MMO Updates |
- RIFT Extra Life charity event coming in October
- New LotRO screens show off Isengard items, legendary weapons
- A plague of frogs: Eden Eternal releases the Anuran race
- PlanetSide 2 opens up a comm-link to the players
- Last chance to join Star Wars Galaxies sunset
- The Daily Grind: Which MMO world would you inhabit in real life?
- PlanetSide 2 hosting a webcast on Thursday
- Russian MMO market to continue growing through next year
- Wurm Online inviting players to Exodus
- City of Heroes tackles the hard questions about rocket boards
- Hyperspace Beacon: Find your blaster at your side
- The Game Archaeologist spins A Tale in the Desert: The highlights
- KULTAN: The World Beyond shoves off into open beta
- Guild Wars 2's Asura Week continues with a look at environmental concepts
- One Shots: A tough call
- Dragons gone wild: Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdom's third season reveals all
- MMObility: Online board games make for good mobile design
- The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less
- SWTOR companions will have same-sex romance options... eventually
- Party with the Gods & Heroes devs in Austin
- Dragonica New Origin expansion coming September 20th
| RIFT Extra Life charity event coming in October Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, RIFT  How does it all work? First you'll need to register with Extra Life and decide whether you want to play as part of a team or as an individual. Then you'll need to spread the word to family, friends, and anyone else who might be willing to sponsor your 24-hour Telara marathon. Finally, you can join up with Trion staffers in-game on the 15th and do your part for charity. There are a couple of pretty cool rewards on tap too, namely in-game titles like "the Charitable" (for all participants), and "the Insomniac" (for those who manage to last the entire 24 hours). You can find more details on the RIFT forums and at the Extra Life website.
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| New LotRO screens show off Isengard items, legendary weapons Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  Today's batch shows off some of the new gear and items to be had as the Fellowship inches closer to Mordor (and thousands of players follow in their wake). Of particular note are the spiffy new legendary weapons that you can see in our gallery below. Rise of Isengard will be available on September 27th, and the patch offers three new explorable regions, a level cap increase (to 75), and a new 24-man raid. More info is available at the official LotRO website.
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| A plague of frogs: Eden Eternal releases the Anuran race Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Patches, Free-to-play, Races  So we applaud Eden Eternal, which today released an update that includes the latest race to the game, the froggy Anurans. The content patch for this fresh-faced MMO also includes racial crafting, with the Humans specializing in Gemcrafting, the Anuran in Alchemy, and the Zumi in Engineering. Crafters will be able to sell their wares at new player shops in Aven once the players hit level 20. We posted a trailer to this patch two days ago, so if you haven't already, hop right on over and gobble it up!
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| PlanetSide 2 opens up a comm-link to the players Posted: 14 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, PlanetSide 2  The meat of the letter comes as Higby presents the core pitch for the game. "Our goal with PlanetSide 2 is to create a game where you will fight against and alongside thousands of players, competing simultaneously and directly against one another in massive battles featuring intense infantry action as well as incredible air and ground vehicle combat," he writes. "All of these features come together to deliver what we feel will be not only the world's best MMOFPS, but the ultimate online FPS experience." Included in the letter are two brand-new screenshots from the game showing soldiers stalking the enemy on an alien world. You can check out those images as well as past PlanetSide 2 pictures in the gallery below.
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| Last chance to join Star Wars Galaxies sunset Posted: 14 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Star Wars Galaxies, Massively meta, Trading card games, Sandbox  According to Sony Online Entertainment, only accounts that are active and in good standing on September 15th will be eligible for the sunset period and events, so if you want to play, you'll have to plan ahead and reactivate your account one last time to make sure your account is active on Thursday. After that, your account will remain active for free until December 15th, when the galaxies are closed down for the last time. Confused? Mepps on the official forums has an even more detailed explanation for all the caveats and what-ifs you can dream up. Players meeting the criterion will also find that their accounts are flagged for free access to other SOE games (including EverQuest II and DC Universe Online) from October 15th to the end of the year, further sweetening the deal. Finally, although the SWG TCG will remain in operation as long as the game does, loot cards cease being redeemable after September 15th, so grab your free loot cards while you still can!
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| The Daily Grind: Which MMO world would you inhabit in real life? Posted: 14 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Lore, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  So which one would you pick? Would you enjoy skipping through a tater field in The Shire? How about picking apples with Mary Malone in Tyria? Possibly you'd prefer riding a giant Gryphon in Azeroth. Let us know in the comments below which MMO world you'd live in, given the chance.  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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| PlanetSide 2 hosting a webcast on Thursday Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Previews, News items, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2  Hosted by Linda Carlson (better known as Brasse), this inaugural webcast will introduce the team behind PlanetSide 2. Eager players and fans should set some time aside on their calendars for 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT), as that's the designated start time. No word on what might be revealed aside from the minds of the development team, but if you're looking forward to the game, it's probably not a bad idea to check it out anyway.
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| Russian MMO market to continue growing through next year Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous  Among the more interesting upshots of the study are the fact that women compose 49% of the overall gamer market in Russia, a remarkably even split considering the setup of most developed nation; 69% of the spent money goes toward online or mobile games. In many ways, the Russian gaming market has already overtaken the European markets in terms of overall numbers and spending, according to Newzoo CEO Peter Warman. The company also created a useful set of infographics regarding the overall breakdown of data. [Source: Newzoo press release]
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| Wurm Online inviting players to Exodus Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Wurm Online, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox  According to the development team, a new land named Exodus is being added just south of Deliverance. It's intended to give players a new chance to get involved with building in fertile lands untouched by human expansion, and it's set to go live on Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT. For those of you recalling the issues with the earlier server opening, the team hopes that the new region will open without problem. So get ready to go... well, south, young man, because the lands there are ripe for the taking. [Source: Wurm Online press release]
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| City of Heroes tackles the hard questions about rocket boards Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, News items, Free-to-play  So how did rocket boards come about, and why did they take so long to get in the game? The latest installment of the Intrepid Informer features Colin Brown discussing what it took to put the idea into practice. As he puts it, the major issue from the art side was a simple technical limitation, since it required a theoretical new set of animations for seven years worth of powers. But the hurdles were overcome, and now players can move through the air in the way humans move through things best -- standing on a board.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Find your blaster at your side Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon  In past editions of the Hyperspace Beacon, we've talked about some specific abilities of the Jedi Knight and Jedi Consular. We have learned that the Advanced Class determines the role and playstyle of a specific class and that the overall class determines the story. Even more so, the specific skill trees narrow your focus. I believe that hybridization weakens your character, but there are others (including those who have played the game) who believe that hybrids are viable. Given that this game is still in beta, actual playtime has been limited to conventions and other special events. The Smuggler class is the class of the weekend. BioWare released the progression video on Friday, and as anyone who knows me can tell you, I love this class. After the break, we'll chat about some of the announced abilities of this unique character. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Find your blaster at your side
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| The Game Archaeologist spins A Tale in the Desert: The highlights Posted: 13 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, A Tale in the Desert, Culture, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, Crafting  "A Tale in the Desert, he replied, then added: "Note that 'innovative' doesn't necessarily mean 'successful.'" Right there is the crux of ATITD's unique position in the MMO industry. Instead of storming down a path well-traveled, it took a machete and made its own trail -- a trail down which few have followed. As Jef recently noted in Some Assembly Required, it is an "odd duck" of a game, skewing as far away from combat as possible to focus on two often-neglected aspects of MMOs: crafting and politics. Even though its population has pegged it as an eternally niche game, it's proven that constant fighting isn't the only thing that can draw an online community together. This week we're going to look at some of the more unique features of this innovative yet diminutive MMO, which began telling its tale back in 2003. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist spins A Tale in the Desert: The highlights
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| KULTAN: The World Beyond shoves off into open beta Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Launches, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Bigpoint Games, maker of Battlestar Galactica Online, announced in a press release today that its newest title, KULTAN: The World Beyond, has launched into open beta. Like BSGO, KULTAN is browser-based and powered by the Unity engine. In the game, players choose from three factions and three classes and then step into the role of a ship's captain. From there it's up to players to explore the uncharted, discover the unknown, and complete quests for their nation. Jump on past the cut for the game's official trailer, and to get behind the wheel of your own galleon, head on over to the game's official site. Continue reading KULTAN: The World Beyond shoves off into open beta
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| Guild Wars 2's Asura Week continues with a look at environmental concepts Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries  Asuran design is heavily influenced by ancient Hindu architecture and features "massive stone columns, intricate, masterful carvings, and a sense of being inside a mountain," Barrett explains, before going on to share several thumbnail sketches and designs for more specific in-game props. While most of Barrett's showcase is in black and white, he does do color pieces as well, primarily toward the beginning of the conceptual process. After that, he says, "it's much more economical to explore designs in grayscale." So what is it that makes Asura tick, according to the ArenaNet's art department? They're "mad with ambition to harness the power of the planet, and they have all the best tools with which to do it." On a lighter note, today's update also features an Asura advice column filled to the brim with pearls of wisdom about everything from lemonade turrets to grawl-infested cabbage crops. Head to the official Guild Wars 2 website for the full Asura experience.
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| Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, One Shots  Not that the entirety of LotRO isn't beautiful, but I'm really fond of Celondim, the Elf starting area. I was back there recently on my 65 Minstrel to complete deeds, and it's still one of the prettiest places in the game, with its beautiful docks and high cliffs and pink trees, plus the beautiful sky you find all over LotRO.It's starting zone week here at One Shots. First impressions are a big deal, so many developers put a lot into that first zone you see. Show us a screenshot of your favorite starting zone -- add your name and a little bit about the image, send it in to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it in this week's One Shots!
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| Dragons gone wild: Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdom's third season reveals all Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, Free-to-play, Browser  Season three launches on Thursday, September 15th, and will introduce a host of new challenges for both PvE and PvP players. It appears that the air dragon Ylath has aroused from his slumber looking for a good meal while those nasty Dark Elves are on the prowl for an unprepared hero or two. Runic fortresses also have appeared out of thin air, begging players to battle over these swanky summer homes. Finally, fans of the title should enjoy the enhanced character customization coming with the update. The free-to-play title will add an in-game store with this update to help monetize the game. You can check out what we thought of the title with our First Impressions series.
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| MMObility: Online board games make for good mobile design Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, MMObility  When those irrational thoughts hit me, I like to play a board or card game. A good board game can give you the same feelings of adventure or teamwork that any MMO can. Then I stumbled upon Ironhelmet Games' site and started to fall in love with its online games. The site gave me some good ideas about designing for mobile gamers. Click past the cut and let's discuss! Continue reading MMObility: Online board games make for good mobile design
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| The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous  I hate MMORPG combat. It's not because I'm a carebear. It's not because I'm bad at it. It's not because I dislike parsing, being a min/maxer, or solving equations and comparing spreadsheets when I'm supposed to be having fun. OK, maybe it is because of those last four things. Mainly, though, it's because MMORPG combat completely and unequivocally sucks. MMORPG combat is not combat. It's high school math. And it's the same in every damn MMORPG. Twenty years into the genre here, guys, aren't we ready to grow up even a little bit? Continue reading The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less
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| SWTOR companions will have same-sex romance options... eventually Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic  In a statement on the forums, SWTOR Senior Online Community Manager Stephen Reid posted the following: Due to the design constraints of a fully voiced MMO of this scale and size, many choices had to be made as to the launch and post-launch feature set. Same gender romances with companion characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a post-launch feature. Because The Old Republic is an MMO, the game will live on through content expansions which allow us to include content and features that could not be included at launch, including the addition of more companion characters who will have additional romance options. (Emphasis ours.)This plan is certainly in line with other BioWare titles while setting it apart from other MMOs. Hopefully this option won't end up in the "never got around to it" bin like housing in a certain other MMO.
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| Party with the Gods & Heroes devs in Austin Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Livestream, Miscellaneous  Interested parties can RSVP by email on the official site. Have fun!
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| Dragonica New Origin expansion coming September 20th Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  New dungeons are coming too, in the form of level 45 and 75 instances. Some of the old world maps have been redrawn as well, and gPotato says the redesign "[gives] the game a new and improved feel." The new classes take the form of the Shaman and the Amazonian, and there's also a new, as-yet unnamed race in the works. Finally, we've gotten our claws on the New Origin teaser trailer, and if you're in the mood for some CG, cute mounts, and fire-breathing dragons, you'll find all of that and more after the cut. [Source: gPotato press release] Continue reading Dragonica New Origin expansion coming September 20th
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