MMO Updates |
- The Game Archaeologist: Myst Online: Uru Live
- WRUP: The artist formerly known as EQN Landmark
- The Daily Grind: Do you hate model recycling?
- Camelot Unchained previews the Giant race and Helbound class
- Betawatch: March 22 - 28, 2014
- Defiance powers up weapons and enemies with Arktech Revolution
- Bohemia Interactive acquires a new team for DayZ and assembles a roadmap
- Trion: We control prices in ArcheAge's cash shop
- LEGO Minifigures Online previews a world of pirates
- Hands-on with TUG, The Untitled Game
- CCP: Real-life harassment 'morally reprehensible,' in-game villainy integral to EVE
- Guild Wars 2 reworks PvP with its major April update
- TUG is now available through Steam Early Access [Updated]
- Equity crowdfunding is coming, but not on Kickstarter
| The Game Archaeologist: Myst Online: Uru Live Posted: 29 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-Play, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous  The Myst franchise surged forward at that point, with several sequels, remakes, and ports selling like hotcakes through the final game's release in 2005. Yet something interesting happened along the way when an offshoot of the series -- Uru: Ages Beyond Myst -- evolved into an MMO. With a focus on multiplayer exploration and puzzle-solving instead of non-stop combat, it may be one of the very few MMOs out there that eschews fighting for brainpower. It's an oddity, no doubt, and despite it being an incredibly niche title, it has fascinated me enough to pull me into a research rabbit hole. So let's take a look at Myst Online: Uru Live! Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Myst Online: Uru Live
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| WRUP: The artist formerly known as EQN Landmark Posted: 29 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous  Continue reading WRUP: The artist formerly known as EQN Landmark
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| The Daily Grind: Do you hate model recycling? Posted: 29 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  I guess there are degrees of model recycling, depending on how many variants there are in the game, but I always wish there would be more. Do you hate model recycling, are you indifferent to it, or do you think I'm being a jerk to the art team by just mentioning this? Is the solution to crowdsource model art to the community, as is being done in some MMOs?  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!
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| Camelot Unchained previews the Giant race and Helbound class Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, Previews, News Items, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained, MMORPG  The first is the concept art above, "a teaser for the Giant race of the Tuatha Dé Danann." The second is the video embedded below, which is a first-cut animation test for a Helbound, the game's death-flavored Viking healer class. "Neither the model nor the animation cycles are final yet," Jacobs warns. "In keeping with our intent to always show you folks truly representative models and not ridiculously high-poly count models that won't work for most gamers, this Helbound represents a pretty good approximation of how a Helbound could look in the game at launch." [Many thanks to tipster Guinness!] Continue reading Camelot Unchained previews the Giant race and Helbound class
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| Betawatch: March 22 - 28, 2014 Posted: 28 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Launches, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous 
Continue reading Betawatch: March 22 - 28, 2014
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| Defiance powers up weapons and enemies with Arktech Revolution Posted: 28 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Consoles, MMOFPS, Defiance, Buy-to-Play  For starters, in order to compensate for bigger guns, there need to be larger enemies about that won't just dissolve into a red mist when you fire your gun. Players who still want to be able to get out and enjoy the world will also need some means of doing so, which is achieved by a dynamic scaling system which ensures that even lower-rated players can still take part in big stuff. For more details on the numbers and specifics, check out the latest development update at the official site.
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| Bohemia Interactive acquires a new team for DayZ and assembles a roadmap Posted: 28 Mar 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Previews, News Items, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  Hall also outlined a roadmap of the game's coming updates, stating that the end of April should see the inclusion of fireplaces, loot respawns, and crossbows. New pistols and AI pathfinding are next on the list, followed by a 64-bit upgrade and the inclusion of animals for players to hunt and cook. Whether you're looking forward to what comes next or just like the current state of beating up players and taking what they've found, if you're a fan of the game you should take a look at the full rundown.
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| Trion: We control prices in ArcheAge's cash shop Posted: 28 Mar 2014 03:45 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, ArcheAge, Sandbox  He also dashed the hopes of those pining for special server rulesets like PvP and RP, promised server farms for both NA and Europe, and suggested that cosmetics might be a part of the game's westernization. The Q&A is still ongoing on the official forums. Those who participate have a chance at winning an alpha invite. [Update: The Q&A is over now, but you can read the complete transcript on ArcheAge Source.] [Thanks to tipsters Inporylem and Dengar!]
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| LEGO Minifigures Online previews a world of pirates Posted: 28 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, News Items, Kids, Family  So what can you expect from the game's Pirate World? If you said "pirate ghosts, sea creatures, and gold," you've seen a movie within the last decade and you are entirely right. Still, it looks to be exactly the sort of broad-strokes swashbuckling that can provide plenty of fun. So if you're eager to slap on an eyepatch and say "arr" more than entirely necessary, hop on past the break to check out the full video. Continue reading LEGO Minifigures Online previews a world of pirates
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| Hands-on with TUG, The Untitled Game Posted: 28 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Economy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, Sandbox, Crafting, Crowdfunding, Player-Generated Content, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play  TUG is a sandbox RPG akin to Landmark or Minecraft, but something about TUG is different. Maybe it's the development team that contains working titles like Economist or Behavioral Scientist. Or perhaps it's the data-driven design philosophy, which claims to deliver a better experience by analyzing how we play. Regardless, it's clear that Nerd Kingdom is attempting to give us more tools to create, both for the players in game and the modders outside of it. My recent demo, interview, and hands-on session showed me how TUG will unlock the creator's imagination -- with fewer swollen fingers. Continue reading Hands-on with TUG, The Untitled Game
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| CCP: Real-life harassment 'morally reprehensible,' in-game villainy integral to EVE Posted: 28 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Sandbox  CCP Falcon says that the company, in collaboration with the player-powered Council of Stellar Management, "have agreed and would like to state in the strongest possible terms and in accordance with our existing Terms of Service and End User License Agreement, that real life harassment is morally reprehensible, and verifiable examples of such behavior will be met with disciplinary action against game accounts in accordance with our Terms of Service." The forum post also states that "the freedom to scam and commit piracy, espionage, and extortion are all fundamental to the EVE Online experience, and CCP will never change that." [Thanks Pierre!]
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| Guild Wars 2 reworks PvP with its major April update Posted: 28 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play  The reward tracks set down a series of objectives for players to accomplish by taking part in PvP, with several smaller rewards along the way and a big bonus at the end. There are also rotating dungeon reward tracks, allowing players to unlock dungeon skins and rewards by taking part in PvP challenges, ensuring that you can unlock what you want through the game mode that you like the most. For more details, as well as a look at the upcoming PvP build interface and other changes, take a gander at the full development blog.
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| TUG is now available through Steam Early Access [Updated] Posted: 28 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Promotions, Sandbox  Nerd Kingdom's MMO is now available through Steam Early Access for 10 bucks. The low introductory cost is due to the "unfinished nature of the game" and will be raised as time goes by. TUG currently features two modes, creative and survival, for players to enjoy. Developer Peter Salinas said that the title has made great strides through its alpha testing: "We've had such tremendous feedback and support from our players in our early alpha, and we can't wait to see all the amazing and creative things players will continue to do with the game. By looking at our community's play patterns and listening to their feedback, we can keep our development focused on what our players want." Massively has a hands-on look at TUG coming to you later this afternoon, so stay tuned! [Update: A message sent to Kickstarter backers assures everyone that the official launch date for the game is still January 2015 and that all backers will receive Steam keys early next week.] [Source: Nerd Kingdom press release]
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| Equity crowdfunding is coming, but not on Kickstarter Posted: 28 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, Crowdfunding  In the wake of Oculus' $2 billion Facebook deal, The Verge has published a piece that asks what one of the Rift's original $300.00 Kickstarter backers would've gained had they been actual investors instead of donators. The answer is a cool $43,500, or a substantial 145x ROI. Kickstarter, for now at least, won't be jumping on the equity bandwagon. "We believe the real disruption comes from people supporting things because they like them, rather than finding things that produce a good return on investment," CEO Yancey Strickler told Popular Science.
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