MMO Updates

---

• New Otherland making-of video shows off Five Isle, Tad Williams
• World of Tanks 7.5 patch adds three maps, new tanks for all
• Choose My Adventure: You're nobody till somebody loathes you
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Can City of Heroes' PvP be saved?
• Why I Play: Glitch
• The Daily Grind: So who's next to go free-to-play?
• EverQuest gets a cosmetic system
• Age of Conan's plans to borrow tech from The Secret World
• Hindu group continues to protest SMITE, asks QuakeCon to pull the game from the lineup
• DC Universe Online unveils revamps for existing powers
• Trion PR executive talks Defiance, Syfy synergy
• Zentia announces the end of its run
• Massively Speaking Episode 210: Now coming to you in SOGA-Vision
• SWTOR is going free-to-play, subs dip below one million [Updated]
• ArenaNet talks emotional connections in Guild Wars 2
• LotRO's Captains get buffed in Riders of Rohan
• Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Holocron Files -- Rattataki

New Otherland making-of video shows off Five Isle, Tad Williams Posted: 01 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Otherland RealU and gamigo have released a new making-of video update for Otherland. The clip focuses on the in-game world of Five Isle, so named for the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal that feature in Chinese mythology. Interestingly, Five Isle is a new invention created specifically for the MMO and does not appear in Tad Williams' series of Otherland novels. Williams himself does appear in the new video along with a handful of game developers. See what they have to say after the break. [Source: gamigo press release] Continue reading New Otherland making-of video shows off Five Isle, Tad Williams New Otherland making-of video shows off Five Isle, Tad Williams originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Tanks 7.5 patch adds three maps, new tanks for all Posted: 01 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, MMO industry, Patches, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks The first of the month has brought a new update to World of Tanks. The 7.5 patch is now live on Wargaming.net's European servers, and it will debut in North America tomorrow. New tier 10 medium tanks and tank destroyers are the order of the day, as are new premium vehicles, battle arenas, and various medals and titles. The American tech tree has been updated with E3 and E4 mods to the T110 destroyer in addition to the M48A1 Patton III medium tank. The German destroyer lines get the new JadgPz E-100 and E-50 Ausf M. Soviet players can now enjoy Object 268 destroyers and T62A mediums, while French drivers get the Chatillon 25t medium and AMX 50 Foch 155 destroyer. The 7.5 update also adds three new North American maps called Port, Highway, and Serene Coast. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] World of Tanks 7.5 patch adds three maps, new tanks for all originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: You're nobody till somebody loathes you Posted: 01 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Massively Meta, Humor, Choose My Adventure Last week's Choose My Adventure poll was not really much of a race, was it? Almost from the beginning, The Kingdom of Loathing took the lead and held it, eventually winning the day. In my experience with the column, the strong front-runner can sometimes be overtaken by a slower community. In this case, however, it was a knockout. I shared the link to the article across the community boards for each game (save one that wouldn't allow me to for fear of linking to other games), and the response was immediate. It just goes to show that sometimes the largest communities have the least active forums. So here I go into the odd world of The Kingdom of Loathing. I played it before and enjoyed it somewhat, but in hindsight, I think the game is just not really newbie-friendly enough to make a week's worth of play worthwhile. I found myself a bit turned off by the attempted humor, but as I have read more about the game, I've realized there's much more depth in store for me. So click past the cut and get to voting. And hurry it up -- that meat won't gather itself! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: You're nobody till somebody loathes you Choose My Adventure: You're nobody till somebody loathes you originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Can City of Heroes' PvP be saved? Posted: 01 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter In theory, City of Heroes boasts a variety of different PvP options. In practice, pretty much no one notices or cares about any of those options because the game's PvP is dead in the water. Beyond dead in the water, even. Its carcass has settled to the bottom of the ocean and been nibbled away into just bones and a few shreds of clothing. Paragon Studios' reaction is usually to distract anyone who asks about PvP, either with a code giveaway or a well-timed blow to the solar plexus. I could go into a routine about a parrot, but I trust you get the idea. This doesn't bother me categorically. I play other games, and those games give me enough of a PvP fix. PvP has never been why I play City of Heroes. But it does matter a lot to some people, and so it's worth asking: Can PvP be saved? Or should it just be allowed to continue its current slow death of neglect? Speaking from the outside, I think the answer seems to be a definite maybe. I do think that things can be done to make the PvP actually worth playing; unfortunately, those changes might burn away a chunk of what the hardcore PvP crowd is hoping for, and they might frustrate some of the existing crowd that's quite happy with PvP in its current state as a faint memory. I'm not going to talk about whether or not it should be saved; I'm just going to look at whether or not it's even a possibility. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Can City of Heroes' PvP be saved? A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Can City of Heroes' PvP be saved? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Why I Play: Glitch Posted: 01 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Screenshots, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor, Miscellaneous, Why I Play As I began to write this column, it struck me that there are some people who do not actually want to play Glitch by Tiny Speck. I wanted to change the usual title of this column to "Why, of course I play Glitch!" but then I thought about my editors glaring at me from across an email. I guess I should explain my love for Glitch, the type I normally reserve only for certain wonderful titles like RuneScape, Dark Age of Camelot, Mabinogi, Wurm Online, Ryzom, MilMo, or even World of Warcraft years ago. I apologize, but it's a bit hard to explain something that seems so obvious. Some people probably consider Glitch a game for younger players or for players who are not as serious about their digital lifestyle. Why Glitch would not be taken as seriously while a game like Darkfall or (ironically) World of Warcraft is considered a more serious gaming venture is beyond me. But then, I think all gaming is silly... that's why it's wonderful. Continue reading Why I Play: Glitch Why I Play: Glitch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: So who's next to go free-to-play? Posted: 01 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous After yesterday's announcement that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going free-to-play, we at Massively can't help but look at the few remaining subscription-based survivors and wonder which one will be next. Too soon? Probably so, but it's an interesting thought. Will the next conversion be a fresh title like TERA, or an old favorite like Asheron's Call? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: So who's next to go free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest gets a cosmetic system Posted: 31 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Game mechanics, Free-to-play It may be late to the costume party, but EverQuest is finally dressing up in its finest duds. SOE announced that the title will be getting its very own cosmetic outfit system come August. Called Hero's Forge, this system allows players to change the appearance of their character's armor without altering the stats. Fashion comes with a price, however: SOE will be charging per character to access this system. Once purchased, players will receive their first set of armor for free. Additional pieces of cosmetic armor will become available as both loot drops and Marketplace goods. EverQuest gets a cosmetic system originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Introducing Hero's Forge

Age of Conan's plans to borrow tech from The Secret World Posted: 31 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play Funcom's focus of late has obviously been on The Secret World, but that doesn't mean the company has forgotten about Age of Conan. Quite the opposite, in fact; the success of The Secret World's single server technology means that Age of Conan can start moving to an equivalent server architecture. According to the newest monthly update, the process will probably not be finished until early next year, but it will allow people to freely switch shards to play with friends and enjoy cross-server events. One of the other updates -- and one that will have far-reaching implications for the game -- regards the current pace of content development and deployment. The development team is considering moving away from large content updates and toward smaller updates at a faster pace. Feedback is being requested from the community on this and other topics, so if you're an Age of Conan stalwart, you should examine the full letter and give the company your opinion. Age of Conan's plans to borrow tech from The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Monthly Development Update

Hindu group continues to protest SMITE, asks QuakeCon to pull the game from the lineup Posted: 31 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous, MOBA Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society for Hinduism, has made a point of protesting the addition of Hindu deities to the lineup of Hi-Rez Studios' upcoming MOBA SMITE. He's now taking that protest to the next level by appealing directly to the organizers of QuakeCon 2012, asking that the game to be removed from the competitive lineup due to its offensive usage of religious figures. Zed asserts once again that making deities (particularly Kali) into characters in a video game hurts the devotees of Hinduism, claiming that Hinduism is the only tradition portrayed by the game that is still active. The Hindu American Foundation has also expressed displeasure at the way the game has handled figures from the religion, although the HAF has also stated that it is working closely with Hi-Rez Studios to ensure that the information contained within the game is at least accurate. The organizers of QuakeCon 2012 have not publicly responded to the request. Hindu group continues to protest SMITE, asks QuakeCon to pull the game from the lineup originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Via: Kotaku

DC Universe Online unveils revamps for existing powers Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online One of the rules of MMO design is that the game is never really done. Designers can still make extensive tweaks and changes to abilities even well after launch. DC Universe Online's revamps of the Mental and Gadgets sets are a case in point. According to system designer Jesse Scott in a recent update on the revamps, these two sets both had several options that felt redundant and fewer unique abilities, so the design team has gone back to the sets improve overall utility and provide more interesting choices. Mental's core issue was a serious weakness in the Illusions tree, which was addressed by ensuring that more powers in the tree can do damage without relying on fragile interactions. Gadgets, meanwhile, had far too many powers that were doing essentially the same thing. Some powers have been rolled together, new powers have been added, and a few have been changed in form but not in function to address thematic concerns. Even if you've never been fond of these powersets before, the updates might be enough to pique your interest after all. DC Universe Online unveils revamps for existing powers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update on the Mental and Gadgets revamps

Trion PR executive talks Defiance, Syfy synergy Posted: 31 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Defiance You probably know by know that Trion is working on a massive open-world shooter called Defiance. If you've been paying attention, you also know that it ties in with a Syfy Channel television show of the same name. A new PR video featuring Trion Global Brand Director Alex Rodberg sheds a little more light on the "transmedia synergy" between the two products. No, we're not sure what that means either, but it kinda rolls off the tongue, wouldn't you agree? See, say it with us again: transmedia synergy. OK, you're right, it's a buzz phrase. Whew, we almost bought into the hype there for a second! Anyhow, click past the cut to watch Rodberg explain how players of the game don't have to watch the show to enjoy the former (and vice versa) as well as how Trion is working together with Syfy personnel to craft what both firms hope is a unique entertainment experience. Continue reading Trion PR executive talks Defiance, Syfy synergy Trion PR executive talks Defiance, Syfy synergy originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: [a]listdaily Via: TTH

Zentia announces the end of its run Posted: 31 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Sunrise, sunset. All that ascends must one day fall into shadow -- and sadly, the time has come for Zentia to do the latter. The charming Asian fantasy title has just told its players that it will be breathing its last as of August 13th. ChangYou sent out the farewell letter to its playerbase with the sad news: "Unfortunately, we are unable to continue to keep the Zentia servers available for play after August 13th. The good news is that we will be re-focusing our efforts and resources on some very exciting upcoming titles." The company is urging its players to move to one of its other games, specifically Dragon Oath and Sword Girls. Players who do so will have their store currency moved to that game with an extra bonus of tokens for the trouble. Zentia announces the end of its run originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Closure announcement

Massively Speaking Episode 210: Now coming to you in SOGA-Vision Posted: 31 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Podcasts, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, The Secret World, Massively Speaking, Wizard101, Allods Online, Miscellaneous This week, your intrepid podcasters are traveling down into the dark uncanny valley where their sanity will be shredded, filleted, minced, and served with a nice kumquat garnish. As they forge ahead through pandas, chibis, sasquatches, skarts, and Norwegians, only one question remains -- if they survive, will what's left be worth living? Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 210: Now coming to you in SOGA-Vision Massively Speaking Episode 210: Now coming to you in SOGA-Vision originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

SWTOR is going free-to-play, subs dip below one million [Updated] Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Star Wars: The Old Republic EA BioWare is making the jump to lightspeed -- and free-to-play. That's right: As of this fall, Star Wars: The Old Republic will transition to a hybrid F2P business model. Players who choose to engage in free-to-play will be able to experience a majority of the game for free, including the first 50 levels and all eight classes. BioWare did state that there will be restrictions, but those can be removed with microtransactions. SWTOR will still be available in the standard subscription model. Subscribers will be given an allowance of store currency, called Cartel Coins, to buy customizable gear and other niceties. Current subscribers and those who sign back up before the fall can also rack up special rewards for when the transition is made. BioWare GM Matthew Bromberg said that this is the next logical step for the game: "Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic universe." Check out Massively's recent Hyperspace Beacon column on why F2P was inevitable for the game. BioWare's also posted a F2P FAQ with all the nitty-gritty details and a letter from the executive producer. [Update: During this afternoon's investor call, EA President Frank Gibeau revealed that SWTOR subs have dipped below one million but are still "well above" half a million. Forty percent of those leaving do so because of subscriptions. The game claimed 1.3 million subs last May and had leveled off at 1.7 million in March, having sold in the range of 2 million copies. Gibeau hopes the new F2P model will win back players lost to churn.] SWTOR is going free-to-play, subs dip below one million [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR Free, F2P FAQ, Executive Producer letter

ArenaNet talks emotional connections in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:10 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Lore, News items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries ArenaNet has put a lot of emphasis on the story of Guild Wars 2. But what good is a story unless it's compelling enough to pull players in emotionally? Ree Soesbee and Jeff Grubb, the heart of ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2 lore, talk about this challenge in a new blog post. Story involvement, says Soesbee, begins with players' avatars as early as character creation. Grubb talks about the balance between creating characters with depth and characters with enough loose ends for an unexpected story to emerge, which is a fine line to walk. The game is built around the assumption that players are heroic in nature and essentially good. Like in the original Guild Wars, players don't really have the option to be villains or anti-heroes through the storyline. The liveliness of NPCs and the world around characters are also key steps toward drawing players into the game. I think that's what it all boils down to in the long run-you become emotionally invested with the game because you become interested in both your character and the world. And you can do that by making choices and seeing those choices have an effect-and truly matter-within the world. That is one of our goals when we're telling stories in Guild Wars 2. - Jeff Grub ArenaNet talks emotional connections in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The emotional connection

LotRO's Captains get buffed in Riders of Rohan Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Expansions, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Turbine's Riders of Rohan dev diary parade continues, as today the studio previewed some of the changes coming for Lord of the Rings Online's Captains this fall. The hybrid class will see several upgraded versions of existing skills on the path to level 85 as well as a new out-of-combat rez at level 40. New skills that the Captain will be receiving include Improved Valiant Strike, which now comes with a Fellowship-wide HoT; Improved War-cry, which adds a damage bonus on top of a faster attack speed; and Inspiring Blade of Elendil, which will hit harder, help with power regeneration more, and allow Captains to buff other skills when used in a chain. System Designer Erika Ng said that the team is also working to make skills and legacies useful to all trait-lines for the class. One of the new legacies that added with Riders of Rohan will increase the duration of battle states and defeat responses so that Captains have a longer period of time to fire off reaction skills. LotRO's Captains get buffed in Riders of Rohan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Captain dev diary

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Holocron Files -- Rattataki Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Lore, Opinion, Races, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon We are quickly running out of playable species for the Holocron Files, but trust me: There is plenty of lore to pull from for future entries. For those who haven't been following, the Holocron Files series takes the known lore and stories in the Star Wars universe and presents it to you in an easily digestible fashion to help make your Star Wars: The Old Republic experience richer. This week, let's tackle the Rattataki. The Rattataki are one of the most confusing species playable in SWTOR. In the scheme of the Star Wars universe, this species is rather young and makes for an odd choice for BioWare. Other species, like the Chiss, Purebloods, and Miraluka, have been around since the early '90s in books and comic books. Zabraks and Mirialans were introduced to us in the prequel movies, and of course, the Twi'leks can be found in the original trilogy. However, the Rattataki didn't make their first (alleged) appearance until 2003, first in the Star Wars: Republic comic book, then in the Clone Wars animated series. What makes this species even more confusing is that the first appearance of a Rattataki wasn't really a Rattataki (giving me one more reason to hate the Clone Wars cartoon). If you've rolled a Rattataki in TOR, or if you're thinking of playing one as a future character, then this edition of Holocron Files is for you. The Rattataki as a species and culture has been set apart from the rest of the Star Wars universe and makes an excellent choice as a playable species. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Holocron Files -- Rattataki Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Holocron Files -- Rattataki originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

---

• The Evolution of Early Game Narratives
• Sleeping Dogs Gives Players a Dark World to Explore at their Own Pace
• Telling a Tale of Empowerment

The Evolution of Early Game Narratives Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:32 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 30 | NARRATIVE IN GAMES The Evolution of Early Game Narratives Cover Story: How a few radical ideas set the framework for decades to come. W hen gaming began, narrative was almost nonexistent. In Tennis for Two and Pong, it was just an electronic competition. It wasn't until titles like Pac-Man, Pitfall, and Donkey Kong that gaming started getting stories. Sure, the tale of Jumpman fighting a big ape wasn't enthralling, but it gave context and color to the gameplay proceedings. As time wore on, stories got deeper, especially as RPGs grew in popularity. Even still, the story was mostly constrained to the instruction manual. Even The Legend of Zelda, which is now one of Nintendo's most story-heavy series, had little in-game context. That began to change in the late '80s, though, in a surprising place: the Ninja Gaiden series. Two versions of the game, one for the arcades and one for the Nintendo Entertainment System, came out and wound up being very different despite the shared name. Ninja Gaiden for the arcades was nothing more than a side-scrolling beat 'em up, something that was on the same level as a Double Dragon. However, Ninja Gaiden for NES wound up revolutionizing narrative in video games, delivering a hardcore platforming experience that was equal parts stellar and frustrating.

Sleeping Dogs Gives Players a Dark World to Explore at their Own Pace Posted: 31 Jul 2012 02:02 PM PDT Hong Kong action cinema certainly enjoys the opportunity to be silly and gritty at the same time. Those double-fisted gunfights, the pulse-pounding cops chases with improbable physics, and (in some cases) those doves that fly out of nowhere; all of it comes together to weave a world that's slavishly stylish but slightly ridiculous. This is the type of world Sleeping Dogs wants to recreate to a degree: an intense environment where brutal gangs can make your best friend suddenly disappear if he upsets the wrong people. A world based in loose realism, but also one where silly things can still happen. A recent preview build effectively conveyed this video game trip into foreign cinema, and it highlighted the way it tries to strike a balance between the two. My 1UP cohort, Marty Sliva, helped me realize something significant pertaining to the differences between narrative in video games and ones presented in film. He argued that, in a film, a director has a set runtime to stick to -- a schedule that pushes the storytelling aspects of film forward. In about a two-hour span, a world has to be created quickly, complete with a cast of characters, and then present the viewer with a beginning, middle, and end. A film director has to make every second count for fear of losing his viewers through convoluted plot points and irrelevant action.

Telling a Tale of Empowerment Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:07 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 30 | NARRATIVE IN GAMES Telling a Tale of Empowerment Cover Story: How games unite story and play by letting you blow stuff up. S ome people say that story in games is as superfluous as story in pornography: A pointless distraction that simply gets in the way of the material the audience actually wants. But is that really true? Not every game needs a story, but when integrated thoughtfully narrative can elevate a simple amusement to something more meaningful. Not unlike the way a well-crafted story can transform simple porn into erotica. But what constitutes thoughtful integration? Mainstream media may be content to depict video games with dated Pac-Man sound effects (or a clip of Doom if they're feeling particularly contemporary), but those of us who actually follow games know the medium has advanced well beyond rudimentary score-chasing arcade mazes. The kind of story in a game and the manner in which it's incorporated into the action varies according to that game's genre and purpose; in a visual novel like Corpse Party (or offshoots like Ace Attorney), story reigns supreme. In a twitch-based arcade shooter, plot provides little more than context and atmosphere even at its best (e.g. Einhänder or Radiant Silvergun).

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

MMORPG News

---

• World of Tanks: v7.5 Goes Live in the EU
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free-to-Play and Schadenfreude
• The Repopulation: Latest Update is a Big One
• Age of Conan: Unchained: Latest Development Update Posted
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Hickman Discusses F2P Move
• Otherland: The Making Of Part 4
• General: Where Work and Play Meet
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free to Play Option Coming This Fall
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free to Play This Fall
• Guild Wars 2: Creating an Emotional Attachment in MMOs
• The Secret World: Update 1.1 Released
• General: More Mid-Year Musing
• MU Online: The 10 Year Interview
• General: The Best MMO Business Models

World of Tanks: v7.5 Goes Live in the EU Posted: 01 Aug 2012 07:14 AM PDT Wargaming.net has announced that the World of Tanks v7.5 patch is now live on EU servers and will go live in North America on August 2nd. Update 7.5 features new Tier 10 medium tanks and tank destroyers, premium vehicles, battling arenas, as well as new medals and titles.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free-to-Play and Schadenfreude Posted: 01 Aug 2012 01:26 AM PDT EA's announcement that Star Wars: The Old Republic would be going free-to-play in the Fall has sparked some interesting reactions from gamers around the 'net. In this week's SWTOR column, we're weighing in on the news and explain why we feel the switchover is worthy of praise over doom-n-gloom.

The Repopulation: Latest Update is a Big One Posted: 01 Aug 2012 06:54 AM PDT The Repopulation team has posted the July update, a beast of an article that features a look at the massive amount of work that has been done on the game in the last thirty days. Among other things, The Repopulation may start seeing new testers as the devs look to expand the pool.

Age of Conan: Unchained: Latest Development Update Posted Posted: 01 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT Funcom's Oliver Kunz has posted the latest Age of Conan: Unchained development update that gives players an inside look at what the team has been working on for the last month. Most compellingly, Kunz talks about how the 'single server technology' utilized by The Secret World will be rolling into AoC over time.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Hickman Discusses F2P Move Posted: 01 Aug 2012 06:41 AM PDT In a new developer blog on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site, Executive Producer Jeff Hickman gives a bit of information about how the team arrived at the decision to give players a F2P option as well as information about how the program will work.

Otherland: The Making Of Part 4 Posted: 01 Aug 2012 06:37 AM PDT In the latest video diary, the Otherland team and book author Tad Williams show off Five Isle, a world based on the five Chinese elements. This is the first time that Mr. Williams has been shown on camera to talk about the concept behind Five Isle. Check it out!

General: Where Work and Play Meet Posted: 30 Jul 2012 07:18 PM PDT The Devil's Advocate today takes readers on a roundabout journey that ends up asking gamers to 'repurpose' a single hour of game time in the pursuit of something else. Curious? You should be! Keep reading and then leave your thoughts in the comments.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free to Play Option Coming This Fall Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:15 PM PDT EA and BioWare have announced that a new free to play option will be added to Star Wars: The Old Republic beginning this fall. New and returning players will be able to play all eight character classes and progress to level 50 with some restrictions.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Free to Play This Fall Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:58 PM PDT With today's blockbuster announcement that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be adding a F2P option, we took the opportunity to chat with BioWare's Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Matthew Bromberg, Studio General Manager, BioWare Austin about some of the new features players can expect. Read on!

Guild Wars 2: Creating an Emotional Attachment in MMOs Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:51 PM PDT In a new post on the Guild Wars 2 blog, Jeff Grubb and Ree Soesbee speak to ways the team is working to give players a sense of connection to the game via their characters and a connection to the choices they make in the game.

The Secret World: Update 1.1 Released Posted: 31 Jul 2012 09:38 AM PDT Funcom has announced that the 1.1 update for The Secret World has been released. The patch brings seven new missions, a new Marketplace and a host of fixes and enhancements into the game.

General: More Mid-Year Musing Posted: 29 Jul 2012 09:10 PM PDT In the last edition of The Free Zone, we took a look at the first half of the year and gave a few thoughts about what the rest of the year might bring. In today's edition, we offer a few more musings about the six months behind us. See what you think and then weigh in with your own thoughts.

MU Online: The 10 Year Interview Posted: 29 Jul 2012 09:01 PM PDT MU Online is a venerable grand old dame of the MMO space. We recently caught up with Producer HyeokIm Jun to talk about MU, where it's been and where it's going. See what we discovered and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

General: The Best MMO Business Models Posted: 31 Jul 2012 03:49 AM PDT It's true; the MMORPG.com community is a decidedly subscription-based crowd. But with the advent of many different MMO business models appearing in mainstream titles these days, we thought it'd be prudent to round up some of the more prevalent types and break down our favorites in this week's The List.

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