| Proof that GMs have a sense of humor discovered in WoW Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Humor, Miscellaneous We all know that in-game GMs work hard to process a heavy ticket load and often use standard scripts and cut-n-paste replies as a result. However, there are real people behind these names, and some of them even have a sense of humor. GameFront shared a story of a World of Warcraft player named Dougie who asked to be knighted with the "Fresh," title, a GM responded tongue-in-cheek by saying that another already held it: Sit well Dougie, and listen to this tale.
This is a tale of events which hath inverted a young ones life, and led to his eventual appointment as heir to the throne of the Bel Air Township.
Begat and reared in western Philadelphia spending many a day becoming frigid whilst filling baskets adjacent to the academy. Ruffians ran rampant through the village; a scuffle ensued prompting his fearful mother to change his domicile to that with over kin, in Bel Air.
He summoned a cart, which appeared most gaudy, nonetheless he beseeched the driver to take him to Bel Air. Arriving barely after nightfall, he bid the knave goodbye, as he relished his arrival at his new place of residence, where he was awarded the title of 'The Fresh Prince.' So there you have it: Proof that GMs can and do have a sense of humor -- and also a comprehensive knowledge of 90s sitcoms.  Proof that GMs have a sense of humor discovered in WoW originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Cryptic giving away 60-day Star Trek Online codes Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:30 AM PDT |
| World of Tanks becomes an e-sport Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Real life, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks The phrase "serious business" is often used to poke fun at gamers who take their MMORPGs, well... too seriously. World of Tanks players are having the last laugh, though, as their game is now officially an e-sport with the potential to repay their time investment with a bit of real-world cash.
Wargaming.net's latest press release has the details, which include the fact that WoT is now a part of the Electronic Sports League Major Series -- also known as the largest gaming league in Europe. ESL boasts over 3 million registered members and upwards of 740,000 registered teams, making it a good fit for the hardcore World of Tanks community which holds the single-server player concurrency world record. Head on over to the ESL World of Tanks portal to sign up for the first official event. World of Tanks becomes an e-sport originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ChangYou reports impressive profit and revenue gains Posted: 02 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser It's been a great year for ChangYou, and the Chinese developer responsible for Tian Long Ba Bu and Duke of Mount Deer recently reported its fifth consecutive double digit growth quarter. Tian Long Ba Bu has seen two successful expansion packs thus far in 2011, with a third scheduled for September. According to Gamasutra, Duke of Mount Deer recently increased its server headcount to 110 (up from 64), and the success of both titles powered ChangYou's $54.2 million profit as well as a 35.1 percent revenue jump over the previous year. ChangYou also bought into a browser-game specialist called 7Road last spring with the intention of expanding its interests beyond traditional MMORPGs. All told, Gamasutra says that ChangYou contributed an impressive $327 million in revenue to a $5 billion Chinese game market. ChangYou reports impressive profit and revenue gains originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Tribal Trouble 2 plows into open beta Posted: 02 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play, MMORTS Although GameSamba players have had access to Tribal Trouble 2's beta since the beginning of July, the company is now throwing open the door for any and all who want to try out this colorful MMORTS. This is, of course, the sequel to 2005's goofy Vikings-vs.-natives Tribal Trouble. Tribal Trouble 2 allows you to customize a personal chieftain who can set out to try to conquer the world, one village at a time while building one of his or her own. While we question the game's merits as a self-proclaimed MMO, the title boasts both single-player missions and PvP modes, as well as an achievement board. Plus, the game has units like the fearsome Chicken Punishers, so you know it's got to be good. If you're interested, you merely need to hop over to Tribal Trouble 2's website and sign up for the open beta. The game's both free-to-play and browser-based in order to be accessible to all. Additionally, hit the jump to check out the trailer! Continue reading Tribal Trouble 2 plows into open beta Tribal Trouble 2 plows into open beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: What was your favorite experience as a tank? Posted: 02 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Maybe you have a sword and shield, maybe you have a really high Dodge rating, maybe you have durable force fields. Whatever your qualifications for the role, you take up the mantle of the tank to keep the rest of your party safe against your enemies, whether they're gang members in DC Universe Online, vicious beasts in Final Fantasy XIV, or enemy starships in Star Trek Online. Whatever your game of choice, if you've played MMOs for a long enough stretch, you've had opportunity to tank. Of course, part of tanking is that you wind up with stories, in no small part just because it's such a vital job. You can't fake the experience -- you have to get in close and take the blows for the party members who can't survive them. So what was your favorite experience as the party's meat shield? Was it a specific run, a specific group, or was there an entire game that made tanking feel like the most enjoyable thing in the world?  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: What was your favorite experience as a tank? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer Posted: 01 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, PvP, Endgame, Free-to-play, Browser, Not So Massively For the past two weeks, I've found myself inexplicably addicted to online Facebook game Dungeon Overlord. Players in Dungeon Overlord design and build their own dungeons and then lead raids against other players' dungeons to steal resources, kill defending creatures or just generally smash stuff up. It's a competitive twist that developer Night Owl Games hopes will attract the more hardcore gamer. We interviewed Night Owl Games CEO Chris Mayer to find out more about the game, which is currently in a playable open beta stage and is still under development. Massively: Several game mechanics take a long period of time to complete, from minutes to hours, or even days. Why was this slow pace selected for the game? Chris Mayer: This game was designed to be a browser game that hardcore gamers could play when they aren't able to sit down for a "traditional" gaming session. We wanted people to be able to play for a few minutes before work, during their lunch, on a study break, or for a few minutes before logging on to their favorite PC game. So we designed the game around the player planning actions and then coming back later to check on them. Also, since this is a massively multiplayer strategy game you need time for other players to react to what one player does. Read on to find out how you can raid other players' dungeons, build up your defenses, and even revolt against the self-appointed king player in charge of your mountain. Continue reading Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer Not So Massively Extra: An interview with Dungeon Overlord's Chris Mayer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay Posted: 01 Aug 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Not So Massively Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more. Last week, we revealed the Realm of the Titans closed beta and heard news from the front lines of development on the Rise of Immortals open beta. We took a first look at the incredibly unlikely online game Family Guy Online, and I gave my first impressions of World of Battles: Morningstar. In a bizarre coincidence, both League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth revealed gameplay details of their surprisingly similar Monkey King characters last week. League of Legends also launched its second Song of the Summoner theme song contest. In this week's Not So Massively, we give out beta keys for Realm of the Titans and I give my first impressions of competitive multiplayer Facebook game Dungeon Overlord. With LoL now boasting over 15 million registered accounts and a peak concurrency of 500,000 players, Heroes of Newerth jumped on the free-to-play bandwagon this week with a complete re-release. Continue reading Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay Not So Massively: HoN goes free to play and Diablo III meets eBay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto Posted: 01 Aug 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lore, Previews, News items Have you ever thought to yourself that bards are such a supremely cool idea for a character class that they ought to have a whole game devoted to them? Apparently you're not the only one, as Gamania today announced its upcoming game, Tiara Concerto, a game focused around musical gameplay in floating castles in the sky. And with all joking aside, it seems like a pretty interesting concept at face value, although it's a bit difficult to divine how well it will play out over time. According to the game's backstory, the game takes place 800 years in the past, with humanity on the brink of eradication due to the ambiguous sinning of mankind. The Seven Wise Men helped preserve civilization in floating palaces, developing the art known as "tuning" to allow musical melodies to be used as weapons. While the localization appears to be a bit scattered, the trailer just past the cut certainly promises some interesting visuals if nothing else. You can also look at the official Facebook page, which features a series of comics translated to English to help introduce the game's concepts and play style. Continue reading Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Join the Bounty Hounds Online closed beta with our key giveaway! Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Contests, Free-to-play, Giveaways Sci-fi MMO Bounty Hounds Online is set to enter closed beta tomorrow. Are you ready to jump in for an early look and some bug-chasing? We hope so, because we've got 1,000 closed beta keys to pass along! Pick yours up by visiting our giveaway page, then head over to the Bounty Hounds Online " getting into beta" page. You can register for an account, apply your key, and download the client from that page, then you're ready to jump into the game. Want a closer look to pass the time while you're waiting for the download? Click past the cut for the newest BHO gameplay video, and enjoy your time in closed beta! Continue reading Join the Bounty Hounds Online closed beta with our key giveaway! Join the Bounty Hounds Online closed beta with our key giveaway! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| One Shots: Welcome to some assembly required week! Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots We're all about player-crafted items this week on One Shots, and we're kicking things off with a World of Warcraft shot from James: Here's Ripshock, Dwarven shaman engineer extraordinaire from Stormrage EU, hanging out in front of Stormwind Keep with his trusty Personal World Destroyer and riding his home-made Turbo-Charged Flying Machine! The Killshades are also hand-crafted. This week's theme is Some Assembly Required -- a little nod to the newest addition to our column lineup. Some Assembly Required covers player-created content, so we want to see the best of what you've created. Whether you've built a farm or village in Wurm Online, a particularly impressive ride in Fallen Earth, or something even bigger and better in any MMO, we want to see! Grab a screenshot, tell us a bit about what it is, and send it to oneshots@massively.com. We'll be featuring the best of these all week. One Shots: Welcome to some assembly required week! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Firefall launching in December Posted: 01 Aug 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, New titles, News items The end of the year release schedule just got a bit more crowded, and while debate as to whether Firefall is or is not an MMO is sure to continue, one thing's for certain. The game is launching in December. Red 5 Studios' Mark " Grummz" Kern confirmed as much in a thread on the official Firefall boards over the weekend, and also issued a clarification as to the title's beta timeframe. " They asked me when the game was launching and I said December," he wrote. " For some reason, they interpreted that as beta." The "they" in this case refers to some interviewers at the recent ChinaJoy gaming expo, and Grummz apologizes for the confusion in the thread as well. So, if you're keeping score at home, Firefall is officially blasting onto your PC this December. The beta will be... sometime prior to that. Stay tuned to Massively for more as it happens. Firefall launching in December originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins Posted: 01 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Free-to-play, Races, Roleplaying, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea The lore in Runes of Magic can sometimes be frustrating. There's an incomplete -- and vague -- history that sparks questions of who did what and when. Sometimes, there are references to reoccurring incidents without anyone knowing anything of who was involved or when it happened. As new chapters are released, some of those questions are answered and story-holes are filled, but new questions get added as well. We are veering off the beaten track in this week's Lost Pages of Taborea to dive into some lore. There's a growing amount of story for lore-hungry players to discuss and I wanted to revisit some Chapter 3 lore that helps us to understand a little more about the history and present-day in the world of Taborea. The following article is written for those players who may already know about the game's lore, but want to know even more. Given the overall amount of story and the way it's spread out through levels, zones and time-frames, I almost didn't feel the need to put any spoiler warnings on this post. Instead, I left out details learned from going inside the various dungeons. Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins Lost Pages of Taborea: Chapter 3 character background tie-ins originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Go behind the scenes with RuneScape's August updates and upgrades Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Previews, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Family  RuneScape players have a treat in store for them, as Jagex has released the August Behind the Scenes letter today. What do players have to look forward to in the coming month? Quite a bit, actually. Not content to rest on its laurels after the ambitious clan citadels update, Jagex is maintaining full speed with a variety of upgrades and updates to the world of RuneScape. For starters, the Grand Exchange will be seeing an upgrade that will split it into four wings in order to disperse the crowds around the central exchange booth, thereby making the service easier to use. The game's audio will be seeing an overhaul as well, with all elemental, normal, and Ancient Magick spells receiving new sound effects. Agility users will also notice some spankin'-new sounds as they scamper around. Temple Trekking is getting completely reworked, with the Temple Trekking partners' AI getting a large improvement. The largest update this month comes in the form of Branches of Darkmeyer, which will pit players against legions of deadly vampires in pursuit of shiny new vampire-slaying equipment. For all of this and more that we just couldn't fit, check out the August Behind the Scenes letter over at the RuneScape website. Go behind the scenes with RuneScape's August updates and upgrades originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet? Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia Are we there yet? Are we? Are we, huh, huh? Certain phrases are so embedded into our culture that few can escape the vivid imagery that comes with hearing them. For some, it rings back to memories of yore -- station wagons and long dusty road trips for the family vacation. For others, it can be simply the walk to the ice cream shop with a toddler. For me? I actually envision gaming in Aion. Gaming? Yup, that's right-- this iconic phrase emphasizes a specific mindset in our culture that permeates everything, including gaming: All that matters is the destination. There are plenty of examples of those who rush to endgame, plowing through and bypassing as much of the "unimportant" stuff as possible. For these folks, the game doesn't even start until max-level. However, there is a yin to that yang; there are also those who actually find the journey to be the experience worth having, folks who don't feel any need to race to endgame at break-neck speed and instead partake of the content along the way. Most gamers adopt one of these two philosophies, their real-life views and personalities often steering towards one side or the other. How do these two philosophies manifest themselves and duke it out in Aion? Rush (or mosey, whatever your preference) past the break to see. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet? Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: And this is a big deal why? Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles ArenaNet revealed some exciting news this week -- well, technically it revealed exciting news about upcoming news. Gamescom is just a few short weeks away, and Community Team Lead Martin Kerstein penned a blog post telling what fans can expect to see at the event. Fasten your seatbelts, Guild Wars 2 fans, because whatever you've been waiting to see is probably on the to-be-unveiled list for Gamescom this year. Sylvari, Asura, PvP, mid-level play, character customization -- you name it and it's there. While exciting, all of this upcoming news has the potential to be really confusing, particularly if you haven't been following Guild Wars 2 news closely for the past year or two. This week I've put together a little primer to help explain the history and basics of each of the big reveals coming to Gamescom. Follow along after the jump to make sure you're up to speed! Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: And this is a big deal why? Flameseeker Chronicles: And this is a big deal why? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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