MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Choose My Adventure: Out of breath but not out of meat in The Kingdom of Loathing

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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The Kingdom of Loathing screenshot
Here we go into another week of The Kingdom of Loathing, a wacky, free-to-play, browser-based MMO published by Asymmetric Publications. The community proved on the first day of voting just how strongly its members feel about this stickman world, and I've learned over my short time in playing the game that the community is really the game's number-one feature. Sure, there are tons and tons of items to collect, adventures to go on, areas to explore, and terms to memorize, but the community really binds the game together. Without its help, I am convinced my time in The Kingdom of Loathing would have been a confusing blur.

I am slowly getting the hang of the pace of the game. Last week's votes showed that most players enjoy the game at about the same pace I do. It's only an hour or so a day that many of us play, but that's because of how the game is built. I can guarantee that a lot of that time is spent hanging on the forums, chatting it up with other players, and generally staying connected to the game while not necessarily playing it.

It's a good pace, especially for someone like yours truly who cannot sit for several hours a night playing a single title. So let's recap the last week and get to voting!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Out of breath but not out of meat in The Kingdom of Loathing

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Out of breath but not out of meat in The Kingdom of Loathing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    GDC Europe: Funcom's Morrison says focus on the why, not the what

    Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:45 AM PDT

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    MMOs as a rule tend to have a focus on providing content for us, the players. It makes sense; they want us to play their games, so they give us as much stuff to do as possible so that we'll keep playing. But why do we want to do that stuff in the first place? Craig Morrison, creative director at Funcom Montreal, posed that question at his GDC Europe talk, saying that MMO design needs to shift to consider that option. Gamasutra covered what he has to say: "Everytime a player logs in, they need a 'why'," noted Morrison. "What we really need to be thinking about is the why -- it's the bit that we don't really consider enough. Players need a reason to be playing it. What is motivating them?"

    Referencing both Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Simon Simek's work on motivation, Morrison's talk ranged from discussing how games go wrong by focusing on only one kind of player to encouraging the development and fostering of community. "Unless you expose the players to the community and encourage community interactions, there's not that much difference between your game and a single-player game," he opined.

    MassivelyGDC Europe: Funcom's Morrison says focus on the why, not the what originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively Exclusive: DK Online Warrior class spotlight

    Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT

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    Massively Exclusive DK Online Warrior class spotlight
    DK Online is ramping up development as Aeria Games maneuvers to prepare for the coming of this action MMO. Today, the company is shining a big ol' spotlight on DK Online's Warrior class, and we've got the scoop with a dev blog, interview, and class video. The class looks to defy stereotypes associated with the name, as DK Online is a lot more flexible with its roles than elsewhere.

    As companies are wont to do with pre-release titles, Aeria Games is rebranding the game from Dragon Knights Online. As such, the game's official website will be switching over to a new address later today.

    Get a load of the Warrior after the jump and see if this might be the class for you!

    Continue reading Massively Exclusive: DK Online Warrior class spotlight

    MassivelyMassively Exclusive: DK Online Warrior class spotlight originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      PlanetSide 2 available for hands-on play at Gamescom

      Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:15 AM PDT

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      PlanetSide 2 available for handson play at Gamescom
      Players who want to experience PlanetSide 2 but haven't received that coveted beta invite have two hours of opportunity to do so this week -- if they happen to be at Gamescom in Germany. Sony Online Entertainment announced that 48 game stations will be available at Booth #B-060j in the ESL CM Storm Arena (Hall 8) for visitors to take part in battles with one another.

      The game stations will be open for Planetside 2 play in four blocks of time stretched over two days: tomorrow, August 16th and Friday, August 17th. On both days the available times will be 11:45 a.m. - 12 :15 p.m CET (5:45 a.m. - 6:15 a.m. EDT) and 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. CET (9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. EDT).

      Additionally, on Thursday and Friday Creative Director Matt Higby will take the stage and present a brand new PlanetSide 2 trailer as well as deliver several game giveaways to those who attend.

      [Source: Sony Only Entertainment press release]

      MassivelyPlanetSide 2 available for hands-on play at Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        New FFXIV 2.0 screenshots released

        Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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        FFXIV 2.0
        Gamescom maketh the good things flow. Today saw Square-Enix releasing a double helping of new FFXIV screenshots and artwork as a preview of what awaits fans in the game's 2.0 patch. The long-anticipated update, known as FFXIV: A Realm Reborn, is bringing some pretty significant changes to the game.

        The new images show off everything from skill effects and mounts to architecture and NPC dialogue. They serve as a mightily shiny glimpse at what's to come when the patch hits and brings a nearly universal graphical update with it. And chocobo-raising, because what good is a world without chocobo raising?

        [Source: Square-Enix press release]

        MassivelyNew FFXIV 2.0 screenshots released originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Play Diablo III for free up to level 13

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:45 AM PDT

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          d3 starter edition
          The last time we wrote about Diablo III's starter edition, the circumstances were pretty painful and we were pretty ornery. It's original release was glitchy and for a time, digital purchasers of D3 were limited to the starter edition despite paying full price for the game.

          Now, though, Blizzard has righted the ship and released a proper D3 trial to the masses, exclusively via Battle.net. Tire-kickers can advance to level 13 and confront the game's first boss (the Skeleton King). Try it out for yourself via the game's official website.

          MassivelyPlay Diablo III for free up to level 13 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Gamescom 2012: DayZ stand-alone to have instanced building [Updated]

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT

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          Gamescom 2012 DayZ standalone to have instanced building
          Rock, Paper Shotgun caught up with Arma II modder Dean Hall at this week's Gamescom. The braaaaains behind the zombie-centric DayZ mod revealed that player-driven construction is in the works for the mod's eventual stand-alone client.

          Hall says that the feature will probably take the form of underground bases accessed via portals (think a grate in the ground). He's leaning toward having players dig out the space, pour concrete, set up hydroponics, and possibly even have the structure collapse around them if it's a particularly gruesome day.

          DayZ's stand-alone client will also feature a revamped Chernarus that features more buildings you can actually enter as well as more detail and "entirely new areas."

          [Update: There are also talks of it coming to consoles.]

          MassivelyGamescom 2012: DayZ stand-alone to have instanced building [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Gamescom 2012: Wargaming.net teases World of Warplanes CG trailer

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:15 AM PDT

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          Gamescom 2012 - Wargaming.net teases World of Warplanes CG trailer
          Wargaming.net has released a new CG trailer for its forthcoming World of Warplanes title. If you're an aviation buff, or you simply like sleek machines and big explosions, the clip is pure porn that runs for just over a minute.

          While there's no gameplay footage, we do get to see a good representation of all the different aircraft up for grabs in the game. Everything from World War II stalwarts like the P-51 Mustang and Messerschmitt Bf-109 to Korean War birds like the F-86 are on display. There's even a glimpse of some World War I-era hardware. See for yourself after the break.

          Continue reading Gamescom 2012: Wargaming.net teases World of Warplanes CG trailer

          MassivelyGamescom 2012: Wargaming.net teases World of Warplanes CG trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Secret World's August update adding new weapon, abilities, missions, and more

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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          The Secret World's August update adding new weapon, abilities, missions, and moreThe Secret World's second major content drop is coming on August 28th. The "Digging Deeper" update includes new avatar customization options, new investigation and action missions, and last but not least, the game's first post-launch weapon addition.

          The weapon in question is a rocket launcher which boasts seven new abilities, an eighth ability hotbar slot, and a new auxiliary ability wheel. If you're unhappy with the results of your initial character creation session, you can visit Dr. Anton Aldini in Brooklyn or Ockham's Razor barber shop in London for facial feature and hairstyle customization.

          New missions include the titular Digging Deeper, which continues the story thread originally introduced in The Kingsmouth Code. Finally, the August update will add nightmare modes to the The Facility and Hell Eternal dungeons. More info is available at the official Secret World website.

          And don't forget about the newly announced free trial where anyone can sign up for three free days of The Secret World. If three days isn't enough, you can earn an additional two days and 1200 bonus points when you complete 30 missions.

          MassivelyThe Secret World's August update adding new weapon, abilities, missions, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          RIFT breaking down faction walls and normalizing PvP in 1.10

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT

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          RIFT breaking down faction walls in 110, normalizing PvP
          "In 1.10, change is happening in a big way," RIFT CM James Nichols proclaimed on the forums. He then went on to announce that RIFT's two competing factions, Guardians and Defiant, would start to make steps toward unification in the final pre-expansion update. According to Nichols, while the two factions will remain philosophically opposed, they recognize the greater threat to the world and are coming together.

          For players, this means that there will be a lot more inter-faction communication and interaction. To start with, both factions will be able to join together for public groups, trading, the dungeon finder, raids, instant adventure, and weddings. The team also has plans to open up chat channels, quest sharing, guilds, friends list, and more between the two sides. There will be exceptions to some of these features on PvP servers, however.

          RIFT is also preparing to implement PvP normalization, which means that all players competing in PvP will do so with the same stats and no benefits from gear. Trion Worlds promises that there will still be "meaningful PvP progression," but that this should put the emphasis on skill rather than gear.

          [Thanks to Warbs and Marc for the tip!]

          MassivelyRIFT breaking down faction walls and normalizing PvP in 1.10 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          GDC Europe 2012: Designer says American gamers can't handle failure

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT

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          GDC Europe 2012 Designer says American gamers can't handle failure
          Game designer Don Daglow turned a few heads while participating in a GDC Europe panel this week. The industry veteran and co-designer of AOL's 1991 Neverwinter Nights MMORPG said that Americans don't deal well with failure, particularly in gaming.

          "The idea of failure has been dramatically reduced," Daglow said, before going on to opine that this stems from an educational system where failure has been removed from the curriculum. He also said that many gamers blame their failures on the game itself instead of analyzing their mistakes and trying again.

          MassivelyGDC Europe 2012: Designer says American gamers can't handle failure originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: Do you like in-game gambling?

          Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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          The Daily Grind Do you like ingame gambling
          Putting aside the thorny issue of lockboxes, let's turn our attention today on the subject of in-game gambling. I've noticed that more and more games are including some form of gambling, usually as minigames. From Fallen Earth's electronic blackjack to Star Trek Online's Dabo wheel, there seems to be no shortage of ways for players to waste double their currency.

          In-game gambling actually has a long association with computer and video game RPGs. I've never seen it as a legitimate money-maker so much as a pleasant distraction from combat and a tool for immersion. Plus, if the developers actually managed to create a good poker minigame out of it all, then it's like getting two games for the price of one!

          It might be hard to developers these days to keep microtransactions out of in-game gambling systems, but fortunately that's not a universal problem as of yet. Whether or not real money comes into the equation, do you enjoy gambling in your MMOs?

          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!

          MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you like in-game gambling? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Jukebox Heroes: Runes of Magic's soundtrack

            Posted: 14 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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            Jukebox Heroes Runes of Magic's soundtrack
            Welcome back to Jukebox Heroes, the column that dares you to close your eyes and unplug your ears. Well, after you're done reading this opening, of course. So what's the greatest tragedy in modern musical history? Everyone has an answer to that, but mine will be, "How much Runes of Magic's score is overlooked because it's a free-to-play title."

            Sure, the game shares enough DNA with World of Warcraft that the two titles can never marry or else they'll have inbred children, but RoM's soundtrack is anything but a clone of WoW's. Runes of Magic actually goes toe to toe with some of the greatest music I've ever heard in MMOs, and that's no exaggeration. I have to thank Massively's Jeremy Stratton for turning me on to this particular score.

            According to a few accounts I've read, Runes of Magic's music is both cobbled together from tracks of other video games as well as original pieces composed specifically for this. I honestly don't care where the music comes from; I just care to turn my speakers all the way up and feel epic when it's playing.

            So here we go with my absolute favorite tracks from Runes of Magic, minus a couple that I've shared on Massively before!

            Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Runes of Magic's soundtrack

            MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Runes of Magic's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Guild Wars 2 starts up the final countdown to launch [Updated]

              Posted: 14 Aug 2012 05:30 PM PDT

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              Go ahead and make the reference in the comments.  We all know you're going to.
              It's the final countdown for the Guild Wars 2 launch, and that means that time is becoming very important. If you're desperately trying to get a specific name on launch or just aiming to be ahead of the curve when you play, the exact times that the servers come online will be very relevant, which is why there's a new official post explaining exactly when everything is happening on the road to a full launch on August 28th.

              Pre-purchasers with access to the headstart will be able to start playing on August 25th at 3:00 a.m. EDT, with the caveat that servers may be brought up three hours early to check stability one last time. Those who pre-ordered the game but didn't fully purchase a copy will have access to a one-day headstart beginning on August 27th at 3:00 a.m. EDT. If you're in either camp and want to get patched up ahead of time, you can download the client now and ensure that your computer is ready to catch every moment of the last two weeks before launch.

              [Thanks to miattavich for the tip!]

              [Update: The team has also posted the full server list for launch.]

              MassivelyGuild Wars 2 starts up the final countdown to launch [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Massively Speaking Episode 212: Free-to-say

              Posted: 14 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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              Massively Speaking Episode 212
              Big studios are getting hacked? MMOs are launching and shutting down all over the place? Lawsuits bring tempers to the settlement tables? Sounds like a job for... someone else! And that someone is MJ, Massively's on-the-scenes combat reporter.

              MJ joins Justin to co-host this week as Bree has mysteriously gone missing. Don't worry, however; a nearby gnome with an exclamation point above his head is willing to send you on a quest to rescue her from the Dirty Diaper Dragon.

              Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

              Get the podcast:
              [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
              [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
              [MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
              Listen here on the page:



              Read below the cut for the full show notes.

              Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 212: Free-to-say

              MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 212: Free-to-say originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Another day closer to release, another Guild Wars 2 stress test

                Posted: 14 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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                Because we're running out of time.  Get it?  It's... okay, never mind.
                If you're strained to the limit of your patience while you wait for the release of Guild Wars 2, you can alleviate the pressure just a little bit tomorrow. ArenaNet is running another stress test on the game on August 15th, open to all players who have pre-purchased the game and are eagerly anticipating the launch. Best of all, character information will not be wiped from the previous stress test, saving you the trouble of making a whole new batch of characters.

                The test will run from 3:00 p.m. EDT until 7:00 p.m. EDT. Development teams will be actively working on the game and the servers during the event, which may result in disconnections or login difficulties. The announcement emphasizes that these issues are indicative of the state of the stress test rather than the presumed state of the game on launch. So if you've got some free time tomorrow evening, you may want to get a nice little dose of Guild Wars 2 before the main event in two weeks.

                MassivelyAnother day closer to release, another Guild Wars 2 stress test originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part 1

                Posted: 14 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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                Hyperspace Beacon All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part 1
                I'm excited about this week's topic. It's not often that I get to put Star Wars: The Old Republic's misconceptions to rest.

                As I said last week, my guild does recreational PvP, which is to say that we do it for the fun of it and not because we have to be the best of the best. This helps us enjoy the sport of it without having the pressure of maintaining a ranked-PvP score. Unfortunately, that also means we run into a lot of other players who don't know exactly what they are supposed to be doing in games like Huttball.

                Those same complaining players are also the ones who claim that their particular class is deficient in one way or another based on the PvP map. The biggest cringe in SWTOR comes from Huttball. Naysayers complain that one class or another does something different or better than they do. Today, I'm going to break down a couple of the classes to show you how each of them can be more effective. Let's dive in.

                Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part 1

                MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Guild Wars 2 giveaway for Gamescom attendees

                  Posted: 14 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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                  Guild Wars 2
                  It's that special time of year again. There are thousands of people packing bags, boarding trains, and piling into Cologne, Germany. Soon the halls that host Gamescom will be filled with people, the din of dozens of competing booths, and the scent of unwashed masses. What does that mean for you if you're a Guild Wars 2 fan in attendance? It means that along with a weekend with tens of thousands of your best buddies, you get a chance for super-special in-game items.

                  Every day, ArenaNet staff members in the team's booth will be giving away an in-game goodie to anyone who can tell them the day's password. The passwords for each day will be announced via Twitter, so be sure to keep one eye on the Guild Wars 2 Twitter feed and another on an ArenaNet employee who'll accept said password.

                  Aside from setting themselves up to be trampled by a seething horde of item-hungry fans, the ArenaNet team members will be chilling in Hall 8, chatting with folks, and generally keeping low-key. They might be saving their energy for something; I hear there's a game of theirs coming out soon.

                  MassivelyGuild Wars 2 giveaway for Gamescom attendees originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  LotRO's Lore-masters get buff (and buff others) in Riders of Rohan

                  Posted: 14 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT

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                  LotRO's Loremasters get buff  and buff others  in Riders of Rohan
                  Lore-masters far and wide in Lord of the Rings Online will be growing in power and ability this fall. In LotRO's newest expansion, Riders of Rohan, Lore-masters stand to be even more attractive fellowship members than ever before as they gain universal access to sharp, pointy things.

                  In a new class dev diary, Turbine stated that all Lore-masters will be able to train the ability to use an off-hand sword at level 40. Previously, this was a legendary trait-only skill. Due to the change, the team has increased the other stats on the trait.

                  The three new skills that the class will learn as it levels to 85 will greatly benefit both soloing and groups. Lore-masters will get an improved power-extraction ability, a group-wide power return skill, and a stacking heal-over-time that should beef up the class' medical acumen.

                  MassivelyLotRO's Lore-masters get buff (and buff others) in Riders of Rohan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  World of Warcraft schedules big patch for Guild Wars 2's launch day

                  Posted: 14 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                  World of Warcraft schedules big patch on Guild Wars 2's launch day
                  It's on. Oh, it's so on.

                  Not one to take a competitor's launch sitting down, Blizzard has scheduled its World of Warcraft 5.0.4 patch release for Tuesday, August 28th. Fans of Guild Wars 2 might have an inkling that the 28th has some significance within their own community as well.

                  WoW 5.0.4 is the pre-expansion patch for Mists of Pandaria. It weighs a hefty six gigabytes and includes shared mounts, new pets, and the massive talent revamp. North American players will get the patch on August 28th, while European servers will see it on the 29th. Mists of Pandaria is slated for a September 25th release.

                  Deciding whether this happens to be an innocent coincidence or a shrewd counter-stroke to GW2's launch is up to you. All we know is that August 28th is going to be one very, very busy day.

                  MassivelyWorld of Warcraft schedules big patch for Guild Wars 2's launch day originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  GDC Europe 2012: F2P developers should expect 70 percent initial user drop

                  Posted: 14 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT

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                  F2P developers should expect 70 percent user drop
                  Batting .300 is the gold standard for free-to-play games, according to former Empire: Total War designer Jan van der Crabben. He told listeners at a GDC Europe keynote that free-to-play developers should expect to lose 70 percent of their initial registered users.

                  He said that player retention is the key issue facing the new business model, and despite the fact that most players leave F2P titles shortly after registering, those who stick around for a few days will usually keep playing.

                  Van der Crabben, who is currently designing browser-based F2P games at Travian, pointed to World of Warcraft as a model, noting its mechanical effectiveness at retaining users by presenting them with cyclical gameplay. This amounts to "kill[ing] stuff to get better to get more abilities to kill more stuff," he said.

                  MassivelyGDC Europe 2012: F2P developers should expect 70 percent initial user drop originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  DC Universe Hand of Fate DLC coming in September

                  Posted: 14 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                  DC Universe Hand of Fate DLC coming in September
                  Did you know that Sony Online Entertainment is on its fifth DLC pack for DC Universe Online? The firm released a blurb earlier today highlighting the Hand of Fate update that's coming your way in September.

                  Would-be superheroes can look forward to new utility belt attachments, new operations, new side missions, and magic-powered Legends PvP avatars. "We want to provide players with unique hero and villain experiences that immerse them in the most iconic DC Comics locations: Gotham City and Metropolis. What we hope players find in this DLC are emergent game play moments that challenge and reinvigorate them in the open world," explains DCUO creative director Jens Andersen.

                  Hand of Fate will be free for Legendary members and available for purchase via the in-game store and PlayStation marketplace for Premium and Free players.

                  [Source: SOE press release]

                  MassivelyDC Universe Hand of Fate DLC coming in September originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Funcom addressing PvP issues in The Secret World

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                    Funcom addressing PvP issues in The Secret World
                    The Secret World's PvP fanbase knows that right now Fusang is more like a merry-go-round than a battleground, with groups just circling around capping facilities and anima wells. Funcom has noted this as well as other issues and has released an overall plan for improving high-level PvP.

                    Among the changes are plans to give incentives for defending facilities and for staying in the Fusang PvP zone longer. The Eldorado and Stonehenge battlegrounds will also see some tweaks, including incentives for increased participation and a reduction in the size of the center "score circle" so players cannot gain points while hiding behind the perimeter stones. Additionally, players saving up for PvP talisman upgrade kits might soon get more for their tokens as the prices will most likely drop.

                    MassivelyFuncom addressing PvP issues in The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Trion offering free expansion, mount, and title with yearly RIFT sub purchase

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 10:45 AM PDT

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                    Trion offering free expansion, mount, and title with yearly RIFT sub purchase
                    If you're a current or former RIFT subscriber, Trion wants you to know that the title's Storm Legion expansion is yours for free if you pony up for a yearly sub.

                    Storm Legion features two new continents that triple the size of Telara, 10 additional levels, four additional souls, and plenty of new content that includes seven dungeons, three raids, and a chronicle.

                    Trion is calling its yearly sub-plus-expansion offering the RIFT Storm Chaser Edition, and you can grab it for $119.98 via the official site. In addition to everything listed above, you'll also receive an exclusive mount and in-game title.

                    MassivelyTrion offering free expansion, mount, and title with yearly RIFT sub purchase originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    General gaming

                    General gaming


                    ZombiU Attempts to Cure an Undead Genre

                    Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:28 AM PDT

                    zombiu

                    Like cocaine in the '80s, Tamagotchis in the '90s, and McMansions in the aughts, zombie fiction is this decade's go-to fad. Every medium has recently been inundated with sordid tales of the undead, and video games are certainly no exception. This past year alone has seen titles like Dead Island, The Walking Dead, Deadlight, and all manner of games including the word "dead." So how does a company like Ubisoft try to make their entry into the world of flesh-munchers stand out among the pack? The answer may seem foreign to some, but ZombiU (I really, really hate that name) has piqued my interest via a healthy dollop of simple originality. Yep, that's all it really takes.

                    At first glance, it might seem like you've walked down the path of this Wii U-exclusive many times before; ZombiU is a first person survival horror game set in the foggy confines of London. Nothing too unique about that, other than the chance to battle the undead amidst a sea of pubs, bowler hats, and Yeoman Wanders. Well, it's this simple, yet solid base that allows Ubisoft to toy with your expectations and utilize features wholly unique to Nintendo's upcoming console.

                    Tearaway, Cross Buy, and the Increasingly Attractive PlayStation Vita

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 04:20 PM PDT

                    To date, it's been a struggle to turn the Vita into a success for Sony. Sales have been weaker than expected for a variety of reasons, among them the lack of quality games that justify spending $250-plus on a piece of portable hardware which in turn expects you to spend $40-plus on games in an age when quality mobile games can be had for a few bucks a pop. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida even admitted recently that it's been a struggle to attract third-party publishers to the platform. And while Sony remains stubborn about certain things that could be holding the system back -- its price, the cost of its proprietary memory cards, and so on -- there were a lot of new reasons to be excited about Vita following today's Gamescom showing.

                    A variety of original Vita games were shown during today's conference, including a brand-new title from LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule. Entitled Tearaway, the game is a sort of puzzle-platformer with a cutesy, papercraft art style. It makes use of several of the Vita's non-traditional control inputs, like the rear touch pad (allowing you to virtually insert your fingertips into the game world) and the microphone (blowing creates wind).

                    Sleeping Dogs Review: Foreign Cinema

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 03:54 PM PDT

                    Step away after a few hours of playing the Hong Kong action-thriller Sleeping Dogs, and you start to realize a few things. First, that developer United Front Games understands the importance of a world filled with detail that doesn't overburden the player with minutiae. When protagonist Wei Shen steals a cab, the player doesn't have an option to waste hours pretending to be a cab driver. Why would he? Wei's already an undercover cop pretending to be a triad foot solider. Secondly, that money plays a small and insignificant role in Sleeping Dogs. Players can use it to buy trendy clothes and fancy cars, but it's also an ancillary asset that they won't have to horde for a pretty mansion in the beautiful Hong Kong hills.

                    United Front trims away a lot of the excess found in open world games and tries to nail down the essentials that jive with their action movie premise. Inspired by films like Infernal Affairs, The Departed, and other gritty Hong Kong action cinema, the game strikes the delicate balance necessary to keep such adrenaline-fueled subject matter entertaining, and presents a unique case where less feels substantially more.

                    Super Star Stories

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 03:02 PM PDT

                    Feature

                    1UP COVER STORY

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                    1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 13 | THE SUPER MARIO BROS. LEGACY

                    Super Star Stories

                    Cover Story: How some Mario mainstays changed over the years.

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                    ario's rampant success in the '80s came from careful planning. Driven by shrewd controls and well-funded marketing, Nintendo built a world where children could play Mario games, watch a Mario cartoon, read about other Mario games in Nintendo Power, and then brush their teeth with a Mario toothbrush before falling asleep in Mario bedsheets.

                    Yet Nintendo didn't have a firm plan for Mario as a character. While he was more recognizable to children than Mickey Mouse, Mario went through a number of changes as Nintendo brought him outside the realm of video games, to places where he needed more than just a big nose and overalls. In his earlier years, Mario and his cohorts changed with the writers, artists, and designers who interpreted them. The results weren't always the Mario we know today.

                    LittleBigPlanet and Vita Take a Swipe at Nintendo With a Solid Wii U Impression

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 02:18 PM PDT

                    LittleBigPlanet 2

                    Like with the Wii, Nintendo is not attempting to have Wii U compete on graphics; based on what we've seen and heard, it's roughly on equal footing with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in terms of horsepower. It's the system's controller that sets it apart from the competition and, like the Wii remote, allows it to provide experiences that can't be had elsewhere. Or, at least, that is the idea; Microsoft showed off SmartGlass at E3 which was perceived as the company's version of the Wii U GamePad. Sony did the same with LittleBigPlanet 2 and Vita, something we got to see again at Gamescom as one demonstration of how Sony is indiscreetly going after Nintendo.

                    Sony announced today that Cross Controller support, the feature used to play LittleBigPlanet 2's upcoming Cross Controller DLC, will be included in a Vita firmware update coming later this month. The distinction between this and PSP Remote Play is that the Vita is recognized as what it is; asymmetric gameplay becomes a possibility, and the Vita's unique features can be harnessed -- the game doesn't play as if you are simply holding a PS3 controller with a screen that displays what would normally be seen on your TV. This firmware update will enable developers to make use of the functionality in their games going forward; the only thing that might stop them, really, is that the Vita install base is not especially large, and the number of people with both a PlayStation 3 and Vita is even smaller than that (though there is undoubtedly a fair amount of overlap between owners of the two).

                    Mario's Coins: From Necessity to Pyrite, then Back Again

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 12:50 PM PDT

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                    1UP COVER STORY

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                    1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 13 | THE SUPER MARIO BROS. LEGACY

                    Mario's Coins: From Necessity to Pyrite, then Back Again

                    Cover Story: Once upon a time, Mario's golden coins were key to his survival.

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                    ou're walking through a shopping mall when you suddenly hear a sound that makes your ears prick up: The golden "ting!" of a coin being collected in a Super Mario game. Someone near you has set the sound as his or her text notification tone, and you have no problem recognizing it immediately. In fact, judging by the jingle's slightly wooden sound, you're able to identify it as a coin belonging to the post-NES era of Mario games, most likely from Super Mario World.

                    Offhand, it might seem a little silly to dissect a single sound from a video game, but Mario's coins carry a lot of significance, both symbolically and from a gameplay standpoint. Inspired by Mario, countless video games still challenge you to collect coins, currency, rings, fruit, and other tchotzkes that chill out in mid-air and dole out rewards if you manage to grab a certain number of their kind. Interestingly, though, the item that set off a million collectors -- Super Mario Bros.' iconic gold coin -- has lost significance over the years in its native series. In the earliest Mario games, coins meant an extra life, a reward that was not easily earned. In modern Mario games, however, lives are handed out like Star Bits at a Mushroom Kingdom festival, so picking up coins totally feels like yawn city.

                    Darksiders II Review: Ashes to Ashes, Loot to Loot

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 09:38 AM PDT

                    It's strange, really -- by all accounts, I should not want to spend time in the world of Darksiders II. While the visuals aren't bad by any means, the heavy-metal character designs and stereotypical level motifs don't scream inspiration. And the wet blanket of a story that takes itself far too seriously while never investing the time in making us care about the world around us can be a bit of a bore. And for the love of all that's holy, the opening 30 minutes of the game are an absolute chore. So why is it that I've gladly explored every single nook and cranny of Darksiders II's world, and craving more long past the credits screen? Well, the answer is simple: the game is an absolute blast to play and proves that pure fun has the ability to trump all.

                    A followup to Vigil Games' 2010 title, Darksiders II places you in the role of the Horsemen Death as you're tasked with clearing the name of your wrongfully accused brother, War. As you could probably guess, this mad-capped romp of redemption takes place throughout the Yggdrasil and various locales made famous through Norse mythology (huh?). To be perfectly blunt, none of the story elements of Darksiders II mattered to me. I could care less about Death's gruff monologues and the history of the world around him. What kept me absolutely hooked on the game was its perfect mixture of tried and true mechanics, scenarios, and systems.

                    dii

                    Darksiders II isn't a night out at an exotic new restaurant, but rather a hearty meal at ma's house. It's a simple, but undoubtedly delicious stew that leaves you warm, satisfied, and ultimately content with what you've just experienced. It doesn't use foreign spices and new tastes to liven up the meal, but that's alright with me; the recipe is perfectly proportioned and reminds us of why we love ma's cooking to begin with.

                    Papo & Yo Review: Daddie Dearest

                    Posted: 14 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

                    I couldn't really blame anyone who considers Papo & Yo an unpolished mess -- the game certainly builds a case for it. In some areas, the puzzles feel unintuitive, even sloppy, with poorly telegraphed clues and seemingly random stretches that defy logic. The platforming sections hinge on specific timing, yet the controls make it easy to fumble these leaps. Also, the game suffers countless episodes of screen tearing, occasional fits of choppy animation, and instances of your protagonist slipping through level geometry into the uncoded video game abyss. As of this writing, a representative for the game told us a patch being issued at launch would correct some of these issues. Still, if this kind of thing typically scares you away from games, then you shouldn't play Papo & Yo... at least, not yet.

                    Still here? Good! Then let me tell you why Papo & Yo remains one of the most poignant and moving games I've ever played, despite its technical limitations, and why it deserves your time (and patience).

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