MMO Updates

MMO Updates


E3 2012: The world of Defiance

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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E3 2012 Defiance
Can Defiance work? The cross-media venture between Trion Worlds and Syfy is one of the most interesting projects in the industry right now, if for nothing else than a TV/MMO crossover has never been done before. At least, not like this.

We hunted down the Trion crew at E3 this week to play the Xbox version of the title and chat with the devs about the setting and specifics of this title. While Jef will have his hands-on impressions of Defiance in the next The Firing Line column, we wanted to share some of the lore and setting that the devs talked about at the expo.

Join us after the jump for a look at the world of Defiance!

Continue reading E3 2012: The world of Defiance

MassivelyE3 2012: The world of Defiance originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    E3 2012: Runes of Magic details Chapter 5

    Posted: 08 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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    E3 2012 Runes of Magic Chapter 5
    Runes of Magic is only three years old, but the game has added an impressive amount of content for a free-to-play title. As we've reported previously, it's happening again on June 12, when Frogster will add the dwarven race, warlock and champion classes, and a few other goodies.

    We had the opportunity to sit down with Frogster to talk about the new content. Will it be attractive to veteran players? Is it made specifically to attract new players? Read on to find out.

    Continue reading E3 2012: Runes of Magic details Chapter 5

    MassivelyE3 2012: Runes of Magic details Chapter 5 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      WildStar welcomes us to Gallow, teases big reveal

      Posted: 08 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT

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      WildStar welcomes us to Gallow
      Carbine hosted a light WildStar Wednesday this week due to traveling to E3, and as such we've been given a slew of pictures to tide us over. The five screenshots are of Gallow, one of the towns in WildStar which is located in Algoroc.

      Gallow appears to be a frontier town with a handful of structures, including a rickety water tower. It sits nestled in a mountainous region marked by pine trees, lush grass, and jutting red buttes.

      If you feel a little robbed by this week's reveal, Carbine promises that next Wednesday will present a doozy: "Behind the scenes, the community team is working on a pretty major project that we'll unveil at next week's WildStar Wednesday, so stay tuned for an in-depth first look at something we've never shared about WildStar!"

      MassivelyWildStar welcomes us to Gallow, teases big reveal originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      E3 2012: End of Nations shows its MMO-ish roots

      Posted: 08 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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      E3 2012 End of Nations Promises to Deliver on a Massive Scale

      If there's one thing I love about game companies, it's their capacity to innovate. Trion Worlds and Petroglyph are teaming together to do just that with their new MMORTS End of Nations. I had the chance to demo End of Nations at E3 and talk a bit to the folks at Petroglyph (roots from Westwood, C&C), who is gearing up to lunch a strong seller that is taking risks with experimentation for the RTS genre.

      A lot of questions come to mind when one ponders how an MMORTS would function. How many players are there? Will lag be a significant problem? Unit control? These MMORTS games are so new that experimenting in how the game mechanics work is key. The demo was entirely functional and entertaining to play. Let's dive into some details.

      Continue reading E3 2012: End of Nations shows its MMO-ish roots

      MassivelyE3 2012: End of Nations shows its MMO-ish roots originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        E3 2012: Matt Firor takes fans inside The Elder Scrolls Online

        Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT

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        Screenshot -- The Elder Scrolls Online
        This year's E3 is winding down, but we're not quite done yet. In addition to Joystiq's interview with ZeniMax's Nick Konkle, we had the chance to join Matt Firor as he gave a preview showing of The Elder Scrolls Online. While he didn't reveal anything earth-shattering that we didn't already know, he did provide some insight into the upcoming title's development.

        Many fans of the Elder Scrolls series are up-in-arms over TESO's lack of resemblance to earlier entries, but Firor assures us that the studio is doing its best to implement features that will help the game retain its Elder Scrolls flavor. For instance, the game will feature the time-honored resources of health, magicka, and stamina, and as in other Elder Scrolls titles, players will be able to sneak, block, sprint, and so forth regardless of character class. In addition, despite the studio's choice to use often-derided action-bar-centric combat, ZeniMax is still attempting to give combat a more visceral "action-RPG" feel to keep it more in-line with the general type of frantic combat players have come to expect from the series.

        Continue reading E3 2012: Matt Firor takes fans inside The Elder Scrolls Online

        MassivelyE3 2012: Matt Firor takes fans inside The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          SOE removes option to purchase subs with Station Cash

          Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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          SOE removes option to purchase subs with Station Cash
          In a stealth move, Sony Online Entertainment has quietly removed the ability to purchase non-recurring subscriptions from its MMOs' marketplaces. Players in both EverQuest and EverQuest II noticed the change while in the game, and went to the forums for official confirmation.

          Previously, players were able to use Station Cash (SOE's universal game currency) to snap up single-month subscriptions. This allowed frugal players to acquire discounted subscriptions, as SOE occasionally has a sale on Station Cash and throws in-game deals for spending it.

          Community Manager Piestro confirmed the removal in a forum post: "Hey folks, just jumping in to let you know this was indeed an intentional change. This decision was partially based on the very limited utilization of this feature."

          This removal comes at a bad time for players who did purchase subs this way, as SOE is giving bonus Station Cash to players redeeming game cards this weekend.

          [Thanks to Don for the tip!]

          MassivelySOE removes option to purchase subs with Station Cash originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Nexon invests $687M in NCsoft, becomes largest shareholder

          Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT

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          Nexon invests $68M in NCsoft, becomes largest shareholder
          MMO competitors and countrymen-in-arms Nexon and NCsoft are closer than ever today, as Nexon has acquired a minority interest in its fellow company. The move makes Nexon NCsoft's largest shareholder.

          Nexon announced that it had invested in NCsoft by snapping up 3,218,091 shares in a private transaction. The deal cost Nexon 804,522,750,000 South Korean Won, or $687 million US. This puts Nexon's share ownership of NCsoft at 14.7%.

          It will certainly be interesting to see how this investment affects the future of both Nexon and NCsoft. Nexon said that it "forms the basis of a long-term partnership" between the two companies.

          Nexon has been making aggressive moves of late, particularly with acquiring Taiwanese publisher Gamania last month.

          MassivelyNexon invests $687M in NCsoft, becomes largest shareholder originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: Do political or religious views of developers affect you?

          Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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          Do political or religious views of developers affect you
          Being a game developer means more than just stretching your talent to its full capacity in the name of progressive gaming. These days, game developers are in the public eye much more than ever before as a result of social networking and blogs.

          Sometimes we may find ourselves following certain devs' personal lives more than normal, thanks to an appreciation of their work on our favorite game. Those devs are certainly free to express their non-game-related views where they want, but there may be times when these views go against our own. When it comes to politics and religion, especially, it can be a touchy situation.

          So how do you handle these expressions? If you disagree or feel that their views are particularly extreme, do you confront them? Do you un-follow and ignore them? Or do you accept their point of view and focus on the reason you follow them in the first place? Let us know!

          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!

          MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do political or religious views of developers affect you? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Ask Massively: Squee edition

            Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT

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            Also loving the forests here.  Brings to mind some of FFXI's forest zones, which I loved.
            Part of me could be nervous about what's coming next for Final Fantasy XIV, since it'll mean a lot of big changes for the game and it may no longer be quite the same place I now call home. But most of me is looking at new screenshots and squeeing. Literally squeeing. I mean that I am shaking my fists, beaming with joy, and making a high-pitched noise resembling that of a boiling teakettle. It won't excite everyone, but boy does it excite me.

            Seeing as I'm being a bit self-indulgent with this week's Ask Massively opener -- which happens about half of the time, I know -- you might not be surprised that this week's question is a little more indulgent, discussing what's expected of MMOs. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, leave it in the comments below or mail it to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.

            Continue reading Ask Massively: Squee edition

            MassivelyAsk Massively: Squee edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Summoner's Guidebook: Time as a resource in Dominion

              Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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              The Summoner's Guidebook Time as a resource in Dominion
              I feel that time is the least understood concept in all of gaming. People in World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs talk about how they "farmed something for free" all the time. Obviously, this is a fallacy, as a gamer's time is worth something.

              In League of Legends, time is a very important factor. I'm not talking about the time you have to play the game, although we could talk about it on a macro scale and do time-to-IP graphs for their silliness value. Instead, I'm talking about the actual time in-game that you spend accomplishing goals in a given match. In Summoner's Rift, the goal for the first 10 or 15 minutes is to get as much gold and XP as possible. If you can directly deny the enemy time by harassing him out of lane, you're taking away his time, which effectively takes away his gold and XP. As the game progresses, time is still traded for gold, but it's also traded for the other team's time (via teamfights). If your team manages to win a teamfight, the enemy cannot affect the battlefield and your team is free to take objectives.

              This week, we're going to talk about time in Dominion. While time is a fairly complicated thing in SR, it is even more complex in Dominion. There are many different things to do with it, and there are no easy decisions about how to spend it. If you're interested in learning more about how to better make those choices, read on!

              Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Time as a resource in Dominion

              MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Time as a resource in Dominion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Dungeons & Dragons Online discusses the lore of the Underdark

                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT

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                I have the conch shell, and that means I get to be High Priestess, and I say today is Sacrifice Everyone Else Who Wants To Be High Priestess Day!
                In preparation for the upcoming expansion Menace of the Underdark, the team behind Dungeons & Dragons Online has been producing a series of preview videos about the new content to be found. The newest video focuses on the lore of the Underdark and the Forgotten Realms, a far more traditional fantasy setting compared to Dungeons & Dragons Online's normal home of Eberron. As discussed in the video, it's a challenging setting to work with, and not just because player expectations are high.

                From a visual standpoint, the Underdark is iconic, but it's also challenging to keep interesting -- after all, it's made up of miles of caverns that need extra points of visual interest. On the storytelling side, the problem is almost reversed, with so many iconic monsters and characters that it's a challenge to fit everything in there. Take a look at the preview just past the break to see how the team addressed these issues and to get a peek at some of the monsters and environments from the new expansion.

                Continue reading Dungeons & Dragons Online discusses the lore of the Underdark

                MassivelyDungeons & Dragons Online discusses the lore of the Underdark originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  World of Darkness information revealed in open letter to fans

                  Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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                  Frankly, if they tied this into EVE, it might be more fun.  Vampire ships, right?
                  Outside of confirmation that CCP Games is still working on World of Darkness, news on the game has been hard to come by. Some of the reasons behind that were revealed by senior producer Chris McDonough in a recent letter to members of the Mind's Eye Society, a fan group devoted to the tabletop and LARP games in the same IP. While the focus in the letter was not on the MMO, McDonough did still discuss the state of CCP as a company and what it means for the game.

                  In short, after a difficult financial year, CCP is devoting the lion's share of its resources to ensuring that DUST 514 is a successful game on launch. That doesn't mean that World of Darkness is being shelved -- McDonough stresses that development is still ongoing -- but it does mean that the company's first priority is elsewhere. How long that will be the case remains to be seen, but if you're hoping for more substantial news on the game this year, the odds are low.

                  MassivelyWorld of Darkness information revealed in open letter to fans originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Firefall dev diary discusses SIN

                  Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT

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                  Screenshot -- Firefall
                  The folks at Red 5 Studios have put out a new Firefall dev diary video today, and this one is all about how much they love SIN. Senior Designer Scott Rudi and Lead Designer Scott Youngblood dedicate this video to talking about the wonders of Firefall's Shared Intelligence Network. SIN is described as a network that connects all Battleframes within a given area, allowing them to share information with one another on-the-fly.

                  The use of this network is extensive. In combat, it allows you to see what your allies see, causing nearby enemies and other points of interest to be marked on your HUD. Players can also designate specific objectives, such as downed teammates or damaged vehicles, to other players within the network. The pair stress that liberal use of SIN's capabilities will be essential for success, as its information is fed not only to your teammates but to deployables such as turrets as well. For the full details on Firefall's SIN, just click on through and watch the video for yourself.

                  Continue reading Firefall dev diary discusses SIN

                  MassivelyFirefall dev diary discusses SIN originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  E3 2012: InnoGames talks pirate MMOs, strategy titles, and games for women

                  Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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                  E3 2012 InnoGames
                  At this year's E3, we had a nice long chat with German studio InnoGames about its MMO repertoire. The company actually started out quite small with three college buddies, who released their first game only to their close friends. That game, Tribal Wars, and its original servers are still around, albeit with some updated graphics to keep things looking fresh, but we wanted to focus on the team's more recent offerings.

                  While InnoGames has several titles under its belt, including Bounty Hounds, we focused primarily on Kartuga, a pirate-themed strategy MMO; Lagoonia, a social building game created by and aimed at women; and Forge of Empires, which is similar to the Age of Empires series. All three games are free-to-play browser games, and we even got a pinch of hands-on time.

                  Continue reading E3 2012: InnoGames talks pirate MMOs, strategy titles, and games for women

                  MassivelyE3 2012: InnoGames talks pirate MMOs, strategy titles, and games for women originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Activision-Blizzard stocks drop amidst selloff rumors

                    Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:30 PM PDT

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                    I'm sure the armchair financial analysts will have a field day with this one.
                    Activision-Blizzard has certainly done well for itself over the past year. World of Warcraft may have seen a slight dip in subscriptions, but that hasn't made the company any less profitable. But rumors are swirling that owner Vivendi may be looking to sell off the company, either lowering its current 61% share or selling it off entirely. Vivendi will discuss its exact plans in its meeting with investors on June 22nd.

                    In light of these rumors, shares of Activision-Blizzard have dropped 3.3%, while shares of Vivendi have grown 3.8%. Vivendi as a whole saw a net 28% drop in stock price over the past year, so the company is looking for infusions of cash, but considering Activision-Blizzard's upcoming titles (including the new World of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria), we can't help but wonder if selling the house might be a bit premature. We'll have more on this story and the impact for both companies as it develops.

                    MassivelyActivision-Blizzard stocks drop amidst selloff rumors originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Allods Online merges down to one server

                    Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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                    Allods Online NA merges down to one server
                    In every young server's life, there comes a time when it must leave the nest and join in union with another. And so it is for Tensess and Nezeb, Allods Online's two North American servers, which have now joined in holy matrimony to become one.

                    gPotato has merged the sole two NA servers to become a new one named Yul. To "celebrate" the merge, the publisher is giving a free Water of Life to every character affected by the move.

                    If a player has more than eight characters following the merge, the character select screen will now give access to all of them. While players can have more than eight due to the merge, if any characters over the eight limit are deleted, the spot is forever closed.

                    The issue of duplicate names has been dealt with as well. Characters that haven't logged in during the past eight weeks forfeit their right to those names, while players with duplicate characters can re-snag that name on a first-come basis.

                    MassivelyAllods Online merges down to one server originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Guild Wars 2 gears up for beta weekend with a producer video and WvW article

                    Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT

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                    Guild Wars 2 gears up for beta weekend with a video, WvW article
                    Guild Wars 2 players, are you ready for this weekend's beta event? That's the question that Marketing Coordinator David Campbell and Lead Producer Chris Whiteside want to help you with, and the duo's put together a three-and-a-half minute video to chat about the creation and hopeful execution of the game's second public beta test.

                    What can we expect from this beta event? "A much more evolved experience which breaks down into roughly two areas," Whiteside said. "One area is the feedback that we've gotten from the community... the second part is the content evolution that includes a new zone and the Mystic Forge."

                    Over on the ArenaNet blog, Systems Designer Mike Ferguson penned a post detailing all of the tweaks, fixes, and changes that the team has made to the world-vs.-world PvP for this weekend. He even posted a chart showing off the wins and losses for each server from the past beta event.

                    The beta weekend event starts tomorrow, June 8th, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Hit the jump to watch the full producer's video to get ready for it!

                    Continue reading Guild Wars 2 gears up for beta weekend with a producer video and WvW article

                    MassivelyGuild Wars 2 gears up for beta weekend with a producer video and WvW article originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    E3 2012: RIFT shows Storm Legion's Tower of Dawn, confirms digital CE

                    Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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                    E3 2012 RIFT shows Tower of Dawn, confirms expansion collector's edition
                    While we got a great preview of some of the excitement coming with this fall's RIFT: Storm Legion expansion at E3, the public was treated to a "sneak peek" livestream from the press room by the devs. The livestreamed some of the content we've seen already, such as the clockwork dungeon and the mighty colossus attack, but also dropped a few new surprises as well.

                    When asked if the expansion will have a collector's edition, the dev confirmed that it probably will have a digital CE. He then laughed that he probably let the cat out of the bag on that one. He was reluctant to show the in-game map of the new continents, however, explaining that they are a work in progress.

                    The Trion Worlds team also demoed a special interior for the first time, the Tower of Dawn. While not a proper dungeon, the tower will be an expansive and dangerous location to explore. The dev said that players were asking for more interiors to explore, hence why Trion took the time to make it.

                    You can scope out some of our screengrabs from the livestream after the break!

                    Continue reading E3 2012: RIFT shows Storm Legion's Tower of Dawn, confirms digital CE

                    MassivelyE3 2012: RIFT shows Storm Legion's Tower of Dawn, confirms digital CE originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      E3 2012: Perfect World's Raiderz isn't Monster Hunter Online

                      Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT

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                      E3 2012 Perfect World's Raiderz isn't Monster Hunter Online
                      Action combat seems to be the name of the game for MMOs at this year's E3. While tab-targeting is nice for eating pizza and raiding, sometimes you want something more visceral, so we have some top contenders for you today. Raiderz is Perfect World Entertainment's newest action-based MMO, and while some people have an issue with its name, I've heard others note, in both positive and negative lights, its similarity to another game series very dear to my heart. I say that the comparison is a bit unfair to Perfect World, since what the studio has created isn't just different -- in some ways, it's better, especially if you're a fan of MMOs, which, if you're reading Massively, you probably are.

                      Since I know some console folks (even me!) have been thinking it for a while, let's just say it out loud and get it over with: Raiderz is a Monster Hunter clone! Got it out of your system? Good. Now go wash your mouth out with soap.

                      Continue reading E3 2012: Perfect World's Raiderz isn't Monster Hunter Online

                      MassivelyE3 2012: Perfect World's Raiderz isn't Monster Hunter Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        E3 2012: Origins of Malu brings player-created factions, housing, and exploration to the sandbox

                        Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                        E3 Origins of Malu bringing playercreated factions, housing, and exploration to the sandbox
                        It's hard to remain completely objective about Origins of Malu. The sci-fantasy title from Burning Dog Media is a project I've been watching personally for quite a while now, both because of its ambitious design goals and because of the sandbox affinity displayed by the dev team. At this week's E3, I finally got to put names with faces when I met with senior developer Jason Mitchell and programmer Chris Shaw.

                        The pair had plenty of interesting tidbits to share, and despite the fact that I haven't put my hands on an Origins build yet, it remains very near the top of my most-anticipated-MMOs list. Join me after the cut for some chit-chat about action combat, player-created factions, PvP (yes there are safe zones), and more.

                        Continue reading E3 2012: Origins of Malu brings player-created factions, housing, and exploration to the sandbox

                        MassivelyE3 2012: Origins of Malu brings player-created factions, housing, and exploration to the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          E3 2012: Hands-on with Webzen's C9 and the Witchblade

                          Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:30 PM PDT

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                          E3 2012 Handson with Webzen's C9 and the Witchblade
                          So let's talk about C9. I suppose we should start with its full name, which is Continent of the Ninth Seal. It's a 3-D fantasy action RPG for PC, and it's developed by a company called Cloud 9 Studio. Webzen is handling global publishing duties, and the firm also hosted the E3 shindig I attended yesterday in order to get some hands-on time with the game.

                          Action combat is all the rage in MMOs nowadays, and C9 has it down pat. Tab targeting is conspicuously absent. Combat is all about reaction time, situational awareness, dodging, blocking, and chaining together ridiculously powerful combo attacks.

                          Is it an MMO? As ever these days, that depends on whom you talk to. For its part, Webzen calls it an MORPG (leaving off the first "m" for massively), and the game focuses primarily on PvP and small-group PvE.

                          Continue reading E3 2012: Hands-on with Webzen's C9 and the Witchblade

                          MassivelyE3 2012: Hands-on with Webzen's C9 and the Witchblade originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                            38 Studios declares bankruptcy, law enforcement investigating [Updated]

                            Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                            Screenshot -- Project Copernicus
                            38 Studios, in a move surprising absolutely no one, has declared bankruptcy. This report comes hot on the heels of the news that the Project Copernicus developer has laid off all of its employees and sold Big Huge Games. In addition to covering the bankruptcy, the Providence Journal revealed that "state and federal authorities have launched an investigation into [the company]."

                            State police Col. Steven G. O'Donnell states that the inquiry is taking place "to investigate activities that have recently come to light at 38 Studios." According to the Journal, these activities include taking out loans totaling $8.5 million US "based on state film tax credits that had not yet been issued." Things are looking pretty grim for Curt Schilling and his studio, but we'll just have to stay tuned to see how the rest of this plays out.

                            [Update: Our sister site Joystiq reports that the Rhode Island governor has stated, "We are going to do everything possible to maximize return on our investment [...] Taxpayers in Rhode Island can have full confidence that if there's a penny that we can get, or a nickle or a dime, we'll get it." The company is suspected to be worth "tens of millions of dollars."]

                            Massively38 Studios declares bankruptcy, law enforcement investigating [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                            E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America

                            Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT

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                            E3 2012 ArcheAge COO on CBT4 and coming to America
                            This is one of those good news/bad news ArcheAge articles. The good news is that XLGAMES' sandpark title is absolutely coming to the West. The bad news, though, is that we still don't know exactly when.

                            XL
                            didn't have an official presence at this year's E3, but the firm was kind enough to set up a private interview with COO Suk Woo Choi away from the hustle and bustle of convention ground zero. We talked at length about CBT4, game systems, and the challenges inherent in localizing ArcheAge for Europe and America.

                            Continue reading E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America

                            MassivelyE3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                              Ready for a new MMO? Grab your Maestia closed beta key here!

                              Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                              Grab your Maestia closed beta key here!
                              One of our favorite things to do here at Massively is introduce you to new MMOs. Luckily, Gravity Interactive has a new MMO called Maestia: Rise of Keledus that it wants you to check out.

                              We're giving away 2,000 keys for the free-to-play fantasy MMO's upcoming closed beta, and all you have to do is head to our giveaway page to grab one. The beta itself starts on June 14th, but grabbing a key now will get you started and ready. Read past the cut for complete instructions on how to grab and redeem a key for yourself.

                              Continue reading Ready for a new MMO? Grab your Maestia closed beta key here!

                              MassivelyReady for a new MMO? Grab your Maestia closed beta key here! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                                General gaming

                                General gaming


                                Jet Set Radio Vita is Jet Set Radio on the Vita

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:55 PM PDT

                                jet

                                Sega's recent announcement of Jet Set Radio's digital return sparked quite a bit of excitement across the 1UP staff, and the news that it would also be available on PS Vita only sweetened the news. After spending some quality time with the Dreamcast classic, I can safely say that Jet Set Radio Vita plays exactly like you'd imagine Jet Set Radio playing on the Vita, and that is in no way a bad thing.

                                There's something that's been on my mind for quite a while, but it wasn't until i got my hands on the game -- I prefer to use my handhelds as a sort of video game time machine. Instead of playing original titles made for the device, I would much rather use it to revisit my favorite games of yore. The GBA was my own personal SNES that I could keep on me at all times, and now the Vita is shaping up to be the handheld that harnesses all the titles I loved through the late '90s and early aughts. Through games like this as well as Sony's announcement that PS1 titles will soon be playable on the Vita just solidifies the handheld's role as a preservation unit.

                                Will Moderation Render Wii U's Miiverse Ineffectual?

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:47 PM PDT

                                Miiverse

                                Nintendo has largely avoided discussing the subject of online when it comes to Wii U; we're still in the dark on details regarding the presence of friend codes and other things that have hampered the online experience for owners of Nintendo's previous consoles. The one exception to this has been Miiverse, which has the potential to connect Wii U owners with each other in a new, interesting way. There is, however, at least one issue that stands in the way of it being a major success (aside from Wii U itself selling well), and that is Nintendo's desire to provide a safe environment for younger gamers.

                                Miiverse allows Wii U owners to share messages with others both inside and outside of games; New Super Mario Bros. U demonstrated this week how players' messages can be shown on the level select screen or following Mario's death. Messages can be either typed out or hand-drawn. Either way, the potential for spoilers or inappropriate messages to be shared through these channels is great, and Nintendo has several ways of ensuring those undesirable messages are seen by as few people as possible.

                                Beyond: Two Souls Displays David Cage's Disrespect for Narrative

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:06 PM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                Beyond: Two Souls Displays David Cage's Disrespect for Narrative

                                Cover Story: Despite the stunning tech, Cage refuses to work on what matters most.

                                I

                                n fiction, even the most fantastic of worlds need rules. There's a reason why The Matrix didn't end with Neo morphing into a t-rex and chomping down on Agent Smith; while the Wachowskis created a reality far different from our own, they also established limits to what their characters could and couldn't do. Without these rules, narrative doesn't differ much from the likes of Axe Cop: the product of a disorganized and enthusiastic mind unconcerned with consistency.

                                David Cage's newest project, Beyond: Two Souls, sets up a world in dire need of structure. Quantic Dream's latest project centers around a girl named Jodie (played by Ellen Page), and her constant poltergeist companion Aiden, who only she can communicate with. Beyond's behind-closed-doors demo featured a prolonged escape scene as Jodie found herself chased off of a train by policemen, and pursued into a small town for a battle against a heavily armed SWAT team. As expected, the Jodie sections of the game played very much like Heavy Rain, with highly scripted set pieces and QTEs a-plenty. The areas of Beyond where the player controls Aiden, however, showed that Quantic Dream might finally go beyond the smoke and mirrors of their last title -- until, that is, I found all of my hopes for Beyond dashed as soon as one very disappointing sentence left Cage's mouth.

                                Interview: Modern Star Trek, Modern Star Trek Game

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:48 PM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                Interview: Modern Star Trek, Modern Star Trek Game

                                Cover Story: Thoughts from the people behind the upcoming Trek shooter on how to make it so.

                                I

                                 had the opportunity to check out Digital Extremes' Star Trek for the first time this week. Having been a Trek fan -- including the recent movies -- I've been warily interested in the upcoming title. I'm not entirely sold on the notion of Trek as a cover-based shooter, but the emphasis on cooperative play (featuring Kirk as the dominant shooter and Spock in a technical support role) goes a long way toward emphasizing the essence of classic Trek: Namely, the duality of its two leads. I spoke briefly with Sheldon Carter, creative director at Digital Extremes and Brian Miller, senior vice president and game producer at Paramount Pictures, about the philosophy with which they've taken the franchise into modern core gaming.

                                1UP: What has been the most important thing about bringing Star Trek into video games? There have been Star Trek games before, but it feels like there's more riding on this one than past titles.

                                Dark Souls PC Port Underwhelms From a Technical Standpoint

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:49 PM PDT

                                Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition

                                The PC port of Dark Souls was a product of fan demand -- a petition urged Namco Bandai to make it happen, and the publisher answered by announcing the Prepare to Die Edition for PC in April. Following the disappointment that emerged when it was announced Games for Windows Live is being used (as opposed to, say, Steamworks), there is another reason to temper excitement over the PC debut of the Souls series.

                                Among 1UP's editors, a common hope for the game's transition to PC was that it would see some of the technical issues taken care of. Blighttown, in particular, proved to be an especially problematic area in the game on consoles, and exemplified the framerate issues Dark Souls suffered from. With consoles far outclassed in terms of horsepower by PCs, there is no reason this can't be dealt with -- and while the developers are it, they could improve the framerate at all times and sharpen up the visuals. That was the hope, at least. It became apparent shortly after the Prepare to Die Edition was announced that improved graphics would not be happening, and now From Software is making it clear we shouldn't expect any of those framerate issues to be absent from the game on PC.

                                Keiji Inafune on Soul Sacrifice's Difficult Decisions

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:38 PM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                Keiji Inafune on Soul Sacrifice's Difficult Decisions

                                Cover Story: The next game from Japan's most outspoken developer is more Nier than Mega Man.

                                A

                                few months back, I listened at GDC as developer Keiji Inafune outlined his grievances against the Japanese games industry and its slide into stagnation. He promised to develop new ideas and do his part to keep games feeling fresh. The first fruits of his efforts showed up this week at E3: A Vita title called Soul Sacrifice.

                                I don't know that Soul Sacrifice is a particularly radical video game concept -- it plays out as a third-person action game with melee combat and magic spells -- but the skill system powering the action definitely stands apart. In Sacrifice's world, everyone is a sorcerer, and spells can only be cast by sacrificing objects. When a fighter runs out of objects to trade for power, their only recourse is to sacrifice their own body -- blood, limbs, and more.

                                Aliens: Colonial Marines Multiplayer Follows in the Footsteps of a Classic Multiplayer Series

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:21 AM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                Aliens: Colonial Marines Multiplayer Follows in the Footsteps of a Classic Multiplayer Series

                                Cover Story: Multiplayer in developer Gearbox's love letter to the Alien series appears to take inspiration from another excellent multiplayer series.

                                T

                                oday at E3 2012 I got a chance to play a multiplayer match of Aliens: Colonial Marines, a first-person shooter that both 20th Century Fox and developer Gearbox consider a canon sequel to the iconic film, Aliens. I first played ACM's multiplayer a few months ago, but had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. The core conflict pits Colonial Marines against the deadly Xenomorphs of the film, which is expected, but Gearbox takes a smart approach to multiplayer through the use of different gameplay perspectives for each side.

                                ACM's multiplayer is based around an asymmetrical gameplay style similar to the one used in Spies vs. Mercs mode from the Splinter Cell series, and that inspiration lends an interesting dynamic to the game itself. Colonial Marines pack powerful weapons like the pulse rifle and grenades and play from a first person perspective. They use motion trackers to locate enemy positions, but using them leaves a Marine vulnerable to attack. Marines have a distinct advantage thanks to their emphasis on ranged attack, but a nimble Alien can sneak around them and dismantle an unaware soldier up-close. Xenomorphs are nimble, faster, and tougher; they hit harder, stick to surfaces, and have the ability to track players through walls, but enough hits from a pulse rifle will make short work of them.

                                DmC Works in Plenty of Action, Combos, and F-Bombs

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:06 AM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                DmC Works in Plenty of Action, Combos, and F-Bombs

                                Cover Story: Developer Ninja Theory introduces a fresh layer of depth to DmC's stylish combat.

                                F

                                rom day one Capcom's DmC -- a reboot of the acclaimed action series Devil May Cry -- has faced a tumultuous load of feedback and criticism from fans of the series. As someone familiar with the previous Devil May Cry games, I've stood on the sidelines of this debate and tried to remain impartial. To me, any game, even a reboot of a beloved series, deserved some optimism and time to potentially prove itself. I played DmC for the first time today and learned to appreciate the game for what it is -- a solid addition to a franchise that didn't enter this console generation gracefully, and a game that works on its own merits.

                                Switching up attack styles and setting up dizzying melee combos appears to be the focus of DmC, with trigger buttons on the Xbox 360 controller serving as a medium for players to transition between combat styles named Devil and Angel. I learned today that both Devil and Angel styles use a variety of special weapons that players will unlock in the final game, but up until this point, developer Ninja Theory has only shown two of them -- Dante uses a slow, but powerful axe in Devil mode and switches to a much faster scythe in Angel mode. The different combat styles also effect Dante's ranged weapon. In Devil mode, he can pull enemies in to continue his combos. In Angel mode, Dante's hook pulls himself toward airborne enemies. Combat in DmC includes a surprising amount of depth that empowers players to develop a unique style in combat. The added flexibility and ease of transitioning between the two styles by using the trigger buttons makes DmC's combat fluid, improvisational, and effortless.

                                The Surprising Sophistication of Gears of War Judgment

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:31 AM PDT

                                1UP COVER STORY

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                                1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 4 | E3 2012

                                The Surprising Sophistication of Gears of War Judgment

                                Cover Story: Don't let the meathead heroes fool you: The next Gears features a brilliant approach to integrating mechanics and narrative.

                                G

                                ears of War! The poster child for this generation's steroid-ridden shoot-em-ups, filled with hokey action movie dialogue spouted by dudes whose limbs look like giant veiny tree trunks. The game where the heroes slapped chainsaws on the ends of their guns because bayonets weren't badass enough. The game whose next installment comes to us courtesy of People Can Fly, the studio responsible for Bulletstorm. Bulletstorm! Where f-bombs flew as fast as bullets and players got special Achievements for killing enemies with anal damage.

                                Sounds like a recipe for stupidity, right? But no. The truth is that beneath its musclebound appearance, Gears has always been a smartly designed series defined by inventive mechanics -- mechanics that may have become fairly rote by Gears 3, but which helped define the past generation of action games. Similarly, Bulletstorm buried some devastatingly inventive game design beneath a patina (more like a thick, armor-like layer) of frat boy posturing and crass idiocy. The collision of Gears and People Can Fly opened two possibilities: A fusion that made real their shared pretense of stupidity, or a work that would bring all those clever ideas together into a satisfying whole.

                                MMORPG News

                                MMORPG News


                                The Elder Scrolls Online: E3 Interview with Matt Firor

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:32 PM PDT

                                E3 Interview with Matt Firor

                                Elder Scrolls Online was at E3 2012 in a big way this year, and our own Hillary "Pokket" Nicole caught up with the Game Director Matt Firor (of DAOC fame) to chat about everything from the PVP to the class progression, and nostalgia for past titles in the series.

                                Guild Wars 2: What's New in WvW?

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:49 PM PDT

                                What

                                Mike Ferguson has penned a new article on the Guild Wars 2 blog that discusses changes made in the World versus World system since the last closed beta event. In addition, the blog reveals the leader boards for the last event.

                                Little Space Heroes: Now Available in Eight Languages

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:07 PM PDT

                                Now Available in Eight Languages

                                Bubble Gum Interactive has announced that Little Space Heroes has now been released in seven new fully localized versions including Dutch, German, Italian and Portuguese.

                                Rappelz: Epic VII: Reanimation Deployed

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:51 PM PDT

                                Epic VII: Reanimation Deployed

                                Rappelz players will want to check into the game to get a firsthand look at the new features and content that arrived with Epic VII: Reanimation. Reanimation brings the Lydian lion mount into Rappelz as well as The Labyrinth, a Master Class dungeon.

                                Arcane Legends: E3 Preview - Returning to Fantasy

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:05 AM PDT

                                E3 Preview - Returning to Fantasy

                                During this week's E3 in Los Angeles, our team stopped by the Spacetime Studios booth to check out the latest mobile MMO, Arcane Legends. AL takes players back to a traditional high fantasy MMO setting. See what else we discovered in our E3 preview!

                                The Secret World: Reader Round Table

                                Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:27 AM PDT

                                Reader Round Table

                                Things have been pretty quiet for The Secret World as the team prepares the second beta event. But that certainly doesn't mean people aren't talking about TSW. For today's column, we open up that discussion to our readers. Tell us what you're thinking about The Secret World and what it is that you find so interesting about it.

                                Defiance: Trion's Bringing the Big Guns

                                Posted: 05 Jun 2012 08:35 PM PDT

                                Trion

                                Trion Worlds is at E3 in a big way this year and is ready to show off Defiance, its partnership effort with Syfy. Our team had the opportunity to check out Defiance and to talk to the dev team about it. See what they discovered in our exclusive E3 preview.

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