MMO Updates

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• Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home
• Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news
• Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach
• The Daily Grind: What was the best year for MMOs?
• Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back
• CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime
• Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8
• WoW character services and transfers half off this week
• MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand
• Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition
• Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL
• Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming
• CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2
• World of Warplanes open beta detailed
• Firefall announces final public beta weekend

Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Screenshots, Trailers, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Casual, Virtual Worlds, First Impressions, Free for All, Housing, Buy-to-Play My birthday is this week, so I thought it was time to grab a PlayStation 3 bundle, something I have been wanting for a while. Not only have the prices dropped for the consoles, but with the next generation coming out soon, I knew that many of the games that I wanted to get for it would be even cheaper. On top of that, the PS3 is the best console for MMOs. It currently hosts several, one of them being PlayStation Home. My curiosity for Home has been fired up since I heard about it, but I've never before looked into it and have rarely heard anything more from it other than the occasional news story. Most of the time when I ask a PlayStation user about the virtual world, he'll just sort of shrug. It was about time I saw it for myself! Continue reading Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Trailers, Video, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Allods Online, Dungeons, Player-Generated Content Starting today, warriors in Allods Online's guild versus guild territory battles will have new mechanics at their disposal. These new battle mechanics include the ability to set a battle time to improve the organization and coordination of military campaigns as well as a new tournament-based league for sectors. Additionally, a new matchmaking system aims to keep things balanced and fair by using an improved battle points calculation that allows guilds to challenge others with similar power and skill levels. On top of those changes, players with their own allod can now create a dungeon to hide their treasures in a customizable maze that plunderers will have to successfully navigate. Need another reason to log in and check things out? How about this: Allods Online is offering a special event called A Gift a Day. Starting today, each day a player logs in, s/he will receive a gift. Prizes can include exclusive new costumes and a brand-new wolf mount. If you need any more coaxing, check out new images in the gallery below and the update's trailer after the cut. [Source: Webzen press release] Gallery: Allods Online Continue reading Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, News Items, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, A Mild-Mannered Reporter, Infinite Crisis Today marks the start of a new format for A Mild-Mannered Reporter, but it's a natural segue because this is what I'd be doing anyway. Yes, it's time for a roundup of news, and over the past month, most of the news has been about two superheroic games hitting the "action" button until it falls off. It's all about Marvel Heroes and Infinite Crisis, in other words. Not that these are the only two games that have been doing things, mind you. Both Champions Online and DC Universe Online have brought out some new content, although the volume differs. But the biggest waves are being made by games emphasizing the punching of villains with extreme prejudice. Or the punching of heroes; it's a fine line. The point is that there is no finer time to round up superhero news, especially with the return of ComicsAlliance. So let's move on to the roundup, taking it point by point. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach Posted: 05 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous Every games writer must wonder, at some point in his career, whether he is in fact horrible at video games. Be the game Dota 2, EVE Online, or any of the other titles that make up my weekly play schedule, I worry I'm much better at having a good time than I am at actually manipulating game mechanics and making them perform the way I would want. But it doesn't have to be that way. Yes, dear friends -- I can change. I just can't do it alone. I need your help to become the most powerful, handsome, talented, handsome, elite-geared, handsome video gamester in all the world. It's up to you to Choose My Adventure and in doing so to decide which title offers me the best chance of becoming a golden gaming god and offers you the best chance to be my tough-but-fair coach who is totally a lovable teddy bear underneath all the swearing and yelling. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What was the best year for MMOs? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Some time ago I became frustrated that I couldn't find a comprehensive timeline of when MMO launches and expansions happened, so I decided to make one myself. I've always been fascinated with the overall unfolding of history across this genre, and I've also wondered one important question that comes from such examination: What was the best year for MMOs? There are definitely some years that have seen more releases than others, but maybe the answer to that question doesn't lie in sheer numbers. Perhaps it's in quality or significance. Was the best year 1997, when Ultima Online came out and really put MMOs on the map? Or was it perhaps 2004 with its incredible trio of City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and EverQuest II? Would you say that 2009 was significant, as DDO ushered in a wave of sub-to-F2P conversions? I think there's even a good case to be made for 2012, what with its large amount of high-quality releases. But this isn't about what I think; The Daily Grind is about your opinion. If you had to pick the absolute best year for MMOs, what year would that be? 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 was the best year for MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back Posted: 04 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous ENGAGE THE SHAWN-2 PROTOCOL. Activation in 3... 2... 1... That's right: For the 250th episode of Massively Speaking, the guy who was here at the very beginning has returned to chew the news and spit out opinions. This week we have another launch stumble, clueless CEOs, and plenty of talk about something called "Titan." 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: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime Posted: 04 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Sandbox CCP is ponying up 50,000 unallocated skill points as a way of saying thanks to EVE Online players who endured the game's extended downtime over the weekend. The firm took its Tranquility server cluster offline for much of June 2nd and portions of June 3rd in order to deal with a DDoS attack, which affected EVE and newly released PlayStation 3 shooter DUST 514. The bonus skill points were distributed during today's Odyssey expansion deployment, and CCP says that all accounts except trials are included. CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 Posted: 04 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The Secret World just keeps getting better and better. While the horror-themed conspiracy game is obvious not perfect (heaven help the rest of the MMOverse if it were!), it is definitely traveling steadfastly along that long, dusty road of improvement. Every time Funcom delves deeper into the lives and plots of The Secret World's denizens by adding to the story, it gets better. Every time new experiences are offered through new missions or features, it gets better. Ditto every time more choice is added through new weapons or customization. But for all the advancements and added content over the past year, there are a few issues that, when addressed, would get the game really trucking down that road and make for one heck of a ride. Luckily for fans, it just so happens that one of those very issues appears to be getting some attention come Issue #8: replayability. Behold the hope that is scenarios! Continue reading Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WoW character services and transfers half off this week Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Subscription If you're looking to do any World of Warcraft race changes, name changes, appearance changes, or server transfers, there's no time like the present. More specifically, Blizzard is running a 50% off sale this week for all of those services. WoW Insider notes that realm transfers involve a bit of logistics and planning. You'll need to empty your mailbox and make sure you're not heading up any arena teams. Also be aware that some of your add-ons may require some rejiggering after the transfer is complete. WoW character services and transfers half off this week originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement Via: WoW Insider

MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand Posted: 04 Jun 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Patches, Free-to-Play, MechWarrior Online, MOBA MechWarrior Online's latest update is burning up the charts (or really anything else it comes in contact with), as the game has introduced the Firebrand version of the JagerMech for players to try out. This new hero 'mech is all about dual weapons and long-range damage. It's also water-resistant -- or at least we assume from the video. This patch includes several other little odds and ends, including a World War 2-themed Sherman tank pattern for 'mechs that want to hunker down and pretend that they're a totally innocent hill. Players also have an even larger library of trial 'mechs to test, including the Spider, Hunchback, and Atlas. You can watch the Firebrand trailer after the jump! Continue reading MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition Posted: 04 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG I am beginning to wonder whether I just don't like the leveling process in Star Wars: The Old Republic anymore. In Mike B's video The 12 days of Smack Talkin', Darnell called all the extra NPC talking "98 minutes of unnecessary commentary." The story definitely had an impact on me the first time I ran through it, but this was the third time I've run through the Balmorran storyline on the Republic side, and truth be told, I was never a huge fan of it. This time, on my free-to-play character, it was definitely 98 minutes of unnecessary commentary. Of course, once I started the featured adventure through the tremendous story that was bugtown, I had to find a way around that compositional trainwreck. My character is a Smuggler, not an exterminator. Mind you, I've yet to actually smuggle anything, but that's beside the point! I figured the best way around that insect hole was to level through flashpoints. To my surprise, it actually worked. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL Posted: 04 Jun 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet Have you ever been going about your day-to-day business and found yourself wondering, "Is this metal or not?" If so, then the latest Dragon's Prophet trailer may have some useful information for you. Said video features an original song titled "The Ballad of the DraGod" (seriously), which -- unsurprisingly -- tells the tale of the eponymous DraGod over the soothing sounds of "#SUPERMETAL" guitars and pounding drums. Yep. For those of you keeping score at home, flamingos, cacti, and chickens are decidedly not metal. Dragons and leather, however, are apparently SUPER metal. Don't ask me; I just work here. If you want to check out the new trailer for yourself, you can find it embedded past the cut. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] Continue reading Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming Posted: 04 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Bugs, Patches, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Are you singing the open beta blues when it comes to Neverwinter? Nasty bugs or class inconsistencies getting you down? Then cheer up, little soldier, for Cryptic has the cure for what ails you. The studio announced today that it's preparing a "major" update to address issues across the Neverwinter spectrum. While the patch notes for this update will probably be a doozy, here's the gist of it. All five classes will be rebalanced with changes to mechanics, powers, "and pretty much everything else." In addition to all of the class tweaks, the devs have improvements for PvP, queuing, the auction house, the Gateway portal, the UI, game performance, quests, dungeons, and rewards. Kitchen sink patches are a staple of beta and launch period MMOs, so we'll see if this one will shore up the title's weak spots. Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update announcement

CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Launches, News Items, Sandbox Odyssey, the 19th free content expansion for sci-fi sandbox EVE Online, is now live. Like the EVE expansions that came before it, Odyssey brings a collection of changes, tweaks and major overhauls to EVE's existing universe, among them resource redistribution, deep modifications to the exploration career, a brand-new radial navigation tool, upgrades to player-owned stations, and a redesigned system scanner. To mark the occasion, CCP has released no fewer than three videos covering Odyssey, including the expansion's final launch trailer. Check out all three after the break, and have a look at our Odyssey coverage for in-depth information on everything that's changing. Continue reading CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles Last week, the Last Stand at Southsun game update hit Guild Wars 2, and players were urged to infiltrate Canach's Lair to curtail the villainous Sylvari's latest scheme. While there may not be an official patch today, ArenaNet has offered up a guide previewing some new content that will be made available today. Players bested the Ancient Karka during the November Lost Shores event, and now the Crazed Karka Queen has emerged to exact her sweet revenge. Unlike most of the Living Story content, however, this crabby boss encounter (and the event chains that accompany it) are permanent additions to the game. If you're a fan of world boss encounters, map-wide event chains, and vendors with new loot, then you'll want to check out the special video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles after the cut. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Warplanes open beta detailed Posted: 04 Jun 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, New Titles, War, Free-to-Play, World of Warplanes Excited to fly around in a vintage military plane or practice your mid-air hi-5? Wargaming.net has announced the first open beta phase for the upcoming World of Warplanes. This beta will not only wipe the current closed beta achievements, planes, credits, and gold, but it will also come in two stages. Stage One will see the implementation of a new Token currency system, and Stage Two will convert all Tokens to Credits in yet another wipe. If you're interested in testing out the game before release, head on over to the official site for more info. World of Warplanes open beta detailed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WoWP beta details Via: Shacknews

Firefall announces final public beta weekend Posted: 04 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Firefall This Friday, June 7, Firefall will have its final public beta test weekend before the game sets up for open beta on July 9. Red 5 Studios states that this event will feature three days of free access to the game, a contest for high-end gear, and a special community unlock called the Infiltrator Nightvision Goggles. The Founder's Pack deals will be retiring before open beta, so you have about a month to take advantage of those. Check out the game's newest trailer just after the cut for more wackiness. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release] Continue reading Firefall announces final public beta weekend Firefall announces final public beta weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• EVE Online: Odyssey Launched
• Dragon's Prophet: Face Melting Super Metal Video Celebrates E3
• World of Warships: New Cinematic Trailer a Feast for the Eyes
• Firefall: Final Public Beta Event Coming This Friday
• Elder Scrolls Online: First Person Concerns
• Marvel Heroes: Gazillion Celebrates Launch Day with New Cinematic Trailer
• General: Thinking The Once Virtually Unthinkable
• General: Whispers

EVE Online: Odyssey Launched Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT EVE Online players can now enter the game for the summer expansion, Odyssey. Odyssey is the nineteenth expansion to the decade-old game and includes a host of useful new features, most notably Odyssey introduces the Sensor Overlay, a "new system that helps players uncover the riches, riddles and relics hidden among the stars."

Dragon's Prophet: Face Melting Super Metal Video Celebrates E3 Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:27 PM PDT Sony Online Entertainment has released a new pre-E3 video for Dragon's Prophet. Devs are calling it "face melting super metal" and it features the music by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury and guitarist Brent Woods, and lyrics by Ayzenberg Group. See what you think and let us know!

World of Warships: New Cinematic Trailer a Feast for the Eyes Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:25 PM PDT Wargaming has released a brand new cinematic trailer for World of WarShips in preparation for the game's upcoming hands on debut at this year's E3. Check out the eye candy!

Firefall: Final Public Beta Event Coming This Friday Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:21 PM PDT Firefall will be entering its final public beta event beginning Friday, June 7th and run through the weekend. Players taking part this weekend will have the opportunity to score both in-game and out of game rewards.

Elder Scrolls Online: First Person Concerns Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:30 PM PDT First-person view recently made its Elder Scrolls Online debut in a new video floating around the interwebs. As excited as we are for the news, we've got a couple of concerns. Read on for our thoughts and share your own with us in the comments below.

Marvel Heroes: Gazillion Celebrates Launch Day with New Cinematic Trailer Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:03 PM PDT Gazillion Entertainment has kicked off the launch of their free-to-play MMOARPG, Marvel Heroes, with a brand new cinematic opening trailer.

General: Thinking The Once Virtually Unthinkable Posted: 02 Jun 2013 06:23 PM PDT Last week's announcement that Blizzard was taking Titan back to the drawing board took many fans of the gaming behemouth by surprise. Is it possible that the unthinkable might finally be entering Blizzard's consciousness? F2P? Maybe? In today's Free Zone, we take a look at that astonishing possibility. See what you think before you add your thoughts to the conversation in the comments.

General: Whispers Posted: 02 Jun 2013 06:16 PM PDT In this bi-weekly comic, artist Blaz Klaric brings us his irreverent look into the foibles of the MMO worlds we love, and love to hate. Check out this week's installment, Whispers!

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