MMO Updates |
- Free for All: Arcane Legends is more than Pocket Legends 2.0
- Guild Wars 2's Fractals of the Mists dungeon detailed in new vid
- The Secret World Issue #4 hitting servers November 15
- Darkfall Unholy Wars launch pushed back to December 12
- New FAQ answers 20 crucial questions on EverQuest II's latest expansion
- Fiesta celebrates five years of operation with a cavalcade of events
- Funcom's Morrison: F2P hesitation 'not something we want as game developers'
- ArenaNet responds to Guild Wars 2 Ascended gear gripes
- DK Online begins closed beta testing
- The Daily Grind: Is an exploit an exploit if a developer approves?
- Aion's Bard class kills them softly in new video
- Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1
- Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs
- The Secret World shows off upcoming raid in New York City
- Newest Mabinogi 2 Arena video showcases sword and board
- Watch Season 7 trailer of Star Trek Online
- League of Legends unveils Zed, the Master of Shadows
- Massively Speaking Episode 224: Salty sailor talk
- The Soapbox: Remembering that games are games
- Hyperspace Beacon: Gearing up for SWTOR Update 1.5
- Flameseeker Chronicles: Five of the purest joys of Guild Wars 2's PvE
| Free for All: Arcane Legends is more than Pocket Legends 2.0 Posted: 14 Nov 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, Humor, Free for All, Dungeons Spacetime Studios' newest title, Arcane Legends, which just launched officially yesterday, didn't quite excite me at first. This was before I had played the game or really caught a glimpse of any in-game artwork, but after three titles, I'd been wondering whether Spacetime could change its tune a bit. The last three titles have been basically the same game, albeit set in different genres and universes. First we were given Pocket Legends, a fantasy dungeon-crawler that surprised us with how much content and fun was to be had inside. Then we got Star Legends, a sci-fi version with a few tweaks. Next up came Dark Legends, a vampire-themed modern adventure that introduced us to action-based combat with a more "adult" tone.It's not that all of the previous titles were no fun to play. Instead, each one offers a smooth experience that's easy to jump into and sometimes hard to put down. But each one felt a bit more like a variant on a previous model, a build-up to something more finalized and slick. Is Arcane Legends that better product? Did it take three tries to finally get things right in the Legends line? Continue reading Free for All: Arcane Legends is more than Pocket Legends 2.0
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| Guild Wars 2's Fractals of the Mists dungeon detailed in new vid Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Dungeons Ready for some more info on new high-end dungeon experiences in Guild Wars 2? Good, because ArenaNet is obliging with a dev diary designed to show off Fractals of the Mists.The content is "an array of mini-dungeons" called fractals, which are in fact "slices of the Mists," which themselves are fragments of time. It's not as confusing as it sounds at first; think of each fragment as an historical vignette, some of which may be familiar to you if you're a Guild Wars veteran. ANet has made the dungeon accessible to everyone via a side-kicking system, though the dev diary does say that the aim was to challenge level 80s. Not only that, but every time you revisit Fractals of the Mists, it scales up in difficulty. Take a look at a preview clip after the cut. Continue reading Guild Wars 2's Fractals of the Mists dungeon detailed in new vid
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| The Secret World Issue #4 hitting servers November 15 Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE, The Secret World Anyone trying to log into The Secret World at 7:00 a.m EST tomorrow, November 15th, will find the game offline. At this time, Issue #4 Big Trouble in the Big Apple will be added to the game. After the server downtime (which is expected to be three hours), folks will be able to log in and experience TSW's first ever raid taking place on the streets of NYC as well as stage plays for other players in London's Albion Theatre. Other additions to this fourth monthly update include changes in PvP and a new chainsaw weapon.
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| Darkfall Unholy Wars launch pushed back to December 12 Posted: 14 Nov 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Darkfall, Expansions, Launches, PvP, News items Fans who were counting down the days until Darkfall's rebirth as Unholy Wars will have to wait longer than expected. Instead of launching November 20th as planned, the reboot will debut on December 12th. Aventurine producer Tasos Flambouras posted the announcement this morning, citing a combination of external factors, last minute issues, and final testing feedback for the decision.Although the launch date is delayed, the development schedule is not; players will lose access to Darkfall on November 15th when the game goes offline as originally planned. Apologizing to fans for the inconvenience of the postponement, Flambouras committed to using the extra three weeks to improve the release version.
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| New FAQ answers 20 crucial questions on EverQuest II's latest expansion Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play The document contains plenty of other useful tidbits as well, including blurbs on the changes to veteran bonus XP, the removal of the group XP split, and how to start enjoying the new expansion content.
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| Fiesta celebrates five years of operation with a cavalcade of events Posted: 14 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Anniversary Five years is a respectably long time for an MMO to be running, and Fiesta is hitting that milestone this month. That's especially notable as the free-to-play title launched in 2007, when the very concept of a free-to-play game was still in its infancy. But like many MMOs, the team behind the game at Outspark isn't just celebrating internally. Instead, players are going to be reaping the benefits of the game's long life through several events, both in-game and out.Players can start off by taking to the streets in the Birthday Grand Prix race and taking part in the new High Roller event, searching for dice across the game's zones for special prizes. Then there's the Anniversary Dance Event running across the servers at the end of the month, a chance to get together with old friends in the game and dance until you stop. You can also enter to wear a pair of JustBeats Monster Headphones by Dr. Dre on the official Facebook page. Whether you're an old veteran or a new player, if you're a fan of the game, be sure to take part in one of the events before the time runs out! [Source: Outspark press release]
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| Funcom's Morrison: F2P hesitation 'not something we want as game developers' Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:45 AM PST Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, The Secret World Gamasutra recently interviewed Morrison regarding free-to-play and the expectations it generates, and while he acknowledged the model's recent success in the West, he noted that most western titles aren't designed to be experienced for free. "They're using a hybrid model, where the free-to-play is a trial and then what they really want is the users to move on to whatever they've called what used to be a subscription," Morrison explained. Even though Funcom pioneered free-to-play in the West with Anarchy Online in 2005, Morrison expresses concern about what the model is doing to games like The Secret World. "Eventually it only stands to reason that people's thought process is 'oh, well, I'll wait till it's free-to-play,' and that's not something we want as game developers. You don't want players to be going, 'I really want to play that game... but I'm going to wait.'" Ultimately, Morrison concludes that F2P is just another tool in the toolbox as opposed to the one true way. "I think we see subscription and free-to-play as tools. And tools can be used well, they can be used badly... it depends on the game. We don't categorically go, 'subscriptions are dead; there will never be subscriptions anymore,' or, 'free-to-play is the only way to monetize your games.' I think it depends on the game and it depends on your project," he said.
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| ArenaNet responds to Guild Wars 2 Ascended gear gripes Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2 The Guild Wars 2 natives are restless with respect to Ascended gear and the perception of grind. On the heels of a massive forum thread that's generated nearly 140 pages and 7,000 replies, ArenaNet Studio Design Director Chris Whiteside attempted to talk a few fans off the ledge."Our goal is not to create a gear treadmill," White wrote. "Our goal is to ensure we have a proper progression for players from exotic up to legendary without a massive jump in reward between the two." He went on to say that PvP will be unaffected, and that the new stuff will be "available in both PvE and WvW over time, and be made available through all sorts of content around the world including existing content." The full statement is available via the GW2 forums. [Thanks to Ring for the tip!]
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| DK Online begins closed beta testing Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:15 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, PvP, News items, Free-to-play If you were just thinking that it's been too long since you last got your hands on a new Aeria Games title, you're in luck! DK Online enters closed beta today. Players in DK Online take on the role of Dragon Knights to fight off the terror of the ancient dragon Kharvag. When they're not busy duking it out with an ancient menace, players can hone their skills by beating each other senseless in one of the game's PvP modes. With the launch of closed beta, a new PvP mode has been opened up: Castle Siege is a contest between several guilds, with total domination as the ultimate goal. Skip below the cut for a video preview of Castle Siege. Aeria Games is promising an "avalanche of special events" during closed beta. The game can be downloaded from the official site. [Source: Aeria Games press release] Continue reading DK Online begins closed beta testing
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| The Daily Grind: Is an exploit an exploit if a developer approves? Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, PvP, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Over in the world of Lord of the Rings Online, some players are riled up over what they see as a clear exploit in PvP. The controversial situation arose when players rolled the free Reaver monster class for the sole purpose of being killed by other players, and thereby rapidly advancing those players in rank.Some players called it a clear exploit. Others said it violated the game's code of conduct. Yet Turbine stated that it is not a violation of rules and therefore is OK to continue. It's an interesting situation that raises the question: Is an exploit really an exploit if a developer gives it the official studio approval? Do players have a leg to stand on by calling something an exploit if it's been evaluated and endorsed by the studio?
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| Aion's Bard class kills them softly in new video Posted: 13 Nov 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Aion, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play What do dancing penguins, bubbly pop music, and pink-clad spellcasters with treble clef harp weapons have in common? They're all part of a new Aion Bard preview video, of course.The Bard is one of three new classes coming in the fantasy title's 4.0 update, and the one-minute clip after the cut is our first opportunity to get a glimpse of the archetype in action. And don't worry, it's not as wince-inducingly cute as it sounds, given that the Bard has plenty of nifty spell effects to go along with her combat and crowd-control abilities. Click through to see for yourself. Continue reading Aion's Bard class kills them softly in new video
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| Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1 Posted: 13 Nov 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Lore, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes The one factor that almost made me drop $150 on the collector's edition of Guild Wars 2 was the promise of a soundtrack CD, which is like catnip to my mind. Thank goodness I didn't, however, because what shipped was a piddly six-track "best of" CD. The real deal came in the form of a four-CD soundtrack release from Jeremy Soule's DirectSong, a staggering 78 tracks of Tyrian goodness.Seventy-eight tracks is a hefty number to get through in any one sitting, so I took about a week to gradually listen through it all. I'm happy to say that it's right up there with the best that the original Guild Wars titles had to offer, expanding upon the world instead of reinventing it. In fact, I think that the music is one of the best bridges that connect Guild Wars 1 and 2 together because you can't be in the newest title without hearing direct tracks and homages of what we've been listening to for years now. Even with Soule at the helm, there's still a lot of filler and forgettable music here that has to be sifted in order to find the really great stuff. Today we're going to begin -- but not complete -- a foray into Guild Wars 2's musical landscape and see whether it's hitting all the right notes. Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's soundtrack, part 1
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| Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, Interviews, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Post-Apocalyptic, Crafting Late last week, Reloaded Games and GamersFirst announced that farming was coming to the post-apocalyptic sandbox Fallen Earth. The initial dev blog gave us some information on how farming will be implemented, but not much more beyond that. We took that as an invitation to pick the dev team's collective brain, and pick we did.Read on after the cut to learn more on how farming will work in Fallen Earth and how close it will be to FarmVille -- plus you can point your eyes at two exclusive screenshots of the farms themselves. Continue reading Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs
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| The Secret World shows off upcoming raid in New York City Posted: 13 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, The Secret World, Miscellaneous In real life, the closest thing you'll find to an eldritch horror in New York City is a half-eaten gyro that's been left in the subway for a week. But in The Secret World, the next major update is bringing some much bigger horrors into the heart of NYC. A new video from the development team explains how players will take on the game's first raid when it goes live with the fourth patch, Big Trouble in the Big Apple.That's not all the update contains, however -- players will also be able to start up the game's second auxiliary weapon (the chainsaw) and indulge in creativity within London's Albion Theater. There's also a PvP overhaul incoming with new rewards, new vendors, and new battle modes. And even that just scratches the surface. For the full rundown of the patch's features, take a look at the lengthy preview video embedded just past the break. Continue reading The Secret World shows off upcoming raid in New York City
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| Newest Mabinogi 2 Arena video showcases sword and board Posted: 13 Nov 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Mabinogi, Vindictus While a previous combat trailer gave players a peek at a variety of fighting styles in the upcoming Mabinogi 2 Arena, the newest release focuses on just the use of the sword and shield combination. Throughout the clip, developer DevCat showcases stabs, cuts, kicks, and rolls against a room full of foes. The video also demonstrates a certain level of gore, as every slice and dice leaves a swath of blood on the floor. Want to get a better look at the action for yourself? Check out the demo after the break!Continue reading Newest Mabinogi 2 Arena video showcases sword and board
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| Watch Season 7 trailer of Star Trek Online Posted: 13 Nov 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Patches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play Just because there are two big expansions releasing today doesn't mean that you should overlook the huge content update warping into Star Trek Online. From Vesta-class starships to new fleet holdings, salt vampires to the Borg, STO's Season 7 is guaranteed to hold at least one thing of interest for each player -- and probably more.Cryptic's released the official launch trailer for Season 7 for those who would prefer to see a quick visual overview of the update. Additionally, don't miss Massively's interview with Executive Producer Daniel Stahl about all of the new features now in the game. You can watch the trailer after the jump! Continue reading Watch Season 7 trailer of Star Trek Online
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| League of Legends unveils Zed, the Master of Shadows Posted: 13 Nov 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Previews, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends According to Riot Games, things are about to get dark and stabby in League of Legends. A new champion has been revealed, and he's very much the sneaky type. Zed, the Master of Shadows, is an energy-based character that relies on dark clones and a pair of rad bracer-daggers to dominate both mid-lane and jungle gameplay.Zed's abilities show him to be a fellow of ill repute: There's Contempt for the Weak, which does extra damage against wounded targets, and Razor Shuriken, which fires multiple razorblades in the direction of opponents. Zed can also use Living Shadow to make a clone copy of himself -- one he can trade places with or simply use to mimic his attacks for more damage. The creation and manipulation of clones make Zed a major threat, but only if played with a strategic flare. Have a look at the League of Legends Champion Spotlight after the break for a full preview of what Zed brings to the table. Continue reading League of Legends unveils Zed, the Master of Shadows
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| Massively Speaking Episode 224: Salty sailor talk Posted: 13 Nov 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Podcasts, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, MMO industry, News items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous It's all hands on deck this week, as Captain Bree and First Mate Justin set sail for expansions, free-to-play, Kickstarter, and the feared water dragon of Ba'ahu! Avast, is that a financial report off of starboard or just a mirage? There's only one way to find out: Raise the radio masts and go full ahead until the truth is known!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 224: Salty sailor talk
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| The Soapbox: Remembering that games are games Posted: 13 Nov 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, Wizard101, World of Tanks, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous I think it's safe to assume that we all love games. If we didn't, I wouldn't be in this crowded, noisy coffee shop writing this and you wouldn't be blowing off some sort of important responsibility reading it. We're all here together, engaged in this somewhat-anonymous internet back-and-forth, because games have touched our lives. It sounds corny, but it's true.For many of us, games have a deeply personal and specific meaning. We like the games we like not so much for their craftsmanship or content but for the way they engage our minds and spirits. Games create incredible, irreplaceable moments infused with emotional resonance, and it's only natural we would feel some sort of personal connection when a piece of digital entertainment syncs just right. It is precisely this personal connection that leads many of us to act like total morons. Continue reading The Soapbox: Remembering that games are games
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Gearing up for SWTOR Update 1.5 Posted: 13 Nov 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Patches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Hyperspace Beacon Star Wars: The Old Republic fans have been anticipating this week since the middle of the summer, and many players who dropped the game shortly after launch are looking forward to trying it out again. Veteran players are most likely familiar with how gear progression works in this game, but those returning will probably need a refresher course. After all, BioWare has made some significant changes, especially to PvP, since the game launched. It's quite understandable if you return to the game and are completely lost when considering how viable your current gear is.Today, I'm going to speak to the returning players and help them put their gear to rights once Update 1.5 launches. If you are a solo PvEer who hasn't looked too hard at endgame gear progression, a PvPer who hasn't looked at the PvE side much, or a raider who wants to dabble in PvP, this mini-guide will help you get started and will give you the gear-progression goals you should shoot for. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Gearing up for SWTOR Update 1.5
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: Five of the purest joys of Guild Wars 2's PvE Posted: 13 Nov 2012 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles I had a really bright idea to title this post "Five things that don't suck about Guild Wars 2's PvE." However, being a denizen of the Interblags, I paused as I typed out those words. "You know, Elisabeth," I said to myself, "someone somewhere would probably see that as an invitation to troll." "But Elisabeth," myself responded, "isn't everything on the Interblags an invitation to troll?" I had to confess that I made a fair point. I mean, it was probably a silly title anyway. There are a lot of things, I tend to think, that don't suck about Guild Wars 2's PvE, and I don't want to give you the wrong impression. Saying they don't suck is a pretty negative way to frame it, don't you think? I'm glad we agree.Anyway, read on to catch some of the most non-suckiest things in Guild Wars 2's PvE. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Five of the purest joys of Guild Wars 2's PvE
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