| Asteroids joining the ranks of MMOs Posted: 13 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Browser Ever wondered what some of those fun arcade-style games of yore would be like as an MMO? Well even if you didn't, soon you can find out; Wildbunny is converting the classic game Asteroids into mmoAsteroids. Not surprisingly, the game involves dodging or blasting asteroids that tumble through the two-dimensional space around you while opposing players try to gun you down. By visiting the site, players are given the actual chance to try their hand at the game with the embedded pre-alpha tech demo. Players are placed on either the red or the blue team. Those wishing to participate in the open pre-alpha testing can register on the site, which allows progress to be saved automatically. The entire enterprise is being created by a single developer, Paul Firth. To help further development, he is offering players the ability to purchase a choice of special, limited-edition in-game avatars that will not be available when the game launches. More information is available on the official site.  Asteroids joining the ranks of MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMO Blender: Beau's portable, accessible, and casually immersive mashup Posted: 13 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, Culture, Ryzom, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Roleplaying, Humor, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, MMO Blender I've been pretty excited to take my turn at the MMO Blender wheel. Sure, we all have ideas about how we would build our dream MMOs by mixing up different parts from favorite games, but honestly, I wanted to use my time here to make a point: MMO gaming needs to climb outside of the box, soon. Since there is more and more emphasis on mobile and casual gaming, my game will take that in into consideration. But games have to be fun too, right? I think they can be fun, immersive, and casual all at the same time. I'm hoping that my examples will show how other developers have combined the three such that players can access the game from anywhere. It's also important to me that my game be simple to play and accessible for players with disabilities, so let's just say that I have included all of the proper features like adjustable colors for the color-blind, resizable text, and maybe even audio cues to help those with sight issues. I've been given a budget of one million-billion internet bucks, so let's get to it... this game is not going to build itself! Continue reading MMO Blender: Beau's portable, accessible, and casually immersive mashup MMO Blender: Beau's portable, accessible, and casually immersive mashup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Secret World's first content update coming July 31st Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Puzzle, New titles, Patches, News items, The Secret World, Sandbox  Back in the day, avid mystery fans relied on getting monthly doses of case-solving goodness from magazines such as Ellery Queen. Today, the same can be found in The Secret World. Delivering on its recent promise of monthly updates, Funcom has released the details for July's free content update in true mystery magazine style with Issue #1: Unleashed. On July 31st, TSW players will find a number of new missions featuring -- among other things -- a best-selling author, a daredevil, and even a crazy cat lady. Another mission will explore a character who may be more than she pretends to be. Two current dungeons are also getting a new nightmare mode; if you thought Ankh and Hell Fallen were challenging before, just wait until you test yourself in this mode. Another upcoming feature is a cross-dimensional marketplace. Not only can players group and play together cross-dimensionally, soon they will be able to buy, sell, and ship items across dimensions as well. Unleashed is just the first of many updates -- issue #2 for August's update is already in the works and will be revealed soon, so stay tuned! And keep an eye on the ongoing construction in London, Seoul, and New York as new tenants prepare to move in. [Source: Funcom press release] The Secret World's first content update coming July 31st originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| World of Warcraft charity auction raises $330,000 for St. Jude Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous Gamers can be a nostalgic bunch, and they can also be quite generous. Both of these qualities were exhibited in a recent auction held to benefit a children's hospital. Last fall, Blizzard announced that it would auction off a number of retired server blades (hardware that used to hold different player servers) from its popular fantasy game World of Warcraft and donate the proceeds to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. That auction recently took place on eBay and the 2,000 blades raised a total of $330,000 for the hospital. Each auction winner now owns a monument of the collective experiences of the game's community and has the satisfaction of knowing that the funds will help children around the world. World of Warcraft charity auction raises $330,000 for St. Jude originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RaiderZ announces closed beta date, PAX trip giveaway Posted: 13 Jul 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Giveaways Are you starting to grow bored with summer? Do you wish there was something new to check out? Perfect World has the answer to summer duldrums, as its action-MMO RaiderZ is finally going into closed beta on August 8th. The new testing phase will raise the level cap to 30, add the Makot Village, and see numerous beta events. If getting into the beta wasn't reward enough, Perfect World is hosting a PAX Prime giveaway for testers. Anyone who registers for the closed beta will get a chance to win an "all-inclusive" trip for two to the sold-out PAX game show on August 31st. In the meanwhile, you can brush up on your RaiderZ knowledge by reading our impressions from E3 and PAX East. [Source: Perfect World press release] RaiderZ announces closed beta date, PAX trip giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArcheAge sends invites for next closed beta, also gets Mature rating in Korea Posted: 13 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox As if to test out the official site after a maintenance, XLGAMES doled out a double dose of ArcheAge news. First, folks were informed that the first wave of invites for Closed Beta Test Five have gone out to players who met two requirements: participated during the CBT4 stress test on February 17th and reached level 25 in CBT4. Others who have applied to test appear to still have a chance to get in to CBT5 during more invitation rounds based on a lottery selection method. The second news posting explains that XLGAMES received and accepted a new rating of Mature in Korea for sexual content, blood and gore, and drug abuse. The company indicated that new and future sandbox features in the game would probably have violated the Teen rating eventually. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] ArcheAge sends invites for next closed beta, also gets Mature rating in Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you play on a roleplay server as a non-roleplayer? Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying, Miscellaneous Most every new MMO has a roleplay server set up specifically for roleplayers to do their thing. Presumably, this RP server would be kinder and gentler than your average PvP or PvE server. This is the reason many players -- including myself -- seek out these RP servers on day one, even if we're not roleplayers ourselves. I tend to not interrupt in-character chat and generally respect the atmosphere of roleplaying while not actually participating. So for you non-roleplayers out there, we're curious to know if this is something you've done. For roleplayers, does it irritate you to see non-roleplayers using your server? We want to know! [Image: Lotrogeek]  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!The Daily Grind: Do you play on a roleplay server as a non-roleplayer? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Road to Mordor: Hands-on with Riders of Rohan's mounted combat Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Interviews, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, The Road to Mordor I remember the very first thought I had when Turbine announced Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan: If the mounted combat isn't very, very good, this expansion's going to be a big dud. I don't think we've ever had an expansion that leaned so heavily on a core system for not only the bulk of its gameplay but also its style. Crude my thought may have been, it felt like the truth. I don't know any other successful MMO that utilized mounted combat as anything but a sideshow curiosity. The LotRO team was putting too much emphasis on mounted combat for it to fizzle. I think I can breathe easier now that I've had a chance to spend an hour fiddling with mounted combat while talking to Senior Producer Aaron Campbell. What I saw was an alpha build of the expansion (the beta is scheduled to start soon, perhaps as soon as next week), but once I got used to careening over the plains at 88 miles per hour, it felt just right. It felt like LotRO. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Hands-on with Riders of Rohan's mounted combat The Road to Mordor: Hands-on with Riders of Rohan's mounted combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RIFT offers a new cat mount for sale Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Humor, RIFT, Promotions In a bold move not at all reminiscent of the actions of any other gaming company, Trion Worlds has launched a new product for RIFT players to purchase via the account page. It's a special mount, a white tiger that we imagine would be extremely sparkly due to all of the gold trim and so forth. And it can be yours for the low price of $15, which is $10 less than it would be if it cost $25! Tongue-in-cheek jokes aside, the White War Tiger was originally an exclusive bonus for players of RIFT over in Korea. The mount has been ported over to the US version for a limited time so that more players can access it. If you've already got your wallet out, just log into the main site and check in the same spot for the game edition upgrades to get your very own tiger. While it may sparkle, you can take solace in the fact that it does not fly. [Thanks to soundersfc.tif for the tip!] RIFT offers a new cat mount for sale originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Firefall video gives a sneak peek at Assault changes Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Firefall Firefall's Assault battleframe will be evolving this summer. The dev team has a stated goal of increasing the skill ceiling of all the battleframes, so Assault will be oriented more to precise attacks and positioning. With fewer hitpoints and increased speed, Assault will be one of the quickest battleframes in the game. This puts more focus on mobility and agile short- and mid-range gameplay. The battleframe's AoE will also be toned down, meaning more abilities will require aiming and include less splash damage to put more emphasis, again, on skillful play. These changes will come as part of what's being touted as "the biggest patch in Firefall history," which players are told to expect "later this summer." Skip below the cut to see the new and improved Assault battleframe in action! Continue reading Firefall video gives a sneak peek at Assault changes Firefall video gives a sneak peek at Assault changes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic's guide to the group finder Posted: 12 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dungeons In a perfect world, all Star Wars: The Old Republic groups would be composed of several friends working together. But sometimes your friends aren't online or just have other things to do, and for those times, there's the Group Finder tool. But why is it that you can select a role you can't perform? Why do you queue up as healing or damage but always get picked for healing? How does the whole daily reward work? For answers to these questions and more, production team member Toni Phillips has put together a rundown of some of the Finder's more esoteric features. Phillips explains that daily rewards require you to complete the final step of the Flashpoint mission rather than simply clear the last boss, which usually involves clicking on an object at the end. Role selection, meanwhile, is determined by what your advanced class can do rather than what you're currently able to do, and if you select multiple roles, the finder will tend to pull from the rarer roles first. For more information and a more thorough breakdown, take a look at the full guide. Star Wars: The Old Republic's guide to the group finder originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Trek Online posts patch notes for the Season 6 launch Posted: 12 Jul 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play Star Trek Online is mobilizing the fleets today. With the launch of Season 6, fleets will have new starbases to explore, new projects to develop, and new tasks to undertake as a single cohesive unit. The full patch notes elaborate on a number of the new features that fleets can focus on and what awaits the stalwart captains who pursue those goals, including the details of assembling and reinforcing starbases over time. But even if your fleet isn't planning on focusing on all this new content, there's still plenty in the update for you to enjoy. New group content has been added in the form of the Colony Invasion and the No Win Scenario. There have also been a variety of balance changes and user interface tweaks as outlined in the full patch notes, including several tweaks to the Foundry and ship systems. All in all, the new season should give players in or out of a fleet a more enjoyable experience all around. Star Trek Online posts patch notes for the Season 6 launch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Secret World's July content patch teased, world-altering changes discussed Posted: 12 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World Don't look now, but it's another article about The Secret World. Shock! Awe! Raaaaage! OK, seriously. Rock, Paper Shotgun has been looking at Funcom's private parts, specifically the parts coming in the newly released game's first major update. Earlier this week Funcom posted its plans for monthly content patches, and the first such will apparently feature some new missions. Most of the new content will focus on investigation missions, with some additional ARG elements added in for good measure. Funcom also has a notion to morph The Secret World's er... world with each monthly update. MMOs are notoriously static enterprises; the only thing that really changes in any of these games is our character stats. TSW is taking a different road, though, and concerns about latecomers missing out on content are apparently not as important as creating a living world with an actual history. RPS cites a hypothetical involving the killing off of a major story mission NPC, and the site goes on to suggest that The Secret World will evolve "not through procedural wizardry or player action but rather through the guiding hand of a team of writers." The Secret World's July content patch teased, world-altering changes discussed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| ArenaNet devs talk legendary weapons, endgame, and more Posted: 12 Jul 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, News items, Guild Wars 2, Livestream, Dev Diaries Have you always wanted to wield a unicorn bow and shoot trails of rainbows? (We know you have; don't lie to us.) If you have, ArenaNet developers Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson have confirmed today that Guild Wars 2 is the game for you. The two devs took to Guild Wars 2's Twitch page today to talk about late- and endgame content and progression for the game. To begin with, they talked about Orr, the erstwhile city of the gods, which has recently been turned into the abode of the dragon Zhaitan and his reanimated minions. Orr has no renown hearts, the quest-like activities that have been known to litter the lower-level areas, "because there are generally very few friendly NPCs in Orr." Instead, players' focus in Orr will be on huge events. There are roughly twice as many dynamic events in the Orrian areas as in other explorable zones; many of these are tied together as nets, rather than simple chains. Events tend to have farther-reaching effects than we've seen so far in lower-level areas, putting emphasis more on holistic zone control and cooperation than in the early game. Johanson suggested that players will need to recapture the fallen temples of the old gods and then keep control of those while also pushing deeper into the zone and fighting baddies at the frontlines. Continue reading ArenaNet devs talk legendary weapons, endgame, and more ArenaNet devs talk legendary weapons, endgame, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Marvel Heroes turns the flame on with the Human Torch Posted: 12 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes We hope you're dressed for warm weather because Marvel Heroes' latest addition to the roster is sure to heat things up a bit. The Fantastic Four's cocky Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch, has officially been announced as the title's newest playable character. Johnny's presence in the game also makes him the first member of the Fantastic Four to hit the playable character roster, though hopefully Sue, Reed, and Ben will be around to help keep the Human Torch in line. We don't have any details on the Human Torch's gameplay abilities or anything of the sort, but we do know that he's categorized as an energy-based ranged attacker, so players can probably expect to be flinging fireballs with reckless abandon. But while you wait for more details and more heroes to be announced, head on over to Marvel's official site to check out the company's live coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2012. Marvel Heroes turns the flame on with the Human Torch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Ask Massively: All deckbuilders, all the time edition Posted: 12 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous Lately I've basically been unable to get enough of board games. I am sadly at the point that all I need to get excited about a game is the promise of cards and possibly some sort of combat. I'm going to blame Matt Daniel for introducing me to Thunderstone Advance because that introduced me to deckbuilders as a whole, and now I'm sitting here seriously considering buying a Japanese card game about assembling a maid harem. This is not a position I needed to be in. And now for something completely different: this week's Ask Massively. This time around, we're tackling the curious issue of Phantasy Star Online 2's slow process of translation, one that could be described as "glacial." 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 brevity and/or clarity. Continue reading Ask Massively: All deckbuilders, all the time edition Ask Massively: All deckbuilders, all the time edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends sexist? Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook The portrayal of female characters is a popular topic on the League of Legends official forums. People are very enthusiastic about their opinions of the League's female champions, most of whom are drawn to emphasize their sex appeal. Rather than focus on that, though, I'd like to home in on whether the League is an equal-opportunity workplace. Are women fairly represented in all roles, or is there a gender bias? This week, we'll look at the various roles that can be played in both gametypes and ask the important question: Are men and women fairly represented? Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends sexist? The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends sexist? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Report: Global MMO spending to top $12 billion in 2012 Posted: 12 Jul 2012 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous Number-crunching services SuperData Research and Newzoo released reports today forecasting strong growth in the MMO industry. According to the analysts, worldwide spending on MMOs will top $12 billion this year, and that's not all: The companies also predict that this number will increase to a whopping $17.5 billion in 2015. Other facts released in the reports: - Yearly MMO market growth increased by 14% in the U.S. and 24% in Germany.
- The number of MMOs in the field has doubled since the start of 2011.
- Twenty-three of the 50 million U.S. MMO gamers spend money on subscriptions or microtransactions, a 3% increase from 2011. The yearly average amount spent is $127.
- More German players spend money on MMOs than in the U.S. -- 13% more, to be exact.
- Free-to-play revenues in the U.S. now account for 50% of the market, up from 39% in 2010.
- Science-fiction MMOs make up to three times as much money as their fantasy counterparts.
SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen says that the race for gamers' wallets is only getting started: "The current market saturation forces MMO publishers to compete over a finite gamer population." [Source: SuperData Research/Newzoo press release] Report: Global MMO spending to top $12 billion in 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Guild Counsel: Five golden rules of raid leadership Posted: 12 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous Organizing and running a raid is a weird cross between coach, playground monitor, and symphony conductor. It's challenging, but when everything is going well, it really is a fun and satisfying experience. There are a lot of little details that sometimes come up, but in general, I think there are five "golden rules" that basically guarantee a good raid, even if you don't necessarily win all the boss battles. And these rules really apply to any situation that involves managing players, so players who like to put together dungeon-running groups, for example, should find these helpful as well. What are my "golden rules" of raid leadership? Read on and share yours below! Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Five golden rules of raid leadership The Guild Counsel: Five golden rules of raid leadership originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Catch Trion's End of Nations livestream tonight Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Livestream Want to see some End of Nations gameplay? Of course you do. Trion's upcoming MMORTS made a big splash at this year's E3, and now the devs are gearing up for the world premier live broadcast of the game on Trion's TwitchTV channel. Be at your computer around 8:30 p.m. EDT tonight and you'll get to see senior producer Chris Lena, community director Elizabeth Tobey, and community manager Lance James putting the game through its paces. Tonight's shindig is a preview of EoN's initial closed beta event, which kicks off Friday, July 20th. [Source: Trion press release] Catch Trion's End of Nations livestream tonight originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Chaos Theory: The Secret World was worth the wait Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory Folks, I have to be brutally honest: I'm old. I have a family, two jobs, and more time-consuming hobbies than one man should. And yet it pains me to log out of The Secret World. Last Saturday I slew demons (and Illuminati) in Funcom's new MMORPG for 10 hours straight. Actually, I took a 30-minute dinner break, so I guess it was more like nine-and-a-half. The point is that I looked up at my clock, said holy crap when it told me that the sun was about to rise, and scratched my head trying to remember the last time that happened. I've been playing MMOs since the late 1990s, and when I say that I've pretty much played them all, that's not hyperbole. Right now, TSW is running a close second to Star Wars Galaxies as the most enjoyable title I've experienced to date. And keep in mind that it's been live for two weeks. Continue reading Chaos Theory: The Secret World was worth the wait Chaos Theory: The Secret World was worth the wait originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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