| The Road to Mordor: Time travel is possible in LotRO Posted: 13 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor Some days I get a headache trying to wrap my head around the way that time works in Lord of the Rings Online. I mean, most MMOs are pretty straightforward when it comes to the time frame; pretty much everyone, everywhere in the game is in the same point in history, give or take a phase or two. Your journey through the game gives the illusion of time passing because your story develops and you go through a series of challenges, but really everyone, NPC and player alike, is living in the same day. If the game advances the timeline, everyone moves forward with it. LotRO is not like that. LotRO is not like any other MMO I've found, mostly thanks to the fact that it's tethered to an IP that has very time-specific events. A year or so ago, I was talking to Turbine on the phone and asked if I could look at the timeline document that the team uses to keep all of the events straight in the devs' heads. I didn't get to see this document, but ever since I've been keeping a close eye on how the game treats time. The truth is -- and this is very weird to consider -- that we as players are adventurers not just through Middle-earth but through time as well. We slip forwards and backwards in the timeline, often without even realizing it. You didn't think time travel had a place in fantasy MMOs? Well it does here! Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Time travel is possible in LotRO  The Road to Mordor: Time travel is possible in LotRO originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WRUP: Giant robots for the win edition Posted: 13 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous I knew before going to see Pacific Rim that I was going to like it on some level. I love giant robots and kaiju films, so it promised to be good dumb fun. As it turned out, it was excellent fun, without the dumb. This is not a cerebral film, but it's a film filled with love letters to the genres that inspired it, full of homages without ever devolving into mining the past. You can skip on 3D, because it didn't use that to great effect, but if you're even remotely interested in this film, do yourself a favor and see it. It's worth every penny you'll spend and more besides. I can wax poetic about the film here, but WRUP is about what we're playing, not what films we're obsessing over. So past the break you'll find precisely that. You can feel free to let us know what you'll be playing over the weekend down in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Giant robots for the win edition WRUP: Giant robots for the win edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Do you still like buying retail copies? Posted: 13 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous We live in a world where most games can be downloaded directly to our computers or consoles without a need for physical copies. Free-to-play games don't need game disks, and buy-to-play games like Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World mostly use them as novelties once the games are installed. Even some subscription games aren't going to ask you to hunt down a boxed copy -- you can install, buy, and play EVE Online all from your desktop. On the one hand, this means fewer packages cluttering up the house, which is pretty universally a good thing. On the other hand, some of us have a certain affection for the old boxed game, even if that model is looking increasingly out of date. So, do you still like buying boxed copies of games? Or are you happy to move on to just downloading things directly instead of dealing with the hassle of packaging?  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 still like buying retail copies? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| MMObility: Press your way through Dawn of the Dragons Posted: 12 Jul 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Hands-On, MMObility, Crafting If you played along with me the last time I covered Dawn of the Dragons, you won't be surprised by what you will read in this column. It's still a pretty fun twist on RPGs and Mafia Wars-styled gaming, but now that it has come to Android devices, I couldn't be happier. The gameplay was nice in the browser, but I found it to be a bit clunky and distracting, especially with the ad-block at the top of the game's main window. Much of the game consists of making a decision and pressing a button or two to see what happens, so it begged for a touchscreen device. Now that has arrived. Does that mean the game is no longer a pay-to-win, very casual (or hardcore if you want it to be) race-to-the-top? It's still all of those. If you have moral objections to those game styles, then skip Dawn of the Dragons. But if you're like me and don't take games so personally, then you, like reader grutzmek, might find that is is "surprisingly addictive." He told me, "I don't normally enjoy these games, but something is very different about DotD." I have to agree with him. Continue reading MMObility: Press your way through Dawn of the Dragons MMObility: Press your way through Dawn of the Dragons originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Betawatch: July 6 - 12, 2013 Posted: 12 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous After a couple of quiet weeks, the beta scene exploded this past week. In an ideal world we'd have Tom Lehrer sing about all of these changes like the elements on the periodic table, but times being what they are, we'll have to make do with text. To start, Firefall is finally out of closed beta and into open testing. Dota 2 has also waved farewell to testing just as Eternal Saga has kicked off alpha tests. Age of Wulin moved into open beta or a soft launch depending on how you view it, The Elder Scrolls Online sent out a new wave of test invitations, Final Fantasy XIV started the last round of closed beta testing, End of Nations has been rebranded, and TUG is launching its first alpha on Monday. These are, of course, some of the most noteworthy beta-related developments, but there are certainly many others embedded right past the break. If something managed to sneak past us, please, let us know in the comments. Continue reading Betawatch: July 6 - 12, 2013 Betawatch: July 6 - 12, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Uncle Sam: League of Legends pros are pro athletes Posted: 12 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends "The United States government recognizes League of Legends pro players as professional athletes, and awards visas to essentially work in the United States under that title," Riot e-sports manager Nick Allen tells Gamespot. Allen says that international tourney organization is now much easier, though getting the initial batch of visas was a "lengthy process" that required a lot of legwork in order to provide enough proof to satisfy government officials. Uncle Sam: League of Legends pros are pro athletes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Trion offering 72-hour all access Defiance trial for PC users Posted: 12 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Defiance, Buy-to-Play So that ultra-cheap Steam sale still wasn't enough to get you to spring for Defiance, eh? Well, fear not because Trion is now offering a free trial of its MMO shooter for PC users. The trial includes access to the full game but it is time-limited to 72 hours. Don't delay once you've created your account, either, as the clock starts ticking "as soon as users sign up," according to Trion's press release. There's also an EGO rating cap (200). Finally, you'll be able to carry over all your progress, rewards, and store purchases to the full game if you decide to pony up for the client once the trial period ends. [Source: Trion press release] Trion offering 72-hour all access Defiance trial for PC users originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Frontier teases first Elite: Dangerous screenshots Posted: 12 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Elite: Dangerous Frontier has released the first batch of work-in-progress screenshots for Elite: Dangerous. Senior producer Michael Brookes posted them on Frontier's forums earlier today, though the shots initially found their way to Elite Kickstarter backers via an email blast. Elite: Dangerous raked in over £1.5 million during its fundraising drive that began in November, 2012 and ended in early January, 2013. The game is scheduled to release on PC and Mac platforms next year, and it is the latest iteration of the venerable space trading sim first published in 1984. Frontier teases first Elite: Dangerous screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Riot is apparently a really good place to work Posted: 12 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends Business Insider has teamed with Glassdoor.com to publish a list of the 25 best tech companies to work for, according to those companies' own employees. Reviews and ratings were compiled spanning the past 12 months, and only companies with more than 25 employee reviews were considered. Riot is the only gaming company on the list, but the League of Legends studio places a respectable fourth thanks to glowing employee feedback. "The company takes ridiculously good care of us, and tries every step of the way to make sure we're engaged culturally, intellectually, and socially with the industry and each other. It's by far the best place I've ever worked," gushes one staffer. Riot is apparently a really good place to work originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Todd Harris confirms no more development on Tribes: Ascend Posted: 12 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Sunsets If you've been a fan of Tribes: Ascend, we hope you're happy with the current state of the game -- or that you like SMITE just as much. In response to a user inquiry, Hi-Rez Studios head Todd Harris announced that there are no major updates planned for the game within the next six months. The studio's current resources are devoted first to SMITE, then to Global Agenda 2, and beyond that a full-on sequel to Tribes: Ascend is more likely than a major content patch. While Harris goes on to mention that there are additional maps being worked on, he states there is no definite date for release, if indeed these maps are ever released. While support for servers and the existing game is not in question, the long-term health of the community without further content is questionable. And with no developers working on a sequel, even that seems rather unlikely at this point. Todd Harris confirms no more development on Tribes: Ascend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Dragon Quest X working on a PC port, overseas release Posted: 12 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO Industry, Consoles Did you know that there's a Dragon Quest MMO? The popular and long-running RPG series came out with a console MMO version in Dragon Quest X, although to date it's been confined to the boundaries of Japan. This may be changing, however, as Square-Enix is eyeballing the PC and overseas market. Producer Yosuke Saito confirmed that the studio is working on a PC port of the console MMO: "The drive to release a PC version was there from the start of Dragon Quest X development. The biggest reason was that, when thinking about which platform was most likely to be connected to a network, the PC was the first that popped into our minds." The PC port of the game will be available in Japan in September. Square-Enix has been a little more secretive about an overseas release but did say that it's in the works. The studio isn't sure that it'll be rolled out in the same way that Final Fantasy XI was, as Saito thinks that Dragon Quest X will need to be released on separate servers for various countries and regions. "This is just my personal viewpoint, but different countries consume their games at different speeds and the way the communities are run also differ," he said. Dragon Quest X working on a PC port, overseas release originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| DayZ studio hacked, encrypted passwords downloaded Posted: 12 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, MMO Industry, Legal, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive was struck by hackers today, resulting in the illegal download of player usernames, emails addresses, and passwords. Bohemia posted a letter stating that while the passwords were stolen, their encryption should protect players from the hackers using them. Even so, Bohemia has reset all of the passwords in its database, requiring players to register for a new password in order to access the studio's website and forums. The good news is that credit card info is safe. "We would like to reassure everyone that no other information such as credit card details is stored by us and thus was not at any risk from this illegal breach," Bohemia stated. DayZ studio hacked, encrypted passwords downloaded originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Tamriel Infinium: Three pieces of 'advice' now that you're in ESO beta Posted: 12 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, New Titles, PvE, Opinion, Consoles, Mac, The Elder Scrolls Online, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium When I started this piece, I wanted a good strong Elder Scrolls oath or expletive to start us out, so of course, I jumped to the Imperial Library to find a good one. By the time I'd finished looking and being distracted by the incredible lore surrounding these phrases, by the dragon's teeth, I had completely forgotten why I'd wanted to look up the oath in the first place because this week's Tamriel Infinium isn't even about oaths. It's about beta testing. Apparently, ZeniMax should not give any more beta invites to people with Twitter accounts because they cannot keep a secret. Many players reveled in the fact that they are better than everyone else because they received a special invite to The Elder Scrolls Online closed beta for this weekend. I figured I'd help those special few out by giving them some "advice" on how to make a good impression on the developers while in closed beta. The first one they have already done: announce to the world at large that they have been invited to secret beta test. To get extra points, include your full name and IP address so that it's easier for the ZeniMax community team to find you and "thank" you personally. I've got three more pieces of advice to give, and I want to know why the rest of you deserve to be in beta. Perhaps, I can use your advice to help me get in. Bogfire! My own tactics aren't working for me yet. Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Three pieces of 'advice' now that you're in ESO beta Tamriel Infinium: Three pieces of 'advice' now that you're in ESO beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy screenshots highlight new dungeon Posted: 12 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dungeons What's more iconic to Dungeons & Dragons Online than dragons? Why, dungeons of course! And this latest batch of screenshots introduces players to the a new dungeon joining the game when the Shadowfell Conspiracies expansion launches in August. Dungeon-divers will have to plumb the depths of Friends in Low Places (yes, that is the name) to find ways to protect the citizens of Wheldon from the criminals who are planning to attack Harvest Hall, all while food supplies dwindle. Check out the 10 new images showcasing Friends in Low Places in the gallery below. [Source: Turbine press release] DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy screenshots highlight new dungeon originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Internet Explorer 10 has managed to secure second place amidst all of Microsoft's browsers just last month, with its user share rising from 16.5% to 24% of all copies of Internet Explorer. 
Valve has debuted an interesting new experiment known as 
A new way of legitimizing eSports
More sizzling game deals
