MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Story trailers spotlight two Dragon's Prophet EU zones

Posted: 31 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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Story trailers spotlight two Dragon's Prophet EU zones
Dragon's Prophet launched into open beta yesterday on both sides of the pond, and players are jumping into the world of Auratia to try their hand at domesticating the various dragon-kind. But there's more to Dragon's Prophet than just taming dragons, there's also a fight against the evil threatening to take over the land. So what's the story on this invading evil?

To give players a glimpse of what they are fighting for and against, Infernum Productions has released two videos delving into the story of two zones, Laedis and Satuma. You can catch both trailers after the cut.

[Source: Infernum press release]

Continue reading Story trailers spotlight two Dragon's Prophet EU zones

MassivelyStory trailers spotlight two Dragon's Prophet EU zones originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Second Wind Roundtable: Allods Online

    Posted: 31 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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    Second Wind Roundtable Allods Online
    Hello again, kind gentlefolk, and welcome to the latest installment of the Second Wind Roundtable. This time around, I coerced, extorted, and otherwise blackmailed the wonderful Bree and Eliot (and Lis, though she was unfortunately unable to join us for the Roundtable chat itself, but she was there too!) to join me in a few rousing sessions of gPotato's aether-sailing free-to-play title, Allods Online.

    We laughed, we cried, we nearly died from rage-induced aneurysms. But despite all that, we all survived to tell the tale. So buckle your swashes, raise your sails, and join us past the cut, won't you?

    Continue reading Second Wind Roundtable: Allods Online

    MassivelySecond Wind Roundtable: Allods Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Secret World Game Director's letter dishes more details on Issues 7 & 8

      Posted: 31 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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      TSW Game Director's letter dishes more details on Issues #7 & 8 We already knew that Issue #7 would bring The Secret World a spy-like experience. And now, thanks to the Game Director's letter for May, we also have the title, snazzy cover art, and a glimpse at the climactic ending. We even get an expected time-frame for release; while an exact date is not given, it appears that it will hit the end of June, according to the cover art, and Director Joel Bylos himself states it will coincide with TSW's first anniversary.

      Issue #7: A Dream to Kill ends with filth infiltrating Agartha itself through the newly discovered Tokyo entrance, and players will continue to fight this threat with group and solo content until Tokyo can finally be entered.

      Bylos also reveals information about Issue #8, including the Virtual Training Scenarios and the Augment System. To prove readiness to enter Tokyo to the Council of Venice, players will have to complete training scenarios that will have random elements thrown in, making each experience different. The Augment system is a new advancement system that will allow players to improve their existing abilities by providing customization in the roles of damage, support, healing, and survivability.

      MassivelyThe Secret World Game Director's letter dishes more details on Issues 7 & 8 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Take-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US

      Posted: 31 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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      TakeTwo CEO MMOs don't work in the US
      The good news: Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says that the company that brought you BioShock, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and the GTA series is "actively investing in online and MMOs." The bad news: He adds, "We're just not doing it in the U.S."

      Speaking at the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Zelnick reinforces what he believes many studios are learning the hard way, "MMOs don't work here. A couple of our competitors have found out that through very, very expensive lessons. One of our competitors just recently announced they're restarting an MMO project."

      Take-Two is, instead, aiming at the Asian MMO market through partnerships with industry leaders such as Tencent and Nexon. This is where the company hopes to be successful in the genre, as Zelnick cites "10 to 20" MMOs are successful in that market.

      [Thanks to Avaloner81 for the tip!]

      MassivelyTake-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do you use Kickstarter to pre-order MMOs?

      Posted: 31 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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      TUG's ten-dollar kickstarter tier
      In MJ's interview with TUG's Peter Salinas last week, Salinas said that the most interesting thing about the community reveal of Nerd Kingdom's sandbox MMO was just how many people consider Kickstarter to be a pre-order system instead of, you know, a way to kickstart a game they want to see made. This jibes with Massively columnist Brendan Drain's observations earlier this week that "the most popular reward level for video game Kickstarters is almost always the lowest-priced tier that provides a digital copy of the game."

      I'm so guilty of this. I put exactly as much money into the TUG and Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter pots as I had to in order to secure myself the cheapest pre-order copy of the games I could, but I didn't chip in for an Android game Kickstarter from a dev who couldn't offer the game .apk in any tier. I don't know whether I feel bad. I want to see the games made, and I willingly pay for my copy; I consider my discount a fair tradeoff for paying them years before I'll download a client. But that's my personal limit: a pittance and a vote of confidence, really. I'm guessing most gamers aren't so fabulously wealthy as to heavily fund indie games even if they wanted to, and those who could do so probably have a lot of other worthy non-gaming causes that take precedence.

      So do you also take advantage of cheap pre-order tiers on Kickstarter? Do you hunt for the tier with exactly the right combination of swag? Or do you approach each Kickstarter knowing you want to donate a certain amount, regardless of what you get in return?

      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 use Kickstarter to pre-order MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Guild Counsel: Lessons in guild leadership from a pop star

        Posted: 30 May 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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        The Guild Counsel  Lessons in Guild Leadership from a pop star
        Apologies to the Beliebers, but good old Justin hasn't exactly had a banner year. He's been in the news a lot lately, just not for his dulcet tones or his fancy dance moves. But his behavior can actually remind guild leaders of a few important things not to do.

        Can a brash pop star really provide tips on guild leadership? Let's take a lighthearted look in this week's Guild Counsel.

        Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Lessons in guild leadership from a pop star

        MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Lessons in guild leadership from a pop star originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          EVE Online dev blog discusses Odyssey UI changes

          Posted: 30 May 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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          Screenshot -- EVE Online's new Fleet Management window
          The folks over at CCP have put up a new, puntastically titled post on the EVE Online site to fill players in on some of the UI changes coming in EVE Online: Odyssey. The changes range from the miniscule ("you can now make the input field in chat a single line and gain like 20 extra pixels! Yay!") to the more ambitious (such as a major reworking of the game's fleet management window), plus a few things in-between. To get the down-and-dirty details on all of the UI changes coming with Odyssey, just head on over and read the full post at the game's official site.

          MassivelyEVE Online dev blog discusses Odyssey UI changes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          New Repopulation dev blog gets down and dirty with harvesting details

          Posted: 30 May 2013 04:30 PM PDT

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          Screenshot -- The Repopulation
          You may remember that earlier this month, the folks behind upcoming sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation released a dev-blog that detailed part of the game's resource-gathering system which involved the ever-so-charming extraction of precious resources from your enemies' still-warm corpses. Thanks to the game's newest dev blog, we're now able to get some insight on the other half of the resource-gathering experience: harvesting.

          While extraction involves pilfering goodies from dead baddies, harvesting is the more uh... humane method of gathering resources from nodes such as ore deposits, trees, and so forth. Harvesting resources from a single node works in the same way as extracting resources from a corpse does, but harvestable resources are also available from rarely occurring resource clusters. These clusters "contain a larger stash of a single resource and [have] a better chance of yielding higher quality results." Up to four players can place a harvester at any given cluster, which will run dry after 2-4 hours, at which point the players can return to the cluster and pick up their share of the goods. This system, the diary mentions, encourages players to gather in groups or share the wealth with their hired help. If you can't wait to get your hands dirty and rob nature of her delicious bounty, you can find out all the details over at the game's official site.

          MassivelyNew Repopulation dev blog gets down and dirty with harvesting details originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Age of Conan's May Director's Letter details new content and tech

          Posted: 30 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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          Screenshot -- Age of Conan
          Crush enemies, see them driven before you, lamentations of their women, yadda yadda. You know the drill. The Age of Conan Game Director's Letter for this month has hit the interwebs, and the topics of discussion are the recent 5th Anniversary event (and the new event system that it utilized), the impending transition to single-server technology, and a number of updates heading to the game soon. The first phase of Age of Conan's switch to single-server tech (which involved moving all of the servers to the same physical location) has been completed, and the AoC team is now "preparing to move towards the new phase," which means merging all same-ruleset servers.

          Meanwhile, in Hyboria proper, Age of Conan recently held an in-game event to celebrate its fifth anniversary, and this included the introduction of some snazzy new event tech. In a nutshell, the previous system required that the game be patched in order to both begin and end an event, but with the new system, the devs can run and adjust events on the fly. On top of that, AoC players can expect a smattering of new content over the summer, beginning with the new Coils of Ubah Khan dungeon. Later additions will include new Unchained Dungeons, the Palace of Cetriss, and a shiny new tradeskill system. To get all the delicious information straight from the barbarian's mouth (ew), just click on through the link below.

          MassivelyAge of Conan's May Director's Letter details new content and tech originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Snail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs

          Posted: 30 May 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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          Snail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs
          Earlier this morning Massively received multiple tips regarding layoffs at Age of Wushu publisher Snail Games. We contacted the company and were provided with an official statement by Director of Game Development David Baker.
          Yes, there were a handful of layoffs at Snail Games USA yesterday. After the launch of Age of Wushu the team size was corrected to meet the size of the game and the community. The Age of Wushu team was expanded before launch and the necessary contractions were needed post-launch. Snail Games USA values all the employees that worked on Age of Wushu and continue to work on the Age of Wushu upcoming expansion for July. Layoffs are a hard part of working in the game industry and are necessary when team size becomes larger than what the development team needs.
          [Thanks to everyone who tipped us.]

          MassivelySnail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: League of Legends isn't just one gametype

            Posted: 30 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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            The Summoner's Guidebook League of Legends isn't just one gametype
            After last week's edition of the Summoner's Guidebook, I realized that one of the things I sort of take for granted is the advantage of taking many of LoL's different gametypes into account when I value a particular item. For instance, last week we talked a lot about Rabadon's Deathcap, but it (and its sister item Wooglet's Witchcap) has drastically different values in different game modes. It's a lot easier to justify buying a Deathcap when you have easy sources of gold and a lot of time when you're trying to gather it. If you have to fight, more defense becomes an imperative.

            If you don't play a lot of Dominion or Twisted Treeline, you might not realize that Bloodthirster and Infinity Edge are hard to buy when fights can erupt faster than ultimate skills can recharge. Expensive items like a Needlessly Large Rod or BF Sword are hard to justify when you can get some interim item that provides more balanced stats and will help win the fights you're fighting now.

            Playing other game modes also gives you a broader look at League of Legends. You don't see the value of certain stats -- particularly HP -- until you realize that an extra 200-500 HP can cause a huge swing in the course of an engagement.

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: League of Legends isn't just one gametype

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: League of Legends isn't just one gametype originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              New Final Fantasy XIV job action trailer sighted in the wild

              Posted: 30 May 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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              New Final Fantasy XIV job action trailer released
              Square has released a brand-spanking new trailer for its Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn reboot. The three-minute clip centers on job actions, which is another way of saying three minutes of various classes standing in place showing off various attacks.

              Let's see, there's the Paladin, the Warrior, the Monk, the White Mage, the Dragoon, and the Bard. Oh, and there's the Black Mage. Never forget the Black Mage. Also, don't forget that this is beta footage, according to the big disclaimer on the front-end of the video which you can see after the cut.

              [Thanks Lauren!]

              Continue reading New Final Fantasy XIV job action trailer sighted in the wild

              MassivelyNew Final Fantasy XIV job action trailer sighted in the wild originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              ArenaNet releases Last Stand at Southsun Cove guide

              Posted: 30 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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              ArenaNet releases Last Stand at Southsun Cove guide
              Are you looking for a how-to on Guild Wars 2's Last Stand at Southsun Cove content? You're in luck, because ArenaNet has penned a guide that will point you in the right direction. Depending on your level of spoiler sensitivity, you may want to stick with the Spoiler-Free Mini Guide. If you're more of an all-spoilers-all-the-time type, go ahead and peruse the New Rewards and New Achievements section of the guide while you're at it.

              We would tell you more, but then there'd be no reason to click through to the guide itself, now would there?

              MassivelyArenaNet releases Last Stand at Southsun Cove guide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Marvel Heroes early access is live, Gazillion 'looking into' compensation

              Posted: 30 May 2013 11:30 AM PDT

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              Marvel Heroes wallpaper
              Stow those pitchforks, Marvel Heroes fans; your early access is finally, er, accessible! The Gazillion team has been slaving away trying to squash a few last minute bugs that held up the game's May 28th debut for purchasers of the Founder's Pack, but as of last night everything seems to be shipshape.

              CEO David Brevik apologized for the delay in a post on the official MH website, and he also said that the firm is "looking into granting compensation for those who were unable to play yesterday." You might also want to read through the Early Game Access FAQ.

              MassivelyMarvel Heroes early access is live, Gazillion 'looking into' compensation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Infinite Crisis joins competitive arena with Major League Gaming

              Posted: 30 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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              Infinite Crisis joins competitive arena with Major League Gaming
              Some folks may wonder whether the upcoming superhero title Infinite Crisis can make it in the big leagues of MOBA gaming, but it is already assured a place in the majors. Major League Gaming has announced a partnership with Turbine's DC Comic-based game, one that will kick off at E3 with a live competition between two top teams. Fans wanting to check out the action can stop by the WB Games booth (South Hall 1637) beginning at 3 p.m. EDT (12 p.m. PDT) on Tuesday, June 11th, or watch it livestreamed on MLG's and Infinite Crisis' official sites.

              This collaboration will introduce Infinite Crisis to the e-sports community and ultimately lead to Infinite Crisis' inclusion at MLG Pro Circuit competitions. The game's executive producer, Jeffrey Steefel, is quoted as saying, "We look forward to working closely with MLG to introduce players to the DC Multiverse and building a world-class gaming community."

              [Source: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment press release]

              MassivelyInfinite Crisis joins competitive arena with Major League Gaming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                MMORPG News

                MMORPG News


                The Secret World: Latest Game Director's Letter Spotlights Issues 7-8

                Posted: 31 May 2013 06:20 AM PDT

                Latest Game Director

                Funcom's Joel Bylos has published the latest Game Director's Letter on The Secret World's site. In it, he reveals that Issue 7 will be making its debut in a few weeks and drops some interesting hints about Issue 8 and an attack on Agartha itself.

                Dragon's Prophet: Open Beta Begins

                Posted: 30 May 2013 01:43 PM PDT

                Open Beta Begins

                Sony Online Entertainment has announced that the North American open beta for Dragon's Prophet will be live later this afternoon PST. Players can sign up on the official site, grab the client, and begin playing as of May 30th.

                EVE Online: Opening Up On Odyssey and EVE-VR

                Posted: 29 May 2013 04:45 PM PDT

                Opening Up On Odyssey and EVE-VR

                EVE Online has expanded a whopping eighteen times and is poised for the next with the arrival of Odyssey later this summer. We sat down to chat with CCP's Kristoffer Tourborg about Odyssey. See what he had to say and then head to the comments!

                Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Job Actions Chronicled in New Video

                Posted: 30 May 2013 12:21 PM PDT

                Job Actions Chronicled in New Video

                During this mornings Letter from the Producer LIVE, Square Enix showed off a new video to shine the spotlight on job actions as they will appear in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Check it out!

                Marvel Heroes: Chronicles of Doom Part 3 Arrives

                Posted: 30 May 2013 11:44 AM PDT

                Chronicles of Doom Part 3 Arrives

                Gazillion Entertainment has released the first episode in a four-part motion comic that will usher in the release of Marvel Heroes Online. The comic lets players in on the backstory behind Dr. Doom's rise to power. Enjoy Part Three!

                General: AMMOnition

                Posted: 29 May 2013 04:36 PM PDT

                AMMOnition

                "Why do you play?" Most ardent MMO players have had this question asked of them by those who are part of the great unwashed masses of the world. In her latest column, Genese Davis answers that question and the objections that are often voiced against gamers. See what she's got to say before adding your thoughts in the comments.

                EverQuest: EQNext's Time to Shine

                Posted: 29 May 2013 04:29 PM PDT

                EQNext

                Now that Blizzard has pushed any further information and development of its 'Titan' MMO to the distant future, it's time for EverQuest Next to take the spotlight. Check out our thoughts on the subject before heading to the comments to discuss.

                Neverwinter: An Astral Diamond in the Rough

                Posted: 29 May 2013 04:14 PM PDT

                An Astral Diamond in the Rough

                Neverwinter is one of the first blockbuster titles to arrive in 2013. With over a month of game time, we are ready to present our official review. See what you think before heading to the comments to discuss your own experiences in the game.

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