MMO Updates

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• Wargaming.net buys Day 1 Studios, plans 'unannounced console title'
• Guild Wars 2 dev diaries discuss new rewards, achievement system, dungeon changes
• Massively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview
• War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released
• Greg Zeschuk on leaving BioWare: 'You just get tired of it after a while'
• The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of browser-based MMOs?
• Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls
• Star Trek Online celebrates two million 'captains'
• Neverwinter reveals pre-order packs, beta weekend dates
• Darkfall dev diary video details the world of Agon
• Chaos Theory: Reacting to TSW's restructuring and relocation
• The Nexus Telegraph: Giving trust for WildStar
• Captain's Log: Leveling up and new lockboxes in Star Trek Online

Wargaming.net buys Day 1 Studios, plans 'unannounced console title' Posted: 29 Jan 2013 08:30 AM PST Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles Wargaming.net has has acquired Chicago-based Day 1 Studios for $20 million. The latter firm will be rebranded as Wargaming West according to a blurb on its official website. The new studio will also "focus exclusively on the development of an unannounced console title," according to a Wargaming press release. Day 1 previously worked with Microsoft and Sony on a console port of the original F.E.A.R. shooter before going on to develop F.E.A.R. 3. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Wargaming.net buys Day 1 Studios, plans 'unannounced console title' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 dev diaries discuss new rewards, achievement system, dungeon changes Posted: 29 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2 Two new dev diaries outline a few changes coming to Guild Wars 2, including a new reward currency and updates to the achievement system. Players earn the new reward currency -- the laurel -- each day that they complete their daily achievement category and again when the monthly achievement is completed. Rewards such as unique minis and WvW blueprints can then be purchased. The achievement system itself is getting a new tracking UI and daily achievements. Dungeon mechanics are also getting tweaked. In phase one of the changes, the "res-rushing" mechanic (resurrecting at a waypoint immediately and running back to the fight) is being abolished. Waypoints can no longer be used in dungeons except when the party wipes or has withdrawn from the fight. In phase two, the devs will be making changes to the enemies and bosses within the dungeons. Guild Wars 2 dev diaries discuss new rewards, achievement system, dungeon changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dungeon tweaks

Massively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, The Elder Scrolls Online, Age of Wushu It's a very special episode of Massively Speaking, where we learn about puberty and the dangers of drinking! Actually, Teri joins Justin to talk with Star Trek Online's Dan Stahl and Brandon Felczer about the third anniversary of this galactic game. Set phasers to "amused" as we set sail for the podcast frontier! 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: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview Massively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released Posted: 29 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Historical, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play Gaijin Entertainment has announced that its War Thunder World War II-based online flight sim has officially entered open beta. The title, formerly known as World of Planes, has been in development for over four years. The open beta comes almost a year to the day after Gaijin's announcement that the game had evolved "beyond pure aerial combat." Gaijin previously developed Birds of Prey, a console-based entry in the long-running Sturmovik series. The company has released an open beta teaser trailer that you can view after the cut. You can also join the beta test via the game's official website. Continue reading War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Greg Zeschuk on leaving BioWare: 'You just get tired of it after a while' Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic When BioWare docs Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka announced their departure from the gaming giant they co-founded, theories as to why ranged from fan negativity to Star Wars: The Old Republic's performance to simple burnout. In a new interview with Polygon, Zeschuk says in his case it boiled down to a lack of passion. "I just wasn't as into it as I was originally," he said. "Everything's a factor," Zeschuk continued. "There's nothing that's not a factor, but there's no single one thing. I think the best way I can describe is: Do the same thing for twenty years and it's very, very intense. It's very high pressure. It's very high stress. It's challenging. It's sometimes rewarding and sometimes it's not. And you just get tired of it after awhile. That is probably the easiest way to for me to describe it. Sometimes you just need to change things." Greg Zeschuk on leaving BioWare: 'You just get tired of it after a while' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Polygon

The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of browser-based MMOs? Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Opinion, Browser, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous City of Steam has struck me as a darn good game each time I've played it, but it gets an extra layer of surprise added on by the fact that it's entirely played in my browser. It would be good even if I had to download and install a client, but the browser-based nature of it means that it's lightweight enough for weaker computers such as my laptop; Anywhere I can get a connection, I can play the game. Of course, the browser client also lacks certain frills, and there's a certain innate strangeness to having a game as part of the browser when we've grown accustomed to games as separate things. But it's not the only game to exist solely in a browser, and other games (such as Runes of Magic and Second Life) have experimented with browser-based clients in the past. So do you like the idea of browser-based games? Or is it just a vaguely interesting novelty as far as you're concerned? 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 like the idea of browser-based MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, Launches, New titles, Patches, Previews, PvP, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III Path of Exile entered open beta this week as a peak of 56,700 simultaneous players piled into the servers to check the game out. Open beta brought with it the final character wipe, so for all intents and purposes, the game has now released. Upcoming first-person MOBA SMITE similarly opened its doors to the public last Thursday and released a series of new gameplay updates and graphical overhauls. League of Legends issued permanent game bans to two extremely antisocial professional players, effectively removing Team Solo Mebdi from upcoming European competitive tournaments. Dota 2 moved to curb antisocial harassment behaviour this week by implementing new privacy features to stop players' stats from being tracked by third-party rating websites. Heroes of Newerth announced some major upcoming graphical and gameplay overhauls with its massive Patch 3.0 update that will go live in just a few days. The update aims to revamp the map graphics and introduce bots for players to play against in a new co-op mode. Rise of Immortals continued development with the release of its new mage immortal Undine, and Blizzard announced that its upcoming MOBA Blizzard All-Stars is still in development. Continue reading Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online celebrates two million 'captains' Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Anniversary On the verge of its third anniversary, Star Trek Online has good reason to celebrate. In a state of the game post, Executive Producer Dan Stahl says that the title is growing by leaps and bounds: "You may have noticed that more than two million captains are continuing their voyages in Star Trek Online. With sustained increases in daily participation, the game is richer and more alive than ever before." Stahl looked back over the accomplishments and milestones of 2012, including Star Trek Online's transition to a free-to-play format. For the game's third anniversary, the team is releasing a featured episode on Thursday that will have a special reward for those who play it between January 31st and February 14th. The reward will be an Ambassador Class (the Enterprise-C model) for Federation players and the Kamarag Class for Klingon fans. Stay tuned for an on-air interview with Dan Stahl about STO in tomorrow's episode of Massively Speaking! Star Trek Online celebrates two million 'captains' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: State of the Game

Neverwinter reveals pre-order packs, beta weekend dates Posted: 28 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Promotions, Neverwinter Neverwinter's closed beta is closer than you might think, as Cryptic has just posted the dates of the three weekend events coming up. The beta weekends begin on February 8th, with successive ones starting March 8th and March 22nd, and will be available to residents of North America and Europe to those lucky enough to be accepted. To tempt people into shedding some cash up front, Cryptic is prepared to dangle guaranteed beta invites to those who purchase a $60 or $200 pre-order Founder's Pack. In addition to the closed beta access, the $60 version contains a head-start to the open beta, a title, an armored horse mount, a mask, and a direwolf companion. The $200 pack has an even longer open beta head start, an exclusive Menzoberranzan Renegade playable race, a closed beta code for a friend, a spider mount, a panther companion, and priority access to the game. Alternatively, Cryptic's offering a $20 basic pack that will not contain a closed beta key, but will give players a few in-game items and 12 additional inventory slots. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!] Neverwinter reveals pre-order packs, beta weekend dates originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Kotaku

Darkfall dev diary video details the world of Agon Posted: 28 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Darkfall, Patches Darkfall Holy Wars' new world of Agon is front and center in today's developer diary video hosted by World Lead Nikos Kasolos. In it, he describes the intense graphics update that was required to bring Agon to life, including textures, lighting, and even the ability to hide in the shadows now, thanks to a new darkness improvement. As for new content, Agon launches 50 holdings, 30 cities, and 20 hamlets all "built from scratch." You can find out much more about this new update through the six-minute video embedded after the cut. Continue reading Darkfall dev diary video details the world of Agon Darkfall dev diary video details the world of Agon originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Developer Diary

Chaos Theory: Reacting to TSW's restructuring and relocation Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Real life, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Chaos Theory It's a conspiracy, I tell you! It has to be; every time The Secret World manages to better secure its footing, the ground starts shaking underneath again. This time, the upheaval comes in the form of the relocation of Funcom's development teams for its three MMOs to Raleigh, North Carolina. Of course, TSW isn't the only game affected by this restructuring, but after the other turbulence buffeting the game in its so-far short life (layoffs, insider trading accusations, changes in key roles), it's hard not to think that the game just can't catch a break. And dangit, it deserves one! Initially, I had other thoughts to share for for today, but after that announcement last Friday, my mind has mostly been on this topic (along with a slew of related "re-" words). How much will this affect the game I adore? Who all will be lost from the team? And what, if anything, can I do to help support the game during this transition? Join me as I explore these questions and possibly discover a solution or two. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Reacting to TSW's restructuring and relocation Chaos Theory: Reacting to TSW's restructuring and relocation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nexus Telegraph: Giving trust for WildStar Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph Some of you are probably well aware that I used to write this site's column about City of Heroes. And you may also be aware that I'm talking about that column in the past tense because it's objectively impossible to write anything about City of Heroes in the present tense. NCsoft closed the doors to the game and left me more than a mite unhappy with that decision. Some of you are also well aware that NCsoft is the company behind WildStar. That might seem like a bit of a cognitive disconnect -- why in the world would I trust a company that just made me very unhappy? Lots of reasons. I can understand the vitriol and the anger, but I also think they're just a wee bit misplaced. There are plenty of good reasons to cheer for this game even though I harbor no small amount of bitterness about those we lost before. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Giving trust for WildStar The Nexus Telegraph: Giving trust for WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Leveling up and new lockboxes in Star Trek Online Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log I've said it once and I'll say it over and over again: It can be hard to write about a game in the weeks leading up to a scheduled event or content release. This week is no different. Star Trek Online's team is nose down into the final touches of the new material being released next week for the game's third anniversary, and new information about any of it has slowed to a crawl. However, in the interim, we have been given the information on the contents of Star Trek Online's newest lockbox as well as the specs on the new ships either contained in the boxes or available in the Lobi store. I also had the opportunity to take part in the most recent Q XP Weekend event and actually found myself having a lot of fun. Continue reading Captain's Log: Leveling up and new lockboxes in Star Trek Online Captain's Log: Leveling up and new lockboxes in Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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