MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you
• WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition
• The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs?
• Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications
• MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters
• TERA prepares for political machinations
• Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012
• The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video
• Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble
• EVE Online: Inferno website goes live
• Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars
• Brace yourself: The Guild Wars 2 stress test is coming
• MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer
• MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations
• Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway
• The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition

The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you Posted: 12 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor Without fail, the second I'm done writing this column for Massively, Turbine releases the big news of a major patch, and I have to wait a whole week to talk about it. In the case of Lord of the Rings Online's Update 7, I'm not that upset. I definitely was underwhelmed by it all initially, but now that I have had a whole week to digest it, read through the test server notes, and scope out the Moria dev diary that was posted, I feel like I'm in a much better position to talk about it. So what does this game update mean for you? That's a good question, and it really depends on where you are in your leveling journey. New players won't be fazed by it whatsoever, but both mid-game and endgame adventurers are going to have some new (and reworked) content to devour. I am heartened that Turbine doesn't have tunnel-vision for the endgame and is still willing to go back and examine what does and doesn't work about its earlier content. So let's walk through the major highlights of Update 7: Shades of the Past and give it the ol' Road to Mordor analysis, shall we? Continue reading The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you The Road to Mordor: What Update 7 means for you originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition Posted: 12 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous With Ms. Lady and I solidly moved into our new apartment, we face a new problem. Specifically, we face the problem of having a substantial need for furniture and not nearly enough furniture to meet that need. So we've absconded to the almost adjacent Crate & Barrel, which is a lot like Ikea except made of something sturdier than corrugated cardboard. Maybe not much, but it's a game of degrees. But you didn't come here to read about my furniture shopping. Well, not just my furniture shopping, anyway. You came here for this week's installment of WRUP, wherein we of the Massively staff discuss our plans for the weekend. We also talk about whether or not we mourn the games that never saw widespread release, if any. So jump on down past the break to see what we're up to over the weekend, and let us know what you've got planned in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition WRUP: Shopping for furniture edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs? Posted: 12 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Western players gripe about random number generators, especially when it comes to cash shops. Many of us rebel against paying for lockboxes in Star Trek Online, TCG cards in the now-defunct Star Wars Galaxies, and super-packs in City of Heroes because we want to buy a thing, not a chance at a thing. Apparently, the idea annoys at least one government too. Earlier this week, rumors began swirling that the Japanese government might crack down on social games that employ "konpu gacha" -- essentially a crafting mechanic that requires a succession of lottery-esque random rolls. To gather the random and rare items you need to craft the gizmo you really want, you wind up spending tons of real cash on a bunch of stuff you don't. Sound familiar? I'm not a fan of legislative meddling in how fools and their money are parted, but I'm still wondering what you all think. Are these kinds of cash-shop tricks fair play, or do you think the genre would be better off without 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: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Image credit

Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications Posted: 11 May 2012 09:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Companions are one of the main features of Star Wars: The Old Republic, but they're also sometimes very limiting. Depending on your class and spec, you can find yourself with only one or two companions with useful abilities. But that's partly by design; according to the latest community Q&A, the distinctiveness of companions is both a result of their abilities and their personalities. The team has no plans for making companions more interchangeable, at least for the moment. If you were hoping for better news, don't fret, as the other answers are a fair bit more positive. The technical hurdles preventing some classes from having a modifiable offhand are being looked into, and the answers also delve into the details of adding a new augment slot to existing modifiable items. There's also a discussion of the different rates of gear acquisition for players on the PvE and PvP progress tracks, along with a variety of other answers for players of several stripes. Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters Posted: 11 May 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MapleStory, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play Do you feel lucky, MapleStory players? You should, because Nexon is celebrating the game's lucky seventh anniversary, and the studio is passing the good fortune on to the players with a series of in-game events and double experience weekends. For the duration of the month, players will be treated not only to double experience and drops every weekend, but they'll also be able to take part in events such as the Maple Rising Star Contest, which requires players to complete tasks to show support for their favorite NPC contestant. And of course, no anniversary would be complete without a visit from the deliciously vicious Cake Boss monster, which combines a challenging battle and a tasty treat into one mutant monstrosity. To put the icing on the proverbial cake, Nexon has released a short anniversary trailer that recaps the major MapleStory events of the past year, so put on your party hats and join the festivities after the cut. [Source: Nexon America press release] Continue reading MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

TERA prepares for political machinations Posted: 11 May 2012 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, TERA, Dev Diaries If you've thought that a bit of political campaigning and intrigue was all that was missing from your complete enjoyment of TERA, have we got good news for you. It's almost time for the vanarch election wheel to start a-turnin', so start polishing your speeches! Players elected to the vanarch position will reign for three weeks over their province. Vanarchs get to turn their whimsy into mandate by setting and collecting taxes and choosing which specialty shops to open up. They'll also be accruing fame (or infamy) for themselves and their guilds. Of course, not just anyone is worthy to rule o'er the masses: In order to be eligible, candidates must be the leader of a level three guild with at least 20 members, must have reached at least level 50 on their character, and must pay a fee of 3,000 gold and 100 Catharnach Awards. Sound like you? Registration for vanarch candidates opens up on Friday, May 18th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT and runs 'til Friday, May 25th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT. After registration week comes a week of voting, and then three weeks of sweet, sweet power. Registration for the following reign opens up in the second week of the on-going vanarch's office, so if you're interested in getting to the top and staying there, you don't have a lot of time to rest on your laurels. If the mantle of power isn't made for your shoulders but you still want to flex your political muscle, be sure to vote! Each game account gets one vote per continent on a given server. Are your fingers itching for a ballot? Next week TERA's game guide will be updated with some more juicy details on the political system. Knowledge, after all, is power. TERA prepares for political machinations originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Innaugural Election Details

Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012 Posted: 11 May 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous The Spirit Tales open beta launched this week, bumping that game up a tier on our beta list. In fact, the game proved so popular that an additional beta server was added to accommodate the avalanche of fans of all things cute. City of Steam has announced an alpha test for July, while Storybricks is accepting alpha signups for its alpha demo right now. Compounding the season's MMO drama is Phantasy Star Online 2, which is aiming to open up its beta early this summer. The Secret World, with its 1,000,000 beta signups, is is kicking off its first beta weekend starting today. Meanwhile, Glitch's epic beta housing patch is finally upon us, World of Warcraft has unveiled cross-server grouping in the Mists of Pandaria beta, and Guild Wars 2 announced a surprise stress test for pre-purchasers this coming Monday. Finally, if you're bored this weekend, why not check out Diablo III-rival Path of Exile? Tipsters Don and James report it's holding a public stress test starting right as this post is published at 8 p.m. EDT tonight. The full Betawatch roundup lies in wait behind the break. Continue reading Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012 Betawatch: May 5 - 11, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video Posted: 11 May 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World If you're staring down the barrel of The Secret World's first beta weekend and you're a little bit daunted by the game's 500-plus skills or its classless progression system, don't despair. Funcom has released an eight-minute video designed to teach you the basics and get your paranormal adventures off on the right foot. The ability wheel breaks everything down into one of three categories: melee, magic, or ranged. Each is subdivided a further three times into different types of weapons (blood magic, blades, rifles, etc.). Technically you can learn every ability in the game, but you can only equip 14 at a time (seven active and seven passive), and you're also limited to equipping two weapons simultaneously. Your 14 abilities, when paired with your weapons of choice, make up your build, and half the fun in The Secret World is trying out all the possible permutations. Learn more after the break, and don't forget to check out our Secret World press beta impressions while you're at it. Continue reading The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamespot

Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble Posted: 11 May 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Why bother roleplaying? I've covered a lot of topics in this column that circle around that topic. I've talked about why roleplaying is important and how you can roleplay without tears, but I've never touched the central question, something that was brought to mind recently by a fellow Massively writer. Why even bother with roleplaying? The usual answer is a shrug and a self-evident "because it's fun," but that's more a dismissal of the question than a functional response. That's not a good thing because there's a case to be made against roleplaying. Your character doesn't have an impact on the game world. Your roleplaying is, in the context of the game itself, irrelevant. The game doesn't care why your character wears weaker gear than normal; it just downgrades your stats and makes your life harder. You derive no benefit and wind up losing a lot of time for social interactions that are prone to drama and arguments. So why bother? Continue reading Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online: Inferno website goes live Posted: 11 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics Pay attention: The universe is going to war on May 22nd. That's awfully nice for the universe to schedule these things and give us a heads up, don't you think? If that isn't enough, the makers of EVE Online: Inferno have given us the official expansion website with an infolicious, nougaty center. The brand-new website has information on EVE's 17th expansion, including details on the graphics update, the war declaration system, the mercenary marketplace, the unified inventory, and more. According to the website, "Inferno invites new players with a lower barrier to entry, empowers veterans with more control over their wars, and entices combatants of all types with advanced new weaponry." Our own EVE Online columnist Brendan has been busy covering the expansion, with analysis on Inferno's mining system and the PvP revamp. EVE Online: Inferno website goes live originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Inferno website

Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars Posted: 11 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: News items, Legal, Miscellaneous, MOBA What's in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out. A name alone was enough to send Blizzard and Valve to man the lawyer cannons over two upcoming games, DOTA 2 from Valve and Blizzard DOTA from Blizzard. The companies have reached an agreement, however, which includes Blizzard renaming its game to Blizzard All-Stars while retaining use of the "dota" name for noncommercial use in the fan community. Valve retains the commercial use of the name. It sounds like a little matter until you remember that Warcraft III was the source of the map that spawned this game type, leading to both companies developing competing versions of a sequel. Blizzard All-Stars currently has no release date, while DOTA 2 is due out sometime next year and is currently in beta testing. Luckily, the terminology is only being changed on the corporate side, meaning players are free to continue discussing the games as they would have anyway. Blizzard renames Blizzard DotA to Blizzard All-Stars originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Via: Joystiq

Brace yourself: The Guild Wars 2 stress test is coming Posted: 11 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2 The ArenaNet team is rallying the troops for a Guild Wars 2 stress test this coming Monday. While the existence and details of the test were already known, Rubi Bayer has added a note to participants to the game's Facebook page. The goal of the stress test is to see how the servers handle concentrated activity, so she gave a few tips on how best players can help the company during the short test. No simulation or prediction can ferret out as many problems as letting thousands of players loose on a game, so Rubi encouraged players to pile on the servers, find bugs, and be patient as they, well, find bugs. The test will run on Monday, May 14th, from 2:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT, and will be available to pre-purchasers only. One nice treat is that although the company has mentioned character wipes between beta weekend events, players will still have their darling creations from BWE1 to run around with. Get ready to flood the servers on Monday. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. Fly, my pretties! Brace yourself: The Guild Wars 2 stress test is coming originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Guild Wars 2 Facebook

MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer Posted: 11 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, News items, Free-to-play, MechWarrior Online Piranha Games has spent the last few weeks inundating us with information on the various gameplay mechanics and customization options that players can expect from its upcoming free-to-play 'bot-battling title, MechWarrior Online, but today the studio has unleashed a deluge of screenshots and a new video that shows what the game's really about: big robots and even bigger explosions. Also, lots of lasers. Pew pew! The screenshots showcase a variety of 'Mechs -- including the first in-game screens of the Dragon -- going at it with everything from lasers to long-range missiles and everything in between, plus there are quite a few showing off the game's MechLab customization features. The video, meanwhile, gives players yet another look at the game's combat, which, judging by the number of lasers flying around, could double as a (potentially fatal) light show. But enough words; go on and click through the gallery below and feast your eyes on all the giant robot goodness. [Source: Piranha Games press release] Gallery: MechWarrior Online screenshots Continue reading MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer MechWarrior Online unleashes a torrent of new screenshots, plus new teaser trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations Posted: 11 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMObility, Sandbox, Crafting When Tiny Speck, maker of the wonderfully odd browser-based sandbox Glitch, announced that it would be taking the game back to a beta state in order to retool many of the game's most essential systems, I was skeptical. Heck, I've remained skeptical. I stopped streaming the game due to time constraints but continued to log in and enjoy it. More specifically, I didn't feel like continuing to stream it until the new releases were officially released. I tend to enjoy betas but want to hold back my opinions until games are actually open, and this return to beta made me feel the same way. Lately, however, the changes being tested and implemented into the game have just been too cool to stay hushed about. Housing is receiving wonderful, wonderful updates that will allow for complete creative freedom that is rarely seen in MMO housing. The UI is transforming as well, and new skills and creatures are being introduced. Beta or not, there is some crazy-cool stuff going on in the land of Ur. In fact, check out these brand new patch notes! Continue reading MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations MMObility: Glitch's new updates stretch players' imaginations originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway Posted: 11 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Contests, Giveaways, Anniversary To celebrate the eighth Anniversary of Lineage II, NCsoft and Massively have teamed up to bring you a special in-game item to give away. The item is the two-slot head accessory known as the Warrior's Helmet (pictured above), complete with the Vampiric Rage skill, which increases attack speed by 33% and bestows the ability to recover as HP 9% of the physical damage inflicted upon the enemy for one hour. Reuse delay is four hours, and this item is seven-day use only. If you'd like to grab one of these special items for your Lineage II character, head on over to our giveaway page to grab a code. And be sure to visit the item redemption page for complete instructions on how to add the code to your account! Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition Posted: 11 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, The Firing Line What do War Thunder, World of Warplanes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Tribes: Ascend have in common? Not a whole lot aside from their respective appearances in this week's edition of The Firing Line. Won't you join me after the cut for a rundown on some recent and notable online shooter news? If you're feeling particularly ornery, you can point and laugh at the fact that I'm still not in the War Thunder beta. Continue reading The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition The Firing Line: 16th century fragging edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Botanicula review
• Capcom Pins Its Hopes on Dragon’s Dogma
• Dungeon Keeper Online (CN)
• Jetpack Joyride Might Already be Facebook’s Best Game
• Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC Pulls You Back into Arkham City
• Starhawk Review: Laying a Solid Foundation
• Republique’s Success Demonstrates How a Kickstarter Can Adapt
• Big City Racer MMO Review
• Dragon Nest (KR)
• Beach Volleyball Online MMO Review

Botanicula review Posted: 12 May 2012 03:33 AM PDT As anyone who has ventured into the worlds of either Samarost or Machinarium knows, Amanita Design doesn't make standard point-and-click adventures so much as it does cursor-based flights of exploration and experimentation. The developer's games offer little in the way of handholding, puzzles based on real-world logic, a driving narrative or even nod-nod-wink-wink humour to aid adventurers. Rather, players are thrown into each game world blind, and tasked with learning an entirely new visual language using little more than their own ingenuity as the Rosetta Stone. In this respect, Botanicula is no different – in fact, it's closer to the team's browser-based efforts than its robot-loving masterwork. However, the level of originality in its puzzles and sheer depth of character exhibited by its fascinating world make it an absolute joy, regardless of the legwork required to meet the Czech developer halfway. It's an odyssey of context-sensitive button presses, where much of the play time is spent looking for areas where the cursor flicks from an arrow to a pointing hand and clicking the mouse to see what might happen. It’s certainly one of the most unique art styles seen for an adventure game. Yet even without clicking, the world responds beautifully to the cursor's searching swoops across the screen – leaves rustle and some unnamable creatures skirt around to avoid it – to the extent that this functionally familiar arrow becomes a character in the world in its own right, a sixth explorer to accompany the silent team of oddballs the player is charged with helping, as unique and seemingly out of place as the menagerie of bugs that populate the rest of the game world. Admittedly, on open levels, the tile-based map is basically a series of tree branches, offering little in the way of memorable geography and demanding a fair amount of ground to be re-trod on a regular basis. However, the levels themselves are fairly self-contained, and to complain might be a little to close to whinging about walking back through the most beautiful park on Earth at the end of the day in order to return to your car. Indeed, unburdened by age-rated language or sophisticated multi-button controls, Botanicula is genuinely a game for all ages; the sort of adventure an entire family can sit down and enjoy together without presenting a barrier to anyone based on intelligence or gaming ability. The fact it manages to achieve this feat without pandering to its audience as though they were five-year-olds – and in fact demands more of its players than most games in order to fathom its surreal setting and bizarre cast of characters – is a remarkable achievement in a modern industry that increasingly plays it safe and skirts the lowest common denominator in order to turn a tidy profit. Final Verdict: 8/10 In an ideal world, any team charged with making a motion controlled title for Kinect or PlayStation Move would be forced to play it. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/reviews/botanicula-review/

Capcom Pins Its Hopes on Dragon’s Dogma Posted: 12 May 2012 03:33 AM PDT After Bethesda’s open-world fantasy RPG Skyrim sold 10 million units, no one could blame Capcom for hoping there’s room for more than just one fantasy RPG title about slaying dragons and saving the world. Dragon’s Dogma represents a three year development cycle for the Japanese studio, with more than 150 developers plugging away at its design. With the game representing such a large investment, a lot is riding on how well Dragon’s Dogma will fare at retail. This isn’t the first time the company has tried to appeal to a western audience though, of course. 2008′s Bionic Commando took aim at the U.S. market, though it stands more as a cautionary tale than a sheer success. Throwing some of their top talent from their Resident Evil and Devil May Cry properties onto the title to insure this won’t be a repeat of Bionic Commando’s folly, the company seems to be imbuing an Eastern charm to Dogma that may help it stand out next to its contemporaries in the fantasy genre. It’s also interesting to note that the studio is hoping the accompanying Resident Evil 6 demo packed in with Dogma will entice players to give their new action RPG a second look. With the first thing viewers see in this trailer being names of talent from other Capcom projects and the reminder that a RE 6 demo is packed in with each copy, Capcom wants to make sure people know they aren’t messing around with its big summer title. In any case, it’s clear the company is betting a lot on Dogma. Judging by fans’ recent reaction to Skyrim’s DLC announcement, people are still willing to put down their money for this kind of experience, which may bode well for Capcom. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/capcom-pins-hopes-dragon-dogma Incoming search terms: dragon\s dogma (1) Related Posts Gungnir, Dept. Heaven, and the Greatest RPG Universe You Don’t Even Know About The Elder Scrolls Online revealed Kritika (KR) TERA Taiwan reveals monthly fee 1UP Community Feature: Gaming Problems of the ’90s

Dungeon Keeper Online (CN) Posted: 11 May 2012 11:57 PM PDT Back in May 2010 (link), I first posted about one of the biggest online game developer and publisher in China, NetDragon, working on Dungeon Keeper Online. The game is a joint production between NetDragon and Electronic Arts (EA), and there was quite a skeptical bunch of gamers since the developer is from China. Most didn’t know that the producer is actually a Westerner from EA! Having the chance to play the latest Elite Closed Beta phase, let us take a brief look at how true the game stayed to its predecessor! For the races (below), there are currently 2 available: Humans and Demons. These 2 are further divided into male and female. The races missing from the roster includes the Loli (yes, that is the name of the race, not Dwarf , female only) and Demi-Demon (male only). Next, there are the character classes. All races so far share the same 6 classes (all classes end with a “Lord” at the end): Dual Blade, Restoration, Giant Shield, Destruction, Giant Sword and Element. I am sure you guys can figure out what each class does. Character creation is quite limited in terms of editing features, but the choosing of horns and tails for the male Demon is certainly interesting. Cash shop horns and tails is a good idea! As there is no full screen option to accommodate my monitor, I had to go for a windowed game mode. And surprisingly, the chat box is not within the game itself, but rather an additional panel to the left side of the game. Is this really such a good idea? Hmn… Anyway, I am playing as a Demon Destruction Lord in this first try of the game. Read the text before watching the videos! Ok, the starting part of the game is actually the tutorial prologue, which is not really told to players adequately in advance. Here, the basic controls are being taught. I know, this looks like World of Warcraft, but as I mentioned in my previous posts about the game, there is both an open world element and dungeon keeping one in the game. Back to standard combat, you will notice that some mobs can be “tortured” and beaten the crap out of even if their health reaches zero, causing more loots and experience points to gain. Pretty neat eh? An example of a fun quest in the tutorial is when I was asked to find 3 female NPCs and forcefully kiss them. I love being bad! So, characters learn skills as normal when the appropriate level is reached although there are no stats to be added (Str, Con, Dex etc). Skills can also be upgraded to higher levels when the level requirement is met. For recovery, there are instant pots which takes 1min to cooldown and also food as well, where players have to be uninterrupted while being healed. Pretty a pain in the arse when meeting with aggro mobs. Before going on to the part about dungeon, one more thing about combat. So, there are a total of 17 world bosses ranging from level 12 to 84 (you can see the level 12 one in the videos) and also instanced dungeons as well, which I never did enter during this brief game test. However, there are random times a portal will just appear and hint players to enter with a party. Well, I entered one alone and died tragically, which can be seen in one of the game videos. Sigh… Ok, about dungeon now. See the big button at the lower part of the screen, right in the middle? That is where players can click to enter their dungeon. Materials needed to expand your dungeon are gathered from the open world map, where material drops can be clicked and prompting your minions to load them up and send to your dungeon inventory. Players must then deposit them from the inventory to the total material count. Talking about minions, you can attract more minions by building more living quarters. Players may also right click on any minions to “whack” those who have the “zzzz” sign and not making themselves useful To build and upgrade structures, gold is needed too. Players can deposit gold gained from the open world into the dungeon. It is like a totally different game! Do note that both the open world and dungeon are developed using different game engines, a rarity in the industry now perhaps? Just when you thought the dungeon is just like a demonized The Sims, think again. Other players may attack your dungeon and loot everything away! Other features not yet experienced or added into the game includes the PvP Arena, Player Vs Player (from the 2 different factions), Guild PvP battles, Castle Siege (with NPCs aiding),3 classes within one character and more! Gosh, are they going to add every element into this game?! So, here is my verdict through this small preview. The game is an absolute hit for me! I am seen as a strict gamer who trashes almost every online titles nowadays, but Dungeon Keeper Online is just awesome! Note how much content there has been already right off the game’s start. I am in love with it, and seeing that Dungeon Keeper Online is listed on NetDragon’s English portal as an upcoming title (link), I can’t wait! Similar Article can be found at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/09/dungeon-keeper-online-cn-exclusive.html

Jetpack Joyride Might Already be Facebook’s Best Game Posted: 11 May 2012 09:32 PM PDT As much fun as I have with many of the iOS games I play, there are few which I stick with for very long. In some cases that’s because the free or $0.99 entry point for these games have a direct correlation with the amount of depth they contain — there’s one good idea, but it’s not necessarily something you’ll want to spend more than a few hours with. Jetpack Joyride is a straightforward auto-runner, hardly the sort of thing that I would expect to play for long. And yet it has managed to keep its spot on the front page of my iPhone for months; it’s my go-to game when I have a minute to spare. It’s simple, easy-to-play, and it’s now available in beta on Facebook. Joyride started out as a $0.99 download on the App Store, during which time it sold about one million units. It was then converted into a free-to-play game and had been downloaded an additional 13 million times as of February. According to a press release issued today, that number has soared to 25 million downloads. It may not be at the level of Angry Birds, but that is a huge figure, particularly if developer Halfbrick’s expectation for 5 to 10 percent of customers spending at least a dollar continues as the game expands to Facebook. The game consists only of tapping the screen on iOS to move up to avoid obstacles and collect coins. It’s a simple control scheme that works well on a touchscreen device and is equally effective when you are instead using a mouse. This helps it to fit right in on Facebook where you want to be able to appeal to a casual demographic of gamers who are not looking for something especially complex. That is not to say the game lacks difficulty, as making it further into the game decreases the amount of time you have to react to incoming obstacles. I found this easier to deal with in the Facebook version of the game, perhaps due in part to only your mouse cursor, and not part of your finger, obscuring your view of the screen. I also found it much easier to control one of the game’s vehicles, the Profit Bird, as I’m able to click my mouse more quickly than I am able to tap a screen, although your experience may vary when it comes to this. Much to my surprise I managed to beat my high score on iOS, which I have been unable to top for months on my phone, within 10 games on Facebook. In addition to the control scheme, what helps to make the game work on Facebook is the brevity of each playthrough. You can start the game up and be done in a minute’s time if you don’t manage to survive for long, and even if you’re good, each try will not last for more than two or three minutes. Another factor playing into its friendliness as a browser game is the fact that it does not require the mouse to be moved around, lessening the odds of a cheap, frustrating death as a result of clicking outside of the game’s frame. Unlike many popular Facebook games, there is, at least currently, no limit on the number of times you can play. You won’t have to solicit Facebook friends for energy so you can play one more round (although you might be bugging them to play so you’ll have more friends to compete against on the leaderboards). As with the iOS game, Halfbrick is banking on players having a desire to spend real-world money to obtain in-game coins used to purchase vehicle upgrades, cosmetic items, and gadgets, the latter of which are a recent addition to the iOS version. Gadgets are purchasable items you can equip prior to each playthrough that have the most significant impact of anything you can spend coins on. Some help you to gain a bit of extra distance at the end of your run, one causes you to be dragged to the floor more rapidly, one allows you to start your run with a vehicle, and so on. You can equip a total of two at any time, and different combinations can yield different bonuses. None of the gadgets radically alter the core gameplay, although they are a nice way of keeping things fresh — not that that the game had trouble with that prior to gadgets’ introduction thanks to its mission system. At any time, you’ll be tasked with three objectives. These might require you to collect a certain number of coins, to make it a certain distance using a particular vehicle, or even to avoid collecting coins. Ultimately it’s only a select number of challenges repeated over and over with different specifics inserted Mad Libs-style, yet the satisfaction of completing these and leveling up (yielding a coin reward) is a big part of why I’ve continued coming back to the game versus, say, Canabalt. It may not be the deepest game on Facebook, but Jetpack Joyride is an excellent fit for the platform. I’m not sure if it tops something like Popcap’s Solitaire Blitz for me although, if nothing else, it’s the perfect fix for when you need something to play after running out of energy in other games or when you have a few minutes to kill. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/jetpack-joyride-facebook-best-game Incoming search terms: games top facebook may 12 (1) Related Posts Blade & Soul (KR) Quantum Conundrum: A Nerd Stereotype Turned Video Game The Elder Scrolls Enters the World of Multiplayer in a Massive Way Pokemon Conquest Externalizes the Poke-Complexity Guild Wars 2

Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC Pulls You Back into Arkham City Posted: 11 May 2012 03:32 PM PDT Religion and civilization have gone hand-in-hand throughout human history, with gods and their mouthpieces alternately hindering and inspiring humanity every step of the way. That’s why Civilization V felt a bit off when it hit us about a year and a half ago and was missing a few things we’d come to take for granted in the previous iterations. Religion and its best buddy subterfuge were either absent or folded into the Piety branch of its social policy tree, with temples and whatnot contributing to the ever-more-broad “culture” statistic. Religion always existed in the background of Civ V, from cathedrals to a huge number of biblical verses doled out for researching everything from animal husbandry to frickin’ laser beams, but it was no longer present as a distinct element of strategy. When it came to religion as a tactical tool, the relevant quote seemed to be, “God is dead.” Well, now we’re getting a chance to make him in our own image. Faith is the new currency, and once we have enough we’re given a Great Prophet. The first one we’re graced with can found a pantheon, be that a war god that grants more faith when we win battles, a namby-pamby healing god that restores units that end a turn next to a friendly city, or a whole slew of other crazy stuff people are raring to fall on their knees in front of. Our second prophet can turn that half-assed belief into a true religion, tacking on tenets like tithing (if you’re into accumulating more gold) or holy warriors (which grant the ability to purchase pre-industrial land units with faith). Followers passively pressure neighboring cities to join their particular theological club, but for a more direct approach we can send those prophets and missionaries to neighboring cities to directly convert the population. Nobody really likes that, so expect diplomatic repercussions, and prepare your own cities with inquisitors to keep the faith pure… or just fill the besandaled heretic with arrows when he starts down the palm-leaf-covered road to your own holy city. It’s an act of war, sure, but at least the simulation isn’t detailed enough to take martyrdom into account. That’d really make a mess of things. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187124 Related Posts OP-ED: BioWare Doesn't Deserve Such Hate For Mass Effect 3's Day One DLC Can Twisted Metal Succeed Without DLC? [TPGS 2012] Dragon's Prophet Dragon's Prophet (TW) Arkham City Nightwing DLC Live Preview

Starhawk Review: Laying a Solid Foundation Posted: 11 May 2012 03:32 PM PDT At one point in time, the concept of a zombie apocalypse stood as a genuinely terrifying idea. But, over the years, zombies have begun to serve a different role altogether; for the most part, they’ve become meat pinatas, assisting us in acting out our creative ultraviolent fantasies. Dead Rising and Dead Island may give us the chance to take out thousands of zombies with patently ridiculous weapons, but the badass protagonists of these particular games barely bat an eye at the moldering hordes trying to get a taste of their sweet innards. When compared to these exaggerated experiences, Telltale’s The Walking Dead feels much more like a documentary than Dead Alive; each and every undead encounter is meaningful (and horrible), and taking down a single zombie amounts to much more effort than tearing your way through wet tissue paper. This grounded approach meshes well with the typical slower pace of the traditional adventure formula, and also makes for one of the more atypical and interesting zombie games seen in quite some time. After Telltale’s dreadful Jurassic Park, the company looked to be headed in a dangerous direction; JP’s QTE-based gameplay might have been highly approachable, but it removed most of what we’ve come to expect (and love) from their brand. The Walking Dead doesn’t return completely to the mechanics seen in the later Sam and Max seasons and Tales of Monkey Island, but it gives the player back some much-needed agency, rather than forcing them to undergo neverending series of button prompts. Make no mistake: the interface can’t get any simpler. The ways you can interact with objects and people have been reduced to their absolute basics, and old-school adventure game fans may be disappointed to find that the main character doesn’t have a pithy comment for every piece of background scenery. You can definitely feel Telltale’s hand guiding you throughout, though the developer has provided just the right amount of wiggle room to allow their story to be told effectively. Horror relies entirely on tension, which can easily be broken if players are allowed to meander for minutes, poking at puzzles and exhausting their character’s knowledge of everything in his pockets. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3187129 Related Posts Rage Suffering From a Variety of Launch Day Issues on PC Metal Gear Solid 3D Review: Neither Definitive Nor Terrible The Lack of Itagaki's Trash Talk Saddens Tekken's Harada Metal Gear Solid HD Collection Gets the Limited Edition Treatment Age of Wulin (CN)

Republique’s Success Demonstrates How a Kickstarter Can Adapt Posted: 11 May 2012 03:32 PM PDT It may have cut it close, but Camouflaj’s debut title, Republique, managed to reach its Kickstarter goal in the final hours before its deadline today. The project kicked off a month ago seeking $500,000 and, after an initial surge of pledges, found itself struggling to attract backers. Rather than accept the fact that there was not half a million dollars out there to fund a hardcore iOS title like this, Camouflaj adapted and now finds itself padding that $500,000 with additional pledges ahead of its 3pm Pacific deadline. Republique was initially pitched as an iOS game combining stealth and survival horror in the style of a game from the PlayStation era. With an estimated budget of over $1 million, Camouflaj turned to Kickstarter to come up with $500,000 to help ensure it would not have to compromise creative control or hand over ownership of the IP. It was a difficult sell for more reason than one. People who play iOS games are used to paying $0.99 or less. Rarely is there a game which exceeds the premium price point of $6.99 established by Infinity Blade and its sequel. Republique’s Kickstarter asked for $10 in order to be rewarded with a free copy of the game — a game slated for release during June 2013. Knowing that $10 (or more) could be spent on games available right this very second — and, despite what some people say, there are many quality experiences to be had on the App Store — would only make it more difficult to convince people to pledge money to a product from a brand new developer, even if it is one with a fairly well-known name attached to it in former 343 Industries and Kojima Productions employee Ryan Payton. In one of the most recent updates, Payton remembered the project bringing in only $700 a day at one point. At that rate it would have taken two years to reach $500,000, but Camouflaj had a hard deadline as Kickstarter will only hand over pledged funds if the target is reached by the project’s end date. (If it does not, the money never leaves backers’ pockets.) The graph below shows what a crawl pledges came to in the two weeks following the initial flood coinciding with the project’s launch. Just over two weeks in, Camouflaj made its first attempt to lure in new backers by doing what many potential backers were asking for: It announced PC and Mac versions. It was made clear they would be designed with those platforms in mind, complete with new gameplay, controls, and story elements, as opposed to them being simple ports with mouse clicks in place of screen taps. This announcement resulted in the biggest jump in pledges since the first day up until that point, but there was still a long way to go. While continuing to interact with fans and provide video updates, including footage of development team meetings, Camouflaj announced two voice actors working on the game that were sure to get gamers excited. David Hayter, best known as the voice of Metal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake, and Jennifer Hale, the voice of the female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, will both be playing roles in Republique and signing the posters being sent to backers pledging at least $500. Word of this development on May 3 resulted in the biggest single-day jump at the time as fans of two huge franchises had been given reason to take more than a cursory glance at Republique. By this point nearly half of the $500,000 had been pledged, but with only a week left there was still reason to doubt the game would be funded. Other, smaller steps were taken to bring in more money like introducing a $40 tier on May 9 which includes the game on iOS and PC/Mac, as well as the digital soundtrack and documentary. Besides simply giving fans what they want and potentially bringing in those still sitting on the sidelines, it was an intelligent way of encouraging those who had already pledged to bump up the amount they were willing to part with. All of this combined with the groundswell of support from fans (helping to push a ‘Keep Hope Alive’ campaign named after the game’s protagonist, Hope) and the media — raising questions of what role the press should play in a case such as this — resulted in Republique surpassing its $500,000 goal earlier today with only seven hours to go. A portion of the money coming in during the final days (more than half of the $500,000 was pledged in the past week) may have been from individuals like myself who chose to see how things would play out before pledging, yet Camouflaj did an admirable job in adapting and listening to what fans wanted as it attempted to reach its goal. Besides the fact that many people were counting it out weeks ago and continued to doubt $200,000 could be raised in the last three days, it’s also a testament to what Kickstarter remains capable of even amidst claims it has already outlived its viability as a method for funding videogames. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/republique-success-kickstarter-adapt

Big City Racer MMO Review Posted: 11 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT Big City Racer is a 3D racing MMO where players can race around various European cities. Play on different weather settings, race against other players or train in single player mode. Big City Racer is a an easily accessible MMO with simple keyboard controls.     Publisher: Vanilla Live Games Playerbase: Low Graphics: Medium Type: MMO EXP Rate: N/A PvP: N/A Filesize: 340 mb Website: http://www.bigcityracer.com/ Pros: +Three weather conditions for each track. +Round and Sprint version available for each map. +Small download, easy to get started. Cons: -Very low player base, difficulty to find a game. -Dated graphics. -Poor crash and overall physics effects. -Only 4 maps.   Big City Racer is a simple racing game published by a European studio. The game doesn't have the same depth as Need for Speed World Online or Heat Online, but offers simple gameplay and has low system requirements. Players can race across the cities of Europe with up to eight participants per match. While the total number of maps is sparse, Big City Racer allows each one to be played under three weather settings. Each track also comes in two forms. The standard lap based game mode is the most common, but players can play sprint mode where cars must race from one end of the track to the other. Big City Racer has an assortment of cars for purchase and players can customize them using decals, rims, windows, and neon lights. Tracks - Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin Weather - Sunny, Rainy, Sunset       Related Posts Elder Scrolls Online Announced, Due 2013 For PC And Mac Codename X7 (CN) Steam Box Confirmed? Spirit Camera Review: A Lack of Focus ChangYou preparing Shadowbane reboot

Dragon Nest (KR) Posted: 11 May 2012 09:31 AM PDT Back in February, I first posted (link) about the new class after Academic, Kali. As the update for this new class approached the Korean server some time in June and July in apparently 2 separate updates, more news were released with a teaser trailer to boot. While no physical weapons were shown, it is said that she is a skilled mid-range mage using a resource call chakra (same as Naruto). You can see some of her skills in the trailer above, which includes summons which will attack for her and provide buffs as well. I shall not translate her background story to avoid spoilers, but just know that it is all about revenge, as seen in the poster below. Another part of the content update will obviously be new dungeons/ nests. While there are no new dragons now, 2 level 60 nests will be updated for the high level players. A trailer is shown below. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/05/dragon-nest-kr-teaser-trailer-for-new.html Related Posts Origin Used by 5 Million People Daily, Claims EA [Update] Latest STASIS Teaser Trailer Has Got Our Attention Minecraft Update 1.2.5 Brings Relaxed Cats The Secret World MMO Launch Date Announced OP-ED: Nintendo Direct Unlikely to Reveal Redesigned 3DS Tomorrow

Beach Volleyball Online MMO Review Posted: 10 May 2012 11:57 PM PDT Beach Volleyball Online is a 3D Volleyball themed sports MMO with some emphasis on social interaction. The game mixes virtual world social elements with intense volleyball gameplay elements and offers some solid graphics.     Publisher: Omniverse Games Playerbase: Low Graphics: High Quality Type: MMO EXP Rate: Medium PvP: N/A Filesize: ~300 MB Website: http://www.bvogame.com/ Pros: +First volleyball themed MMO. +Plenty of  items in the game's store. +Spectators can bet on the outcome of a game. Cons: -Few game modes. -Some latency issues.  -Dull gameplay. -Poor English translations. -Game prone to crashing / bugging out.   Beach Volleyball Online is the first volleyabll themed MMO out there! It's published by Omniverse Games and offers a unique blend of actual gameplay and social elements – sort of like Snail Game's ShowUp. Like any other beach themed volleyball game, Beach Volleyball Online, as expected, has gorgeous female character models! After all, what's a beach volleyball themed game without hot chicks? Beach Volleyball Online offers various modes of play with a maximum of six players on the court at once. One of the more interesting game modes is the Audience Better Mode which, as the name implies, allows spectators to place bets on the outcome of the game. Players are rewarded with experience and money based on their performance in each match. While off the court, players are encouraged to explore the 'virtual world' elements of the game while also socializing and making friends. Upon making a character, players must choose from one of the three playable classes, which are: Offensive – They have high "Spiking and Strength" stats but weaker "Setting and Receiving" stats. They are the primary offensive class in Beach Volleyaball Online and should play aggressively. Defensive – They have high "Setting and Receiving" stats but weaker "Spiking and Strength" stats. They are great for assisting. Strategic - They are basically a combination of the offensive and defensive classes. They are capable in all aspects of the game, but not particularly strong in any one attribute.   Beach Volleyball Online System Requirements Minimum Requirements: OS: Windows XP/ 2000 / 98 / Vista CPU: 1.5 GHz Intel P4 or equivalent RAM: 512 MB RAM HDD: 2.5 GB Free Graphics Card: Direct x 9 Compatible VGA card Recommended Specification: OS: Windows XP/ Vista CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4 or equivalent RAM: 1024 MB (1GB)  RAM HDD: 2.5 GB Free Graphics Card: Direct x 9 Compatible VGA card Related Posts ARGO Online Review Royal Quest Firefall ArchLord MMO Review APB Reloaded MMO Review

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