MMO Updates |
- Black Prophecy community letter addresses known issues, item shop, and the future
- CCP announces EVE Fanfest 2012 dates
- Massively Exclusive: SOE's John Smedley reveals F2P model for DC Universe Online
- Blizzard's Tom Chilton on World of Warcraft's patch 4.3 and beyond
- MV Guide: September 19-25, 2011
- The Daily Grind: Should games cut us off? [Updated]
- Week in Review: Long on snark
- EVE Evolved: Too early to judge Incarna
- One Shots: Not exactly peaceful
- Rise and Shiny recap: Crystal Saga
- Warhammer Online: Three years later
| Black Prophecy community letter addresses known issues, item shop, and the future Posted: 19 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Bugs, Business models, Economy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Black Prophecy  Hold up just a minute there, space cowboy. Gamigo's Patrick Streppel has released a new community letter which addresses a few questions and grievances that have been raised by Black Prophecy players. The letter first takes time to address some known issues with the game. Foremost of said issues is the acknowledgement that with the game's first major content update, many users began to experience large performance issues. Streppel states that fixing these issues is numero uno on the team's priority list, but that they "cannot promise immediate improvement" due to the fact that the source of the issue is "spread across several internal game systems." Next up is the touchy subject of the item shop. Players have long decried the game's cash shop for being too expensive while simultaneously failing to give players an adequate description of what exactly they're spending their money on. In response, the team has lowered item prices and will proceed to alter item descriptions "in order to give [players] a clearer picture of what [they] are actually buying." The letter then gives players a brief glimpse into the game's future. The next episode of the game features warzones, which are "a brand new PvP experience" allowing players to duke it out with the opposing faction for control of key territories. Conquering these warzones will grant players XP, rewards in the form of exclusive upgrade blueprints, and "greater individual and group powers" for the victorious faction. For the full letter, which includes further details about the warzone system and more detailed discussions of the game's known issues, click on through the link below to the official forums.
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| CCP announces EVE Fanfest 2012 dates Posted: 19 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, DUST 514, Sandbox  CCP Tyr has posted the details on EVE's official website, and there's a loose itinerary that includes a poker tournament, a battle of the bands, chessboxing, and hey, there might even be some EVE- and Dust 514-related presentations and assorted tomfoolery if things go according to plan. Tyr says that further info -- including flight, accomodation, and access pass availability -- will be forthcoming as the event draws closer.
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| Massively Exclusive: SOE's John Smedley reveals F2P model for DC Universe Online Posted: 19 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online, Miscellaneous  The new business model will feature a familiar tiered access plan with three membership levels. The Free, Premium, and Legendary plans feature full access to the current game while offering different levels of "convenience and flexibility." Free players will be limited to two character slots, and new "downloadable game packs/updates, additional character slots, powers, and more" will be available for purchase via microtransactions. Premium players, i.e., folks who have spent at least $5 US on the game (including former subscribers and in-game item purchasers), will receive additional character slots, inventory slots, and higher cash limits. Legendary players will take home "maximum features and benefits" including free DLC, more than 15 character slots, and more than 80 inventory slots, all for the regular $14.99 monthly fee. DCUO will also continue to be available on SOE's Station Pass (and subscribing to the monthly all-in-one service nets you Legendary status in DCUO as well as access to all of SOE's MMORPGs). Finally, Massively sat down with SOE president John Smedley and producer Lorin Jameson to chat about the new model, and you can find that transcription after the break. Continue reading Massively Exclusive: SOE's John Smedley reveals F2P model for DC Universe Online
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| Blizzard's Tom Chilton on World of Warcraft's patch 4.3 and beyond Posted: 19 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Interviews, Previews, Endgame, News items, Dungeons  It may be hard to believe, but World of Warcraft's Cataclysm expansion has been out for the better part of a year now. All the while, players have been on a long and arduous adventure to defend the lands of Azeroth from the nefarious Deathwing and his minions. In an interview with Blizzard's Tom Chilton, Joystiq brings to light some details on the dragon's imminent demise, as well as a few insights on what players can expect from WoW's patch 4.3: Dragon Soul. Chilton details the upcoming Transmogrification system, which allows players to customize the appearance of their gear by transferring one item's graphic to another. He also discusses the new Void Storage system, which grants increased storage space with the caveat that any item stored in the void will be stripped of all gems and enchantments. The pièce de résistance of the whole affair is, of course, the final showdown with Deathwing himself. Players will have to traverse three separate five-man instances which will culminate in a huge battle which doesn't just feature Deathwing as the opponent; he's the battlefield as well. But we don't want to give it all away, so head on over to Joystiq for the full, juicy interview.
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| MV Guide: September 19-25, 2011 Posted: 19 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, MV Guide  Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule! Continue reading MV Guide: September 19-25, 2011
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| The Daily Grind: Should games cut us off? [Updated] Posted: 19 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively meta, The Daily Grind, Free Realms, Kids, Miscellaneous  Gamers erupted over what they saw as Sony Online Entertainment's attempt to intrude upon the parental domain, and the company has since rolled back this feature and stated it was "unintended." Still, other games have implemented similar features. What say you, Massively readers? Are you happy for games to nanny you (and your kids), or do you think they should mind their own business? [Update: SOE contacted us to clarify that this feature is for the Chinese version only, as part of that government's Chinese Anti Indulgence System. It was accidentally included in the US version of the game briefly, hence the "unintended" statement. It's not in the US version of the game at this time.]  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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| Posted: 18 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous  Fans of the Guild Wars 2 saga's shortest race were rewarded this week with five full days of love for the precocious Asura. ArenaNet supplied glimpses into the Asura's original Yoda-like design, their layer-cake art and architecture, their turbulent history, and their capital city (in video form). Finally, we were treated to a short story and an explanation for the Asura's ever-present, ever-amusing snark. Never be called a bookah again! Check out this week's other top MMO stories and articles just past the break. Continue reading Week in Review: Long on snark
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| EVE Evolved: Too early to judge Incarna Posted: 18 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, EVE Evolved  Last week I looked into the issue of EVE's development time being reduced over the years, but it has been pointed out to me that I largely dismissed the development time that went into Incarna as if it weren't development on EVE. This is a common line of thought among current veteran players, who typically don't care about Incarna and want time to be spent on in-space features instead. Incarna has eaten up a significant amount of development time for very little tangible benefit, but is it too early to judge the efficacy of this massive addition to EVE? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at what the future may hold for Incarna and how the work invested so far may not become valuable to players until certain features hit. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Too early to judge Incarna
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| One Shots: Not exactly peaceful Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots, RIFT  One of the major things that brought me to RIFT was the stunning graphics. This is my favorite view of the starting zone -- what is a screenshot without a death rift?! It is also the background for my Twitter account.That's it for starting zone week here on One Shots, and we're ready to take to the skies! Show us your favorite aerial image -- whether it be taken from the ground looking up or from atop a high-flying mount, we want to see! Add your name and a little bit about the image, send it in to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it in this week's One Shots!
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| Rise and Shiny recap: Crystal Saga Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Business models, Culture, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, Kids, Rise and Shiny, Livestream  Ah, such deep questions stemming from such a simple game. Crystal Saga is a browser-based, free-to-play, Flash-based MMORPG (there's a mouthful) that allows players to do a lot of things, including fully automate the grinding process. I can hear the potential comments already, so click past the cut and let me explain it more. Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Crystal Saga
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| Warhammer Online: Three years later Posted: 18 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Launches, Warhammer Online  Or I just didn't want to be one of a thousand World of Warcraft bloggers who dominated the scene. Just a thought. In any case, it was a terrific decision to do so on my part. I found that I had a passion not only for MMOs but for talking about them, and I loved connecting with other writers and readers and players, which happens with blogging. I've been asked from time to time if I regret picking Warhammer Online as the game that I latched onto for a couple of years, and I always say no -- no regrets. The game was fun, but the coverage was an unparalleled rollercoaster of anticipation, hype, fun, speculation, promise, disappointment, and above all, ideas. Wonderful, flawed, captivating ideas. I haven't touched WAR since 2010, so perhaps I'm not the best source for the latest and greatest in the game. But what I do have to offer is a humble blogger's perspective on what went right, what went wrong, and why I'm ultimately happy that WAR came into being and is chugging along on today, its third anniversary. Continue reading Warhammer Online: Three years later
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