MMO News

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• Flyff Gold Coming In July
• Dino Storm
• Gameglobe
• Heroes & Generals Launches New Video
• Pangya Announces Global Cup Tournament Challenge
• GamesCampus Announces Summer Giveaway
• Tribal Wars Begins Summer Games Registration

Flyff Gold Coming In July Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:52 PM PDT GPotato has announced that Flyff: Fly For Fun Gold will launch July 11. The new version of Flyff will introduce and improve several game systems. A new Weapon Transformation system lets players transfer stats from one weapon to any other weapon of the same type, letting players keep the gear they love with the stats they need. The Consignment Marketplace lets players sell their loot without having to tie up their inventory or time, and players can shop from a single storefront. New Guild Siege events will challenge players in eight-way guild battles with rare loot including Golden Wings and CLoaks of Honor, and the Overwolf client will let players check on their social networks and the web without leaving the client. Gpotato also publishes Rappelz and Aika Online. Flyff Gameplay Screenshot Source: Flyff Will Go Gold on July 11 Brand New Systems Bring Sweeping Changes Sunnyvale, Calif. June 21, 2012 – The calendars have been marked and the date is set: Flyff Gold will launch on July 11. The beloved free-to-play MMORPG which has given hundreds of thousands of players the chance to Fly for Fun will enter its new version with a slew of new features that change the look, feel, and content of the game. Break away from the pack of players sporting similar sets of equipment and choose the weapon that you want your character to have. Flyff Gold's brand new Weapon Transformation system transfers the stats from any weapon to another weapon of the same type. Give the stats of an end-game, ultimate sword to that cool-looking sword from a level 50 dungeon, or slap them onto a wooden training sword so your enemies don't see you coming! Find the gear you really want with the Consignment Marketplace, a new system inspired by player requests. Anyone can bring their loot and set their price in the new market, immediately freeing up their inventory and placing sales into an automated system. Shoppers can teleport to the market to find prices for the item they want in one single, central storefront with an easy search feature. Put that new gear to the test in PvP and win great rewards in Guild Siege events! Charge into an eight-way guild battle and win exquisite items like the never-before released Golden Wings, rare Cloak of Honor, and more that will be revealed through victory. The rewards include the same top level equipment as dungeons, so anyone who prefers PvP can gear up entirely through Guild Siege events. Brag about those achievements on social networks, instant messages, or the Flyff forums without ever leaving the game thanks to the addition of the Overwolf client. This small, optional overlay with custom tabs lets players access the web, record videos, play music, and much more! The Road to Flyff Gold continues with on-going Log-In and Level-Up events to help players get ready for July 11. Prepare for launch and preview the new features at the official website for Flyff Gold!

Dino Storm Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:38 PM PDT In Dino Storm, players make their way to DinoVille with little more than the shirt on their back, some ammo, and a loaded laser cannon. Oh, you also are toting around a small dinosaur of your own. Face the threats of larger dinosaurs and bandits alike, searching the wastelands for treasures and trials alike. Set up a variety of structures, like supply depots, gold mines, and more, as you carve riches from the land with the help of your saurian companions. Publisher: Splitscreen Studios Playerbase: ?? Graphics: Medium Type: MMO EXP Rate: ?? PvP: Yes Filesize: ?? Pros: +Very unique setting and story. +Variety of tasks and objectives. +Open adventures. Cons: -Somewhat generic gameplay. -PvP unavoidable. -Limited information available. Overview Dino Storm Overview Dino Storm puts you in the role of a prospector with a pet dragon and little else to start. The explorable world allows you to track dinosaur herds, fend off bandits, and find items and materials lying around waiting to be used or sold. These options also come in the form of daily tasks, granting you gold coins each time you complete one. Various buildings can be captured and defended, each offering you a different reward for keeping them. Team up with other players in a band to conquer harder tasks and keep your holdings safe from others. Dino Storm Screenshots Dino Storm Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Full Review Dino Storm Review Coming Soon… Screenshots Dino Storm Screenshots Coming Soon… Videos Dino Storm Videos Dino Storm Official Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Links Dino Storm  Links Official Game Page System Requirements Dino Storm System Requirements Coming Soon. . .

Gameglobe Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:23 PM PDT Gameglobe gives you the tools to create incredible action games in minutes. Share your creations worldwide through the client, using a single link so anyone can play, even if they don’t use the Gameglobe client. Creating is only half the fun, though! Play through other users creations, and enjoy access to countless games made by players like you! Publisher: Bigpoint Playerbase: ?? Graphics: Medium Type: MMO EXP Rate: N/A PvP: N/A Filesize: ?? Pros: +Create your own games. +Play any other user-created game. +Tools and options to let others play that aren’t registered. Cons: -May not interest some players. -Action games only. -Limited information available. Overview Gameglobe Overview Gameglobe is a joint effort between Bigpoint and Square Enix to bring players the means to design their own games and publish them worldwide for others to enjoy. The game’s tools can be used to create a game quickly, or to develop further and create an in-depth experience. In addition to being able to create your own game, you can also use the service to play any number of user-generated games that have been uploaded. Gameglobe Screenshots Gameglobe Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Full Review Gameglobe Review Coming Soon… Screenshots Gameglobe Screenshots Coming Soon… Videos Gameglobe Videos Gameglobe Official Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Links Gameglobe Links Official Game Page System Requirements Gameglobe System Requirements Coming Soon. . .

Heroes & Generals Launches New Video Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT A new video for Heroes & Generals has arrived: Come Out to Play. The video splices live action sequences, featuring developers and game community, with in-game sequences and CGI. Other fun facts about the video: it was filmed on a Canon DSLR Crop camera, uses the names of active core community members as tags, filmed part in a super-secret basement location, brought in nine community members for the shoot (including one who got hired on as a programmer after and one who came from Berlin), and other locations included Dyrehaven and GDC. Heroes & Generals: Come Out To Play Source: Announcing the Heroes & Generals "Come Out to Play" trailer June 21, 2012, Copenhagen We are proud to present our new Heroes & Generals "Come Out to Play" trailer. Based on Heroes & Generals, the Massive Online Strategic Shooter being built by a veteran team that includes the original creators of the Hitman franchise, "Come Out to Play" is produced to entertain and inform. By splicing live action and in-game sequences together, the movie celebrates H&G's innovative combined online first-person shooter and strategic campaign in an authentic World War II setting. Community Stars As a true testament to our open door development model, where developers work with Heroes & Generals players in the alpha and beta community to enhance the game, we invited some hardcore fans to join us on set for the filming of "Come Out to Play." From near and far, these community co-stars arrived and happily joined members of our development team on the frontlines and in the strategy room for a few days of glorious make-believe war. “We wish to create a living and breathing game universe, where we deliver the setting and the scene, but the real ‘star’ is the community who plays out all the active roles in a persistent war and helps us tweak the experience into the game that they want to play," says Jacob Andersen, Game Director at Reto-Moto. "I believe that the ‘Come Out to Play’ trailer shows the scope of Heroes & Generals – and it’s just perfect that we have actual community members participating as actors in it!”

Pangya Announces Global Cup Tournament Challenge Posted: 21 Jun 2012 02:13 PM PDT The sixth Pangya Global Cup Tournament Challenge has been announced by publisher SG Interactive. The Challenge will take place on Friday, June 22, in the dangerous Silvia Cannon Course. Qualifying rounds will begin at 2pm Pacific. The first 594 players who wear the Cecilia Birthday title will be able to work their way up the ladder to the final round, where they can earn Pang, rare in-game items, and a special Cecilia outfit. The challenge celebrates both Cecilia’s birthday and the Season Six launch. SG Interactive also publishes Grand Chase and Trickster Online. Pangya Gameplay Screenshot Source: Pangya Global Cup Tournament Challenge Announced Following Season Six: Tomahawk Update Online Golfers Can Compete for In-game Prizes and Experience the New Floating Island Hole-in-One Challenge, Redesigned Practice Mode and New Reward Items.   Irvine, Calif. – June 21, 2012 – SG Interactive, a leading North American free-to-play game publisher today announced the sixth Pangya Global Cup Tournament Challenge will take place starting on Friday, June 22. Continuing the popular golf tournament series, gamers will face off in the intimidating Silvia Cannon course, famous for its seemingly insurmountable helicopter and cannon beam obstacles, all while celebrating the birthday of Cecilia, one of Pangya‘s most beloved characters.   Commemorating the Pangya Tomahawk Season Six launch, the qualifier rounds will begin at 5:00 p.m. EDT/ 2:00 p.m. PDT on June 22. The first 594 players wearing the Cecilia Birthday title will have a chance to work their way up the competitive ladder to the final round, and a chance to win rare in-game items, Pangya‘s in-game currency, “Pang,” and a rare Cecilia outfit normally only available through the game’s random box system.   “We really wanted to give players a challenge for this Global Cup tournament, given that we just launched Tomahawk, and we thought what could be better than one of Pangya‘s most challenging courses?” said Joan Kim, Pangya producer for SG Interactive. “Players can warm-up for the competition by taking a few shots at the Grand Zodiac hole-in-one course or plan in our newly revamped Practice Mode before starting their drive for the championship.”   The Pangya Global Cup Tournament Challenge comes hot off the heels of Pangya‘s most recent Season Six update: Tomahawk. In Pangya Tomahawk, players are challenged with a new, limited-time hole-in-one floating island map entitled Grand Zodiac. Having no fairway, this floating island with small surrounding green will test the skills and abilities of even the most intrepid masters of the swinging irons. With new items to discover, UI improvements and the newly-launched Practice Mode, Pangya Tomahawk brings a new perspective to the anime-inspired fan-favorite golf game.

GamesCampus Announces Summer Giveaway Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:04 PM PDT GamesCampus has announced that it will be giving away one million CC during its Hot Summer Giveaway. Players of all GamesCampus games – including Carte, Shot Online, Heroes in the Sky, 9 Dragons, and Scarlet Legacy – will be entered. All that’s required is for players to have a registered GamesCampus account and verify their email at the contest page. Every Friday, between June 29 and September 14, GamesCampus will award one 10,000CC prize, 29 1,000CC prizes, and 470 100CC prizes (500 winners every week). Players will then be notified by email if they win.   Source: ONE MILLION CAMPUS CREDITS UP FOR GRABS THIS SUMMER at gamescampus.com If You’re A Member, You’re Already A Potential Winner! Sunnyvale, Calif. (June 21, 2012) – Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com), announced their biggest summer giveaway ever. You may already be one of the lucky five thousand! Not a member yet? Head over to the official “1,000,000 CC Hot Summer Giveaway,” GamesCampus page at www.gamescampus.com/hotsummergiveaway to sign up for a free account now. Every Friday from June 29th to September 14th, GamesCampus will randomly select winners from all verified registered users. One lucky winner will receive 10,000 CC while 29 other players will be granted 1,000 CC and a whopping 470 will receive 100 CC for a total of 500 winners every week. There are twelve weeks of prizes, with five hundred winners per week. That’s plenty of Campus Credits (CC) to go around. Current GamesCampus account holders must verify their email address at www.gamescampus.com/hotsummergiveaway. If you are not a member, register at www.gamescampus.com/hotsummergiveaway. Then all you need to do is watch your inbox every Friday and see if you’re a winner! All prizes will be emailed directly to the lucky individuals. “The hot summer doesn’t mean we can’t have cool contests so we are giving away 85,000 CC to our loyal users every week,” said Hubert Yee, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “With our biggest summer giveaway in the history of GamesCampus, this is our way of saying ‘THANK YOU!’ to our gaming community. We hope you have a wonderful summer and good luck to all our contestants.”

Tribal Wars Begins Summer Games Registration Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:28 PM PDT InnoGames has opened the registration for the next Tribal Wars tournament: the Tribal Wars Summer Games. The Summer Games let players team up into tribes of ten and compete for a chance to earn their place in the world. The games start on June 28, and will run for two months, with 25 tribal finalists moving on to the final world. Players can earn prizes that include iPads, Samsung Galaxy II, and more. InnoGames also publishes Forge of Empires and Grepolis. Tribal Wars Gameplay Screenshot Source: Pre-Register now and compete in the Tribal Wars Summer Games InnoGames hosts next big tournament, great prizes await   Hamburg, June 21, 2012. Today InnoGames’ classic online game Tribal Wars started the pre-registration phase for its next big tournament – the Tribal Wars Summer Games. Following the International Speed Championships’ great success, the Summer Games are the next opportunity for players worldwide to show their skills and win valuable prizes, like ipads and smartphones. The Summer Games allow up to ten players of any nation to team up in a tribe and compete against other players for a slot in the final world. The Summer Games officially start on June 28th, players can register on www.tribalwarsmasters.net   Tribal Wars places the player as leader of a small village, striving for power and glory. In order to build a strong empire and conquer other villages, one must unite with powerful allies and found a mighty tribe. Its vast game worlds and varied tactical opportunities make Tribal Wars one of the most popular browser-based games in the world, with 44 million registered users playing it in over 30 languages.   With more than 80 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as The West, Forge of Empires and Grepolis.

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MMO Updates

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• Flyff Gold to launch on July 11th
• The Secret World dev blog details three-faction PvP
• Red 5 reveals Firefall's Mobile Gaming Unit
• RIFT Conquest coming next week, new Storm Legion video released
• More content incoming for ARGO Online, including a new arena system
• The Secret World lifts NDA -- from today onward
• South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds
• The Daily Grind: How long have you been waiting for your next MMORPG?
• Star Trek Online releases a development blog on the new duty officer packs
• Dungeons & Dragons Online offers up new Menace of the Underdark screens
• Choose My Adventure: TERA questing with Rielene
• EA's Peter Moore: Free-to-play is 'inevitable'
• Enter at Your Own Rift: A guide for new and returning RIFT players
• Undead Labs hires community director, Class3 info forthcoming
• Hands-on with The Secret World's Darkness War dungeon
• World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings new game modes, maps
• Star Trek Online switches forum to Perfect World, offers account linking promotion
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In praise of City of Heroes' zone revamps

Flyff Gold to launch on July 11th Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Flyff, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Free-to-play Just last month, gPotato announced that its free-to-play fantasy MMO Flyff would soon be morphing into practically a whole new game entitled Flyff Gold. Today, the studio announced that this all-new version of the game will launch on July 11th. What changes are in store for players? For starters, a new weapon transformation system will allow players to transfer stats between weapons to provide a more customized look. A player-requested consignment marketplace will allow buying and selling in an automated system. And what better way to test that newly bought gear than to engage in some PvP in the new eight-way guild battles? The game is also adding the Overwolf client which will allow players to access the web, play music, record, video, and share on social networks, IMs, and even the Flyff forums from in-game. Events leading up to the launch continue in-game. For more information, check out the official site. [Source: gPotato press release] Flyff Gold to launch on July 11th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World dev blog details three-faction PvP Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:45 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, The Secret World, Dev Diaries Curious about The Secret World's PvP implementation? Funcom lead designer Martin Bruusgaard has penned a new dev blog that you'll want to read. It's a pretty lengthy post, given that TSW features three distinct PvP flavors in the form of its fight clubs, battlefields, and warzones. Each of the game's hub cities features a fight club, which is basically an anything-goes arena. Bruusgaard says it's ideal for build-testing, dueling, and basically anything else that players dream up. You can also travel to rival faction fight clubs when you tire of laying the smack down on your allies. Battlefields are all about fighting over legendary relics in hidden locations across The Secret World. Places like Stonehenge and Eldorado serve as the game's answer to instanced small-group PvP, and Funcom has added a few mechanical twists in an attempt to freshen things up. The warzone is a 24/7 persistent PvP area where the game's three factions duke it out over various controllable facilities. The game will launch with one warzone (Fusang Project), which features perimeter defenses and an Anima Guardian that players must subdue before securing the zone. Fusang Project supports 200 players simultaneously, so look for large-scale PvP battles that reward combatants with tokens and "substantial buffs" for the victorious faction. The Secret World dev blog details three-faction PvP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PvP dev blog

Red 5 reveals Firefall's Mobile Gaming Unit Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Firefall Don't fret, shooter fans. You won't be squinting at small screens or fumbling with poor controls as you try to play Firefall on your phone. No, when we say mobile, we mean a rolling LAN party designed by West Coast Customs. Red 5's Mobile Gaming Unit is a 48-foot-long gaming center on wheels, featuring "an aesthetic design pulled straight out of Firefall's sci-fi world." The MGU is slated to tour America later in 2012, bringing with it top-level eSports play and, of course, Firefall brand awareness. Anime Expo 2012 will be the site of the MGU's official reveal. If you'll be in the Los Angeles area between June 29th and July 1st, stop by and have a look. [Source: Red 5 press release] Red 5 reveals Firefall's Mobile Gaming Unit originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT Conquest coming next week, new Storm Legion video released Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, RIFT, Dungeons RIFT's ninth major content patch is coming next week. Conquest brings a host of new features to Telara including three-faction PvP, a new raid, and a long-awaited mentoring system. The PvP system features an alternate-reality version of Stillmoor. Players will fight to control sourcestone extractors, craft war engines, and "build up bonuses that last beyond victory." Trion is also bringing instant adventure to the Freemarch, Silverwood, Gloamwood, and Stonefield zones, and Ascended can now attempt to defeat Fae Lord Twyl in the Primeval Feast. Finally, there's a new barbershop feature for quick appearance changes, as well as a new Summerfest world event featuring scavenger hunts. Trion has also made some new video footage of its E3 Storm Legion demo available for download, so check it out after the break. [Source: Trion press release] Continue reading RIFT Conquest coming next week, new Storm Legion video released RIFT Conquest coming next week, new Storm Legion video released originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

More content incoming for ARGO Online, including a new arena system Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play Last month, ARGO Online received a hefty patch adding new goodies as well as raising the level cap. Today, the free-to-play steampunk game announced more high-level content is on its way. This next set of goodies includes a new continent, a PvP dueling arena, and an even higher level cap. Lower-level characters need not despair about being left out of the upcoming content; all players level 30 and higher can enjoy the new arena. Dubbed "Spirit of Warriors," players can band together in teams regardless of factions to participate in three-on-three or five-on-five battles on any of the three maps. The best two out of three rounds wins the match; winners will receive titles, veteran points for ranking, and possibly even precious medals that can be traded for rare set items. [Source: ARGO Online press release] More content incoming for ARGO Online, including a new arena system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World lifts NDA -- from today onward Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Real life, Launches, New titles, News items, The Secret World, Sandbox The Secret World got just a little bit less secret. Players not in Funcom's beta of the soon-to-be-released game who still want to hear more about it are in luck! As of today, the non-disclosure agreement that bound all of the closed beta testers has been lifted. But there's a catch: The NDA is only lifted for all gameplay and experiences from June 21st on. The NDA is firmly in place for all versions of the closed beta prior to today, including any and all comments -- past, present, and future -- posted in the closed beta forums. With that said, we'd love to hear about your experiences with TSW! Toss your two cents into the comments below, but remember to only comment regarding today forward. And for a look at one of the game's dungeons, check out Massively's hands-on with Darkness War. The Secret World lifts NDA -- from today onward originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: NDA announcement

South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Legal, Diablo III After investigating numerous complaints that Blizzard wasn't granting refunds to dissatisfied South Korean Diablo III players, the government demanded that the studio do so anyway. The South Korean consumer protection law ensures a refund if there's a problem with the product that isn't related to the customer. Many South Korean players were angered due to massive server crashes and high latency while playing Diablo III. The Wall Street Journal reports that 66% of Diablo III online traffic in Asia comes from the country. As for the refund itself, there are a few stipulations. It currently extends to players who haven't reached level 40. If applicable, the customer has to file for a refund between June 25th and July 3rd. Past that date, Blizzard said that it will offer refunds for any players under level 20 within 14 days of purchasing the game. The studio is also extending an olive branch to upset gamers by handing out 30-day trials to StarCraft II. South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Wall Street Journal

The Daily Grind: How long have you been waiting for your next MMORPG? Posted: 21 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, The Daily Grind, The Secret World With early release and launch day for The Secret World fast approaching, I took a moment to glance back over the game's development history. In the back of my mind, I knew I'd been waiting on the title for quite some time, but it surprised me to learn that it's been well over five years since I registered on the official forums following Funcom's first ARG brain-teaser. Guild Wars 2 fans can also see the light at the end of the tunnel, though we don't have a definitive launch date as of yet. Regardless, today's Daily Grind is all about patience. More specifically, how long have you been waiting for your next great MMORPG? 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: How long have you been waiting for your next MMORPG? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online releases a development blog on the new duty officer packs Posted: 20 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play At times, playing Star Trek Online can feel like the strangest possible variant on Pokémon as you shuffle duty officers. The development team has worked on several methods to help players acquire new duty officers and find more uses for existing specializations, and the latest developer blog paints the new Reinforcements Pack as the culmination of several lessons. It's certain to contain officers from existing species with a familiar distribution of rarities, but these new officers are meant to add a little more spice to the system. Each of the officers acquired from the new pack will have alternative active roster abilities, resulting in a grand total of 13 new abilities across 11 specializations. New abilities will also be added to officers without active abilities across the game, even non-pack officers. The Reinforcements Pack also contains other rewards, including a chance at a civilian cargo hauler that functions akin to a shuttle with merchants, bank access, and crafting stations. It's certainly a tantalizing potential reward for regular players -- and the new officers that come along won't go unused either. Star Trek Online releases a development blog on the new duty officer packs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Season 6 Dev Blog #7

Dungeons & Dragons Online offers up new Menace of the Underdark screens Posted: 20 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, Previews, News items, Free-to-play If you're an avid Dungeons & Dragons Online player, you probably already have Menace of the Underdark preordered. After all, the expansion is launching on June 25th, so you've got less than a week to wait. But that's still not quite "launching right now," and even if you have the expansion purchased, you might want a look at more of what to expect. The newest batch of expansion screenshots should help tide you over for the next few days. So what's in there? Aside from previews of two of the new quests coming in the expansion, there's also a look at the environment and architecture of Sschyndrylin, which is not exactly a pleasant spot to hang out over the weekend. Take a look at the gallery below for a full lineup of all the new screenshots as well as the previous shots of the expansion, and mark your calendar for Monday, when you can start killing Drow on your new Druid. [Source: Turbine press release] Gallery: Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark Dungeons & Dragons Online offers up new Menace of the Underdark screens originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: TERA questing with Rielene Posted: 20 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Game mechanics, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, TERA Last week's polls sent Higiri off to handle horrible dungeons, while Rielene continued to quest across the land. Much as in a certain famous fantasy trilogy that may have won our first bonus poll, this means that there are two distinct paths now being following by our intrepid TERA protagonists, and that means more time to focus on each. So I'm starting off with Rielene and her quest into the depths of Arcadia, beginning with the unexpectedly tumultuous Fey Forest. The opening explanation behind the quests here is fairly well handled, and it actually gives a reason that adventurers are being sent off into the depths of danger when an army would seem more suitable. Put simply, the Valkyon Federation's armed forces are primarily focused against the invading Argon, and that means that the rest of the world has kind of gotten messy. Adventurers aren't meant to represent some strange amalgam of soldiers and free operators; they're the last-ditch reinforcements for a home front that's deteriorating rapidly. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: TERA questing with Rielene Choose My Adventure: TERA questing with Rielene originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA's Peter Moore: Free-to-play is 'inevitable' Posted: 20 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Interviews, Miscellaneous The writing is on the wall, and the hens are laying eggs of prophecy: Free-to-play is the inevitable future of all video games. This comes from EA COO Peter Moore, who thinks we'll be seeing the free product plus microtransaction business model trump the up-front cost of a retail box. In an interview with Kotaku, Moore laid it out: "I think there's an inevitability that happens five years from now, 10 years from now, that, let's call it the client, to use the term, [is free.] It is no different than... it's free to me to walk into The Gap in my local shopping mall. They don't charge me to walk in there. I can walk into The Gap, enjoy the music, look at the jeans and what have you, but if I want to buy something I have to pay for it." Moore says that free-to-play works in favor of the industry because it constantly brings in new players -- and new potential buyers. He acknowledged that some gamers might be entrenched in how business has always been done in the past, but it will change no matter what. He pointed to the downfall of Blockbuster and Tower Records as examples of companies that didn't adapt to a rapidly changing landscape, declaring that EA is determined not to stubbornly stick to the past. EA's Peter Moore: Free-to-play is 'inevitable' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Kotaku

Enter at Your Own Rift: A guide for new and returning RIFT players Posted: 20 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, RIFT, Guides, Enter at Your Own Rift We're on the eve of update 1.9 in RIFT, and I think it's full of great changes that will bring back returning players. But if you're one of the many who tried the game at launch and left a few months later, it might feel daunting to make a comeback because so much has changed. Fear not! In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll gently introduce you to some of the biggest changes to the new player experience and provide a condensed rundown of the updates since launch. If you're seeking out a tl;dr version of the game since launch, you've come to the right place! Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: A guide for new and returning RIFT players Enter at Your Own Rift: A guide for new and returning RIFT players originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Undead Labs hires community director, Class3 info forthcoming Posted: 20 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles With the rash of MMO-related job losses in recent weeks, it's nice to see the occasional blurb about a dev finding a new home. Former Dominus and Dark Age of Camelot community guru Sanya Weathers has landed at Undead Labs, where she'll be heading up -- you guessed it -- the community relations department. This is good news for fans of the firm's tentatively titled Class3 zombie MMO as well. As Undead Labs' Jeff Strain writes, "you don't hire a kick-ass community director if you have nothing to say." Undead Labs hires community director, Class3 info forthcoming originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Undead Labs blog

Hands-on with The Secret World's Darkness War dungeon Posted: 20 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, News items, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Dungeons What do Vikings, Excalibur, native Americans, and Mayan hell-beasts have in common? They're all part of The Secret World's Darkness War dungeon, of course. The instance's story setup is pretty slick, and I don't think we're treading too far into spoiler territory if I reveal that you'll be taking a peyote-fueled trip through time and memory to experience a traumatic event from the annals of the Wabanaki tribe that dwells in the game's Blue Mountain region. Earlier this week I took my own trip through the dungeon -- as well as parts of Egypt, Transylvania, and New England -- with a trusty Funcom guide and a pair of similarly enthralled game journalists. While it wasn't necessarily mind-altering, it was bizarrely enjoyable in a uniquely Secret World sort of way. Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World's Darkness War dungeon Hands-on with The Secret World's Darkness War dungeon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings new game modes, maps Posted: 20 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks Wargaming.net is all over the place lately. When they're not dominating E3 booth space or installing gaming centers on real-world battleships, the devs find time to update their action shooters. World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings two new game modes, new maps, and new premium tanks to the table. The new modes are called encounter battle and assault. Each is designed to emphasize strategic gameplay. Two opposing teams fight over a single base in the former, while one team defends a base against an assault team in the latter. The new maps are offering differing gameplay experiences due to their terrain and object placement. Widepark is a "dense labyrinth of streets in a half-ruined European-style town," while Airfield takes place in the hilly terrain of North Africa. Full details on the patch are yours for the reading at the official World of Tanks website, and don't forget the new trailer after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Continue reading World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings new game modes, maps World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings new game modes, maps originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online switches forum to Perfect World, offers account linking promotion Posted: 20 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Promotions Starship captains awoke today to a mighty change over on the Star Trek Online forums. Perfect World notified players that in order to use the new forums, they now have to use a PWE account instead of a Cryptic account. This appears to be an attempt to coax players to abandon the old Cryptic accounts in favor of those of STO's new overlord. While there have been complaints about the move, Perfect World also announced that it is offering a limited-time promotion for all players who link their accounts: an in-game package that includes 5,000 unrefined Dilithium ore, bonus XP, a rare weapon, and various consumables. Perfect World notes that this promotion can only be claimed once per account, not per character. The promotion also applies to anyone who has previously linked these two accounts. Star Trek Online switches forum to Perfect World, offers account linking promotion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Account linking promo, Forum announcement

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In praise of City of Heroes' zone revamps Posted: 20 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Lore, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter If the classic MMO is an open sandbox wthout direction and the modern MMO is a guided ride along the quest railroad, City of Heroes was made on the day in between those two points. Nowhere is that more evident than in classic zones from the earliest days of the game, which featured a large number of contacts who would send you scurrying across a zone to largely random points without any real rhyme or reason. It was a different time then, and I think we all still expected to get most of our rewards via killing random things on the streets. You knew that they were criminals because they attacked you, see. These days, MMOs are very different, and not entirely coincidentally, City of Heroes as a game keeps revamping its zones. After the Atlas/Mercy/Galaxy revamp that we all thought would never happen, it seems that the team behind the game is really making an effort to give players some redone and more invigorating zones with coherent plot threads. And for many reasons, this is one of the best things that can happen to the game from start to finish. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In praise of City of Heroes' zone revamps A Mild-Mannered Reporter: In praise of City of Heroes' zone revamps originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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General gaming

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• Six Progressive Women of Retro Gaming
• Interview: Christine Love on Creating Inclusive Games
• Saints Row Expansion's Cancellation Allows Saints Row 4 to be That Much Bigger

Six Progressive Women of Retro Gaming Posted: 20 Jun 2012 03:18 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 18 | GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND VIDEO GAMES Six Progressive Women of Retro Gaming Cover Story: This group set the standard before the industry knew better. T he 8-bit era of gaming established one hard-and-fast rule, largely borrowed from adventure-based fiction: women are for saving. Donkey Kong in particular set a narrative standard that would be plagiarized for years to come: your adventure starts at point A, and girl exists at point B -- get there. But, early on, designers began to subvert this trope in ways that went beyond slapping a bow and a beauty mark on Pac-Man and semi-fraudulently selling it as a new game. The following females showed us at an early age that women in video games didn't necessarily have to take the role of the helpless captive -- in fact, they could easily outperform their male contemporaries, and with style.

Interview: Christine Love on Creating Inclusive Games Posted: 20 Jun 2012 12:31 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 18 | GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND VIDEO GAMES Interview: Christine Love on Creating Inclusive Games Cover Story: How this independent developer's text adventures reflect her own desires -- and those of others, too. " Honestly, the whole 'game-making' thing is still new to me," pink-haired Christine Love muses. "I always thought I was going to be, like, a novelist -- and have to support myself doing some shitty programming 9-to-5 job while I worked towards getting published." Canadian-based developer Love is probably best known for Digital: A Love Story, a visual novel set "five minutes into the future of 1998." "I did a bunch of non-branching visual novels from late high school into university," she says, "and Digital was just another one of those; I never thought of myself as being a game-maker until suddenly the indie gaming press was calling me one. It was just a short one-month project, as was Don't Take It Personally, Babe, It Just Ain't Your Story."

Saints Row Expansion's Cancellation Allows Saints Row 4 to be That Much Bigger Posted: 20 Jun 2012 12:16 PM PDT These days it is not uncommon to see titles from the same franchise released in successive years with a trail of downloadable content leading from one game to the next. That was to be the plan for Saints Row, as following the release of The Third last year and its subsequent DLC, Volition was to release a standalone expansion, Enter the Dominatrix, later this year. Instead, the influence of new THQ president Jason Rubin is already being felt as the call has been made to cancel the release of the expansion and incorporate its content into a proper sequel that will be released next year. It's an unexpected move as THQ is short on cash and has a limited number of releases in the near future with which to change that situation, and some of those titles have been delayed recently. Sacrificing the revenue Enter the Dominatrix could have generated is a bold step, and one that illustrates the distinction between THQ and, say, Electronic Arts. THQ seems to be modeling itself after Take-Two, which avoids annualizing its non-sports franchises and gives developers (particularly Rockstar) the time and resources needed to make quality games. That appears to be Rubin's intention with THQ's products: to consolidate the release slate and invest in those which remain to make them as good as they can possibly be.

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