MMO Updates |
- PlanetSide 2 producer's letter teases beta plans, PlanetSide promotion
- Age of Wulin sandbox to feature accurate real-world locations
- The Game Archaeologist: What if World of Warcraft had never happened?
- Aeria Games launches strategy-based Dragon Crusade
- Get DUST 514 beta access with CCP's new Mercenary Pack
- Star Trek Online's Dan Griffis departing Cryptic (again)
- No, Guild Wars 2 is not launching today
- Full PlanetSide 2 E3 theater details customization and player tools
- The Daily Grind: Is there an MMO zone that you avoid at all costs?
- Not So Massively: Competitive gaming, D3 patch 1.03, and more
- MechWarrior Online serves up community answers on the details of combat
- Wings Over Atreia: It's time to liberate Aion from race restrictions
- Guild Wars 2: Yep, it's really pretty
- Massively Exclusive: An interview with WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney
- EVE Online Inferno 1.1 opens for business
- Champions Online introduces new alert type
- CCP: It's 'deeply wrong' to assume that repetition is the way forward
- The Secret World soundtrack available on iTunes [Updated]
- Leaderboard: Achievements vs. collections
| PlanetSide 2 producer's letter teases beta plans, PlanetSide promotion Posted: 26 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, PlanetSide, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Promotions, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox  On the subject of betas, Sony Online Entertainment has released a new producer's letter that spells out who will be accessing its new MMOFPS initially. As expected, PlanetSide vets and other gamers who have obtained third-party testing codes will get to fight first. Producer Josh Hackney also says that this Sunday (July 1st) is PlanetSide day. To celebrate, SOE is awarding former PlanetSide fraggers with 30 days of free game time. If you've ever had an active PlanetSide subscription, come back to Auraxis on the company dime and hone your skills while you wait for your beta invite. Hackney also says that this month's E3 demo was the first of many PlanetSide 2 appearances slated for the summer. Check out the full post for more details.
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| Age of Wulin sandbox to feature accurate real-world locations Posted: 26 Jun 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Historical, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox  The Wuxia and kung-fu genres are major influences, of course, so AoW takes place during the early years of the Ming Dynasty when China's martial arts culture was at its peak. If you missed our E3 preview, you should know that the game is a skill-based sandbox featuring eight distinct combat schools and plenty of novel non-combat mechanics. The game also boasts upwards of 40,000 NPCs inhabiting 27 regions that stretch across 130 square kilometers. This is a free-roaming open-world title, too, and explorers can visit real locations like Beijing or even the developers' hometown of Suzhou. Want to walk the Great Wall? You can, along with a Shaolin Monastery, the Wudang mountains, and dozens of other locations. gPotato says the devil is in the details, so the devs have "studied and analyzed old maps, plans, and blueprints in order to reconstruct real places in game with the greatest accuracy possible." If you missed the game's North American launch trailer, we've embedded it for you after the break. [Source: gPotato press release] Continue reading Age of Wulin sandbox to feature accurate real-world locations
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| The Game Archaeologist: What if World of Warcraft had never happened? Posted: 26 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, The Game Archaeologist  Perhaps the king of all MMO "what ifs" deals with the former (yes, former) king of MMOs. What if World of Warcraft never happened? Putting aside our own personal reaction, which may range from heartfelt relief to severe heartburn, we should look at this question without bias or emotion. Today I'm going to step way, way out on a limb and talk about an alternate universe where one of the biggest MMOs of all time simply did not happen. In that universe, how did the MMO industry unfold from 2004 on, and what would we be looking at playing today? Maybe it's an impossible mind exercise, but I've been mulling it over for a while, so here are six outcomes that I think are quite likely. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: What if World of Warcraft had never happened?
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| Aeria Games launches strategy-based Dragon Crusade Posted: 26 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Fans anticipating the new strategy game from Aeria Games didn't have long to wait; announced at the end of April and entering closed beta less than a month ago, Dragon Crusade hatched in record time, flying from unknown to launch in less than two months. Players itching to participate in large-scale warfare can now dive in and begin building kingdoms in the free-to-play browser-based MMO. Dragon Crusade allows players to form alliances and customize superior hero units in an effort to dominate the lands. The game also offers questing, instances, and a gladiatorial arena where players can pit their heroes against others for rewards. As no download is required, players can sign up on the official site and jump right in to play. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
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| Get DUST 514 beta access with CCP's new Mercenary Pack Posted: 26 Jun 2012 07:45 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Promotions, Sandbox  The game's first official beta event starts this Thursday, June 28th. CCP plans to run beta events every other weekend, but Mercenary Pack customers can jump into New Eden on off-weekends as well. The pack will set you back $19.99 and it's available via the PlayStation Network. Click past the cut for a full listing of goodies as well as an image of the exclusive Dragonfly scout dropsuit. [Source: CCP press release] Continue reading Get DUST 514 beta access with CCP's new Mercenary Pack
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| Star Trek Online's Dan Griffis departing Cryptic (again) Posted: 26 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play  Griffis put it bluntly: "Yes, I will be leaving if a few weeks for a new opportunity. That's pretty much all of it. It has nothing to do with PvP, STO, or Cryptic. It's just time for me to do something different. I had planned on telling everyone on the forums at some point, but probably closer to when I was actually leaving (I'll be here for a few more weeks)." He says that PvP will be transferred to another developer, and he's not going to talk about what's in store for that part of STO. Griffis previously left Cryptic in 2010, but returned shortly thereafter. [Thanks to Don for the tip!]
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| No, Guild Wars 2 is not launching today Posted: 26 Jun 2012 07:15 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, Guild Wars 2  GameStop has since changed their projected launch date for GW2 on their website to December 31, 2012, but several outlets still show the June 26 advertisement. So let this be a public service announcement for all of you tricked by GameStop's sales tactics. Enjoy yourselves in the stress test tomorrow and we'll look for that real launch date announcement from ArenaNet hopefully coming soon!
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| Full PlanetSide 2 E3 theater details customization and player tools Posted: 26 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox  The video ends with a look at the tools Sony Online Entertainment is offering players to keep connected with the game even when logged out. The player website will allow players to check and compare their stats and performance; it will have also a separate planet status tab giving a real-time view of activities on a player's home server. Still worried about being out of touch? Brian states that mobile uplink apps are on their way that will mirror most of the website's functions as well as allowing players to hook into the voice program in-game and talk with friends. Enjoy the full video (and check out the coordinating squad zebra uniforms) after the break. Continue reading Full PlanetSide 2 E3 theater details customization and player tools
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| The Daily Grind: Is there an MMO zone that you avoid at all costs? Posted: 26 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind  It's nigh unavoidable if you're playing through the game's Rise of the Godslayer expansion content, and it features dozens of essential faction quests as well as ample gear and monetary rewards. The overarching storyline is rather interesting too. That said, Kara Korum is unequivocally the bleakest, most depressing slice of gaming I've ever experienced. Aesthetically, Funcom has created a pretty good approximation of hell, and the sheer human misery on display via the various NPCs and vignettes weighs heavily on the heart. Needless to say, I won't be coming back to Kara Korum once I've finally conquered it. What about you, early risers? Is there an MMO zone that you avoid at all costs?  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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| Not So Massively: Competitive gaming, D3 patch 1.03, and more Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Firefall  Diablo III released patch 1.03 this week, heavily nerfing attack speed on items but at the same time balancing the damage in inferno mode. The South Korean FTC ordered Blizzard to accept requests for refunds, and Blizzard confirmed the world first completion of inferno difficulty in hardcore mode. Path of Exile released a video spotlight on a player's innovative melee witch build, and Firefall announced its new Mobile Gaming Unit -- a massive LAN center bus that will be touring the US starting next week. Continue reading Not So Massively: Competitive gaming, D3 patch 1.03, and more
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| MechWarrior Online serves up community answers on the details of combat Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Community Q&A, MechWarrior Online  The game is remaining very true to its source in many ways -- for example, location of equipment in a 'Mech will still play a major part in design -- but it's also changing certain elements. One of the team's major goals is to ensure that light 'Mechs are still a threat to assault 'Mechs, making sure that no pilot will ever feel as if his machine is useless in a given engagement. There's a great deal of attention to detail in the project, something that fans of the game should appreciate.
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| Wings Over Atreia: It's time to liberate Aion from race restrictions Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Races, Wings Over Atreia  *Race creation restrictions are in place. You cannot create an Elyos.* Race restrictions: a noble idea that causes harm in its quest to do good, an idea in Aion that has outlived its usefulness, at least in its current form. Perhaps you've never been party to the scenario described above, but I (along with countless others) have. It is not a pleasant experience; I contend that race restrictions are causing avoidable harm to the game. At the very least, it's a slap in the face to the idea of playing your way. But even worse than that, it is costing Aion players when the express goal was to avoid that very thing. This week, Wings Over Atreia looks at why the policies of race restrictions need to be reexamined, and if kept, reimplemented in a different way. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: It's time to liberate Aion from race restrictions
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| Guild Wars 2: Yep, it's really pretty Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, News items, Guild Wars 2  You probably didn't need to be reminded that Guild Wars 2 is a lovely game, but in case you did, ArenaNet has got you covered. The studio, which is justifiably proud of its art team and game aesthetics, has made a whole passel of images and files available to the press. While not all of the images were new, plenty of unseen concept pieces and screenshots got included. We went through and picked out the new images and our favorite oldies-but-goodies to share with you!
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| Massively Exclusive: An interview with WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, Endgame, News items, Massively Interviews, WildStar  We gamers are a curious bunch, though, and seeing a bunch of cool new stuff doesn't stop us from asking questions. Executive producer and design director Jeremy Gaffney recently hosted an AMA session on Reddit, but he was also kind enough to answer a few more questions from us here at Massively about combat flow, racial differentiation, and the usual character roles in MMOs. Take a look past the break at what the game will offer players when it finally goes live... which most WildStar fans agree can't be soon enough. Continue reading Massively Exclusive: An interview with WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney
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| EVE Online Inferno 1.1 opens for business Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Patches, PvP, Sandbox  Players sucking up to one of the four militias in the game now have more merchandise to drool over. The loyalty point stores now include factional uniforms that come in both male and female varieties. Alternatively, you can drop real-world money for other uniform variants that have been added to the NeX store. The Minmatar ships finally receive a dose of graphical love in 1.1, with V3 shader upgrades for their hardware. Due to popular demand, players are now able to watch a target area for a while after the target's been blown to kingdom come. As always, there are too many changes to summarize in a few short paragraphs, so check out the patch notes to get the down low on Inferno 1.1!
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| Champions Online introduces new alert type Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Endgame, News items, Champions Online, Dev Diaries  If you're looking for a new way to prove your Champions Online prowess, this week's addition of Rampage Alerts is just the thing for you! This new alert type features encounters made for teams of 10 characters of levels 35-40, with heavy emphasis on teamwork and dynamic battle strategy. Players who answer the call of the new alerts will be rewarded with Questionite Ore and costume pieces from their defeated foes. The blog post introducing this addition highlighted the as-deadly-as-she-is-beautiful Gravitar and her fearsome skills. She's wreaking havoc on Millennium City, and heroes who try to put a stop to her frolics will have to survive her gravitational manipulations -- like causing force eruptions, sending gravity pulses barreling after her targets, and suspending enemies in deadly gravity bubbles. Heroes attempting to face her are also warned to "beware her biting wit," as she "suffers no fashion faux pas," but you might take a look at her costume before you let her make you feel badly about your own.
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| CCP: It's 'deeply wrong' to assume that repetition is the way forward Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox, The Elder Scrolls Online  PC Gamer provides the setup, in which the magazine shares a quote from TESO's Matt Firor with Touborg. "At this point in the evolution of MMOs, every MMO has tried something at one point or another that you're going to do in your game. There aren't any more truly innovative features," Firor said. Touborg's response was lengthy and fills out most of the source article listed below. "It's kind of waving a white flag. Like, yeah. I don't like that statement. Because I think that's part of why there's such an attrition with MMOs. People go in and play an MMO for a month and they just want to throw up because they've leveled to 60 in ten different titles," Touborg says before going on to express his hopes that developers try something new. "Otherwise the same [MMOs] are just going to continue on the trend we see every time, where they sell a load of boxes and people play it for three months and then they go somewhere else. There has to be something else out there."
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| The Secret World soundtrack available on iTunes [Updated] Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Culture, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World  The track titles give us a window into Funcom's mysterious lore thanks to names like Our Town, Through a Hollow Earth, and The Age is Ending. The Secret World's pre-order early access phase starts June 29th, with launch soon to follow on July 3rd. [Update: The soundtrack is also available on Amazon.]
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| Leaderboard: Achievements vs. collections Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Game mechanics, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard  Achievements are ubiquitous at this point, from World of Warcraft to Warhammer Online (and that's just the Ws). Despite usually not offering anything more substantial than a pat on the back and a few numbers for your number collections, they have proved to be an incredibly popular motivator to going outside of your daily routine. Collections are somewhat more tangible: in-game objects that are often hidden for you to seek out, find, and collect all of them for the cool prize on the back of the box. That may be Cheerios, too. Anyway, titles like EverQuest II and RIFT enjoy sending players out on these scavenger hunts, and it momentarily takes our minds off the presence of death and slaughter that permeates everything. So if you had to pick one of these systems as the better motivation to get you out of your comfort zone and try new things, which would it be: achievements or collections? Continue reading Leaderboard: Achievements vs. collections
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