MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Jagex levies a lawsuit against RuneScape botters

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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RuneScape
As RuneScape staggers under the assault of thousands of bots, Jagex is pulling out a pair of big guns to meet the problem head-on. The first weapon was yesterday's "Bot-Nuking Day," in which a patch was released that was supposed to deal with 98% of the botting in the game. The second is an official email sent to suspected botters threatening them with a class-action lawsuit if they don't desist.

In the email, Jagex calls out the suspected behavior and offers the player a "one-time amnesty lifeline" to shape up. These players will be placed on a watch list and will be monitored for any further botting action. If the player persists in cheating, then Jagex promises to not only remove their account permanently but to include the player in a mass lawsuit.

"If you ignore our offer and instead continue use botting software, we reserve our rights to pursue statutory damages against you for between $200 to $2,500 per act of past, present, and/or future botting," the letter states.

A Jagex mod on the RuneScape forums confirmed that these emails are real.

MassivelyJagex levies a lawsuit against RuneScape botters originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Russia, APB Reloaded hijacks you!

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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APB Reloaded
All Points Bulletin's comeback looks to be in a stronger position than ever before as GamersFirst has just inked a deal with Innova Systems to publish and distribute the title in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This hugely expands APB Reloaded's potential market as the title is on the verge of relaunch.

While you may not have heard of Innova, GamersFirst's Rahul Sandil said that the company is well-established with a solid reputation in the region. "After an exhaustive diligence, it became clear that Innova was truly the only choice for distributing APB Reloaded to the Russian Federation. With six years of local market experience and more than two million active users, we know that APB Reloaded will flourish in Russia under Innova's watchful guidance," he said.

APB players in Russia will need to use Innova's 4game publishing platform to access the game -- which, like it is elsewhere, will be free-to-play.

MassivelyIn Russia, APB Reloaded hijacks you! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Choose My Adventure: Meet Alira

    Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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    Meet Alira!
    Everyone, I'd like you to give a warm welcome to my brand-new Final Fantasy XIV Choose My Adventure character, the Miqo'te Lancer Alira Zhyn. Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, let me go ahead and address the fact that yes, the top vote for gender was male, while the top vote for race was Miqo'te, and it's not possible to roll a male Miqo'te. I made an executive decision to allow race to override gender, as I feel race is a bit more of a deciding factor when creating a character than gender is.

    Now that that's out of the way, head on past the cut to read about Alira's first few days of adventure in Eorzea!

    Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Meet Alira

    MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Meet Alira originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Choose your side or don't

      Posted: 26 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT

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      A Mild-Mannered Reporter header image by A. Fienemann
      Do you remember Going Rogue? Of course you do, even if it's had some of its thunder retroactively stolen by City of Heroes Freedom. And of course you remember that one of its big selling points -- its only selling point at launch for existing characters, arguably -- was that you could swap between the alignments of the game. Villains could become Heroes, go back to being Villains, hang out as a Rogue for a while, and so on. It seemed like the sort of thing that would be a real game changer.

      Well, it's been more than a year since we first started seeing the groups swap sides, and surprisingly enough -- or not -- the much bigger change was in the business model alteration and the ensuing changes to the game environment. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but it brings to mind a question: Has there really been any long-term effect of the alignment system? If you aren't roleplaying the swap, does being one faction or the other even matter in the long run?

      Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Choose your side or don't

      MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Choose your side or don't originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: What would you ask your favorite game dev in person?

        Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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        The best Willy Wonka
        Let's say you found that golden ticket. Somehow you had the chance to tour your favorite game studio to meet your most admired MMO game developer. There he or she is, standing before you, willing to answer any question you can throw at him or her. As an added bonus, the dev can't avoid your question!

        So what would you ask? Would you ask Curt Schilling if you could play the Project Copernicus MMO? Would you ask Mike O'Brien when Guild Wars 2 is coming out? Or would you ask anyone at Blizzard what they were thinking when they decided Kung Fu Panda would make a great expansion to World of Warcraft?

        Let us know in the comments below!

        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: What would you ask your favorite game dev in person? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 Terran Republic info

          Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:00 PM PDT

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          PlanetSide 2 - Terran Republic soldiers preparing to unleash cans of whoop-ass
          Well, it's not exactly a deep gameplay reveal, but it's better than another lore snippet! What the heck are we talking about? Why, the latest PlanetSide 2 press release of course. Sony Online Entertainment has dropped a new screenshot on the masses, and the exciting image is accompanied by a wall o' text from creative director Matthew Higby.

          Higby spends a bit of time telling us about the Terran Republic, which is one of three warring factions in SOE's sci-fi shooter universe. The Republic is a professional military organization, and as such its members are equipped with weapons that "have the fastest firing rates, largest ammo capacities, and are generally designed to allow for maximum sustainable damage."

          The Terrans also have two unique vehicles at their disposal. The Mosquito is "an extremely agile attack aircraft" and boasts the highest top speed of any PlanetSide 2 air vehicle. The Prowler tank is the fastest empire-specific piece of heavy armor, and Higby describes it as "one of the deadliest vehicles in the game." Check out the full article at the official PlanetSide 2 website.

          MassivelySOE releases new PlanetSide 2 Terran Republic info originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Perfect World delays War of the Immortals beta

          Posted: 25 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT

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          War of the Immortals - beta banner
          With all the Perfect World MMOs floating around, it's occasionally hard to keep them straight (especially when they have similar-sounding names like War of the Immortals and Battle of the Immortals). One way to tell these two apart at a glance is by their respective launch dates: One (BoI) launched in 2010 and one (WoI) is getting ready to enter closed beta.

          Unfortunately there's been a slight delay for said beta, which was originally scheduled to kick off on October 25th. Happily, Perfect World has just updated its WoI news page with a brief blurb announcing the new closed beta start date as November 2nd.

          Why the delay? The short answer is additional content, and PWE says that "it will add a tremendous amount of value to the game."

          MassivelyPerfect World delays War of the Immortals beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 developer diary looks at ranged classes

          Posted: 25 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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          The cannon is not a class.
          WindSlayer 2 has kicked off its closed beta, giving a select group of players the chance to see how the game plays before it goes live. But for everyone else, the game's previews are the only clues as to how the game will play once you can log in. Here at Massively, we've been posting a series of exclusive diaries straight from the team over at Ignited Games to show off what the game will have to offer players fond of the side-scrolling sprite format.

          Our last diary, of course, dealt with the game's three classes devoted to getting within arm's reach of monsters and pounding them senseless -- the melee classes, to be more prosaic. So it's appropriate we have a new exclusive today previewing the game's three ranged classes. Click on past the break for discussion of the Archer, Mage, and Priest -- what they're able to do, how they're meant to play, and what players can expect from each.

          Continue reading Massively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 developer diary looks at ranged classes

          MassivelyMassively Exclusive: WindSlayer 2 developer diary looks at ranged classes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Cliffhanger Productions shares some details on Shadowrun Online

            Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:30 PM PDT

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            If this image doesn't make you want to play a troll rigger, you might not be the target audience.
            Almost any veteran of pen-and-paper games is at least passingly familiar with the setting for Shadowrun Online, currently under development by Cliffhanger Productions. It's a big setting with plenty of space for many different player types, so the real question comes down to what the developers want to do with the upcoming browser-based game. A recent interview puts forth just that question, with the development team answering some questions about what potential players can expect.

            Of course, all of the answers are provided with the caveat that the development process has only just begun. But the game is currently set up to split between a tactical action map for missions such as infiltration and assault, with a city map and a more text-based interface for negotiating contracts and managing your character. There are also plans to keep the game's plot evolving based on character actions, such as which side players favor during a corporate war -- something that should keep players interested even with the admission that beta is at least a year out.

            [Thanks to Onyx for the tip!]

            MassivelyCliffhanger Productions shares some details on Shadowrun Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Final Fantasy XIV bringing you another producer's letter all the way live

            Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT

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            Not on the agenda: gunblades.
            Between the release of patch 1.19 and the announcements regarding the game's future, Final Fantasy XIV has been drumming up quite a bit of excitement from its fans. And what better way to capitalize on that excitement than to have another installment of the producer's letter live for everyone to enjoy? On November 3rd, Naoki Yoshida will once again be taking to the broadcast waves to answer player questions about the most recent patch and future updates.

            The official announcement notes that the particulars of the broadcast are not yet determined, but as with the previous live event, players can submit questions in advance or via Twitter on the day itself. While Yoshida will strive to answer as many questions as possible, there will be time constraints, and of course the audio will be in Japanese with a translation to come further down the road. Still, it's a chance to get more questions about the game answered by the man with the plan himself, and that's something many players will no doubt be excited by.

            MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV bringing you another producer's letter all the way live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community

            Posted: 25 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT

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            The Game Archaeologist
            Time machines are expensive, and with gas the price it is today, it's not always viable to fuel up your DeLorean and travel back to the early 2000s just to check out some of those long-gone MMOs. Fortunately, jawing about them with former players and developers is the next best method of revisiting canceled MMOs.

            It's been a personal treat to spend the month covering a game I never got to see when it was live. Asheron's Call 2 seems like it was a special game that tried hard and resulted in spectacular ideas and flaws alike. We've gotten to hear from former fansite owners and a developer on the team, which leaves just one group to check in with: the players themselves.

            So today it's all about reminiscing over AC2 with the players who still carry a torch for this title and perhaps have a poster of it on the ceiling over their beds. I wouldn't be surprised if there's one or two people out there who made "children" out of discarded Asheron's Call 2 boxes and have enrolled them in elementary school only to be declined because they couldn't be authenticated. That's just how much love there is out there for this game.

            Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community

            MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The community originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              DUST 514 could be the PS3's 'most important game'

              Posted: 25 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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              DUST 514 - lore concept art
              Still miffed about CCP's decision to limit its DUST 514 MMOFPS to Sony's PlayStation 3 console? According to an article at Develop, the title is worth following anyway because it could be just what the doctor ordered in terms of bridging the gap between the PC and console gaming markets.

              "The console space right now is where the PC was before the internet really kicked off," CCP's Thor Gunnarsson told Develop. "It is about to leap forwards and it won't look back."

              Unlike traditional console games that may see an update or two (and in more recent years, a handful of downloadable content packs) before fading into obscurity, DUST will be built "iteratively in front of our community, with the same tight feedback loop as before," according to Gunnarsson. The ongoing attention, and the game's real-time connection with EVE Online, should allow for an engaging console experience to be found nowhere else.

              It's not all roses, though, as Develop points out that console shooters are casual games almost by definition, while the EVE Online experience is anything but. Hit the source link to read the full article.

              MassivelyDUST 514 could be the PS3's 'most important game' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs

              Posted: 25 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT

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              Rocket launch failure
              Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

              You've probably heard of Neal Stephenson. The celebrated sci-fi author recently released his 13th novel, Reamde, and while it treads a little closer to traditional thriller territory than some of his more cerebral efforts, it still packs a futurist punch (and even led the author to comment on MMOs, virtual worlds, and World of Warcraft in a recent interview).

              In addition to speculative fiction, Stephenson is also prone to the occasional essay, the latest of which found its way onto the intarwebs a few weeks ago. While not directly related to the gaming or massively multiplayer industries, the piece does feature some interesting observations about the stagnant creative culture to be found in contemporary corporate America, and Stephenson also offers plenty of food for thought that can be applied to the current state of the MMO space.

              Continue reading The Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs

              MassivelyThe Soapbox: Applying Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                SOE apologizes for delay of SWG customer loyalty free trials

                Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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                Screenshot -- Star Wars Galaxies
                Many Star Wars Galaxies players were disappointed to find that the free membership trials promised to them by October 15th had not been delivered. Well, Sony's sorry too, but don't worry: The company is making it up to players by... actually activating the free trials this time!

                An official post over at the Star Wars Galaxies forums apologizes for the delay and offers players free trials for five SOE titles: DC Universe Online, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, EverQuest, and EverQuest II. While most of these games are technically free-to-play, Sony's offer will upgrade all prior SWG account-holders to paid membership status for each game until December 31st of this year. So if you had a SWG account in good standing prior to October 15th, head on over to the official forum thread for details on how to claim your free trials.

                MassivelySOE apologizes for delay of SWG customer loyalty free trials originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Hyperspace Beacon: Crafting preview

                Posted: 25 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT

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                Hyperspace Beacon: Crafting preview
                BioWare calls the Star Wars: The Old Republic's crafting system Crew Skills. It's labeled quite appropriately because the majority of the work is performed by the companion characters and not the player himself. If you venture over to the official website, the developers have put together a brief outline of all the Crew Skills and a short video describing them. Every MMO with crafting has had two basic steps and SWTOR is certainly no exception. However, our space-opera MMO adds to standard gathering and crafting steps a third element: missions. But that's not the only thing different.

                When I asked Live Producer Blaine Christine about crafting over a year ago, it had not been announced yet, but he did say, "I think it's a different take on crafting than what people will be expecting. It's not the standard implementation. It's going to be a treat." He was definitely correct about it not being the standard implementation, but how about that "treat" part? During the last couple of weeks, BioWare allowed me to explore a little bit of Crew Skills system on the beta server without devs over my shoulder like at conventions or press junkets.

                After the jump, I'd like to explore each piece of Crew Skills and compare it to other crafting systems in other MMOs. I suggest that if you're not interested in spoilers you stop reading now because I'm about to spill everything about this unique game mechanic.

                Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Crafting preview

                MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Crafting preview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  New 17-hole course coming to Pangya United

                  Posted: 25 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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                  Screenshot -- Pangya United
                  Popular anime-style golfing MMO Pangya United has a new update coming its way, SG Interactive announced in a press release today. The update will bring with it a brand-new golf course known as Wiz City, which -- as you may have divined -- is home to Pangya United's witch and wizard population. The 17-hole course is the largest update to hit the quirky MMO title in over a year.

                  If you want to get in on the golfing action (wait, isn't that an oxymoron?), head on over to the game's official site to sign up. If you do so between now and November 9th, you'll receive in-game bonuses such as Gacha Coins and Time Boosts.

                  [Source: SG Interactive press release]

                  MassivelyNew 17-hole course coming to Pangya United originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Digimon Masters launches worldwide

                    Posted: 25 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT

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                    Digimon Masters
                    Enough with the waiting -- there are battles to be won, and today's the day in which to win them! Joymax's Digimon Masters emerged from its beta cocoon, spread its wings, and flew into release today. It's much cooler if you think of it as a monstrous mechanized butterfly with atomic ray eyes, of course.

                    Unlike previous Digimon games, Digimon Masters will eschew turn-based combat to take place in real-time. Players assume the roles of Tamers who train combat-worthy creatures to battle each other.

                    Digimon Masters has been released worldwide and is currently only available in English. You can jump into the game through the Joymax portal.

                    MassivelyDigimon Masters launches worldwide originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      MMORPG News

                      MMORPG News


                      Runes of Magic: Flo & Andy Comic #29: Power-Up

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 11:18 AM PDT

                      Frogster has provided MMORPG.com with an exclusive of the latest issue of the Runes of Magic web comic "Flo & Andy." Check out Issue #29: Power-Up below!

                      General: RTSGuru: BlizzCon 2011 Gallery

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 10:09 AM PDT

                      Folks from our sister site, RTSGuru.com, were on-hand at this year's BlizzCon and managed to snap some great photos during the show. Check out the full gallery to get a peek at what we saw on the show floor.

                      World of Warcraft: Metzen: Pandaren Race "Not a Joke"

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:58 AM PDT

                      During the World of Warcraft Story and Lore panel at this year's BlizzCon, Chris Metzen, Blizzard's Vice President of Creative Development, addressed fans wondering whether the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion to World of Warcraft would feature more serious story content by responding that the expansion's slated Pandaren-themed content is "no joke."

                      League of Legends: Season Two Circuit, Spectator Mode Coming Soon

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:44 AM PDT

                      Riot Games have announced that the Season Two Circuit for the popular free-to-play MOBA, League of Legends, is set to begin soon. Top Circuit events will award participants with Circuit Points that allow advancement towards the Regional Championships, where the top participants will duke it out for a spot representing their respective region in the Season Two Championship.

                      Wizard101: New Screenshot Teases Upcoming Content

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:35 AM PDT

                      KingsIsle Entertainment are looking to update the popular family-friendly MMO, Wizard101, with some new content, but instead of just shooting out a press release they're getting the community involved. To that end, the folks at KingIsle have released a trio of screenshots featuring messages that players can decode in order to figure out what the developer is up to.

                      Rift: Trion Worlds Considers IPO

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 09:31 AM PDT

                      Speaking to Reuters, Trion Worlds CEO Lars Butler revealed that the possibility of going public is on the company's "horizon at some point."

                      General: War of the Immortals Closed Beta Begins Today

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 08:49 AM PDT

                      Perfect World Entertainment have announced that the official closed beta for their upcoming MMO, War of the Immortals, will kick off today.

                      EverQuest II: 'Night of the Dead' Parties This Week

                      Posted: 25 Oct 2011 08:40 AM PDT

                      EverQuest II's community team will be looking to celebrate Halloween with players via 'Night of the Dead' parties scheduled for later this week.

                      The Secret World: A Sit Down with The Secret World

                      Posted: 23 Oct 2011 08:06 PM PDT

                      MMORPG.com writer Adam Tingle attended EA's London press event recently where EA and Funcom showed off The Secret World to us folks in the press. Check out Adam's full report for all the top secret details!

                      Guild Wars 2: Fresh Beats in Tyria

                      Posted: 23 Oct 2011 07:23 PM PDT

                      MMORPG.com columnist David North discusses the aural experience of Guild Wars 2 in this week's Guild Wars 2 column.

                      General: Looking Ahead to G-STAR

                      Posted: 23 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT

                      In this week's Free Zone, MMORPG.com columnist Richard Aihoshi examines what we can expect from this year's G-STAR gaming event in Korea.

                      World of Warcraft: The New Pet System

                      Posted: 23 Oct 2011 07:52 PM PDT

                      In his latest article, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy takes a look at the new pet system coming with Mists of Pandaria, the upcoming Pandaren-filled fourth expansion to Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

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