MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Former Lineage II/TERA dev starts new game studio

Posted: 16 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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Lineage II/Tera dev starts new game studio
What do you do when your parent company wants to focus on mobile gaming and you don't? If you are Yonghyun Park, you start your own studio. Once a developer on both Lineage II and TERA, Park created a new company called NAT Games from LADA Studios, which was dismissed from Netmarble Korea over the aforementioned difference in market focus.

NAT Games plans on creating the next big blockbuster MMORPG, according to Steparu.com, who found the fledgling studio's recruitment webpage and application. Unfortunately, not much more is known about this proposed game in the works, but we'll keep you informed as information comes in.

MassivelyFormer Lineage II/TERA dev starts new game studio originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming

Posted: 16 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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Game title image
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster reminded us that the grim specter of death comes to us all and asserted that when your time comes, "you will not wish you had spent more time gaming." Mike took the stance that gaming provides temporary joys that can't replace real-life experiences and that it's our inherent responsibility as human beings with finite lifespans to seek out those experiences. He argued that "gaming is a hobby and not a replacement for a life well-lived" and that it's not our gaming achievements but our real life ones that we'll proudly tell our grandchildren.

I think we can all agree that it's important to have offline hobbies and interests that help you keep active, but I take exception to the notion that we might regret time spent gaming on our deathbeds. Published data on the top five regrets of the dying actually seems to directly refute this idea, and my life experiences have shown the exact opposite of some of the points Mike makes. MMOs have given me some experiences that I'll probably treasure for a lifetime, and gaming as a hobby has provided me with much more than just temporary joys and escapism; it's helped me discover talents I didn't know I possessed, given me the push I needed to get a good education, led me to employment, and put me in contact with lifelong friends. On my deathbed, I'll probably wish I'd spent more time gaming rather than less.

In this opinion piece, I look at evidence that suggests we won't regret gaming on our deathbeds and make the case that gaming can be just as worthwhile as offline pursuits.

Continue reading The Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming

MassivelyThe Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Neverwinter's Fury of the Feywild lands August 22nd

    Posted: 16 Jul 2013 08:30 AM PDT

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    Fury if the Feywild lands in Neverwinter August 22nd
    Perfect World and Cryptic Studios didn't even let the launch-day paint dry (that's the officially official launch, not the one that let everyone in to play) before announcing Neverwinter's first free content update. And now that expansion has a launch date of its very own: Fury of the Feywild will go live on August 22nd. On that date Neverwinter players will gain access to a host of goodies, including the new zone Sharandar, new dungeons, new professions, and the new Campaign System.

    Players, however, don't have to wait until the module releases to get into the spirit of it; two special packs filled with Feywild-themed rewards are available for purchase. The starter pack consists of a portal hound companion, a Feywild hunter's ring, a fine Elven silk bag, and an adventurer's helper pack. Players can purchase multiple starter packs per account for $19.99 each. The knight of the Feywild pack offers a unicorn mount, a Sylph companion, the Moon Elf race, 600,000 astral diamonds, and more for $59.99.

    MassivelyNeverwinter's Fury of the Feywild lands August 22nd originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Smaller virtual bodies affect how people see the world

    Posted: 16 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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    Inevitably worth addressing when discussing child-like bodies.
    How much does the size of our virtual bodies influence our behaviors? It doesn't seem like it'd have much of an effect, but according to a recent study it can cause a greater impact than you might speculate. Researchers placed several subjects in special motion-capture suits, then presented the subjects with a body that had adult proportions or childish proportions, even though both bodies were the same size.

    The result was that participants in the childlike bodies were more likely to identify as children rather than as adults, exploring more child-like environments and behaving less like adults. It's worth keeping in mind that these behaviors happened within motion-capture suits designed to simulate actual movement in virtual bodies, so how much of this would transfer to MMOs is questionable. But it's an interesting set of variables to consider, especially in terms of how much we identify with our avatars in the game.

    [Thanks to David for the tip!]

    MassivelySmaller virtual bodies affect how people see the world originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively's Guild Wars 2 Cutthroat Politics patch preview

    Posted: 16 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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    Cutthroat Politics patch preview for Guild Wars 2
    ArenaNet's next patch for Guild Wars 2, titled Cutthroat Politics, will allow players directly affect the living story by giving them the ability to vote in an important election. During the Dragon Bash storyline, Theo Ashford was murdered, causing a vacancy on Lion Arch's prestigious Captain's Council. Two candidates have stepped forward, Ellen Kiel and Evon Gnashblade, and players will cast votes using support tokens to decide the winner.

    While choosing which NPC will become a more prominent figure in the game is a nice twist, apparently there is more at stake. The winner of the election will express his or her gratitude by reducing the cost of certain goods and services, bringing back various minigames, and even sponsoring Mist research so players can re-live one of two historical events.

    This Cutthroat Politics game update goes live on July 23 and is full of new events, rewards, and features, so check out the preview video after the cut to hear me dissect all of the details.

    Continue reading Massively's Guild Wars 2 Cutthroat Politics patch preview

    MassivelyMassively's Guild Wars 2 Cutthroat Politics patch preview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do you like time-limited goodies?

      Posted: 16 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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      Technically is heir is in charge of the Jedi Council, but that's another story.
      Star Wars: The Old Republic offered a little goodie for players who wanted to commemorate the anniversary of Knights of the Old Republic in the form of a title. If you didn't buy it yesterday... well, it's gone. It was incredibly cheap and freely available for everyone for that day, but that was the only window of opportunity you had.

      This brings to mind a very different set of questions than time-limited content. A time-limited title or vanity item doesn't actually affect the game when it shows up or leaves since it's just for fun. At the same time, a promotional item that players can't get immediately becomes intensely desirable, and it means that new players are forced out by necessity. So do you like time-limited goodies that have no effect on the game as a whole? Or would you much prefer that vanity items be limited through some other means?

      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 like time-limited goodies? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Not So Massively: Elite Dangerous goes public, Dota 2 launches, and End of Nations becomes a MOBA

        Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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        Game title image
        League of Legends announced plans for its upcoming Season three World Championship tournament this week and revealed details of a full Master Yi revamp coming as part of Patch 3.9. After two years of not quite being released, Dota 2 officially launched and saw a small increase in player numbers. The second season of Heroes of Newerth's competitive HoNTour League is about to get underway, but organisers have revealed that there will be cash prizes for only the top six teams in each cycle.

        Diablo III fansite DiabloFans revealed some interesting information on upcoming development following an interview with developers, including the fact that the game won't be a launch title for the PS4 or XBox One. Path of Exile upgraded its map-to-maker system to also assign dropped magic and rare maps to the creator of a map area, and it slashed some of its microtransaction item prices.

        Firefall developer Red 5 Studios announced its first $10,000 US cash prize tournament series and profiled Star Citizen in its latest Rise of the Indies show on YouTube. Elite: Dangerous released £4 million ($5.9 million US) worth of shares to the public on the London Stock Exchange, adding to the impressive amount of capital the developers already have access to. And End of Nations now falls firmly within the remit of this column after recently rebranding itself from an MMO to a MOBA.

        Continue reading Not So Massively: Elite Dangerous goes public, Dota 2 launches, and End of Nations becomes a MOBA

        MassivelyNot So Massively: Elite Dangerous goes public, Dota 2 launches, and End of Nations becomes a MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Square releases FFXIV fashion video

          Posted: 15 Jul 2013 05:30 PM PDT

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          Square releases FFXIV fashion video
          Square is teasing Final Fantasy XIV fans with a quick look at some of the game's armor sets. A new video called Eorzea Collection 2013 was recently linked on the FFXIV Facebook page, and it's basically an Eorzean fashion show with the game's various outdoor environments subbing for the typical runway.

          We've embedded the entire clip after the cut!

          [Thanks Brandon!]

          Continue reading Square releases FFXIV fashion video

          MassivelySquare releases FFXIV fashion video originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Chaos Theory: Been there, done that, got the guardian event t-shirt in The Secret World

          Posted: 15 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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          Chaos Theory  Been there, done that, got the guardian event Tshirt in TSW
          The hardest part about writing about The Secret World's anniversary Guardians of Gaia event was stopping long enough to write! No, seriously, it was completely addicting; you kept thinking, "Oh, just one more guardian," and soon the entire day and half of the night was gone. And then the weekend. I should know because I hardly left the game this past week! (But let's keep that between us, shall we?)

          What could be so compelling that it kept me logged in for more hours than I'm willing to admit even to comrades at a gaming site? It all started innocently enough: I simply came to the aid of someone trying for a guardian pet reward. Quite the critter aficionado myself, I was more than happy to help, Sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong! That was only the beginning. Little did I know what I was truly in for as the event turned out to be a veritable smörgåsbord of AP, SP, and loot as well as a shining example of community cooperation. And I got a t-shirt!

          Unfortunately, it couldn't all be sunshine and kittens... I mean gloom and golems (this is TSW after all!). Something invariably has to go wrong, or it wouldn't be a true MMO, right? There was a definite black cloud that hung over the otherwise festive occasion. And I hope it is one that Funcom will address and dispel for any future events.

          Continue reading Chaos Theory: Been there, done that, got the guardian event t-shirt in The Secret World

          MassivelyChaos Theory: Been there, done that, got the guardian event t-shirt in The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Darkfall is half off on Steam through July 22

            Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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            Darkfall is half off on Steam right now
            Got any money left in your wallet after Steam's summer sale? If so, and if you're in the market for a PvP-centric fantasy sandbox MMO, check out Darkfall.

            Aventurine's title is half-price until July 22nd, so instead of 40 bucks you can grab the game client for $19.97. Keep in mind that Darkfall is a subscription title, so you'll need to chip in $14.95 a month to continue playing after the first 30 days.

            [Thanks everyone who tipped us!]

            MassivelyDarkfall is half off on Steam through July 22 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online's Al Rivera, part two

            Posted: 15 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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            STO Risian Corvette
            Last week I began a series of columns based on the numerous interviews I conducted while I visited the Star Trek Online team at Cryptic Studios. I continue today with part two of my interview with Star Trek Online's Lead Designer, Al (CaptainGeko) Rivera, who had lots of things to say about his hopes for the future of the game, including its duty officer system and how the "JJverse" affects the things we see in the game. So join me past the jump and let's get to it!

            Continue reading Captain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online's Al Rivera, part two

            MassivelyCaptain's Log: Interview with Star Trek Online's Al Rivera, part two originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Digital Extremes celebrates 3 million Warframe space ninjas

              Posted: 15 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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              Warframe
              The latest update for robot-ninjas-in-space title Warframe went live last week, bringing fancy new weapons and content to all of you would-be interstellar assassins. But the new missions and items aren't the only big news from the launch; Digital Extremes also announced that Warframe has amassed over three million users since hitting open beta in March.

              Update 9 brought the NOVA warframe, designed by the community's Design Council, along with content expansions to the Orokin Void and Grineer Galleon zones. Additionally, Digital Extremes added five new prime weapon blueprints to discover, 14 new warframe helmets, and a redesigned fight with Captain Vor that ends with an all-new pistol blueprint.

              MassivelyDigital Extremes celebrates 3 million Warframe space ninjas originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              BioWare talks KOTOR tenth anniversary, influence on SWTOR

              Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT

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              KOTOR
              If you haven't felt old yet this week, here's your punch in the gut: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare's beloved RPG, turns 10 today. The studio is celebrating KOTOR's birthday in a number of small ways, one of which being a loving blog post from studio creative director James Ohlen that talks about how KOTOR influenced the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

              According to Ohlen, BioWare put a premium on bringing several core components of KOTOR into SWTOR. He mentions epic narratives set in the Old Republic era, cinematic storytelling, being a Jedi, owning a starship, traveling to different worlds, an internal conflict between good and evil, and hanging out with companion characters that actually matter.

              Here's a clip from the post:
              All of these were key elements that we knew we wanted included from the very start of development. The good news is that all of these elements are featured prominently in SWTOR. These features also make SWTOR unique amongst MMORPGs, and helped forge what has become one of the strongest game communities in the history of online RPGs.
              Players of SWTOR can join in the celebration of KOTOR's birthday by purchasing the Revan's Heir title from the Cartel Market for 10 Cartel Coins. The title will be available only until 3 a.m. EDT, July 16th. So, tonight. Additionally, you can read through some of the memories offered by people who worked on KOTOR and score yourself a handful of wallpapers on this official BioWare post.

              MassivelyBioWare talks KOTOR tenth anniversary, influence on SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Massively Exclusive: Episode 3 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria

              Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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              Massively Exclusive Episode 3 of Mabinogi the Saga Iria
              Mabinogi fans are dealing with a series of cliffhangers, as Nexon has been doling out the Iria Saga videos in weekly segments. Following the intrepid tale of episode 1, episode 2 culminated in a daring rescue-slash-escape from some nasty ruins.

              Join us today for the third episode in the series, where nightmares and chase scenes will hold sway over all. Drink up on all of the lore that this video has to offer and then get into the game itself to experience the wild world of Mabinogi (Legal disclaimer: May or may not cause waking nightmares. If your scream persists for more than four hours, please consult a physician.)

              We've got episode 3 after the break.

              Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Episode 3 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria

              MassivelyMassively Exclusive: Episode 3 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's addons

                Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                Yeah, it looks boring, but a working addon is glorious indeed.
                Whether you agree with World of Warcraft's approach to interface design or not, it's hard to deny that it's a fascinating case study. It's a game that was released with a broken interface, one that was very decidedly not the optimal way to experience the game... with the expectation that players would develop a better one (which could then be pinched by the developers to improve the core experience).

                This is pretty unusual now, and it was almost unheard of back in the day. But WildStar is going down the same road of having UI mods and addons in from day one, and it's one of the places that I think taking lessons from World of Warcraft would not only be prudent but downright smart.

                Including UI modding from launch means that WildStar will have the opportunity to tread down familiar paths. But some of those paths are familiarly awful, and so perhaps the developers could learn some lessons from those who have made these mistakes before. So let's look at the good, the bad, and how we can perhaps get more of the former than the latter.

                Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's addons

                MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's addons originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Remanum announces impending shutdown

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:30 AM PDT

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                  Take a long last look around.
                  The idea of an MMO centered entirely around establishing a trading empire is unique, as are games set in the time of ancient Rome instead of a more traditional European fantasy. But Remanum had certain problems, problems that the developers didn't see a way to change without massive rewrites. In a letter released to the community, the game director admits that without any further options, the team is going to shut down Remanum in the near future. Development and bug fixing have already stopped.

                  On September 16th, all servers except for the most recently opened server will be taken offline, with the newest server allowed to run a bit longer. Players can transfer to the last server starting now if they want to keep playing as long as possible. While this is a German server, support will be offered for all languages until the final shutdown, and any gold purchased on other servers will be transferred to this last bastion.

                  [Thanks to Arachnella for the tip!]

                  MassivelyRemanum announces impending shutdown originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  ZeniMax publishes dungeon-focused Elder Scrolls AMA

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                  ZeniMax publishes dungeon-focused Elder Scrolls AMA
                  Have questions about dungeons in The Elder Scrolls Online? ZeniMax has answers, at least to a few of them. The firm has published a new Ask Us Anything on dungeons that gathers together various community queries in a single post.

                  Hit the links below to learn the answers to things like whether or not ESO dungeons will be linear like most of their single-player Elder Scrolls counterparts and whether players will be able to wander into solo encounters in the multiplayer game. As for this last bit, ZeniMax says that the answer is basically yes, after a fashion. "Certain rare locales will just be for solo players, and some dungeons are meant for groups made only of people you choose to go in with. Most locales, however, will be accessible by everyone."

                  Also of note is the decision to dispense with dungeon lockout timers. "We don't currently have any plans to use lockout timers. You can run through a dungeon as often as you like," the company says.

                  MassivelyZeniMax publishes dungeon-focused Elder Scrolls AMA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  MMORPG News

                  MMORPG News


                  Elder Scrolls Online: All About Dungeons

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:02 PM PDT

                  All About Dungeons

                  The Elder Scrolls Online team has posted the latest in their 'Ask Me Anything' series. This time, the topic is dungeons and players submitted their burning questions to the team for answering.

                  Rift: Bill Fisher on F2P and Beyond

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 03:39 PM PDT

                  Bill Fisher on F2P and Beyond

                  Welcome back to Game On: Epic Slant Press Edition! This week we're joined by the Creative Director on RIFT, Mr. Bill "Daglar" Fisher, for an open discussion of the game's F2P future. We pull from reader submitted questions to talk about version 3.0, souls, PvP, conquest, player-made warfronts, dimensions, the Storm Legion leveling experience, F2P success, and much more. Thanks to the readers for submitting their inquiries and to Bill for answering them!

                  World of Warcraft: In-game Store and Movie Update

                  Posted: 13 Jul 2013 06:26 PM PDT

                  In-game Store and Movie Update

                  World of Warcraft's big revelation this past week is that, indeed, an in-game item store will be making its way to the game in the future. In our latest WoW Factor, we offer a few thoughts about that as well as update you on the World of Warcraft movie in the making. Read on!

                  Age of Wushu: Franchise Expanding in Big Ways

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 09:31 AM PDT

                  Franchise Expanding in Big Ways

                  Snail Games has announced that Age of Wushu's franchise is expanding in several new ways. According to the press release, there will be a major feature film based on the IP. Additionally, the team has announced that AoW will be appearing on both mobile devices and consoles.

                  SMITE: NA & EU Tournaments Announced

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 09:26 AM PDT

                  NA & EU Tournaments Announced

                  Hi-Rez Studios has announced a pair of SMITE tournaments to be held during Gamescom in the EU and in North America at PAX. Each tournament will have an impressive prize pool for the teams to share. Check the information below for the dates and times.

                  General: This Week's Live Stream Schedule

                  Posted: 15 Jul 2013 09:20 AM PDT

                  This Week

                  This week's live stream schedule has been posted with our hosts playing some of the greatest MMOs of today. You can find the schedule below and join in at the appointed time on the MMORPG.com Live Stream page.

                  Guild Wars 2: Evolution

                  Posted: 13 Jul 2013 06:15 PM PDT

                  Evolution

                  The games that seems to last the longest are those that embrace evolution and moving the story forward. In our latest column devoted to Guild Wars 2, we look at what ArenaNet has accomplished in this regard. Check it out and then leave your thoughts in the comments.

                  EverQuest Next: A Different Kind of Norrath

                  Posted: 10 Jul 2013 05:37 PM PDT

                  A Different Kind of Norrath

                  As we slowly march towards the seminal day of August 2nd, speculation has already begun to mount about what exactly EverQuest Next will be. In our new column devoted to EQN, we talk a bit about what SOE has revealed so far and opine about a few other topics. See what we have to say before adding your voice to the comments.

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