MMO Updates |
- The Perfect Ten: Best MMO theme songs (part one)
- Rakghouls and raging Hutts with SWTOR's Gabe Amatangelo
- Funcom releases Secret World Illuminati teaser
- NCsoft KOs Punch Monster in Korea
- Star Supremacy readying new update, Facebook contest
- 'Staunchly British' Jagex sets the record straight about its new ownership
- TERA opens the door for beta sign-ups [Updated]
- The Daily Grind: Do developers troll their fans?
- Free for All: The still-satisfying world of action MMOs
- A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the 5th Column and the Council
- MMO Family: Games of chance vs. MMOs
- Ree Soesbee talks about her career with ArenaNet and Guild Wars 2
- Raph Koster talks about free-to-play models and whales
- Six small changes that will make a big difference to EVE players
- Xsyon highlights upcoming player-run event, includes bear-fighting
- MechWarrior Online interviews a trio of devs, hilarity ensues
- Congressman gamer supports Riot Game's anti-SOPA stance
- MMO Community Spotlight: Gamebreaker's Gary Gannon
- Keen Software House announces pre-order deals for Miner Wars MMO
- BioWare: 'Gray Jedi' playstyle in SWTOR will reap rewards
- EverQuest II adds player wings, yes really
- Funcom teases AoC's House of Crom
- SWTOR Senior Community Manager responds to high-res texture concerns
| The Perfect Ten: Best MMO theme songs (part one) Posted: 12 Jan 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Age of Conan, Darkfall, Final Fantasy XI, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Wurm Online, RuneScape, Humor, Mabinogi, Wizard101, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Blade & Soul, Perfect Ten  So for the next two Perfect Tens, I scoured all the MMO theme songs that I could get ahold of in an attempt to formulate a list of the very best. It was originally slated to be just one list, but after an hour or so of listening to tracks and having friends and fellow staffers weigh in on the subject, I knew it was impossible to keep it there. Two important things to note for this list. First, I wanted to keep to just the title/login screen tracks so that I wouldn't be working on this for the next 2.5 years. Second, unlike most past Perfect Tens where there's no significance to the order of the list, in this case we're going to have a genuine countdown to the best MMO theme song of all time. And I expect to take no flak about it, do you hear me? Good. Let's begin. Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Best MMO theme songs (part one)
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| Rakghouls and raging Hutts with SWTOR's Gabe Amatangelo Posted: 12 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Lore, New titles, Patches, Previews, PvP, PvE, Massively Interviews, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dungeons  In the official press release for 1.1, BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk notes, "A month ago when we launched the Early Game Access program for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we promised our fans that this would just be the beginning of our journey together." That's all well and good, but we want details. So we rang up BioWare's Gabe Amatangelo to discuss the new flashpoint, Karagga's palace, Ilum, and the future of SWTOR PvP. Be aware that there will be some minor spoilers, but we'll warn you in advance! Continue reading Rakghouls and raging Hutts with SWTOR's Gabe Amatangelo
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| Funcom releases Secret World Illuminati teaser Posted: 12 Jan 2012 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World  The video serves as a pretty effective recruitment ad for the faction, as the narrator opines that the Illuminati may not have all the answers, just "most of them." He goes on to talk about how knowledge is not only power, but currency, and if that doesn't make you want to roll an Illuminati, well, you're probably one of those silly Templars. Check out the clip after the cut. Continue reading Funcom releases Secret World Illuminati teaser
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| NCsoft KOs Punch Monster in Korea Posted: 12 Jan 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Casual  ThisIsGame says that it's been some time since NCsoft pushed a major update onto the game's live servers, and a company spokesperson confirmed as much. "We decided to close it because we have barely sustained the Korean service. We will continue to develop and publish casual games with [the] experience we have gained so far." Punch Monster will remain playable in China and Japan for the moment, albeit under the name Blue Tears.
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| Star Supremacy readying new update, Facebook contest Posted: 12 Jan 2012 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Contests, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Giveaways  The patch isn't quite live yet, but you can look for it this time tomorrow. In the meantime, Barbily Games has also issued a reminder about its latest Facebook promotion. When the game reaches the 500- and 1,000-like milestones, all players will receive in-game gifts. When the 30,000-like barrier is broken, three randomly selected players will win Ear Force X11 headsets.
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| 'Staunchly British' Jagex sets the record straight about its new ownership Posted: 12 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Stellar Dawn, Transformers Universe  Because the deal was made earlier last year, Gerhard sees this as old news and stressed that the company was trucking on much the same as it ever was. "The insinuation that this is a company that somehow now is run by bankers in the US again couldn't be further from the truth," he said. "Sure we therefore have some American shareholders, but the management and the culture and the ethos and everything else is the same people, in the same hands, and staunchly British." He also clarified why the studio's profits were reported to be down: "If you look at our company's house filings, revenues are up but profits are down, and those aren't because we're doing a crap job, that's because we're consciously taking those profits and ploughing them back into the business." Gerhard said that the company was "very, very selective" when it came to investors, and that it feels completely comfortable with the current board of directors. He said that the new investors were not interfering with the day-to-day development and operations of Jagex's ever-expanding library of titles: "I'm very excited for the year ahead and everyone in the studio is very focused on, not just making RuneScape and 8Realms a financial success, but our work on Stellar Dawn and even Transformers coming together to make truly great games for this year."
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| TERA opens the door for beta sign-ups [Updated] Posted: 12 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, TERA  As of today, TERA is accepting applications for closed beta testing in North America. What must you do to be part of this exciting event? Will you be forced to slay dragons, mail En Masse your life savings, or promise your firstborn child? Nay, my friend -- all you need to is head over to the site and enter your email address. That's it. En Masse has a few additional notes for the beta sign-ups. Each test will require a unique invitation, to prepare to go through the arduous task of entering your email address every time a new one rolls around. TERA closed beta testers will be invited randomly and via special giveaways, but everyone who signs up at any point will automatically be included in the open beta test later on down the road. [Update: The EU beta for TERA is undergoing a similar sign-up process: "Those who register by 11:30 CET tomorrow will go into the draw to win one of 1000 keys that will give 'em access to the whole testing period," a Frogster rep told us.]
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| The Daily Grind: Do developers troll their fans? Posted: 12 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind  Case in point is the recent decision to add wings to EverQuest II's cash shop. I'm not opposed to cash shops per se, and I'm not opposed to flying mounts or the formerly nifty race-specific quest that allowed Arasai players to earn a pair of functional wings at high level. Now, though, any old ratonga, iksar, or troll can fork over 20 bucks and take to the skies with angel's wings on his back, and while the EverQuest universe has fairly inconsistent lore on occasion, I can only conclude that someone at SOE thought it would be funny to mess with franchise fans a little bit. If not, surely there are more fan-friendly ways to go about designing cash shop items or new means of transportation. This isn't the first time SOE has indulged its baser shark-jumping instincts, either. Ask a Star Wars Galaxies vet about the infamous Ewok-themed Valentine's Day if you need another example. And therein lies today's Daily Grind. Do you think that developers troll their fans?  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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| Free for All: The still-satisfying world of action MMOs Posted: 11 Jan 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor, Free for All, Vindictus, Dragon Nest  Of course, action games can have their drawbacks. Not only do they tend to produce a euphoric haze that can only be described as "stoner glare" and an open-mouthed state of hypnosis, but they can take a toll on delicate, drum-beaten wrists like mine as well. I take the good with the bad, I guess. Click past the cut and I'll let you know my favorite F2P action MMOs. Continue reading Free for All: The still-satisfying world of action MMOs
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the 5th Column and the Council Posted: 11 Jan 2012 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter  You can't talk about the 5th Column without talking about the Council because the two groups are almost the same. Of course, one is a lot more reprehensible than the other, which oddly makes them far more interesting. Put simply, it's a tangled web of subterfuge and backstabbing, and the two organizations are still struggling for dominance on the streets of Paragon City. They're like a slightly more accessible version of Nemesis for one another. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the 5th Column and the Council
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| MMO Family: Games of chance vs. MMOs Posted: 11 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous  Today, I see kids being raised on video games, and I see it as a good thing. "But board games are the good games," you might protest, and while they're still relevant today and I'm glad to see the recent revival in family board game night, a good portion of board games do not compare to what video games offer to children. This edition of MMO Family explains why! Continue reading MMO Family: Games of chance vs. MMOs
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| Ree Soesbee talks about her career with ArenaNet and Guild Wars 2 Posted: 11 Jan 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Lore, Previews, News items, Guild Wars 2  Soesbee explains that she and Jeff Grubb share a secret wiki project where they collaborate on the sprawling storylines, making sure that both of them know what's going on at any given moment. There are some interesting rumors of naval approaches against dragons, hints of lore to be uncovered deep within the game, and talk of the Sylvari redesign. If you're looking forward to the game, it's well worth reading the full feature, which should provide several bits of information to hopeful fans.
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| Raph Koster talks about free-to-play models and whales Posted: 11 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play  Koster explains that you wind up with a handful of players who sink a huge amount of money into the game, while most users (upwards of 60%) never pay a dime. The users who do pay that much money, referred to as "whales," are essentially being treated as if they're in a retail store, compared to the more traditional model where you pay $60 for a game only to find out you don't like it. Whatever your views on the model, it's an interesting look at the changing face of monetizing games and is well worth a read.
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| Six small changes that will make a big difference to EVE players Posted: 11 Jan 2012 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  In a new devblog, CCP Punkturis reveals six small changes under development by Team BFF that will certainly make a big difference to EVE players. The skill queue will be getting a search feature, which is good news for older players with over a hundred skills to sort through. The watch list that keeps track of friendly targets in fleet operations will be able to hold 15 players, up from 10, and players will be able to re-order them any way they like. If you've ever seen a player's face appear in the bottom right of the screen to tell you he's just logged in, chances are you've tried to click on it to talk to him at least once. When the next big patch goes live, you'll be able to do just that. The agent list in stations and module overload indicator will both receive graphical updates, and a new compact user list for the local channel with no portraits will be an absolute god-send to nullsec fleets.
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| Xsyon highlights upcoming player-run event, includes bear-fighting Posted: 11 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox ![Ribcages will be available via microtransaction in the next DLC update [Citation Needed]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s9Sy6IefvzJ1DfgwP6t0c_jUpBEZ_ra57xp9EMsdvEUfF4MhJxVBkrcs8_IUpx_gwyv8XydapJRRh9VHesGhB7TcGNzeLG-CA42xuuweLFaOdC5apsneihxjXZQM_Wp8B53XABHPw=s0-d) It's been a while since we've heard anything from Notorious-Games' sandbox MMO Xsyon, but the silence has been broken with a new press release from the studio announcing a large player-run event. The Praetorian Guard tribe is hosting a Spring Clean-Up event, throughout the course of which attendees will be treated to activities ranging from treasure hunts, obstacle courses, and -- our personal favorite, if only for the wtf factor alone -- The Bear Arena of Doom. The event will be taking place at 3:00 p.m. EST on January 14th, which is this coming Saturday, so gather up your best ursine-proof equipment and go wrestle some bears for fun and profit. [Source: Notorious-Games press release]
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| MechWarrior Online interviews a trio of devs, hilarity ensues Posted: 11 Jan 2012 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, News items, Free-to-play, MechWarrior Online  Piranha Games, the studio behind the upcoming MechWarrior Online, has Hposted a new developer interview with not one, not two, but three members of the MWO team: David Bradley, Bryan Ekman, and Paul Inouye.The devs give a short history of their gaming industry experiences before being pelted with a barrage of questions detailing what they bring to the game, what makes MechWarrior Online different from their past projects, what playstyles they prefer, and more. There are a few nuggets of good information in the post, as well as some great humor as the devs banter with and antagonize one another. For the full Q&A, just head on over to the MechWarrior Online official forums.
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| Congressman gamer supports Riot Game's anti-SOPA stance Posted: 11 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Legal, MOBA  Riot Games is one of these studios that have piped up to oppose the bill, as CEO Brandon Beck posted a lengthy reasoning as to why SOPA would harm League of Legends specifically, and he asked players to help stop it from being passed into law. "While we do support efforts to prevent online piracy, the current form of this legislation comes at far too high a cost for us, our players, and online communities across the internet," Beck writes, citing examples as to how the game could be taken offline and the community dismantled if the SOPA were wielded against LoL. Interestingly enough, Colorado Rep. Jared Polis, who is himself a League of Legends player, replied to Beck in support of Riot Games' stance: "I'm particularly concerned that SOPA might stifle the kind of innovation that brings us games we love, such as LoL. The bill makes it far too easy for angry competitors to sue good law abiding companies out of existence." Polis says that he is drafting an alternate piece of legislation to combat internet piracy without SOPA's potential abuse. [Update: If you'd like to encourage other companies to blockade SOPA, you might be interested in the online petition aimed squarely at Electronic Arts.]
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| MMO Community Spotlight: Gamebreaker's Gary Gannon Posted: 11 Jan 2012 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Interviews, Community Q&A, Miscellaneous  If you don't know the name Gary Gannon, you will soon enough. Gary has created or helped create everything from a successful MMO podcast to a social media site for gamers, but he's now looking to boost his Gamebreaker media network into the "CNN or ESPN of gaming" in the near future. Sound like a pipe dream from yet another in the sea of overly enthusiastic game-journalist wannabes? Not if that person has spent his entire adult career actually working for some of the largest news organizations in the U.S. We caught up with Gary to talk about his gaming roots, his passion for the community, and the future of his Gamebreaker network. Continue reading MMO Community Spotlight: Gamebreaker's Gary Gannon
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| Keen Software House announces pre-order deals for Miner Wars MMO Posted: 11 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items  Czech studio Keen Software House has announced a pre-order sale for its in-development title, Miner Wars MMO. The game is described on its official site as taking place in "a post-apocalyptic inner Solar System, approximately 10 years after the destruction of Earth." Players must learn to deal with life in space with limited resources. All players control mining spaceships and can explore the galaxy, harvest valuable resources, upgrade their ships, engage in epic-scale battles, and more. If this catches your fancy, the title is currently on pre-sale for $19.99 US. But wait, just like a good informercial, there's more. If you purchase the game as part of this early presale package, "you can play the game for at least two years (guaranteed) without any subscription fees." That's right, the studio is offering to nix subscription fees for two years for anyone who throws down cash on the game right here, right now. Why, though? Well, for one, it will allow the studio to gauge interest in the project (as compared to the MMO's single-player counterpart, Miner Wars 2081) while also providing the studio with funds to "hire a larger team [to] make the game earlier and better." For the full details on the pre-order deals, just head on over to the title's official site. [Source: Keen Software House press release]
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| BioWare: 'Gray Jedi' playstyle in SWTOR will reap rewards Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Speaking with PC Gamer, Game Director James Ohlen spilled a few more details about what he calls the "Gray Jedi" playstyle, which will be supported in an unspecified upcoming patch. Gray Jedis (or Gray Smugglers, Gray Inquisitors, etc.) happen when a player creates a balanced mix of light and dark side choices over his or her career and ends up staying in the "neutral" zone on the alignment meter. Because the game currently incentivizes strong light or dark side playstyles with specific rewards, neutral players are left out in the cold. Fortunately, the system that's coming will cater to these dirty, filthy neutrals. "We don't want to force people," Ohlen said. "Once we get to the next stage of our light side/dark side system, you'll see the rewards. Light side, dark side and the gray items will all get more powerful."
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| EverQuest II adds player wings, yes really Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  Today, though, Sony Online Entertainment is raising the bar via new sets of wings that are available to any character (of any race). These aren't just crappy looking social add-ons, either, but slickly animated functional wings on par with those in Aion or Perfect World. The catch is that they're only available in the Station Cash marketplace, and they'll set you back 1,950 points (about 20 bucks). Check out the video after the break for a brief demonstration. Also keep in mind that you'll need a character of level 85 or higher to use them. [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading EverQuest II adds player wings, yes really
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| Funcom teases AoC's House of Crom Posted: 11 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons  Thankfully, that's where the similarities end, as the new dungeon is looking quite impressive -- if Funcom's marketing blurbs are anything to go on. The latest such features a few paragraphs of textual description regarding the Threshold of Divinity and Vile Nativity dungeons (the House of Crom isn't just one dungeon, but rather a massive new area that supports multiple groups and amounts to the largest indoor dungeon that Funcom has created to date). Head to the official AoC website for more info, including screenshots of some of the new armor available throughout the instance.
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| SWTOR Senior Community Manager responds to high-res texture concerns Posted: 11 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Bugs, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic  Many keen-eyed Star Wars: The Old Republic players noticed that, while there were "low," "medium," and "high" options for the game's texture quality settings, there seemed to be only two different sets of textures, and neither of them includes the high-resolution textures seen in the game's cutscenes and conversations. As it tends to go with the MMO community, the forums were soon filled with cries of "WTFM8?" And thus did BioWare's own Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid appear on the scene to clarify what exactly was happening. The low-medium-high texture quality scale is, he says, a bug, and the medium choice was never supposed to exist. So yes, the game has only two sets of textures, low- and high-resolution, but even the high-resolution textures don't look as shiny as the ones featured in SWTOR's cutscenes. And so the chorus repeated, "WTFM8?" Reid drops a ton of technical information to explain why players can't run around with conversation-quality textures 24/7, but the fact of the matter is that an MMO could potentially have anywhere from one to who-knows-how-many people on-screen at any given time, and BioWare "discovered that using [...] 'maximum resolution' textures on in-game characters during normal gameplay could cause severe performance issues, even on powerful PCs." That's the short of it, but if you'd like the full, unadulterated technical breakdown, just head on over to the official forum post for more info and screaming.
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