MMO Updates

---

• EVE Online monument commemorates the summer riots
• WildStar's Bartle-inspired paths offer players unique and shared content
• Celebrate the launch of Veil of Alaris by winning a signed copy of the EverQuest art book
• Scott Hartsman: RIFT going F2P would be a 'large net negative' for the game
• Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Topical cannon
• The Daily Grind: When have you been Good Samaritaned?
• New video diary outlines designing comic series for Champions Online
• War of the Immortals shows off class preview trailer
• MapleStory Legends trailer introduces three new characters
• Dragon Nest launches Theater of War update for PvP
• Patch 1.20 bringing Final Fantasy XIV changes to dye for
• Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5
• Pix or it didn't happen: Calling for your SWG house screenies!
• The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The blogger
• Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway?
• EverQuest: Veil of Alaris goes live today
• The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer
• EVE Online's Crucible expansion coming Nov 29th
• Bigpoint hypes Mummy Online's closed beta
• Runes of Magic reveals Souls of the Past trailer
• DCUO's GU6 finishes Fortress of Solitude raid, adds new gear

EVE Online monument commemorates the summer riots Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, News items, Sandbox Back in June, the EVE Online community reacted negatively to the release of a lackluster Incarna expansion and controversy over microtransaction prices. Complaints eventually erupted into in-game riots with the leak of a company newsletter on microtransactions and an internal memo from the CEO denouncing complaints as noise. Players got together in trade hubs across the game to protest EVE's development direction, attacking a pair of invulnerable monuments outside the systems' major stations. As a nod to players' refusal to accept the status quo and force change, CCP recently altered the Jita monument that was the main focus of the summer riots. The statue now stands destroyed, and its plaque congratulating Heinky and Shin Ra of Burn Eden for solving a riddle contest several years ago has been changed to the text below: "This was once a memorial to the winners of a riddle contest sponsored by late entrepreneur Ruevo Aram. After standing proud for half a decade, it was destroyed in late YC113 by capsuleers who were staging a mass uprising against an intolerable status quo of intergalactic affairs. Today, the ruins of this once-great work of art stand as a testament to the fact that change is the universe's only constant." The change is currently only live on the test server, but will likely come to the main server on November 29th when the Crucible expansion launches. Thanks to Drew for the tip! EVE Online monument commemorates the summer riots originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar's Bartle-inspired paths offer players unique and shared content Posted: 16 Nov 2011 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Interviews, MMO industry, WildStar Jeremy Gaffney recently opened up on the connection between WildStar's "Paths" and Richard Bartle's famous breakdown of play styles. While Gaffney admits that WildStar drew inspiration from Bartle's categories, the team has tuned the four paths -- Explorer, Soldier, Achiever and Builder -- to fit the devs' vision for the game. No matter what path you pick, Gaffney promises that there will be something meaningful for you to be doing at all times. The important part is that the game has a deliberate balance between path-specific activities and universal ones: "What we do is we take 70% of the world, and that's a mix of all the styles, and then about 30%, depending on the zone, swaps over and that's about you and about your path. So, as an Explorer you have your normal mix of stuff, but then an extra chunk on top of it that's all about exploring." People from different paths have many ways, reasons, and incentive to interact as they progress through the zones. Gaffney says that WildStar will "pile on the layers" to keep players involved and active. He also assured fans that all paths will have plenty to do in the endgame so that the journey doesn't come to a crashing halt. WildStar's Bartle-inspired paths offer players unique and shared content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Rock Paper Shotgun

Celebrate the launch of Veil of Alaris by winning a signed copy of the EverQuest art book Posted: 16 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Contests, Giveaways EverQuest's 18th expansion launched yesterday, complete with a level cap raise and plenty of new content and tweaks. Veil of Alaris is an exciting addition to the game for both players and developers, and the EverQuest team has decided to mark the occasion with a little gift. The developers have sent us a copy of EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition, a large hardcover book filled with interviews, art, the original storyline, and much more. There's also one more little detail: our copy is signed by the original development team from 1999. That's right, just inside the cover are the signatures of the 18 people who first created the world of EverQuest. Of course, we're not keeping it for ourselves; we're passing it on to one of you. So what do you need to do to get your hands on this book? Simply leave us a comment here telling us about your earliest experience with EverQuest. It can be anything you like -- people you met, your overall thoughts and impressions as you entered the world, even a particular quest or battle that made you say, "This is it -- I love this game." Leave your comment before this Friday, November 18th, at 11:59 p.m. EST. We'll choose and contact our favorite over the weekend and send the book to the winner Monday. Ready? Head down memory lane, and good luck! Celebrate the launch of Veil of Alaris by winning a signed copy of the EverQuest art book originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Scott Hartsman: RIFT going F2P would be a 'large net negative' for the game Posted: 16 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, RIFT With so many former subscription-only MMOs turning to free-to-play/hybrid business models these days, one might assume that Trion Worlds feels the pressure to do the same with RIFT -- but that is far from the case. Speaking with Eurogamer, Scott Hartsman confirmed that Trion has "absolutely no plans whatsoever" to transition RIFT to a F2P model. He cited strong business and a growing game as reasons why the company is happy where it's at. Embracing F2P, in Hartsman's opinion, would end up hurting more than helping in this situation: "One of the assumptions people make is you can just take a game and throw a switch and change the model. For starters, you'd have to decide that that would be a good thing, and I do not think it would be -- that would be a fairly large net negative for RIFT and the RIFT community." While Hartsman confirms that F2P attracts large amounts of users, he also says that it fundamentally changes how an MMO studio approaches the game itself. "Take a free-to-play game or a social game, where the business is all about -- the social games' word for it is, 'going whaling,'" he said. "The idea is you have a paying player subsidising the play of, potentially, dozens or hundreds of other users. And so you have to be willing to create a game that has the ability to make huge sums of money from relatively small numbers of people. Once you decide that you are going to enter the whaling business, it's a different mindset and a different set of goals you're designing for entirely." Scott Hartsman: RIFT going F2P would be a 'large net negative' for the game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eurogamer

Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Business models, Culture, News items, Opinion, Humor, Free for All, Miscellaneous I've had a pretty busy time over the last several days. I like to stay active when I can, easily stuffing my schedule with high-power meetings and travels to exotic lands to discuss the latest game. Heck, just the other day I was flown to Russia to meet with the insane genius behind some of my favorite titles, and we bare-chested wrestled in the snow (he lost and had to buy the second round). Well, not exactly. I did find some pretty cool games, played with my favorite titles, and overall daydreamed my way through life. A pretty typical week, really. If you'd like to hear about a few of the cool things I found, thought, and played last week, click past the cut. Continue reading Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad Free for All: Some thoughts from the yellow pad originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Topical cannon Posted: 16 Nov 2011 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Polls, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter One thing I've been asked, on occasion, is whether or not I'm ever going to run out of things to write about City of Heroes so long as the game is still live and getting updates. The answer, in a word, is "no" -- I started writing when the game was already fast approaching its sixth anniversary, and with everything that's changed since then, I still don't think I can possibly tackle everything under the game's banner. But that having been said, there are also things that I naturally find more interesting than others. PvP is a fine example. I've stated before that I have zero interest in the game's PvP scene beyond an academic curiosity, although I definitely do want the players who are interested to be happy. (They aren't, in case you weren't aware.) And if there's one thing I'm being reminded of recently, it's that there's a certain charm to letting things go out of your hands and letting the readers pick out what you're doing. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Topical cannon A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Topical cannon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: When have you been Good Samaritaned? Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous This past weekend I decided to explore an MMO I'd previously barely scratched -- EverQuest II -- and found, to my delight, that it's quite an involving and enjoyable game. Yet being a newbie in a land of veterans can be an intimidating experience, and I found myself stumbling over questions, restrictions, and ignorance as I made my way through the beginning zone of Darklight Woods. I was bowled over, then, when a high-level character did an MMO version of a drive-by shooting. Only instead of bullets, he fired a couple large backpacks my way without any demands or even really expecting gratitude. He simply saw a lowbie who could use a helping hand, and became the Good Samaritan for me that day. So when have you, for lack of a better term, been "Good Samaritaned" by a player who went out of their way to help you even though you were a stranger to them? 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: When have you been Good Samaritaned? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New video diary outlines designing comic series for Champions Online Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Champions Online The second comic series for Champions Online is just around the corner, but before it launches, the team at Cryptic Studios has a few things to say about the design of these missions. After all, the comic series work a bit differently from normal missions or even the older adventure packs -- it's designed to feel more like a short arc for a comic book. In a new video diary, the team explores not only how the arcs are put together but some of what players can expect from the second series. As players of the game are no doubt familiar with, the comic series place a heavy emphasis on keeping the trappings of a comic book alive, which was one of the major goals in designing the arcs. Whiteout, the second arc, will see players encountering a new alien threat in the north, one that comes crashing down around players' ears. You can watch the full video just past the break. Continue reading New video diary outlines designing comic series for Champions Online New video diary outlines designing comic series for Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: New video diary

War of the Immortals shows off class preview trailer Posted: 15 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Previews, News items, Free-to-play After yesterday's launch of the closed beta for War of the Immortals, the development team is trying to help ramp up enthusiasm for the title. So the team has kicked things off with a new class preview trailer, showing players the various classes available for play in the action-focused MMO as well as what each one looks like in high-level combat. Players can choose between Berzerker (melee DPS), Champion (tank), Duelist (melee DPS), Enchantress (support), Heretic (healer), Magus (ranged DPS), Ranger (ranged DPS), and Slayer (melee DPS). The Ranger, Enchantress, and Duelist are all new additions compared to the game's obvious predecessor, Battle of the Immortals, bringing in a more support-oriented set of abilities to battle. Take a look at the full preview of the classes and their abilities just after the break, and if the gameplay looks interesting to you, look on the horizon for more information on the beta. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] Continue reading War of the Immortals shows off class preview trailer War of the Immortals shows off class preview trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MapleStory Legends trailer introduces three new characters Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MapleStory, Classes, Patches, News items, Free-to-play The next content update coming to Nexon's popular sidescroller MapleStory, known as MapleStory Legends, brings three new playable characters to the mix. The Cannoneer's name should be self explanatory: He carries a massive cannon with which to blast enemies to kingdom come. Mercedes rocks a pair of crossbows and specializes in ranged combat, while the Demon Slayer boasts a pair of devilish wings that can be used both for flight and for combat. To take a look at these new classes in MapleStory Legends' debut trailer, just click on past the cut. Continue reading MapleStory Legends trailer introduces three new characters MapleStory Legends trailer introduces three new characters originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMORPG.com

Dragon Nest launches Theater of War update for PvP Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dragon Nest At a glance, it might seem like PvP doesn't require as many updates as PvE -- after all, player conflict is providing most of the actual challenge, so updates are mostly just providing players new ways to take part in combat with one another. The newest Dragon Nest update, Theater of War, is all about precisely that, giving players new combat modes and match sizes to ensure that player combat stays lively. The new updates adds a 3v3 option to ladder matches, allowing smaller and more close-knit groups the option to take part in serious competition. There's also the addition of a free-for-all match type, with players able to take on everyone for supremacy. And then there's the new Protect Mode, challenging both sides to keep one player designated as the Captain alive while slaughtering the other side's similarly important Captain. Take a look at the trailer for the update just past the cut to give you an idea of what the modes will look like in play -- it's not new dungeons, but if you're fond of facing off against other players, it's even better. Continue reading Dragon Nest launches Theater of War update for PvP Dragon Nest launches Theater of War update for PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Theater of War: Act Two for PvP Via: ZAM

Patch 1.20 bringing Final Fantasy XIV changes to dye for Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV When patch 1.19 brought major revisions to item recipes in Final Fantasy XIV, it also brought about a big shift in dyeing items. While it was easier to color items with several universal dyes, it was also near-mandatory to have certain colors of equipment, as dyed variants provided additional statistical benefits for characters. Players were a little miffed about this, even if the stat changes weren't that huge -- which is why patch 1.20 will be taking the change a step further and uncoupling stats from color. Under the new system, there will be ways to create specific variants of equipment with improved stats, but color will no longer be linked to the final stats for the item. Items currently possessing multiple color variants will still have multiple variants, but the main differentiation won't be whether they're brown or black. It's not an earth-shattering change, but it's certainly one that will make Final Fantasy XIV fashion police much happier. Patch 1.20 bringing Final Fantasy XIV changes to dye for originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Changes to dyeing items

Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5 Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Hands-on It's been a couple of days since the news broke that Lord of the Rings Online's Update 5 is going to be bigger than previously thought, with not only a new instance cluster but an additional book in the epic storyline and an Instance Finder system. As Update 5 goes up on the test server for the remainder of the week, we got in touch with Turbine to talk about the details of this mountain of content heading our way, including an epic confrontation with Rise of Isengard's big baddie himself, Saruman. It wouldn't be a conference call without a few notable surprises as well, and Adam Merskey, Aaron Campbell, Jeff Libby, and Joe Barry were eager to share what the team has been working on for the first update after the expansion. It's time to wave goodbye to the Rangers, stop putting off instance runs, and take the fight to the bearded dude himself. It's time for Update 5. Get all the skinny after the jump! Continue reading Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5 Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pix or it didn't happen: Calling for your SWG house screenies! Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Culture, Star Wars Galaxies, Massively Meta In exactly one month, the Star Wars Galaxies servers will be shut down forever, but that doesn't mean your creations have to be sunsetted along with them. MJ Guthrie, the co-author of our biweekly sandbox column, Some Assembly Required, is hoping to immortalize the niftiest player-decorated SWG houses, but she needs your help to do it. If you'd like to pitch in and make sure that SWG's amazing housing mechanics aren't lost to time, just email screenshots of your favorite homes and player-run cities to MJ (mj@massively.com). If you haven't got screenies, a waypoint or coordinates (and the planet and server name) will work just as well, assuming you've unlocked the building(s) for visitors. She's also open to taking a personal tour! The December 9th edition of the column will feature the highlights along with a gallery of all the submissions. As MJ herself posted: "Don't miss out on being a part of this housing extravaganza! Something so great deserves to be savored for a long, long time to come." Pix or it didn't happen: Calling for your SWG house screenies! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The blogger Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Everquest Online Adventures, Consoles, The Game Archaeologist To tell you all the truth, the comments from last week's initial foray into EverQuest Online Adventures bowled me over -- I truly was not expecting so many players to be so passionate about the game! How cool is that? I hope that some of you send me in your EQOA stories to justin@massively.com so we can include them in next week's column. Today I want to welcome Rick "Stoney" Stonebrook to our neck of the Massively woods. I remember finding Stoney's EQOA blog over a year ago and being so impressed that there was someone out there regularly updating a blog about this low-profile MMO. Stoney agreed to an interview about the game from a player's and blogger's perspective, so here goes! The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself and your blog! Why did you start blogging about EQOA? Stoney: Well, I'm 24 and have lived in a lot of places in the past few years. I adopted the name Stoney when I started the blog, eqoa.wordpress.com, in October 2010. The purpose for the blog was simple: compile as much information about the game as I could find using various search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and YouTube. I hadn't played since 2005 and wasn't familiar with any new content. I had always wanted to return to the game. Thus the blog's goal evolved from a collection of memories to an effort to get people to return. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The blogger The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The blogger originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway? Posted: 15 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon At E3, Principal Lead Writer Daniel Erickson expressed that he wanted a roleplay player-vs.-player server for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Granted, BioWare's live team originally intended to not launch with any type of open-world PvP roleplay server. Community Coordinator David Bass confirmed this when he explained that the Guild HQ program will not support RP-PvP servers and that those guilds wishing to roll on those types of servers will have to do it the old fashioned way: in game. According to the Daedalus Project, a study on the habits of MMO players, only 7% of all players actually roll a character on an RP-PvP server. However, when you keep in mind that SWTOR has the largest preorder sales of any PC game as of right now (about 802,000, not including digital and European sales), 7% ends up being a significant number. At least, there are enough people interested in RP-PvP to fill a server. I understand that many people are turned off by the idea of mixing roleplay with PvP. I completely understand that. When the term RP hits people, images of Goldshire and naked Night Elves come to mind immediately. In truth, however, roleplay is really just telling a story through an interactive medium, in this case an MMO. For instance, if in the course of playing SWTOR you find yourself asking, "What would my character do in this situation?", then you have just brushed up against roleplay. In RP-PvP, players enjoy a very similar experience. Today, let's talk about mixing story and PvP. Players have found diverse ways to integrate the two. Beyond the break, I have examples of how you may find ways to do it yourself, even if hardcore roleplay isn't your thing. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway? Hyperspace Beacon: What is this RP-PvP anyway? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest: Veil of Alaris goes live today Posted: 15 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Expansions, News items It's been a long time coming, but EverQuest's 18th expansion, Veil of Alaris, is now live. Players can now progress all the way to level 95 while adventuring through a variety of new zones. Guilds can now purchase customizable guild plots and guild halls, allowing them to display their uniqueness through their residences. And of course, there are a wealth of new quests to complete, new monsters to kill, and new loot to pillage. For the full set of notes on what's new with the expansion, head on over to the EverQuest official site, and don't forget to check out our own Karen Bryan's exclusive tour of the expansion. EverQuest: Veil of Alaris goes live today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EverQuest: Veil of Alaris patch notes

The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer Posted: 15 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Soapbox 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. I haven't written much about World of Warcraft. There are many reasons for this. For one, Massively rarely pays WoW more than the bare minimum lip service (due to the game's being fairly exclusive to our WoW Insider sister site). For another, I don't look at Blizzard's behemoth all that fondly, and the sum total of my time in Azeroth amounts to about 20 hours spread over six weeks. As it does for everyone else who makes a living off of MMORPGs, though, WoW looms over my shoulder like a billowing dust cloud after a titanic explosion, reaching relentlessly for the heavens and effectively blotting out the sun. There's really no way to measure how influential this one game has been on not just MMORPGs but gaming in general. There are the population numbers, of course, and even though WoW has been shedding subs in bushels of late, it could continue to do so for the better part of a year and still dwarf the second largest subscription title by a considerable margin. That kind of success cannot be planned, nor do I believe that it will be replicated. WoW was a happy accident for Blizzard, a perfect storm of polish and timing the likes of which the MMO industry will not see again. Continue reading The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online's Crucible expansion coming Nov 29th Posted: 15 Nov 2011 11:15 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Sandbox CCP's feel-good post count has been building to a fever pitch in recent weeks, and today the company has announced the ultimate win-back promotion in the form of EVE Online's 15th major expansion. The content drop is called Crucible, and it's currently scheduled to debut on November 29th. "Crucible evolves the graphics, interface, and game mechanics with over three dozen updated and improved features based on feedback and challenges put forth by its players. This is EVE re-forged," CCP says on the expansion's teaser page. The web portal also provides a handy collated list of the aforementioned developer updates, and in spite of what was unquestionably the rockiest summer in the sci-fi sandbox title's eight-year existence, the future is looking pretty bright. EVE Online's Crucible expansion coming Nov 29th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Crucible announcement

Bigpoint hypes Mummy Online's closed beta Posted: 15 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser We're not exactly sure how many of you were clamoring for a game based on the Mummy film franchise, but thanks to browser MMO specialist Bigpoint, we're about to find out. The company is now accepting closed beta registrations for The Mummy Online, and prospective players can look forward to a two-faction affair (Raiders or Cultists) and class-based progression with the usual focus on PvE, gear, and special abilities. PvP-specific areas are also included, and Bigpoint's press release says that players will battle across cinematic environments "based on the existing terrain of Egypt." Head to the official site to sign up for beta and learn more about the game. [Source Bigpoint press release] Bigpoint hypes Mummy Online's closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Runes of Magic reveals Souls of the Past trailer Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Dungeons Get ready, Runes of Magic fans. Frogster has unveiled a brand-spanking-new trailer for the fantasy title's upcoming Souls of the Past content patch. According to a developer post on the game's official boards, the update will go live on November 22nd and will feature a level cap increase as well as a new adventuring region. Players will be able to advance from 67 to 70, and they'll also be able to explore Tergothen Bay, a royal coastal town near the foothills of the Redhill Mountains. The trailer is short, but it shows off a few of the big nasties awaiting players in the region's new dungeon. It also touches on the lore behind the new content, and specifically how the demon Sismond continues to manipulate the citizens of Taborea. Check it out after the break. Continue reading Runes of Magic reveals Souls of the Past trailer Runes of Magic reveals Souls of the Past trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: RoM forums

DCUO's GU6 finishes Fortress of Solitude raid, adds new gear Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online, Dungeons Sony Online Entertainment is wasting no time in its efforts to capitalize on DC Universe Online's newfound popularity. The recent free-to-play conversion has given the superhero actioner a second wind, and SOE is looking to keep the title in the spotlight via the release of Game Update 6. The content pack is available as a free download for players of all access levels, and the highlight of the pack is the third and final chapter in the Fortress of Solitude raid series. GU6 is titled The Deadly Double Cross, in large part due to the betrayal of General Zod and the precarious position inside the Fortress of Solitude Sunstone Matrix that players will find themselves in as a result. Raid encounters aren't the only thing new in the update, though, and GU6 adds plenty of new gear (including Kryptonian military weapons forged from the Sunstone crystals). Head to the official website for more game details, and don't forget the patch note discussion on the official forums. [Source: SOE press release] DCUO's GU6 finishes Fortress of Solitude raid, adds new gear originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: DCUO website

You are subscribed to email updates from Massively To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

General gaming

---

• Miyamoto On the Twists and Turns of Skyward Sword
• Call of Duty Elite Still Slated for PC Release
• Promised Saints Row: The Third PS3 Exclusive is Missing
• Microsoft Xbox Turns 10 Years Old Today
• The Simpsons Visit the Expensive Electronic Entertainment Expo
• Despite the Litigation, Skyrim References Minecraft
• Super Mario 3D Land NYC Launch Photo Gallery
• Review: Need for Speed The Run is Quick Time Uneventful

Miyamoto On the Twists and Turns of Skyward Sword Posted: 16 Nov 2011 06:56 AM PST On the eve of The Legend of Zelda's 25th anniversary, Nintendo development head Shigeru Miyamoto takes a look back at Skyward Sword -- a game that took he and his team five years to complete -- and admits that development wasn't the smoothest of processes. "It's occasionally the case during game development that the project doesn't proceed along as planned or doesn't turn out as fun as expected when you make it," he told Famitsu magazine this week. "This Zelda had some of those problems. We ran into this issue of people wondering who really wants to make a Zelda sequel -- whether a sequel was necessary from the company standpoint, or whether it's just me saying 'Let's do it.' A game really gets its start when you have someone who says 'I want to do something like this,' but sometimes it's born simply because it's a series title or there's more story to cover." It was an issue Miyamoto was struggling with even as his team tried to figure out what a Zelda sequel needed. "For us," he said, "games provide a structure for play, and if you're making a sequel, you have to have that desire to improve, strengthen, and expand things right at the core of the project. To put it in an extreme way, the ideal for me is to build the play structure up to a certain point, then decide whether to make it Zelda or Mario. It's like building up the engine and chassis, then deciding later what sort of car you want to use it on."

Call of Duty Elite Still Slated for PC Release Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Despite a tweet sent out suggesting otherwise, Call of Duty Elite is still coming to PC -- we just don't know when. The service's first week (it launched alongside Modern Warfare 3 last Tuesday) has hardly been what Activision, Beachhead, and all the rest involved with its creation could have been hoping for. Overwhelming demand resulted in a variety of issues as users found themselves unable to register, log in, or access some of the Founder perks they paid for. To make up for the mess, paying members (including anyone who signs up by the end of the month) will get an additional month of access to Elite on top of the year they paid $49.99 for. Those members are exclusively console players right now, however, as Elite has yet to be made available on PC.

Promised Saints Row: The Third PS3 Exclusive is Missing Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:06 PM PST Among the exclusives announced during Sony's E3 press conference this year were bonuses for a handful of EA games and THQ's Saints Row: The Third. Now that The Third is here, it seems as if that particular E3 reveal didn't pan out. The nature of the bonus wasn't specified at the time; we simply knew it would include a mode centered around the game's signature weapon. Joystiq reports there doesn't appear to be anything exclusive to the PlayStation 3 version of the game and that THQ isn't commenting on the situation. It's speculated that Whored Mode could have once been the bonus, only that ended up in 360 and PC versions of the game in addition to the PS3 one. THQ wouldn't say if that was the case one way or the other.

Microsoft Xbox Turns 10 Years Old Today Posted: 15 Nov 2011 01:28 PM PST It was 10 years ago today that Microsoft entered the videogame console business with the release of the Xbox in North America. The system debuted at $299.99 and its release came more than a year after the PlayStation 2 had already debuted in western markets and three days before the GameCube, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in North America on Friday. Xbox was the most powerful of the three consoles during that generation (four if you wish to include the Dreamcast), though that didn't translate into sales -- PS2 ended up dominating the console market for much of the decade, but Xbox did prove to be influential in the long run. The Xbox name came from the original idea of creating a DirectX Box, DirectX being the name for a set of APIs used on computers. ('DirectX Box' ended up being shortened to 'Xbox.') The system was, like the PS2 and unlike the Dreamcast and GameCube, capable of playing DVDs in addition to games. Dolby 5.1 support and an integrated Ethernet port were both standard, as was an 8GB hard drive, a new concept for videogame consoles at the time. The obvious benefits of a hard drive included the ability to save games without a memory card and rip music from CDs that could then be listened to as a soundtrack in certain games. Its presence later opened the door for downloadable content in games like Halo 2. (A standard hard drive was abandoned for certain models of the Xbox 360, resulting in developers avoiding mandatory installs no matter the cost.)

The Simpsons Visit the Expensive Electronic Entertainment Expo Posted: 15 Nov 2011 12:12 PM PST This week's episode of The Simpsons (the series' 492nd overall) featured an obvious take on the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known to most as E3. Following up on previous Surprise Dad Days like Cemetery Paintball and Go-Karts on Real Roads, Homer Simpson decided to take his kids to E4: the Expensive Electronic Entertainment Expo. There were references all over the place, starting out with statues of the Master Chief, a Big Daddy, and a football (and chicken leg)-wielding John Madden. From there we get to see Furious Fliers, a version of Angry Birds that goes horribly wrong when an angry bird is sent into an under-construction children's hospital (complete with direct-from-Angry-Birds sound effects).

Despite the Litigation, Skyrim References Minecraft Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:55 AM PST By now you've likely heard all about the ongoing litigation between Bethesda and Mojang, developers of the Elder Scrolls series and Minecraft, respectively. While there is clearly some disagreement between the two when it comes to game names, that didn't dissuade Bethesda from including what appears to be an homage to Minecraft in the newly-released Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The issues between the two companies don't actually involve Minecraft. It's Mojang's next game, the collectible card/board game hybrid Scrolls, that Bethesda has taken issue with, and it's largely due to its name. Bethesda feels 'Scrolls' is too close to 'The Elder Scrolls' and wants the name changed. Persson recommended this be settled with a friendly game of Quake 3 (a game developed by id Software, which is owned by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media), though the issue instead went to court. An interim injunction was won by Mojang last month, with Bethesda given the option of appealing the decision.

Super Mario 3D Land NYC Launch Photo Gallery Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:31 AM PST Feature Share it: Tweet Super Mario 3D Land NYC Launch Photo Gallery Nintendo throws a bash in Times Square for the release of Super Mario 3D Land. By: 1UP Staff November 14, 2011 Photos courtesy of Anthony Parisi.

Review: Need for Speed The Run is Quick Time Uneventful Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST A skintight-jumpsuit-clad Catherine Bach hoists open the door of a white Lamborghini Countach, pastes the number "155" over the speed limit sign, and then turns to offer a cheeky wave to the pursuing highway patrolman before slinking back into her supercar and disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye. This is not a scene from Need for Speed: The Run -- but perhaps it should be. Instead, The Run takes an awkwardly serious approach to its story, eschewing the over-the-top fun and wackiness of its clear inspirations -- movies like the Cannonball Run series and classic arcade games like Cruis'n USA --to deliver a cross-country campaign that's sometimes exhilarating, but often frustrating and surprisingly banal.

You are subscribed to email updates from 1UP RSS feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610