MMO Updates |
- SOE partners with Major League Gaming for PlanetSide 2 e-sports
- MMObility: The Chromebook 'All In One' project - Ten pseudo-MMOs
- Trion tabs Namco Bandai for Defiance EU distribution
- New Neverwinter dev blog, screens show off armor customization
- Funcom game directors talk relocation, effects on TSW, AoC, and AO development [Updated]
- The Daily Grind: What simple things endear a game to you?
- Lineage II looks back at 2012 and forward to 2013
- Trion compiles pre-order FAQ for Defiance
- The Perfect Ten: Memorable marketing campaigns
- LotRO devs talk Updates 10 and 11
- Defiance video spotlights mutants
- The Summoner's Guidebook: The perfect LoL gank
- Ask Massively: We don't need another hero
- SMITE moves to open beta today
- Riot Games issues lifetime bans for League of Legends players
- Trion to publish ArcheAge in the West
- Smedley talks players as content, hints at EQNext 'actual release version'
| SOE partners with Major League Gaming for PlanetSide 2 e-sports Posted: 25 Jan 2013 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2  Neither company has specified what those features and settings might be, but PS2 creative director Matt Higby and SOE CEO John Smedley have long maintained that the firm was developing its sci-fi shooter sequel with an eye on the competitive gaming arena. SOE and MLG will also collaborate to create original programming, with a broadcast schedule due "in the coming weeks."
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| MMObility: The Chromebook 'All In One' project - Ten pseudo-MMOs Posted: 25 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, MMORTS, Kids, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, MMObility, Sandbox  I also wrote up my wife's take on the Chromebook over at my personal blog. Be sure to check that out. She has been the perfect guinea pig as she pushes devices to their limits, and so the Chromebook has been getting heavy use from her and working wonderfully. Next week, my last installment of this series will be a video and article combo that covers the good and bad of the device, along with my final thoughts. Until then, though, click past the cut and enjoy my list of pseudo-MMOs. These are games that don't quite fit into the MMO category but have a multiplayer aspect to them! Continue reading MMObility: The Chromebook 'All In One' project - Ten pseudo-MMOs
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| Trion tabs Namco Bandai for Defiance EU distribution Posted: 25 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Defiance  Trion Worlds Europe SVP John Burns stated, "We're delighted to be working with Namco Bandai, a great company with a proven track record in bringing big games successfully to the market thanks to their great distribution network and excellent relationship with both high-street and online retailers."
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| New Neverwinter dev blog, screens show off armor customization Posted: 25 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Neverwinter  Neverwinter's armor is both level-restricted and class-bound, but it also provides equipment and enchantment slots that allow for experimentation and differentiation. Check out the full details on the game's official site, and have a look through the new screenshot gallery below while you're at it.
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| Funcom game directors talk relocation, effects on TSW, AoC, and AO development [Updated] Posted: 25 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, The Secret World  TSW's Joel Bylos notes that the move will cause some "development turbulence," and that the game's DLC and update schedule will slow down temporarily as a result. He has more details on both the game's Issue #6 update and veteran rewards in his letter. AoC's Craig Morrison says that the fantasy title isn't going anywhere, although he also acknowledges some staff turnover due to the relocation. He also notes that having the game's dev team and community team in the same building will be a huge benefit. Finally, Anarchy Online's update echoes the first two, but game director Dave "Ilaliya" Williams writes that the engine upgrade, server migration, and new player experience are all still on the table. [Update]: Funcom has also published an update on the restructuring process on its main website. [Thanks to David for the tip!]
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| The Daily Grind: What simple things endear a game to you? Posted: 25 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Sometimes, what matters isn't the big things that get you addicted to a game but the little elements that improve your overall experience. Cosmetic flourishes, nice-looking equipment, convenience and quality-of-life upgrades -- none of them makes the game good or bad, but sometimes they bring a bigger grin than actual content or systems. So what simple things have endeared a game to you, now or in the past?  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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| Lineage II looks back at 2012 and forward to 2013 Posted: 24 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  But what about the future? Well, there's another major installment of the Goddess of Destruction series due out. The development team is also looking into a variety of improvements for players including tradeable shop items, methods of gifting microtransaction currency, and more options to pay for your cash shop purchases. There's also discussion of more events and tournaments for everyone to enjoy, showing that the title is aging but still has quite a lot of life left.
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| Trion compiles pre-order FAQ for Defiance Posted: 24 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, Defiance  Check out the thread and be sure to check back often (or ask a question yourself) as it will be continuously updated with new info as it becomes available. [Thanks to Levi for the tip!]
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| The Perfect Ten: Memorable marketing campaigns Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, EverQuest II, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Ultima Online, Global Agenda, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, TERA, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous  Believe it or not, MMOs get off easy when it comes to notorious marketing campaigns. Anything on the following list, good or bad, is a pale shadow of what we've seen in the larger video game industry. Still, there have been plenty of attempts to promote MMOs in ways that make us either applaud or laugh at the studio (and sometimes both at once, which takes coordination). After doing some staff polling and internal polling, here are 10 memorable marketing campaigns from the era of MMORPGs. Maybe they're all winners in that they got noticed by at least one person, even if they're the most foolish notions in history. Here we go! Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Memorable marketing campaigns
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| LotRO devs talk Updates 10 and 11 Posted: 24 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Community Q&A, Dev Diaries  Chief among the topics was Update 10, of which the team spilled a host of details. The update will go to the test server next week, and promises to contain new armor sets, standardized power pools, the removal of dread on the landscape, a big change to Wardens, and the second half of the instance cluster. Turbine also said that while Update 10 won't have a new book in the epic story, Update 11 definitely will (and it'll be "super-sized"). Update 11 is also slated to add a whole new region to the game that includes mounted and standard combat. We've got the beefy Q&A transcript for you after the jump, so check it out! Continue reading LotRO devs talk Updates 10 and 11
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| Defiance video spotlights mutants Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Defiance  The mutants used to be human soldiers, but have since been transformed into raging, muscular monstrosities. These creatures retain their former training and -- more importantly -- their weapons. While powerful, the mutants aren't invincible and can be taken down with a little aggressive persuasion. Check out the short mutant spotlight video after the jump! Continue reading Defiance video spotlights mutants
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: The perfect LoL gank Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook  Ganking is a critical part of LoL. You can put an enemy team out of commission long before the midgame starts by having many successful ganks. While it's common in Summoner's Rift to have the jungler be the ganking linchpin of a team, ganking is not confined to junglers. Roaming supports and mages are also quite effective, and in a gametype like Dominion, anyone who can approach undetected and deliver burst damage or CC can make an effective ganker. This week in the Summoner's Guidebook, we'll talk about setting up for ganks and some ways to make them pay off more effectively. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: The perfect LoL gank
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| Ask Massively: We don't need another hero Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Community Q&A  That's just not how it works. Continue reading Ask Massively: We don't need another hero
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| SMITE moves to open beta today Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA  Not only will players no longer need a key to download and play the game, but they will get to keep their progress and unlocks thus far throughout both open beta and release -- there are no planned character wipes. Hi-Rez is also offering a limited-edition cosmetic skin to all players who reach level 30 during the beta period. To join the new open beta, visit the official site and create an account. Want to see SMITE in action? Then be sure to catch Massively TV's Lunchtime Livecast on Saturday the 26th at 11:00 a.m. EST. [Source: Hi-Rez press release]
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| Riot Games issues lifetime bans for League of Legends players Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, MOBA, League of Legends  Simon "Rayt3ch" Näslund has also had his account banned and is barred from tournament participation for one year, but his future accounts will not be flagged as kill-on-sight. These bannings will force Team Solo Mebdi out of the qualifying rounds for the League of Legends championship, as the loss of the players pushes the team below the minimum necessary number of members. It's an aggressive step toward cleaning up the notoriously vile community, although it remains to be seen what the lasting impact will be from these bannings.
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| Trion to publish ArcheAge in the West Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:35 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox  The company responsible for RIFT, Defiance, End of Nations, and the Red Door publishing and development platform will bring Jake Song's fantasy sandpark opus to audiences in North America, Europe, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand, according to a joint press release. The document makes no mention of either a release date or beta dates for the western market. You can read it in its entirety after the cut. [Source: Trion/XL press release] Continue reading Trion to publish ArcheAge in the West
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| Smedley talks players as content, hints at EQNext 'actual release version' Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox  SOE CEO John Smedley recently talked to Gamasutra about his company's free-to-play business makeover and a new focus on players-as-content."Everybody is content for everyone else," Smedley said. "That's the core of our strategy moving forward. A simple way to put it is: By allowing players to interact with each other, we're providing tools. It's like we're building a gladiator arena and throwing in the swords... We might bust the tigers out or bring in new kinds of weapons, like a tank. In my opinion, the days when companies can make content [generation] the number one strategy, in the kinds of games we make, are over, because we can't win the war. Star Wars:The Old Republic proved that. Players bought it, loved it, and they played the game. Then they left." Smedley also hinted that SOE's long-awaited EQNext project may be closer to fruition than many folks expect. While we've known for some time now to expect a playable demo of the fantasy sandbox at this fall's SOE Live convention, Smedley's comments to Gamasutra will probably invite plenty of speculation. "Players will get their hands on an actual release version of what we're doing late [this] year -- and I don't mean a beta," he said.
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