MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Leaderboard: Ultima Online vs. EverQuest vs. Asheron's Call

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , ,

Back at the turn of the century, you didn't have the equivalent of cable's infinite choices when it came to MMOs. No, you pretty much had the standard Big Three of network programming: Ultima Online, EverQuest, and Asheron's Call. With the subscription model firmly in place, most players had to choose their loyalty and choose it well.

For today's Leaderboard, we're going to pretend that no other MMOs exist other than those three, and see how the 2012 crowd divides up between them. Would you fly your banner for Ultima Online and its enormous sandboxy world? Would you cast your lots with EverQuest, the once great and powerful king of the genre? Or would you throw in with Asheron's Call and its monthly stories?

Call it a popularity contest, a trip down memory lane, or an all-out brawl between MMO senior citizens. It's a three-way title fight on this week's Leaderboard, and only one game will live to see next week!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Ultima Online vs. EverQuest vs. Asheron's Call

MassivelyLeaderboard: Ultima Online vs. EverQuest vs. Asheron's Call originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Captain's Log: Interview with Cryptic's Al Rivera, part two

    Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

    Today Captain's Log continues with part two of my interview with Al Rivera, Star Trek Online's Lead Designer at Cryptic Studios.

    Last week I received a bit of feedback regarding the state of Rivera's desk. I withheld taking pictures of the interior of the office space for fear of inadvertently capturing information that I wasn't free to share. Happily, though, Rivera himself decided to tweet a few photos of the ships and Trek paraphernalia that graced our visit to his office. Yes, it also included a picture of what I had described in my last column as a "funky purple monster." Apparently my comic book naiveté has kept me from recognizing what Rivera informed me is The Maxx.

    Sorry, but it will always be that funky purple monster to me.

    Continue reading Captain's Log: Interview with Cryptic's Al Rivera, part two

    MassivelyCaptain's Log: Interview with Cryptic's Al Rivera, part two originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

      NEOWIZ launches Seven Souls Online

      Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

      Seven Souls Online - launch-day smackdown
      We brought you an exclusive preview of Seven Souls Online at last month's GDC event in San Francisco. This month, NEOWIZ has officially opened its doors to everyone via the title's official launch. Seven Souls takes place in the world of Akkadia, and it combines ancient eastern and western culture with sci-fi elements and a free-to-play business model.

      In terms of gameplay, the title features three classes, combo-based combat, and a cube system that provides for rare combines, crafting items, and item deconstruction. Traditional MMO staples like questing and open-world PvP are present and accounted for, and NEOWIZ is also running a few launch-specific bonus events including a max combo contest, a boss monster video contest, and an Easter egg hunt. Further details on the contests, as well as the free client download, are available on the official Seven Souls website.

      [Source: NEOWIZ press release]

      MassivelyNEOWIZ launches Seven Souls Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

        MV Guide: April 1 - 8, 2012

        Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:00 AM PDT

        Filed under: , , , ,

        Vanguard
        MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV.

        Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

        Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!

        Continue reading MV Guide: April 1 - 8, 2012

        MassivelyMV Guide: April 1 - 8, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

          The Daily Grind: Is maintenance mode better than nothing at all?

          Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT

          Filed under: , , , ,

          Vanguard
          In the last few years, long before rumors that Vanguard would be heading down the F2P path were confirmed, players groused about the state of the game, complaining that SOE was allowing the game to languish with no devs and no updates. Those were exaggerations, of course, but the players were vocal about their perceived neglect, throwing around dirty words like "abandonware," and worse, "maintenance mode" -- the idea that an MMO is just kept as is with no updates and only enough attention to keep the servers running.

          Of course, players whose games were sunsetted entirely (Tabula Rasa, Asheron's Call 2, and The Matrix Online, to name a few) might have wished for maintenance mode rather than death. Getting no updates might suck, but at least you still have a game to play.

          What say you -- is maintenance mode better than nothing at all?

          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: Is maintenance mode better than nothing at all? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

          Permalink | Email this | Comments

            MMO Week in Review: Beta bits

            Posted: 01 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , ,

            Guild Wars 2
            At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

            This week, we reveled in Massively's latest round of Guild Wars 2 beta coverage! We looked at the game from the perspective of both a Guild Wars fan and a total newbie to the franchise; we showed off the game's stellar character creation system; we discussed glory and world vs. world PvP; we demonstrated how the player Charr storylines diverge; and we answered some of your best beta questions.

            In between all that, we even covered some other MMO news, the best of which is summed up after the break!

            Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Beta bits

            MassivelyMMO Week in Review: Beta bits originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

            Permalink | Email this | Comments

              One Shots: Bringing it back for realsies

              Posted: 01 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT

              Filed under: , , , ,

              Journey
              By now, everyone's figured out that today's One Shots revival was an April Fool's joke, but you guys have been such great sports about it that we're going to Bring Back One Shots starting next weekend as a once-a-week featurette. No... really. No joke!

              So... do send your screenshots to oneshots@massively.com, and don't forget to include all the usual details, like your name, the name of the game shown in the screenshot, and a little explanation of the scene. Large, colorful, clear, UI-free shots that tell a story and really show off the game make for the best images.

              We'll pore over the submissions every week and pick out one that really sings to us to showcase, and then we'll see how it goes. If we get lots of submissions and the feature does well, we'll keep it around more permanently!

              We've tucked our first entry, from Ehra, behind the break to cap off the April Fool's festivities!

              Continue reading One Shots: Bringing it back for realsies

              MassivelyOne Shots: Bringing it back for realsies originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

              Permalink | Email this | Comments

                EVE Evolved: Setting the record straight

                Posted: 01 Apr 2012 04:00 PM PDT

                Filed under: , , , , , ,

                EVE Evolved title image
                On Monday the story broke that EVE Online's new CSM 7 chairman The Mittani said something extremely controversial during the Fanfest alliance panel. The story rapidly spread across the major games industry blogs, and in true telephone-game-style, it got progressively more bizarre with each version. The most disheartening part of it all was the absolute deluge of comments suggesting that the EVE community is made entirely of sociopaths and griefers. If you think that EVE has a poor community, start a trial and ask random people to help you out. You'll be surprised by what I think is the friendliest and most tightly knit MMO community on the planet.

                Jester's Trek wrote an article attributing part of the whole Fanfest debacle to the various different personas that The Mittani embodies. Jester described how The Mittani wears three hats: EVE spymaster and ruthless Goon leader The Mittani, CSM chairman Mittens, and the real-life person Alex. Jester asserts that these three personas clash terribly and may be incompatible and that the alliance panel talk slip-up was made from the perspective of The Mittani and not his CSM persona.

                In this week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I drill down into some of the details of the recent drama, from the proliferation of media coverage to exactly what line was crossed.

                Continue reading EVE Evolved: Setting the record straight

                MassivelyEVE Evolved: Setting the record straight originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                Permalink | Email this | Comments

                  Sony Online Entertainment offers an updated ProSiebenSat.1 FAQ

                  Posted: 01 Apr 2012 03:00 PM PDT

                  Filed under: , , ,

                  Presumably, this is not what PSS1's customer support team will look like in EQ2.  But you never know.
                  If you're in Europe and playing EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, or many other Sony Online Entertainment games, you're probably aware that a major change is on the horizon. The company has signed an agreement with ProSiebenSat.1, giving that company a great deal of control over the publication and operation of SOE's games in the region. There was some backlash over the change, as players were in particular concerned about being forced to play on specific servers.

                  While some of the details have already been addressed, SOE seeks to remedy a variety of player concerns with an updated FAQ detailing exactly what will take place when the service changes hands. Worth noting is that Station Cash will be converted into a similar but proprietary currency and all customer service issues will be handled by ProSiebenSat.1. Players will also need to make a new account with ProSiebenSat.1, although their old SOE accounts will still be used for certain games, such as the original EverQuest. If you're one of the many players affected by the change, there's no time like the present to take a look at what you can expect.

                  MassivelySony Online Entertainment offers an updated ProSiebenSat.1 FAQ originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                  Permalink | Email this | Comments

                  One Shots: None shall pass... until the sun comes out

                  Posted: 01 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT

                  Filed under: , , ,

                  LotRO
                  Who dares attempting to pass? You? Are you trying to pass the Great and Terrible White Wizard? Well, please don't. He wouldn't like it very much. In fact, he might become so put out that he'll cast a spell with his +5 staff of mockery and turn you into another piece of coal for his suit.

                  For years I have wanted to pass by this snowman in Lord of the Rings Online but chickened out each and every time I came under his glare. Just look into those eyes and tell me that you don't feel your will melting away and your feet frozen into place. Back away, my friend. Back away slowly and never return.

                  Do you have a picture of a favorite MMO anthropomorphic pile of snow? The very first thing you should do is not send it in to us at oneshots@massively.com, along with your name, the game, and a description of the scene, and we won't publish it. Bring back One Shots!

                  MassivelyOne Shots: None shall pass... until the sun comes out originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                  Permalink | Email this | Comments

                    April Fool's jokes streak across the MMO community

                    Posted: 01 Apr 2012 01:00 PM PDT

                    Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

                    SWTOR
                    It may be the weekend, but that's never stopped pranksters in the past from pulling off truly epic April Fool's jokes. Many MMO studios, bloggers, and fan site operators are lining up to take a shot at the jester's crown today, hoping that their blatant (and entertaining) lies will at least amuse, if not trick, players.

                    It would be fool-hardy (har har) to try to round them all up, so suffice it to say that office clowns have been quite busy thus far. From Star Wars: The Old Republic's announcement of playable ship droids and City of Heroes' offer of ludicrous marketplace sales to Blizzard's focus on educational kids games and StarCraft 2's playable supply depots to SOE scaring visitors with Chatdy, the gags are flying fast and furious. We might be the most impressed with a deeply detailed wiki entry for a Guild Wars mission called Annihilator 2: Searing Day, during which players are sent into the past to save Gwen from the G-1000.

                    If you've spotted any other pranks, please share them in the comments!

                    MassivelyApril Fool's jokes streak across the MMO community originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                    Permalink | Email this | Comments

                      One Shots: Can you believe they put that in an MMO?

                      Posted: 01 Apr 2012 12:00 PM PDT

                      Filed under: , , , ,

                      Move!
                      This is a screenshot of one of the most amazing things ever seen in any MMO. When I first saw it, I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. Is it a glitch? An easter egg? Has some disgruntled developer thrown this in to get back at his boss just before leaving the industry for good?

                      Unfortunately, my character stepped in the way at the last second, but that shouldn't matter, right? Oh well. It was amazing, I swear!

                      Do you have a picture of the one that got away? The very first thing you should do is not send it in to us at oneshots@massively.com, along with your name, the game, and a description of the scene, and we won't publish it. Bring back One Shots!

                      MassivelyOne Shots: Can you believe they put that in an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                      Permalink | Email this | Comments

                        LeKool kickstarts Star Supremacy closed beta

                        Posted: 01 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT

                        Filed under: , , , , , , ,

                        Star Supremacy battle screen
                        Star Supremacy's closed beta is officially live. The free-to-play browser-based space war MMO kicked off its testing phase last night, and LeKool Games says the game brings something unique to the crowded F2P market.

                        That something is ship customization. "No two ships will be identical," according to the company's press release. Star Supremacy is a hybrid 4X/multiplayer title set in the distant future, and it features three human factions battling across the stars for control over scarce resources and vast wealth. More info and beta signups are available on the game's official website.

                        [Source: LeKool Games press release]

                        MassivelyLeKool kickstarts Star Supremacy closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                        Permalink | Email this | Comments

                          Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

                          Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


                          PlayStation Vita Release Date Set for February 22

                          Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:23 AM PDT

                           PlayStation Vita Release Date Set for February 22

                          After giving North America and European gamers nothing more specific than an “early 2012″ window, Sony has finally provided those in the west with a release date for the PlayStation Vita: it’ll be out on February 22, 2012 in North America and Europe.

                          The news was revealed at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco today by SCEA boss Jack Tretton. A Japanese release date of December 17 had already been announced.

                          In North America, the system will be available at two price points: $249.99 for the Wi-Fi-only system and $299.99 for the 3G system (which uses ATT as its provider in the U.S.).

                          For an idea of what to expect of the system, check out 1UP’s recent hands-on roundtable discussion.

                          Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-vita-release-date-set-february-22

                          Related posts:

                          1. BioShock Vita Still Very Early, Development Could be Handled Externally

                          The ’90s Game Price Comparison Charticle

                          Posted: 01 Apr 2012 09:48 PM PDT

                          nope

                          Posted: 03/31/2012 by  Dub_Z

                          you were either getting games a year after they came out, still in the shrink wrap, or in bargain bins, and just have no idea whats going on.

                           

                          I got big-box Earthbound at K-Mart on Clearance for $35… that doesn’t mean it didn’t sell for triple that at first.

                           

                          all PS1 games were standard $39.99-49.99. Time Crisis and Point Blank with the Guncon were $74.99. Strider 2 was $29.99 in 2001. prices like that were rare. RE2 Dual Shock was released at a lower price because it was a re-release, and it dropped in price quickly because everyone already had RE2 and not everyone had Dual Shock controllers yet.

                           

                          the cheapest SNES game was $29.99 for Mystic Quest… all 1st party Nintendo games were $59.99 from day 1… Street Fighter II, the week it came out, was $74.99 – i bought it. Final Fantasy VI was $74.99 the week it came out, and stayed that way. it had the price tag on it for x-mas.

                           

                          Chrono Trigger was $84.99 when it came out, on day 1. i pre-ordered it. it had an FX chip in it, and all these SNES carts changed price depending on how many megs they were, and were higher price for 3rd party games because they had to pay Nintendo for the licensing rights to use them.

                           

                          if they were JRPGs then localization costs increased the price even more, stores ordered only a few, and may mark it up above suggested retail. that’s why KB Toys sold Phantasy Star IV for the Genesis for $99.99

                           

                          N64 games were all $59.99 or more. Turok was $74.99 the day it released. cartridges, megs, licensing.

                           

                          Neo Geo games were several hundred dollars.

                          Incoming search terms:

                          Related posts:

                          1. DSi XL, Still the Same Price as a 3DS, Gets Pink as a New Color
                          2. Diablo 3 release date and price set
                          3. Nintendo Brings an Original Game to the 3DS eShop Today

                          War of the Immortals (CN)

                          Posted: 01 Apr 2012 08:23 PM PDT

                          cd3ea woi War of the Immortals (CN)
                          (English website) I am not sure what to call this game, as it is known as Empire of the Immortals in China while it is called War of the Immortals in the upcoming North America server. Nonetheless, I decided to go with what you see above. The game got its first major expansion just last week titled Clash of the Gods, with the new Soul Reaper (or Hunter) class as one of the main highlights. I played till level 50+, but it just took me around half a day to do so.

                          Soul Reaper’s main focus will be on health, mana and intelligence. A close range character (but not exactly melee yet) due to its scythe, it severely lacks AOE skills compared to other classes. But the Soul Reaper makes up to it with its various devastating single-target damage. As you can see in the videos above, I simply 2-hit enemies a few levels above me with equipments from quests which are not upgraded. Its XP skill (seen in Forsaken World and BoI) will be a grim reaper with flying scythes.

                          The veteran way of playing this character will be the 3 forms (Dark, Light and Demonic) it can change to. Each only lasts around 10 seconds, but several skills dish out more damage, costs less mana and gives more negative effects to targets when hit. I still have no idea why did the developers place such a short amount of time on the transformation buffs.

                          530fc reap War of the Immortals (CN)
                          Dark form will be a DPS build, Light will be defensive while Demonic will be a crowd control build. Players can learn these 3 skills as they level, but only 1 can be activated at any time. One of it only opens up at level 105.

                          12590 woi1 War of the Immortals (CN)
                          Other new features updated include the new Bloodline System, which is a set of new skills players can unlock to further customize and strengthen their characters. The Family System has also been replaced by the Legion System, with total members increased to 60 (minimum 40) while an Alliance can hold up to 3 Legions. Alliance, as you might know in BoI, is needed for territorial control wars and various PvP functions.

                          12590 woi2 War of the Immortals (CN)There are new maps, new pets and evolutions and dungeons as well. I shall not spoil too much of the fun since the English server is coming soon (link). I played the new Enchantress class previously, so click here (link) to have a look!

                          Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/10/war-of-immortals-cn-first-expansion.html

                          No related posts.

                          Minecraft Update 1.2.5 Brings Relaxed Cats

                          Posted: 01 Apr 2012 03:48 PM PDT

                          Mojang has ann0unced the latest updates and tweaks to make it into Lego-simulator Minecraft, though some of the new features probably aren't high on your list of must-have additions. Check out the patch notes below.

                          An interesting point was made by Minecraft's Jens Bergensten in the blog post announcing the patch details, discussing the importance of keeping Minecraft easy to play. A lot of you will play on servers with friends, and that's an important element of Minecraft according to Jens, which is why they've made connecting to a direct IP easier.

                          Jens discusses both the short and long term goals for Minecraft too, enhancing the game for modders and the bukkit build of Minecraft – which is why the patch has been released earlier to better help this branch of Minecrafters get up and running with as minimal fuss as possible before the patch goes live officially.

                          You can get the client patch here or the server download here, or head over to the Mojang blog for more details on Minecraft Update 1.2.5. Alternatively you could just wait until 4 April when the new patch becomes official and can be downloaded through the Minecraft client.

                          Minecraft 1.2.5 Patch Notes:

                          • Added shift clicking support in furnaces
                          • Added method to easily acquire blocks you have selected in the world in Creative mode using the 'pick block' key
                          • Made the Direct Connect dialog remember the last IP for the current session
                          • Fixed issues detected certain links in chat
                          • Fixed wild ocelots behaving like tamed cats
                          • Fixed various chat crashes
                          • Made cats less eager to sit on things
                          • Made cats less patient
                          • Fixed world generation failing under certain circumstances
                          • Fixed issues turning off sound under certain circumstances
                          • Removed all ghost entities under the command of Lord Herobrine
                          • Fixed crash when pasting certain characters in chat
                          • Fixed slash '/' key not behaving correctly in certain environments
                          • Fixed command matching being too greedy (for example: typing '/stophammertime' no longer stops your server)
                          • Fixed not being able to click coloured links
                          • Fixed potential issue with village door detection (which could cause too many villagers)
                          • Made using a stack of bowls on Mooshrooms not consume the whole stack of bowls
                          • Made punching a TNT block with flint and steel in hand destroy and drop a TNT block (right-clicking will activate the TNT)

                          More Minecraft:

                          Related posts:

                          1. Zenimax And Mojang Reach 'Scrolls' Settlement
                          2. Zenimax And Mojang Reach 'Scrolls' Settlement
                          3. Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition’s Ver. 2012 Update Detailed

                          MMORPG News

                          MMORPG News


                          Seven Souls Online: Officially Launched

                          Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT

                          Officially Launched

                          Neowiz has announced that its action MMO, Seven Souls Online, has officially launched as of Monday, April 2, 2012. Launch day arrives with the release of the in-game cash shop as well as a trio of contests and 10% extra currency for players purchasing it by April 10th.

                          Star Wars: The Old Republic: PvP in Update 1.2

                          Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:14 AM PDT

                          PvP in Update 1.2

                          Bioware's Gabe Amatangelo has posted a new article about the changes coming to PvP when v1.2 goes live in Star Wars: The Old Republic later this month.

                          Guild Wars 2: Guild Wars 2 - Why World vs. World Will Rule

                          Posted: 31 Mar 2012 05:16 PM PDT

                          Guild Wars 2 - Why World vs. World Will Rule

                          In The List today, we take a look back at the recent Guild Wars 2 beta weekend and the whole concept that Arena.Net is bringing to the genre with its World vs World system. We've got two full lists of what we think are the best features in WvW and what we perceive might cause some issues. Read on and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

                          Age of Conan: Unchained: Craig Morrison Speaks

                          Posted: 01 Apr 2012 07:02 AM PDT

                          Craig Morrison Speaks

                          Age of Conan: Unchained was recently updated with a new tier 4 raid in the Jade Citadel. We caught up with Game Director Craig Morrison to talk about the changes and the challenges that players will find and take a peek into the game's future. Read on!

                          Total Pageviews

                          statcounter

                          View My Stats