MMO Updates |
- Choose My Adventure: Guild Wars 2 takes the polls
- Free for All: Dragon Nest's Titan Nest, Lotus Marsh equals pwnage within
- Trion releases new RIFT Storm Legion concept art
- Star Citizen achieves Kickstarter goal with 26 days to spare
- Korean dev blog reveals new Aion Troubadour class
- The Daily Grind: Do you hold developers accountable for what they say?
- A look at Final Fantasy XIV's new character creator
- Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1
- EVE Online $6,000 ship kill may be a hoax
- SOE Live 2012: Building your business and selling homes with Player Studio
- Allods Online crafting professions set to merge in Patch 3.05
- Meridian 59 player teases 3-D client
- TERA revs up Masquerade Mayhem event
- Tossing fireballs and bashing shields: Hands-on with the Forge Beta
- Star Wars: The Old Republic launches the Cartel Market on the PTS
- Guild Wars 2 previews upcoming structured PvP features
- Massively Speaking Episode 221: Chris Roberts, Space Interviewee
- Bigpoint cutting 120 jobs, abandoning U.S. development
- Hyperspace Beacon: Will free-to-play save SWTOR?
- BioWare details SWTOR's Kira Carsen companion
| Choose My Adventure: Guild Wars 2 takes the polls Posted: 24 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Choose My Adventure  So before I let you vote on what you want me to do in Guild Wars 2, let me tell you a bit about my playstyle so you can make your decision. You'll find all of this week's polls at the end! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Guild Wars 2 takes the polls
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| Free for All: Dragon Nest's Titan Nest, Lotus Marsh equals pwnage within Posted: 24 Oct 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Classes, Patches, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All, Dragon Nest, Dungeons  I was given a level 45 character, a Lunar Knight, one of the new classes coming with this patch, to try out on the test server. The saddest part is that I haven't reached anywhere near level 45 on my current Warrior, even though I have learned his abilities well and enjoyed the heck out of him during my 24-hour stream. Unfortunately I didn't utilize the powerset from the Lunar Knight in the video much, instead using my familiar Warrior abilities. I was also given a nice set of Sea Dragon Armor, a mount, and a killer sword -- after all, a naked level 45 character would be sad. I loaded up and jumped in, and here's what I found. Continue reading Free for All: Dragon Nest's Titan Nest, Lotus Marsh equals pwnage within
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| Trion releases new RIFT Storm Legion concept art Posted: 24 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Expansions, MMO industry, Patches, News items, PvE, RIFT  This last is an elemental servitor recruited by Crucia from across the cosmos. Trion says that Architects "are much sought after for their martial prowess and technical skill." Have a look at the new images in our Storm Legion gallery below.
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| Star Citizen achieves Kickstarter goal with 26 days to spare Posted: 24 Oct 2012 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox  Why, yes, yes he did, but due to the overwhelming demand generated by thousands of starving space sim fans, the site had trouble handling all the traffic. Roberts Space Industries thus opened an ancillary Kickstarter project with a $500,000 target. When coupled with the $1.3 million raised so far on the main site, Star Citizen is within striking distance of its original $2 million goal with a lot of time left on the clock. Check out yesterday's Massively Speaking podcast for an interview with Chris Roberts himself.
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| Korean dev blog reveals new Aion Troubadour class Posted: 24 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries  MMO Culture reports that the Troubadour is a support class featuring the ability to both heal allies and weaken enemies. The blurb also compares the new class to Aion's existing Priest, saying that the former plays "at a higher tempo" and boasts skills that work well in both PvP and PvE. The Troubador marks the second of three class reveals hinted at earlier this year. Head past the cut for the new class concept art. Continue reading Korean dev blog reveals new Aion Troubadour class
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| The Daily Grind: Do you hold developers accountable for what they say? Posted: 24 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  The sad thing is Titov's probably right: Far too many gamers think nothing of careless insults based on gender, race, and sexual orientation. But to see it from a developer and then see it dismissed by the game's supporters as something trivial and all good in fun between bros is embarrassing for the community. I'm glad he (or more likely, the game's PR) rescinded the slur, but I also know that subconscious and conscious bias seeps into gaming at the design, culture, and corporate levels, and I'm far less likely to pony up for a game whose developers just don't seem to get that the MMO demographic stretches beyond the privileged straight white male 20-something stereotype. So today I'm wondering how you hold devs accountable when they say something that exposes their prejudices or blind-spots or just poor business sense. Do you expect heads to roll? Do you vote with your wallet and pick games where customers aren't subjected to unprofessional tirades by devs, or are you resigned to the suspicion that most studios are saddled with this mentality?  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!
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| A look at Final Fantasy XIV's new character creator Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Several of the options appear to be returning from the current version of the game, while still others are being added or expanded (no doubt some players will be happy to see that a character's bust size is now freely selectable, for example). The overall look is far more streamlined and straightforward compared to the current version. There's no hint of new hairstyles, but you can take a look at the full preview in the gallery just below. [Source: Square-Enix press release]
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| Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1 Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Jukebox Heroes  I'm serious: This is a whopper of a score. This is music that makes you weep that you don't hear it in the MMOs you play. It's definitely not as well known because it's attached to Vanguard, but I love this music so much that I'm going to do an entire series on it (spread out over time, of course). Unfortunately, the only place that I could find it was packaged in with the collector's edition -- and good luck finding that! The only composer I found credited for this score was Todd Masten, who writes on his website that he worked on the project over a period of two years. Masten took an interesting angle to the score: "The music for this game was designed and composed in a modular fashion for each distinct environment and was created to be interactive." So let's dive in and take a look at the first six Vanguard tracks to catch my ear! Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Vanguard's soundtrack, part 1
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| EVE Online $6,000 ship kill may be a hoax Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Lore, PvP, Endgame, News items, Sandbox  It's believed that many of the original blueprints in the kill were actually cheaper blueprint copies. One possible explanation for the aberration is that there was an error in the EVE API that supplied the original kill data to third-party killboard websites. It's also possible that the kill was marked as API Verified without actually being checked, in which case the kill may have never even happened. An alternative version of the kill valued at only 34 billion ISK ($1,024 US) has also surfaced, but this was manually uploaded and so isn't verified at all. CCP Games posted the kill on its Facebook page and Twitter feed, but didn't officially confirm the kill or its value. We reached CCP for comment, but privacy concerns prevented the company from confirming or denying the kill's authenticity. If this monumental kill turns out to be an error or a hoax, the next-highest value confirmed EVE kill would be Bjoern's Avatar class titan destroyed in March 2011. The titan was kitted out with expensive officer modules and came to a total value of over 128 billion ISK. As the price of PLEX was much lower in 2011, this would have bought 355 PLEX worth a total of $6,212.50 US.
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| SOE Live 2012: Building your business and selling homes with Player Studio Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Economy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Housing  So how does one transition from imaginer to bustling entrepreneur? Devs hosted a panel at SOE Live 2012 that discussed the steps of getting an item from your mind's eye out into the Marketplace for others to buy and enjoy. But what if instead of imagining new items, you take existing items and create incredible displays that are the envy of others? Devs announced a feature that will allow decorators to fully furnish a home, bundle it up, and offer it for sale via the Marketplace as well. After the informative panel, I caught up with Producer Holly Longdale and director of of the EQ franchise Dave Georgeson to uncover even more details about the opportunities available with Player Studio. Continue reading SOE Live 2012: Building your business and selling homes with Player Studio
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| Allods Online crafting professions set to merge in Patch 3.05 Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Professions, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Crafting  Other changes made to crafting with this patch include simplified profession leveling progression, an improved crafting interface, tool upgrades, crafted armor, and more. The point of the crafting changes revolves around the idea of making armor that is more easily obtained for those players who put time into crafting and adventuring. Patch 3.05 is set to release on October 30th.
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| Meridian 59 player teases 3-D client Posted: 23 Oct 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Meridian 59, Culture, Free-to-play  In a brief video, the possibility for a 3-D Meridian 59 is teased with some basic landscape rendering and strategically placed bushes and trees. While the author admits that it's still crude and in the beginning stages, it's tantalizing to think about this 2.5-D title finally breaking through to the third dimension. Of course, purists don't have to worry that their game is under attack, as the production servers for the classic Meridian 59 experience are still alive and kicking. You can check out the community project video after the jump. [Thanks to Dennis for the tip!] Continue reading Meridian 59 player teases 3-D client
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| TERA revs up Masquerade Mayhem event Posted: 23 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Events, in-game, TERA  Players will be treated to free gifts just for logging in, although it'll take some blood, sweat, and fears to earn the special costumes and mount during this event. A giant pumpkin ghost named Gourdo is haunting the various towns, and players can earn goodies by slinging pies at him. How do you get pies? From killing pie-toting mobs, of course. En Masse also has a themed dungeon for players to investigate, but don't forget to take a break on the 30th to partake in the Masquerade Ball. You can get a pie-full of Masquerade Mayhem event in the official video after the break! Continue reading TERA revs up Masquerade Mayhem event
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| Tossing fireballs and bashing shields: Hands-on with the Forge Beta Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, War, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on  While some may be skeptical of the appeal of a PvP-only MMO, others will note that there is vast potential here to fill a niche for gamers craving MMO-style combat without all the extra muss and fuss of grinding, gearing, and socializing. The only question is whether Forge will strike a chord with that pocket of players or will be just another "also-ran" in a sea of experimental MMOs. I took a peek at the Forge beta over the weekend, and what I found was an intense title with a lot of promise, but one that clearly has a lot of ground to cover before being ready for mass consumption. Continue reading Tossing fireballs and bashing shields: Hands-on with the Forge Beta
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic launches the Cartel Market on the PTS Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Economy, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic  To test out its new market, BioWare set all PTS players to F2P status so the team can fully assess the F2P options. But does that mean that players have to spend real money to test out F2P? No; according the patch notes, "all PTS testers will be periodically granted a small amount of Cartel Coins for the purpose of testing the Cartel Market." Earlier today, the Hyperspace Beacon talked about the impact of F2P on SWTOR. Log on to the PTS, test out the Cartel Market, then let us know what you think in the comments. How does it stack up to other cash shops? Is this enough to change the course of the game?
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| Guild Wars 2 previews upcoming structured PvP features Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, Guild Wars 2  PvPers who win in paid tournaments will soon be granted qualifying points (QPs), which not only allow players to measure themselves against the competition but will be used to seed the game's larger tournaments. ArenaNet said that it will also be adding more ways for QPs to matter down the road. The user interface for PvP is getting tweaked as well. The tournament browser will now show map rotations and rewards, and ArenaNet is adding a quick-launch button and a scoreboard as well. The team hinted that it's continuing work on custom arenas, although it's not ready to reveal the work on that project as of yet.
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| Massively Speaking Episode 221: Chris Roberts, Space Interviewee Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, MMO industry, News items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous  Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 221: Chris Roberts, Space Interviewee
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| Bigpoint cutting 120 jobs, abandoning U.S. development Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual  "We have seen that developing games in the U.S. is not really the most efficient way for us at the moment," CEO Heiko Hubertz tells GamesIndustry. "The games that we have developed in the last two years haven't been that successful, and the San Francisco area and Bay Area is quite a competitive market. San Francisco is, after New York, one of the most expensive cities you can live in in the US, so the people are quite expensive." Hubertz will abdicate his CEO duties for an executive chairman position later this year. Bigpoint has yet to name a replacement. Hubertz also indicated that none of Bigpoint's current titles will be affected and that the company will continue making games.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Will free-to-play save SWTOR? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon  On that note, I'd like to take a look at the free-to-play plans for our Star Wars MMO. Many players hope that F2P will finally launch SWTOR in the right direction. Others believe that if SWTOR had launched F2P, we wouldn't have seen the mass exodus that we saw in March. (Of course, there are also those who claim that F2P is just the next step toward fail and that the game will shut down in less than a year.) Personally, I'm a fan, so I'm hopeful. However, I take that hope with the realization that this could definitely be the beginning of the end for SWTOR. Ultimately, the potential for success hinges on the disparity between what the players want and what BioWare delivers. Will F2P save SWTOR? Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Will free-to-play save SWTOR?
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| BioWare details SWTOR's Kira Carsen companion Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries  The latest entry focuses on one Kira Carsen, whom BioWare describes as anything but your typical Jedi. "Kira disregards authority on multiple occasions. She respects the Jedi Order, but when you are choosing your conversation options remember that she doesn't mind breaking the rules from time to time," BioWare advises. Check out the full entry and related media on the official SWTOR website.
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