MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Storyboard: The RIFT project - week 1

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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So.  Anyone want to complain about non-MMO pictures up here?  I can do another six weeks of nonsense easy.
While I had expected this project to get shoehorned into a footnote over the next few weeks, the majority vote was in favor of seeing this recapped every week. So it's time for the first recap of the RIFT project, which will cover just about a week of time spent in the game as of Wednesday. That means recapping characters, giving a brief summary of events, and giving everyone an idea of how well the project is working out thus far.

I'm going to go on the record stating two things, just in case they weren't clear from the first column. The first thing is that this project is not an official Massively thing by nature, just something that I had dreamed up and figured would be interesting to read about. Second, I'm well aware that I'm probably going to have one or two enormous lore holes in my recaps or character summaries. Those of you who read regularly probably already know that I lose precisely no sleep over this fact, and you should not either. It's just a game; we should all really just relax.

With the preamble out of the way, let's get into the story so far.

Continue reading Storyboard: The RIFT project - week 1

MassivelyStoryboard: The RIFT project - week 1 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Guild Wars 2's Sanctum of Rall shard named after late gamer

    Posted: 20 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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    Guild Wars 2's Sanctum of Rall shard named after deceased gamerWhat's in a server name? Quite a lot if you're talking about Guild Wars 2's Sanctum of Rall shard. Roger "Oldroar" Rall passed away last fall, but his name will live on when ArenaNet launches its fantasy opus on August 28th.

    Rall was a member of the Gaiscioch gaming community, and renowned for his calm battlefield leadership in Warhammer Online and RIFT. Gaiscioch's website remembers him as "a voice you could not ignore. He led armies into battle, created hundreds of memories for any who followed, and held family values higher than any man we had ever encountered. He was a role model, a hero, an inspiration to many."

    The guild will hold a memorial for Rall on the server that bears his name. The event is scheduled for August 29th at 9:00 p.m. EDT at Shaemoor Garrison, Queensdale.

    [Thanks to Rayko for the tip.]

    MassivelyGuild Wars 2's Sanctum of Rall shard named after late gamer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Drakensang celebrates end of beta, releases Atlantis trailer

    Posted: 20 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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    Drakensang celebrates end of beta, releases Atlantis trailer
    There's good news and bad news for Bigpoint. Yesterday we told you about the bad news as the company announced it would be shutting down its mobile games division.

    Its bread-and-butter browser MMOs are still alive and kicking, though, none more so than Drakensang Online. The free-to-play hack-and-slash title is celebrating its end-of-beta milestone, and Bigpoint says the game has amassed a whopping nine million registered players. As usual with such stats, we don't know how many of those nine million have actually played (or paid), but it's a big number nonetheless.

    The game also boasts a new continent (Atlantis), and Bigpoint has released an accompanying teaser trailer that you can view after the cut.

    [Source: Bigpoint press release]

    Continue reading Drakensang celebrates end of beta, releases Atlantis trailer

    MassivelyDrakensang celebrates end of beta, releases Atlantis trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      MMO Blender: Matt's immersive cyberpunk monstrosity

      Posted: 20 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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      All right, maybe not that immersive.
      Let's take a look at the acronym MMORPG for a moment. If you're reading this site, you surely know what it stands for: massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Ever since World of Warcraft hit the big-time, MMOs have been cropping up left and right in more shapes and sizes than many would have ever guessed. Swords and sorcery: check. Spreadsheets and spaceships: check. Roman orgies: coming soon.

      But somewhere along the line, game developers have forgotten something. Before there were MMORPGs, there were just RPGs, played by folks gathered around the kitchen table armed with nothing more than pencils, paper, and their trusty dice. I'm not going to pretend that "I was there, man" because -- being a '90s kid -- I didn't get into pen-and-paper games until my teens in the 2000s. But even I know that those games put an emphasis on the "RP" part of RPG in a way that MMORPGs simply don't, and in some ways, can't. But I'm sure that I can't be the only one who still wants to escape to another world, to become fully immersed in that world and in my character. So in my Frankenstein's monster experiment today, I'm going to try my best to meld modern MMO features into an immersive fantasy roleplaying world. Won't you join me?

      Continue reading MMO Blender: Matt's immersive cyberpunk monstrosity

      MassivelyMMO Blender: Matt's immersive cyberpunk monstrosity originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Do you remember your first guild leader?

        Posted: 20 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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        The cast of The Guild
        Growing up, we all had influential leaders in our lives. Be it from a teacher, a coach, a parent, or the school bus driver, leadership is important.

        I still remember my first guild leader as being someone I looked up to because he took charge, organized our play nights efficiently, and didn't take any lip from the whinier members of the bunch. Sadly enough, I forgot the man's name, which is more a testament to my failing memory than his impact on me.

        Do you remember your first guild leader? Would you follow him or her through fire? Tell us your story in the comments below!

        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 you remember your first guild leader? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Guild Counsel: Bad gamers

          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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          The Guild Counsel  Bad Gamers
          You'll have to forgive me this week for channeling the spirit of Andy Rooney and getting my grump on, but I need to get something off my chest. When it comes to MMOs, I tend to have an optimistic view of things. I think MMOs offer a lot when it comes to learning about ourselves, making connections with others, and exploring amazing worlds. But every time I reassure myself of the positive qualities of gaming, up pops exhibit #4,381 to prove me wrong. I still hold out hope, but in this week's Guild Counsel, I want to look at my most recent encounter with the bleaker side of gaming to see why, after all these years, we haven't escaped it -- and how we might be able to curb it. (And I'll explain why it has to do with Ron Burgundy!)

          Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Bad gamers

          MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Bad gamers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The MMO Report: Not Casey Schreiner edition

            Posted: 19 Jul 2012 05:30 PM PDT

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            Did Casey Schreiner get a haircut?
            The rumors that you've been hearing since you read the title of this week's installment of The MMO Report are entirely true. Casey Schreiner is off this week, and so John Walsh has stepped up to the plate to host this week's installment of the show. And while that means less in the way of mailbags, there's plenty of news to fill up the week, starting with the revelation of the HK-51 droid in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

            Walsh moves from discussing a mechanical killing machine to discussing several organic killing machines vis-a-vis the first trailer for Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms. He also looks back at news regarding RuneScape's big registration milestone, information on the Guild Wars 2 beta weekend, and a new round of unexpected World of Warcraft violence. Check off the video past the break, and tune in again for another installment of The MMO Report from G4TV and Massively.

            Continue reading The MMO Report: Not Casey Schreiner edition

            MassivelyThe MMO Report: Not Casey Schreiner edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Lord of the Rings Online dev diary discusses 'reincarnation' of PvMP

            Posted: 19 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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            Screenshot -- Lord of the Rings Online
            Today's Lord of the Rings Online dev diary begins by stating that "over the course of LotRO's lifetime, the Ettenmoors has been updated several times." It continues, "this is not one of those times. This is a new beginning; this is a reincarnation." Those are some bold words, so what about this new incarnation of the Ettenmoors is so revolutionary?

            Well, a number of things, according to the dev diary. The team is not looking for a "mystical silver bullet that magically makes everything better" but instead is looking at three primary areas to revamp. First, the team is taking a look at the many keeps, outposts, and the Delving. The current model rewards players for flipping control points to their faction's control, but there's no incentive to continue to hold them, so the studio aims to "shift the model to instead provide large benefits for having and keeping locations." Secondly, Turbine is analyzing Creep traits and skills for "usefulness, potency, and acquisition costs. Finally, all Creep classes will be receiving new skills and "an overall balance adjustment on... damage and healing" to ensure they are balanced with the Free Peoples.

            The full dev blog is far too in-depth to post the whole thing here, but if you're interested in the nitty-gritty of all the PvMP changes coming with Riders of Rohan, head on over to the full post.

            MassivelyLord of the Rings Online dev diary discusses 'reincarnation' of PvMP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Firefall ramps up for its summer milestone

            Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:30 PM PDT

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            Everyone who says this attack is shocking is banned from the comments.
            The upcoming milestone update to Firefall is a big one that revamps several core areas of the game based on player feedback. That includes multiple frames seeing a large-scale revisions. Designers Justin Hanson and John Deshazer elaborate upon some of the changes wrought upon the Engineer in the newest video, explaining that the class had some serious problems before -- it wasn't mobile and generally wasn't considered desirable within group composition because of its limited utility.

            Meeting the new and more functional Engineer will turn that impression around. Engineers have gotten a new weapon that ramps up in damage as it scores repeated hits on a single target. They've also been granted a number of better build items, such as mini-turrets that can be tossed in odd locations and instant-build forcefields. And that's just a sample of what the milestone is improving in the game, something detailed in two recent development blogs outlining the philosophy behind the changes and what players can expect after the dust clears.

            Continue reading Firefall ramps up for its summer milestone

            MassivelyFirefall ramps up for its summer milestone originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Sevencore beta registration open, Occupation Wars mechanics detailed

            Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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            Sevencore beta registration open Occupation Wars mechanics detailed
            We've had our eye on Sevencore for a while now. Fortunately we're about to get our hands on it too, thanks to the impending closed beta.

            Korean free-to-play fantasy imports aren't exactly scarce these days, but this one adds a dash of sci-fi and some nifty mount mechanics into the usual MMO mix. Players can battle across land, sea, and sky as well as fight from the backs of dragons, hover-bikes, and more. Sevencore mounts can also be trained to fight beside their player masters, which makes them more than your typical MMO beasts-of-burden.

            gPotato
            has opened up beta registration as of today, so head to the official site and sign on if you'd like a shot at testing on August 9th. Sevencore features three classes (Warrior, Magician, and Gunner), plenty of PvE, and PvP in the form of guild battles called Occupation Wars. gPotato intends for Occupation Wars to be a persistent territory control mechanic, as the victors will set tax rates and item prices for players who enter a region under their dominion.

            [Source: gPotato press release]

            MassivelySevencore beta registration open, Occupation Wars mechanics detailed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Perfect World Entertainment's Mark Hill previews Rusty Hearts: Reborn

              Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:30 PM PDT

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              Screenshot -- Rusty Hearts: Reborn
              About a week ago, we got our first look at the first expansion to Perfect World Entertainment's side-scrolling hack-and-slash title, Rusty Hearts. On July 24th, Rusty Hearts: Reborn will be bringing a wealth of new content to the game, and I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Mark Hill, senior product manager of Rusty Hearts, about the new update.

              What's particularly interesting about Rusty Hearts: Reborn is that many of the features coming with the expansion are a direct result of player feedback. According to Hill, the studio recognized that many players were quitting the game prematurely, sometimes as early as level 5, and as such, the expansion is focused on retooling the early- and mid-game to make it more welcoming to new players. That's not to say that there's nothing for established players, however, so if you're interested in what Rusty Hearts: Reborn is bringing to the table, head on past the cut, where I'll share all of the information gleaned from my talk with Mr. Hill.

              Continue reading Perfect World Entertainment's Mark Hill previews Rusty Hearts: Reborn

              MassivelyPerfect World Entertainment's Mark Hill previews Rusty Hearts: Reborn originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Marvel Heroes unveils Rocket Raccoon

                Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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                All the tactical cunning of Captain America, with added gun proficiency and a bushier tail!
                The team of playable heroes in Marvel Heroes just keeps getting more and more impressive. Today's addition is the furry and ferocious Rocket Raccoon. An anthropomorphic raccoon, Rocket is more than just sentient -- he's a tactical genius, great with a gun, and unwaveringly heroic. Rocket Raccoon has some close ties with the Guardians of the Galaxy (you know, that team that Marvel Studios just announced is getting its own movie), and he's out to save the universe whether it wants to be saved or not.

                We don't know much about this little fellow's in-game powers yet, but keep an eye on his hero information page to find out.

                MassivelyMarvel Heroes unveils Rocket Raccoon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Amazon offers Guild Wars 2 with $5 Amazon games credit

                Posted: 19 Jul 2012 02:30 PM PDT

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                Guild Wars 2
                Amazon has been reaching its fingers into a bunch of MMO pots lately. First there was that one time when a bunch of games including RIFT and TERA were put on mad sale, then there were the chronoscrolls and olive masks for TERA, and now it's Guild Wars 2's turn.

                According to an Amazon press release today, the company has launched Guild Wars 2 pre-purchases. Users who buy the Standard or Digital Deluxe editions via Amazon will receive a digital download and pre-order key, beta access, pre-purchase perks, and $5 credit for Amazon video games.

                Some of the details are a little hazy, as ArenaNet has made a distinction between pre-ordering (which is exactly what you're used to it being) and pre-purchasing (which is when you pay the full cost up-front) but Amazon appears to be using the terms interchangeably on the product page. Additionally, Amazon has not been added to the official list of pre-purchase retailers for North America (for that matter, Amazon has also not been listed on the official page as being able to distribute the Collector's Edition, but apparently it has physical boxes for sale as well).

                Anyway, if you haven't bought Guild Wars 2 but would like to, and if the thought of $5 Amazon credit and some in-game perks is appealing, this may be A Thing for you.

                [Source: Amazon press release]

                MassivelyAmazon offers Guild Wars 2 with $5 Amazon games credit originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Chinese MMO developer accused of plagiarizing Torchlight backs down

                  Posted: 19 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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                  Torchlight
                  Faced with ongoing allegations that it stole assets from Torchlight, Chinese developer EGLS has now agreed to modify "some parts" of its mobile MMO, Armed Heroes Online. Our sister site Joystiq reports that while the mobile company continues to deny any wrongdoing, it will alter the game "rather than go on arguing." In a formal statement, EGLS said:
                  "We did great efforts to do each modeling, mapping, bone construction and action by our own on our self-developed 3D engine . . . We want to make clear, if necessary, that we would like to submit the documents, files, and other materials related to the game developing to Apple to prove the originalities of the game and the efforts we devoted into the game developing."
                  Torchlight developer Runic Games appears mollified by the outcome though not convinced of EGLS's innocence. "We're really just trying to get the thing pulled down from the App Store and to have them use their own assets," studio president Travis Baldree told Joystiq. (Apple has apparently removed the game already.)

                  In happier news, Runic announced that oft-delayed Torchlight II is still slated for a summer launch, though Baldree joked, "The end of summer is September 25th or something like that, right?"

                  MassivelyChinese MMO developer accused of plagiarizing Torchlight backs down originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Star Trek Online celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Next Generation

                  Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT

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                  Star Trek Online
                  The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation launched 25 years ago. In honor of the anniversary of the blessed event, Star Trek Online players have the opportunity to unlock some nostalgic swag for free. From now until "around" 1:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the 24th, players can take a mini-mission that will send them off to speak with good ol' Worf. Completing that mission will unlock the free swag: Federation characters will receive a TNG Season 1 uniform, male Klingon and Federation characters with hair options will receive Worf's Season 1 short hair and goatee (sorry, no bearded ladies), and Klingon and Federation characters of both species will get access to Worf's Season 1 sash.

                  This is a per-character unlock, so be sure to talk to Worf with every character that you'd like to boldly go with a little more panache.

                  MassivelyStar Trek Online celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Next Generation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  gPotato releases Allods' New Horizons expansion trailer

                  Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                  gPotato releases Allods' New Horizons expansion trailer
                  Yesterday we told you about Allods Online's New Horizons expansion. Today gPotato has released a trailer that shows off a bit of what's coming when the content goes live on August 8th. You'll get new mercenary functionality, seven new astral allods (plus the ability to own one yourself), and a new PvP feature called the Smugglers' War.

                  The clips runs for well over four minutes, so head past the break to see for yourself.

                  [Source: gPotato press release]

                  Continue reading gPotato releases Allods' New Horizons expansion trailer

                  MassivelygPotato releases Allods' New Horizons expansion trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The War Z zombie MMO coming soon

                    Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:30 PM PDT

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                    no, this isn't about dayz
                    So how does a hardcore post-apocalyptic zombie sandbox experience grab you? No, we don't mean DayZ, although that one's pretty cool too. There's a new kid on this particular genre block, and it's an MMO called The War Z. It's brought to you by Hammerpoint Interactive and Arktos, and IGN has an interview scoop with a couple of the principals.

                    "We started thinking about doing a zombie game last year and began developing a quest-based MMO set in a large, zombie-infested world. Players would be able to explore and unlock new areas on the map as they progress through quests assigned to them in-game," explains executive producer Sergey Titov.

                    What about the DayZ connection? There really isn't one aside from coincidental timing. DayZ is a mod for an existing military sim title, whereas The War Z is a stand-alone MMO with a dedicated team behind it (and an upfront cost of $29.99). Is it really an MMO, though? That's in the eye of the beholder, we suppose, but it does have a huge open world, PvP, and the ability to support 250 players per server. The War Z also features dozens of skills and social niceties like bounties and in-game notes (no profanity, though; blowing off zombie heads should never result in inappropriate language).

                    If the War Z name sounds familiar, it might be because you're thinking of Paramount's World War Z property that we've talked about before. As with DayZ, though, the two projects are unrelated save for the similar names and the horror sub-genre.

                    The War Z is currently undergoing internal alpha testing, with a closed beta expected later this summer. IGN says the final game will be out "before the end of the year."

                    MassivelyThe War Z zombie MMO coming soon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The Summoner's Guidebook: Why big metagame changes to League of Legends could be bad

                    Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                    The Summoner's Guidebook Big metagame changes to League of Legends, and why this could be bad
                    It's fairly common knowledge now that League of Legends is undertaking a massive rework of its two permastealth champions, Evelynn and Twitch, in the next big patch. These changes were desperately needed. Evelynn was in horrible shape; she's the least-selected champion in the game by far, and her gameplay needed a tremendous amount of work. Twitch was in better shape, but he was a poor selection on Summoner's Rift for either of his two roles (jungle and carry). Twitch was considered a strong pick on Dominion, however.

                    Riot Games chose to completely rework these two champions, weakening Twitch's stealth aspects in order to make him a more normal carry. Evelynn was completely reworked, and she is so much different from her old self that she's basically a new character. Both of these champions are still "weird," however; despite the changes, neither character exemplifies any element of the current metagame.

                    I think that this is sort of dangerous. Riot has already introduced one very weird champion recently that has turned out to be viable (if not strong), Jayce. The stealth rework patch will also be succeeded by Zyra, who has very weird caster/pet mechanics. With all of these dramatic meta changes, League will become very unpredictable, especially at the middle levels of skill where I reside. I think that this is somewhat of a bad thing.

                    Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Why big metagame changes to League of Legends could be bad

                    MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Why big metagame changes to League of Legends could be bad originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      Kill3rCombo bumps Elsword level cap to 56, offers giveaways

                      Posted: 19 Jul 2012 11:30 AM PDT

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                      Elsword Unveils JawDropping New Levels and Increased Level Cap
                      Kill3rCombo wants you to know that it has added some new content to its manga-inspired Elsword side-scroller. Players may now "dive deeper into the once pristine seaside kingdom of Hamel" thanks to two new levels (which bring the game's level cap to 56).

                      The devs are also releasing a new El Officer costume for Chung, who is the game's newest playable character. In addition to the new leveling content, Kill3rCombo is giving players a chance to win numerous prizes simply by logging in during the month of July. An Elsword-themed iPad, Amazon gift cards, and various in-game goodies are all up for grabs, so head to the official website to learn more. You can also check out a video of Chung in action after the cut.

                      [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]

                      Continue reading Kill3rCombo bumps Elsword level cap to 56, offers giveaways

                      MassivelyKill3rCombo bumps Elsword level cap to 56, offers giveaways originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        ArenaNet releases Guild Wars 2 Asura intro cinematic [Updated]

                        Posted: 19 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                        Guild Wars 2 - Asura concept art
                        The Asura are here, and they're not very modest if we're going by Guild Wars 2's latest racial cinematic. "I personify genius," says the narrator before going on to explain how Asurans "exceed expectations in everything we do."

                        ArenaNet has released a two-minute clip that gives us some background on the diminutive race, and the running time is heavy on the firm's one-of-a-kind concept art. Since this is also an intro cinematic, it lets us in on what awaits players who elect to roll as one of the floppy-eared cutelings in this weekend's beta as well as Guild Wars 2's forthcoming launch.

                        See the Asura for yourself after the break.

                        [Thanks to Michael for the tip!]

                        [Update: Anet has released a new blog post that offers a bit of insight into the creation of the Asura cinematic.]

                        Continue reading ArenaNet releases Guild Wars 2 Asura intro cinematic [Updated]

                        MassivelyArenaNet releases Guild Wars 2 Asura intro cinematic [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        All heroes in Heroes of Newerth will be free as of tomorrow

                        Posted: 19 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT

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                        Heroes of Newerth
                        The free-to-play fantasy MOBA Heroes of Newerth just got a little more free. Starting tomorrow, all of the heroes in the game will be free to everyone. S2 Games has announced that the entire pool of 107 heroes will be unlocked for play all the time when patch 2.6.11, aptly dubbed All Heroes Free, goes live on July 20th. This new system replaces the current one in which the pool of 16 free heroes rotate weekly.

                        Players who purchased a released hero within 15 days of the patch's launch will receive a refund. In addition, any player who has ever purchased a hero with real-world currency will receive an exclusive new super robot avatar, Mecha Gemini. Legacy players will also be rewarded for their loyalty by earning more rewards for each match played.

                        [Source S2 Games press release]

                        MassivelyAll heroes in Heroes of Newerth will be free as of tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          General gaming

                          General gaming


                          The Essential 100, No. 81: Maniac Mansion

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 05:42 PM PDT

                          Feature

                          1UP COVER STORY

                          Header

                          1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 16 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART ONE

                          The Essential 100, No. 81: Maniac Mansion

                          Cover Story: Revolutionary mechanics and fantastic storytelling helped spark a genre.

                          T

                          he year was 1985. A young game designer by the name of Ron Gilbert, along with graphic artist Gary Winnick, was handed the reigns to develop a new adventure title for the fledgling interactive division of LucasFilm. Two years later, Maniac Mansion would not only light the spark under a graphic adventure game blaze burning vividly well into the '90s, but the effects of its campy approach to videogame storytelling are still readily present today.

                          While the name LucasArts would eventually become synonymous with adventure games -- arguably as much or more-so as one-time competitor Sierra -- Maniac Mansion changed the course of the genre more than any other title of its ilk. If you were not yet alive to witness the evolution of adventure games, you might be unaware the earliest efforts were -- well, less than "user friendly." Text-parsing adventures required manual entry of commands, and there's a finite amount of times anyone can screw up syntax without gouging their eyes out with a pencil.

                          mm

                          The Essential 100, No. 82: Fallout

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:22 PM PDT

                          Feature

                          1UP COVER STORY

                          Header

                          1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 16 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART ONE

                          The Essential 100, No. 82: Fallout

                          Cover Story: New life emerges from the barren wastes of PC role-playing games.

                          T

                          he 1990s were largely a period of stagnation for computer RPGs. As first person shooters and adventure games thrived, the genre began a slow decline marked by few games and fewer new ideas. Fans were left with little to do but longingly gaze upon faded cloth maps while recalling past conquests. The arrival of Fallout in 1997 was -- oddly enough -- a breath of fresh air. Released more than a full year before Baldur's Gate, it ushered in what is widely considered the greatest era for CRPGs with exactly the sort of rich, creative role-playing experience that had been missing for so long.

                          Spot Art

                          Fez Left Broken, Highlighting How XBLA Shoots Itself in the Foot

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT

                          Fez

                          Long-awaited Xbox Live Arcade title Fez received a patch last month fixing a long list of issues. However, despite this patch taking more than two months after the game's initial release to show up, it proved to introduce a serious issue of its own: it could corrupt players' save game files. The update was pulled from Xbox Live and we've been awaiting a fixed version, only we now know one is not coming. Developer Polytron has announced its decision to re-release the patch as-is due to the cost involved in issuing a new one. This is yet another illustration of how Microsoft has hamstrung Xbox Live Arcade and ensured that, without changes, it will never fulfill its potential.

                          But first, Polytron's decision demands addressing. A blog post from last night explained that Microsoft would charge "tens of thousands of dollars to re-certify the game," and with the save corruption happening to less than one percent of players (and most often to players "who had completed, or almost completed the game"), it has been deemed "safe for an overwhelming majority of players." Microsoft agrees the patch is 'good enough' to be re-released, and you can now go about downloading the patch (if you haven't previously) to fix the framerate, various crash bugs, and so on. Polytron notes that, had it been released on Steam, "the game would have been fixed two weeks after release, at no cost to us." Between this and a subsequent tweet, it certainly sounds like a Steam release is in the works.

                          The Essential 100, No. 83: Contra

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:05 PM PDT

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                          1UP COVER STORY

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                          1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 16 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART ONE

                          The Essential 100, No. 83: Contra

                          Cover Story: The cooperative game that one-upped the action movies of the '80s.

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                          ome games capture a certain zeitgeist; others kidnap it forcibly and hold it for ransom. Contra is one of the latter.

                          To say the action movies of the '80s influenced video games would be a gross understatement. For better or worse, the likes of Terminator, Rambo, Aliens, and Star Wars essentially gave shape to a budding medium. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a single game that managed to cram more of those influences into a single 30-minute play session that Contra. It's all here: Cooperative combat action in the jungle (Predator), overwhelming manliness (Rambo), giant robots and metallic skulls with glowing red eyes (Terminator), and a final showdown that involved blowing the face off a giant alien and blasting its sentient heart to pieces while crustacean larvae leapt from the background (Aliens, quite nearly to the point of actionable infringement).

                          The Essential 100, No. 84: Monster Hunter

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:33 PM PDT

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                          1UP COVER STORY

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                          1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 16 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART ONE

                          The Essential 100, No. 84: Monster Hunter

                          Cover Story: Nothing says winning like turning your prey into an accessory.

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                          he overgrowth in the forest looked thick, but the fog layered over everything felt even thicker. My avatar walked carefully through the middle of a swamp, as I struggled to take in the surroundings. The boars in this zone tend to charge at first sight, so it's best to run through this thick marsh, but I needed to keep my eyes open. My quest to defeat the Rathian, a large beast world renowned as the Queen of the Wyverns, had just begun, but first I had to find it.

                          Spot Art

                          Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time Could be the PSP's Final Hurrah

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 11:26 AM PDT

                          Judging by the first few hours, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time is a nice, very old school looking RPG with original and addictive gameplay. That's good, because with a release date set for the end of July, it will also be one of the last -- if not the very last -- RPGs for the PSP. At least unless something changes the fates of Final Fantasy: Type-0 and Grand Knights History -- but I digress.

                          The PSP has become a haven for enthusiasts of dated RPGs. The system has been host to a number of remakes, and it's always nice to be able to experience games that were previously exclusive to Japan in a portable format. Such is the case of Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, which has taken its name a bit too literally and wandered off for nine years before finally making it to the West, filling a gap in the series with this expanded port of the original PS2 version.

                          psp

                          The first thing I noticed when I started Wayfarer of Time is its flamboyant art direction. The game features an unimaginative if likeable cast of characters, starring the usual gang of pretty girls and even prettier girly boys already explored by the expert pen of character designer and mangaka Satoshi Urushihara, who seems to be forever trapped in his early '90s heyday.

                          The Essential 100, No. 85: Minecraft

                          Posted: 19 Jul 2012 10:01 AM PDT

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                          1UP COVER STORY

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                          1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JULY 16 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART ONE

                          The Essential 100, No. 85: Minecraft

                          Cover Story: The ultimate in do-it-yourself gaming sits on the cusp of inventing a whole new genre.

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                          t first glance, Minecraft barely seems like a game, much less one that would become one of the bestselling games of all time, or one that would go on to spawn its own vast subculture and swarms of imitators. Largely free of dialogue, characters, or even clearly established goals, Minecraft rests on the far end of the spectrum of freedom vs. structure, offering the player ultimate agency in a completely and totally modifiable environment. To put it simply, Minecraft is the idea of a sandbox game taken to its ultimate and most extreme conclusion.

                          Starting a game of Minecraft drops the player in a near-infinite, procedurally generated world made up entirely of one-meter by one-meter blocks, comprising mountains, seas, forests, and caverns, and populated by cows, pigs, chickens, and at the player's discretion, hostile monsters like spiders, zombies, and iconic, suicide bombing creepers. What differentiates this from what would otherwise be, honestly, a crude and ugly terrain simulator, is that every single one of these blocks can be mined, dug, chopped, or gathered, then either replaced elsewhere in the world or used to create tools to expand the player's options for interacting with the world. To all intents and purpose, Minecraft is an entire world made entirely out of LEGOs, which the player can break apart and use to build anything they want. It's remarkable that over the decades the LEGO license has been used in countless racing and movie tie-in games, but it took an unknown outsider to develop what should have been the first and most obvious implementation: A game where you build stuff out of LEGO blocks.

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