| New World of Warplanes cinematic features the most beautiful machines ever built Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Warplanes Wargaming.net has dipped into its deep pockets for another CG video designed to show off one of its World War II action titles. The star of this particular show is World of Warplanes, which is now in beta testing. Well, actually, the star of this particular show is the F4U Corsair, which everyone knows is the most beautiful machine ever built. There are some other airplanes in the video, of course, and a bunch of explosions, a ship or two, and even a train, but really you can just start at 1:08 and get your Corsair fix. WoWP is coming to Igromir 2012, a gaming and pop culture exhibition held in Moscow's Krokus Center. The trailer marks the occasion, and you can view it after the cut. Continue reading New World of Warplanes cinematic features the most beautiful machines ever built  New World of Warplanes cinematic features the most beautiful machines ever built originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Family: How kid-friendly games can treat MMO malaise Posted: 03 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Free Realms, Wizard101, MMO Family, Family, Clone Wars Adventures, Pirate101 Let's face it: It hasn't been a banner year for MMOs. We've witnessed disappointing launches, studio layoffs, and even studio meltdowns. There have been reports questioning whether MMOs are a good investment, and some studios have even signaled that they're shying away from traditional MMO development in the future. With all of these dark clouds looming overhead, it's sometimes hard to stay cheerful about MMOs. But ironically, the kid-friendly genre might actually buck the trend. KingsIsle's launch of Pirate101 and SOE's recent updates to Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms might help curb the malaise with a blend of old and new styles of gameplay. In this week's MMO Family we'll look at what's new with these titles and why kids both young and old have reason to celebrate. Continue reading MMO Family: How kid-friendly games can treat MMO malaise MMO Family: How kid-friendly games can treat MMO malaise originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArcheAge Korean open beta slated for December Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox XLGAMES has pushed back the open beta period for the Korean version of ArcheAge. According to a rough translation on the ArcheAge Source forums, the company originally intended to kick off the testing in November after G-star 2012. The open beta has since been "postponed to December because of internal affairs." A post on Gamtoon.com cites an XL insider as its source, but offers no details on the causes for the delay. ArcheAge recently completed its fifth closed beta phase. ArcheAge Source reports that the testing drew 130,000 users and was well-received by gamers around the world. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] ArcheAge Korean open beta slated for December originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Enter at Your Own Rift: Six things I learned about leveling via instant adventures Posted: 03 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, RIFT, Guides, Enter at Your Own Rift With a few weeks to blow before Storm Legion arrives to give us a wealth of new content to explore, I decided to roll up an alt in RIFT and see just how far I could get him in the meantime. The character is a mage, and the Harbinger soul looks wicked awesome, so I figured, why not? I wasn't that interested in going back through all of the quests and zones, however. I've done them, explored them, and made peace with them, and I knew that chugging back through all of those quests would drive me nuts (and take too long!). So instead, I figured I might as well try a new tactic: I resolved to just use instant adventures augmented by dungeon runs for the entirety of my leveling experience. It's a huge plus in RIFT's favor that this is an actual option, and I quite enjoy IAs anyway, so that choice felt right. Over the past week of doing this, I've learned a few interesting lessons about chugging through IAs as a character's sole source of XP, loot, and advancement. For anyone who might be following this path, I'd like to share those lessons. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Six things I learned about leveling via instant adventures Enter at Your Own Rift: Six things I learned about leveling via instant adventures originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Hi-Rez prepping Global Agenda sequel with focus on PvP Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:15 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Global Agenda Hi-Rez Studios' Global Agenda is a curious concoction of third-person shooter, MMO PvE, and team-based PvP. The game is also a ton of fun even though it has a ton of issues (chief among them being its primary focus and identity). The game wasn't financially successful, but the developers nonetheless learned a lot of valuable lessons which led to Tribes: Ascend. While Tribes was well-received, it's something of a niche game due to its high player-skill requirements. According to a blurb posted last night on the Hi-Rez forums, Global Agenda 2 is officially in the works and it will feature a focus on PvP. "We plan to add new maps, game modes, class weapons, and build it all on our newest platform," Hi-Rez says. The company hasn't officially named the title as of yet, but it expects to start beta testing by the middle of 2013. [Thanks to Zeds for the tip!] Hi-Rez prepping Global Agenda sequel with focus on PvP originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What's the best character name you've seen? Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous The other day I learned the word " onomastics," because Bree likes to club us over the head with big words so that we'll go away whimpering and leave her to playing Guild Wars 2. Anyway, we were talking about how we both have a character name file, although on my computer it's just called " character names" and not something that makes me think of doing back flips off of a high beam. I love a good name. A good name, in my opinion, sets you apart from the pack. It tells others that you didn't just slap letters together like a common monkey learning how to type for the first time. It may even generate respect among some. It gets you noticed, is what I'm saying, and it gets you remembered. So what is the best character name you've seen that wasn't one you used yourself? Was it just a great word, a clever pun, or something else that exuded awesomeness?  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!The Daily Grind: What's the best character name you've seen? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XIV explains changes to money and items Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV A lot of changes are coming to Final Fantasy XIV when the relaunch finally comes around. Changes to currency and item properties are among the less interesting of those changes, but they're certainly going to have a big impact on the game. A new update from the development team explains in depth what will be changing, what items will be removed, and what will happen to currency values. The currency one is what's going to throw the largest number of players for a loop, as the game is reducing all money values to a tenth of what they once were. To reduce numbers, all money is getting the ones digit removed, meaning that players will be 10% as wealthy as they are now, but all vendor prices will be 10% of their current values. Net purchasing power should be identical. There will also be a number of items removed from the game, altered, or otherwise changed with the new version. Players will lose several key items and ammunition, and other items will be bound to a player to prevent trading. Take a look at the full rundown for all the particulars on graphics, money, and other mechanical shifts to inventory management. Final Fantasy XIV explains changes to money and items originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SMITE rolls out a video for Ares Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA Interested in the deities of SMITE? You'll be quite happy to know that the game has put out a new video revealing one of the game's many heroes. In a stunning move that should shock nearly no one, one of the heroes available for play in this game of warring gods is Ares, the Greek god of war. And while almost any student of mythology could give you a brief rundown of who Ares represents (people who like war), the video goes into depth about Ares' abilities and combat roles. Ares in SMITE is meant as a melee magical tank. His abilities allow him to chain other gods for continual damage and increased movement speed, bolster the defenses of himself and nearby allies, and breathes fire from his shield to cut down high-health targets. At the apex of his power, Ares can pull several enemies together to him while dealing extensive damage. Take a look past the cut to see a full rundown of his skills as well as some demonstrations of their tactical execution. Continue reading SMITE rolls out a video for Ares SMITE rolls out a video for Ares originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Vanguard patch ushers in the Festival of the Grim Harvest Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, News items, Vanguard, Free-to-play It's that time again -- the time when every game world finds a way to celebrate something like Halloween. Of course, in a world where the dead actually do wander the world on a regular basis, the festivities take on a slightly different tone. Vanguard, for example, has ushered in the Festival of the Grim Harvest, an event celebrating the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and dead grows thin and all manner of hauntings take place. Players looking to take part in the festival can offer their assistance to the mourning widower Jett Helond or investigate the mounting undead presence surrounding New Targonor. There are also returning enemies from previous festivals and new themed items in the Marketplace. Last but not least, the patch ushers in some performance and optimization improvements for the game client. Vanguard players can check the full notes for more details and a few welcome bugfixes. Vanguard patch ushers in the Festival of the Grim Harvest originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| PlanetSide 2 revises membership benefits Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 As players get ready to start blasting away for control of the landscape in PlanetSide 2, the question becomes whether you want to be a subscriber or just an occasional visitor. Players weren't entirely happy with the original list of membership benefits put forth a couple of weeks back, so the team behind the game has put together a revised list explaining what players will get for the price of a monthly subscription fee. Increased resource pool caps have been removed from subscriber benefits, as it was felt by the team that this could potentially give subscribers an unfair advantage in the long run. The increases to resource gain, XP gain, and cert point gain have also been revised; these benefits start at 25% and increase by 5% for each consecutive month, capping out at a 50% increase after six months. Priority login access and early access to microtransaction items remain unchanged. Players looking for a more thorough explanation can view Matt Higby's post on the revised subscriber benefits. PlanetSide 2 revises membership benefits originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| City of Steam dev blog talks pathfinding challenges Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Dev Diaries, City of Steam Did you wake up this morning and think, "Hmm, if there's one thing I'd like to know more about, it's pathfinding in City of Steam." If so, you're in luck. If not, well, too bad, because you're reading this post, which is about City of Steam pathfinding. More specifically, the folks at Mechanist Games have released a new dev diary that dives deep into the nitty gritty of the steampunk title's optimization process. As it happens, the game's movement system relies on a grid to determine what is possible or impossible as a move. This makes it challenging to present a smooth WASD input option for the player. Head to the official CoS site to see how the devs are tackling the issue. City of Steam dev blog talks pathfinding challenges originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| NCsoft crushes the hopes of City of Heroes fans Posted: 02 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play City of Heroes fans have been rallying around the movement to save the game ever since its shutdown was announced. There have been in-game rallies and operations to let the corporate side of NCsoft know just how much the game has meant to the players. Despite all of these efforts, the worst has come to pass. NCsoft has officially responded to the Save CoH movement in the form of a short press release stating that the company has heard player demands but has no plans to reverse its decision regarding the game's shutdown. The statement also claims that NCsoft has attempted to sell the game's code and intellectual property rights but was unable to find a suitable buyer. Despite the best efforts of a truly overwhelming number of fans, it appears that the game's sunset will not be averted. Fan reaction to this news has been understandably bitter regarding the lack of information and sudden shutdown. The game will be holding several events in the remaining weeks leading up to the shutdown on November 30th. NCsoft crushes the hopes of City of Heroes fans originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively Speaking Episode 218: Pandamonium Posted: 02 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT |
| Flameseeker Chronicles: My Guild Wars 2 wishlist Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Game mechanics, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles Having hit level 80 on one character, finished the personal storyline, delved into dungeons, been handed my backside in PvP, conquered keeps in WvW, and run around like a chipmunk on crack with multiple alts, I feel that I am totally in a position to pass absolute judgment on Guild Wars 2. Well, I've at least had enough time to draw some firm opinions about the game. There are a lot of things I like, but there are also things I wish were different. This is by no means a conclusive list of those things. What are they? You'll never know unless you skip below the jump. Go on. You know you want to. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: My Guild Wars 2 wishlist Flameseeker Chronicles: My Guild Wars 2 wishlist originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| League of Legends adds player-driven 'Honor' system Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends While reporting poor sportsmanship and offensive behavior during matches in League of Legends is standard, Riot Games has added a new feature to the game by which positive behaviors will be recognized. This new system, dubbed simply "Honor," will give players the tools to tag folks with a permanent thumbs up for making the gaming experience enjoyable. This new system has four categories that players can be rated on. At the end of a match, participants can indicate whether someone was helpful, was friendly, displayed teamwork, or was just an overall honorable opponent. Each player's Honor is recorded in his or her summoner profile and displayed for all to see. In the future, Riot Games might also reward those summoners with the highest honor. League of Legends adds player-driven 'Honor' system originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Funcom: Secret World 'not going free-to-play any time soon' [Updated] Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World Funcom's still riding the roller-coaster that is The Secret World, but as of today the Norwegian development firm has no plans to do away with the game's subscription fee. "No it's not going free-to-play any time soon," Funcom communications director Erling Ellingsen told Eurogamer. "There's currently no plans for making it free-to-play." The game is in fact profitable as a subscription title, Ellingsen says, and creative director Ragnar Tornquist says that Funcom has content plans laid out through May of 2013. Tornquist and game director Joel Bylos spend a good bit of the interview talking about the challenges TSW faced last summer, from mediocre reviews to the need to launch and enable continued development to the stiff MMO competition. "MMOs are hugely expensive, and of course Guild Wars 2 has sold a lot, and of course it's a big success. That game cost a lot of money and they're going to have to sell a lot of copies, especially without a subscription model. It is a dangerous path," Tornquist said. "It might be the right path for MMOs; as a consumer, as a player, I appreciate it. As a developer I'm with Joel in thinking that it is unfortunate for a lot of smaller companies or medium-sized companies." [Update: TSW may not be going F2P soon, but it's certainly getting cheaper. Tipster Brant points out that the game is currently 50% off on Steam.]Funcom: Secret World 'not going free-to-play any time soon' [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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