know. Thankfully, some new information uncovered through a bit of detective work on behalf of Gamebreaker's Jason Winter indicates that we may not have to wait too much longer. Financial reports issued by Korean Development Bank's securities firm, which is one of the largest brokerage firms in Korea, have included a number of documents involving the much-hyped title, in which predictions are made for a Guild Wars 2 release date in Q3/Q4 2012 (likely before Thanksgiving) and an "imminent" release date announcement. Keep in mind that this isn't just some random guy on the internet; these predictions come from people who report on these things for one of the largest brokerage firms in Korea, which means a lot of money (and probably some jobs) are on the line. To get the full details straight from Winter himself, go check out the full video on Gamebreaker, but take it all with a grain of salt. As ArenaNet is fond of reminding us, nothing is official until Anet says it is, and the game will be out when it's ready. Guild Wars 2 could launch before Thanksgiving, release date announcement 'imminent' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamebreaker

Win a DUST 514 beta key in the Event Horizon competition Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, PvP, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox If you've been dying to get into the closed beta for upcoming PS3 exclusive MMOFPS DUST 514, your chance to win a key has arrived. The beta is currently underway for this revolutionary MMO that will link a persistent console FPS to popular space MMO EVE Online. DUST 514 players will take on the role of ground troops in real wars fought across the EVE universe and can even join EVE corporations. Developer CCP Games announced its Event Horizon special event today, offering fans the chance to win a DUST 514 closed beta key by playing matches of its new multiplayer strategy game, Slay. To be in for a chance to win, log in PlayStation Home on your PS3 and navigate to the DUST 514 Home space. Once there, play a game of Slay and watch the intro videos for each of the four races to be entered into the beta key draw. If you're already in the beta, you'll receive a free piece of gear on completing a game of Slay. For full details of the event and a helpful guide to playing Slay, head over to the official DUST 514 blog. Win a DUST 514 beta key in the Event Horizon competition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Event Horizon announcement

Get a fighting edge with TERA's combat indicator guide Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, TERA, Guides TERA players, are you tired of being on the receiving end of a BAM's fury? Do you need a little extra edge in combat? If so, En Masse Entertainment has you covered. The studio has released a new combat indicator guide that should help struggling players get a bit of a leg-up on the competition. It's not exactly an in-depth tutorial or anything, but the guide does highlight some of the finer points of combat that many players might miss. For instance, how can you know when a monster is ordering its minions, changing targets, or leaving aggro range? Just pay attention to the indicators above each monster's head. Perhaps you're more PvP-minded and would like to know when your opponent is about to unleash a stun or a power-attack so you can be sure to skeddaddle. With a little options tweaking, you can ensure that ability icons appear as enemy attacks so you're always aware of what's coming. For the full guide, head on over to the TERA official site. Get a fighting edge with TERA's combat indicator guide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: TERA -- Combat Indicator Guide

Turbine sweetens Riders of Rohan's editions, includes instance cluster Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, Promotions Frustration and confusion have been the name of the Lord of the Rings Online pre-purchase game these past couple of weeks, with some players feeling that the editions were overpriced and others bewildered over whether or not this fall's instance cluster would be included in the cost. Turbine announced today that all three of Riders of Rohan's editions will be boosted with Turbine Points and that the instance cluster will be given to all who buy one. In a forum post, CM Sapience said that the studio is dishing out bonus Turbine Points for all of the editions. Base and heroic edition holders will receive 1,000 TP, while legendary edition purchasers get 2,000. This applies to both players who have already bought the expansion and those who will in the future. He also addressed the confusion over the instance cluster: "While we are still not ready to talk about the details of the cluster, we did want to confirm that we will be releasing a new instance cluster in an update after Rohan launches, and that the cluster will be free to all players who have purchased the Riders of Rohan expansion." Turbine sweetens Riders of Rohan's editions, includes instance cluster originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: LotRO forums Via: Casual Stroll to Mordor

Scarlet Witch joins the Marvel Heroes roster Posted: 14 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Marvel Heroes Marvel Heroes got a little more magical today as developer Gazillion Entertainment announced the addition of the Scarlet Witch as a playable character. This heroine/villainess is perhaps most famous for depowering 90% of the mutant population in House of M (spoiler alert!), and her reality-altering powers are certainly not to be scoffed at. Scarlet Witch is the first character to be announced since the game's first official trailer was unveiled last month, but hopefully we can look forward to quite a few more in the coming weeks. For more details on newcomer Scarlet Witch and the other playable characters of Marvel Heroes, head on over to the game's official site. Scarlet Witch joins the Marvel Heroes roster originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Marvel Heroes -- Scarlet Witch

Sorting through the SWTOR server transfer mess Posted: 14 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Events, in-game, Star Wars: The Old Republic Yesterday, Star Wars: The Old Republic began its second wave of server transfers. The process started normally without too much issue: Small, nearly empty servers were given the opportunity to transfer to larger, more-populated servers. Then about noon EDT, many well-populated servers were given the opportunity to move. Communities on PvP servers like The Swiftsure were asked to go to The Bastion. According to TORStatus.net, The Swiftsure's population out-ranked The Bastion's by several points. This was not the only case of the confusion in the population. Lord Adraas, arguably the largest roleplay community in the US, was asked to move to an equally populated server The Ebon Hawk. Continue reading Sorting through the SWTOR server transfer mess Sorting through the SWTOR server transfer mess originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR Official Forum, SWTOR-RP Lord Adraas Forum, SWTOR Dev Blog, PC Gamer Interview

The Repopulation publishes nation, city, and combat gameplay details Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox Above & Beyond Technologies has updated its website for The Repopulation this week. The forthcoming sci-fi sandbox MMO has some interesting systems on offer, none moreso than its nations mechanic. Nations are basically an extended form of traditional MMO guilds. They function as social structures and encourage cooperation in terms of raiding, crafting, sieging, and the like. Where they differ from genre norms is in their ability to control land and cities throughout the game world. Cities are a big deal too, and much of the nation gameplay is seemingly focused around city management. Combat in The Repopulation also departs from MMO convention, and while we've written about it on occasion before, this is the first time that all of the nuts and bolts have been collected in a single easy-to-reference article. Head to the game's official website for all the details. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!] The Repopulation publishes nation, city, and combat gameplay details originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online reveals ship revamp details, shows off new mining ship Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox Back in march, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced its ambitious plan to revamp EVE Online's entire range of ships. Dozens of new ships have been added over the game's nine year history, and now developers are reorganising them into specific ship lines that fulfill most distinct roles. A big part of the system is the removal of ship tiers for tech 1 ships, a change that will see all of the currently underused low-tier ships boosted and given new roles. In a new devblog today, CCP released the first concrete details on how that will take place. Miners will be happy to know that all barges will be given a hitpoint increase to make them harder to suicide kill, and that all three mining barges will be specialised to support a particular style of mining. The Covetor and Hulk will have the biggest mining yield but their small cargo holds and poor defenses will limit them to mining ops with haulers on hand. The Retriever and Mackinaw will have smaller yields but huge specialised ore bays, making them better ships for AFK mining and ninja mining. The Procurer and Skiff will have the lowest mining yields but their battleship-sized tank will make it difficult to suicide gank. Finally, a new entry level ORE mining frigate will be released for new players. EVE Online reveals ship revamp details, shows off new mining ship originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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