MMO Updates |
- EVE Online's CSM8 election season is kicking into gear
- Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0
- Brad McQuaid returns to EverQuest
- EQII's Scars of the Awakened update is coming on April 30th
- The Soapbox: No sympathy for cheating
- DC Universe Online gets lucky with GU24
- World of Tanks sets world record for most players concurrently online on a single server
- Seeing what it takes to be a Defiance Ark Hunter
- Flameseeker Chronicles: The eye of the storm in Guild Wars 2
- Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker
- Guardians of Middle-Earth: A fun game doomed by its business model
- SWTOR panel at SXSW touches on Hutt expansion and other updates
- PlanetSide 2's GU04 introduces account unlocks, the two-man flash, and a new training zone
- Put your Age of Wushu avatar to work while you're offline
- Massively Speaking Episode 240: We ain't no scrubs
- Shroud of the Avatar promises offline mode with no DRM
- Cloud Imperium previews spiffy Star Citizen marine concept
- Jukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack
- The Daily Grind: Which game are you most concerned about right now?
- Trion breathes new life into RIFT with Raptr Rewards promotion
- The Elder Scrolls Online serves up a stack of answers about combat
- Not So Massively: SimCity's launch fiasco, Victory's kickstarter
- Fallen Earth prepares new Deathtoll weapons and the perilous Dome
- Perfect World shares RaiderZ: Broken Silence trailer
- The Nexus Telegraph: All your WildStar speculation is wrong
- Hands-on with Neverwinter's Control Wizard
- TERA invites new players to power level
- JOYHUBs announces new browser MMO Call of Camelot
- Captain's Log: Dabbling with STO's duty officers
- EVE Online reconfiguring launcher to use BitTorrent
| EVE Online's CSM8 election season is kicking into gear Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, PvP, News items, Dev Diaries  It's that special time once again. The candidacy period for EVE Online's next Council of Stellar Management (CSM8) is open, and folks desirous of serving on that illustrious board can submit their applications to CCP for review. A new pre-election stage is being instituted this year, running from March 22nd to the 29th. During that time frame, players will have to acquire more than 200 votes in order to move on to the final ballot. Qualified players will be able to vote once per account in this stage. Candidates who pass the 200-vote threshold will be notified by email and included on the list for the final ballot, which will be posted on April 1st.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, PvP, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Hyperspace Beacon  Unfortunately, the gear progression is a bit more like separating M&Ms, making you wonder why there are more yellows than blues and whether there's really a difference between dark brown and light brown. Not to mention that SWTOR proves once again that MMO designers have no idea how to make a decent helmet. PvP gear also has me wondering what returning players are going to think about having to regrind again so soon after a major change with Update 1.6. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0
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| Brad McQuaid returns to EverQuest Posted: 12 Mar 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  McQuaid says that after 12 years, he couldn't resist the chance to rejoin the team and get back to work on the game, which he feels still bears many traces of work he did back when he was first involved in development. He also hints that some of his first projects will involve elements of the game that have been hinted at since launch, although he avoids further explanation. Whether you're happy or sad about it as an old-school EverQuest player, you can't deny that it's big news. [Thanks to Tess for the tip!]
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| EQII's Scars of the Awakened update is coming on April 30th Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  It's almost time for EverQuest II's game update 66: Scars of the Awakened. By almost time, of course, we mean that the patch itself isn't due until April 30th, but that won't keep us from talking about it! The Norrathians are marching under the banner of the New Combine toward the borders of the Cobalt Scar, a region described as "majestic, lush, but tormented." There, players will find Sirens Grotto, a new dungeon that'll play host to solo, heroic, and raid challenges. They'll also find new collections, quest lines, items, and a host of class changes. If you just cannot possibly wait to get your hands on this content, rejoice! The patch opens up for beta on April 2nd, and the team is relying on you to make sure it's well-tested!
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| The Soapbox: No sympathy for cheating Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Bugs, Culture, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous  "So you were using a known cheating tool." "Yeah, but just in the cities." What followed were several sentences from my end filled with so much profanity that attempting to type them out here would make it look as if my vocabulary consisted almost solely of the word "redacted." He had been expecting some sympathy from me, some compassion for his plight. As it turned out, I didn't have any. If you get nailed for cheating, you deserve exactly what you get. Continue reading The Soapbox: No sympathy for cheating
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| DC Universe Online gets lucky with GU24 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Events, in-game, Patches, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online  GU24 is more than just a touching reunion with Mister Mxyzptlk, however. The update creates a new alert from the Batcave inner sanctum raid, adds optional character outlines, improves the mail system, and allows for the purchase of more slot upgrades. And while they might not be as sexy as the above bullet points, bug fixes and balance changes fill out a rather lengthy list on the patch notes page. Get cracking, superheroes, because those interdimensional beings aren't going to banish themselves!
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| World of Tanks sets world record for most players concurrently online on a single server Posted: 12 Mar 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks  Wargaming has made its mark in gaming history. World of Tanks has staked out a place as the Guinness World Record holder for most players logged onto an MMO server, with 190,541 players simultaneously logged in on one of the game's Russian servers. This blasts the game's previous record of 91,311 players to smithereens. Andrei Yarantsau, VP of Global Operations at Wargaming, calls this "an important and exciting milestone for the company," adding that, "if World of Tanks keeps growing at the rate it is, the game will soon top the current total and secure another world record." [Source: Wargaming press release]
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| Seeing what it takes to be a Defiance Ark Hunter Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, Lore, MMOFPS, Humor, Defiance  So it's a trade-off. Check out the latest episode of the Ark Hunter Chronicles after the jump. Then finish your lizard stew because you've got puking to do! Continue reading Seeing what it takes to be a Defiance Ark Hunter
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: The eye of the storm in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Endgame, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles  Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The eye of the storm in Guild Wars 2
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| Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker Posted: 12 Mar 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Interviews, Massively Interviews, WildStar, Jukebox Heroes, Music  I'm doubly excited for WildStar's score because it's being composed by Jeff Kurtenacker. Kurtenacker produced one of my all-time favorite MMO soundtracks, Pirates of the Burning Sea, which is a playful, exuberant romp through the nautical soundscape. And so far from what we've heard of WildStar's score, we can expect much of the same when we make planetfall on Nexus. On one drizzly afternoon in a country that you've never heard of, Kurtenacker met with us in a small pub to talk about the joys of creating the music that will soon be infecting the brains of thousands (millions?) of gamers worldwide. Read on, space-man or space-woman, and be astounded! Continue reading Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker
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| Guardians of Middle-Earth: A fun game doomed by its business model Posted: 12 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Business models, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Reviews, Opinion, Consoles, Casual, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, MOBA, League of Legends  I'm not much of a console gamer (you can take my mouse and keyboard away when you pry them from my cold, dead hands), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how Guardians of Middle-Earth stacks up against its PC-based counterparts. Monolith Studios has done great things in adapting MOBA gameplay to a console control scheme and audience, and the core game really is a lot of fun to play. But in charging an initial purchase price for a game that relies on having a large community, publisher Warner Bros. may have accidentally consigned Guardians to the scrapheap. In this hands-on opinion piece, I explore Guardians of Middle-Earth and ask why it's already a ghost town just three months after launch. Continue reading Guardians of Middle-Earth: A fun game doomed by its business model
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| SWTOR panel at SXSW touches on Hutt expansion and other updates Posted: 12 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Expansions, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic  The devs opened with a few words about the upcoming Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. Sadly, no date announced, but they did mention the bonus items coming with each pre-order. Folks who spring for the expansion early (which is $10 cheaper for subscribers) will get a holostatue, a pet, and an exclusive title. The devs also emphasized the new content coming with the expansion, including gear, abilities, and two storylines on the new planet -- one for the Republic and one for the Empire. During the audience Q&A session, the devs also revealed that the cartel market update expected today will offer a cartel pack with almost entirely new items instead of repeats. All of the items can also be sold via auction. There are more tidbits to be had in this video, so pull up a chair and watch the final 22 minutes of the panel after the break. [Thanks to Jose for the tip!] Continue reading SWTOR panel at SXSW touches on Hutt expansion and other updates
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| PlanetSide 2's GU04 introduces account unlocks, the two-man flash, and a new training zone Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, PlanetSide 2  One of the most anticipated incoming features is the account-wide unlocks for items bought with StationCash. Of course, faction items will still be restricted to factions. Speaking of factions, each one will be getting its hands on a new rocket launcher; these weapons pay homage to the empire-specific ones from the original PlanetSide. On the vehicle side, the flash buggy will have a rumble seat, allowing a passenger to come along for the ride and shoot anything that gets in the way, as well as a cloaking ability for Infiltrators. And all folks who want to give weapons or vehicles a test drive can enter VR Training, a safe zone devoid of resource costs and cool-down timers. The March roadmap video demonstrates some of these changes as well as platoon management window improvements and membership enhancements. Check out the details in the video after the break.
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| Put your Age of Wushu avatar to work while you're offline Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox, Age of Wushu  Many of the NPCs that you see milling about the game's cities and towns are in fact offline player characters going about their business. Your offline avatar can be a fire-breathing street performer, a cafe owner, a blacksmith, or one of several other professions depending on where you log out. There are both risks and rewards inherent in the the game's offline systems. The former include the ability to be kidnapped (and to subsequently log in to an unfamiliar location) while the latter allows you to collect money and items earned from various tasks. Read all about it at the official Age of Wushu website.
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| Massively Speaking Episode 240: We ain't no scrubs Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:30 AM 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: [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 240: We ain't no scrubs
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| Shroud of the Avatar promises offline mode with no DRM Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models  The post states that the team is creating an offline version of the game for those who prefer that style (or find it more convenient). While players won't be able to take their offline character into the online version, there may be the possibility of doing the reverse. Other words of comfort include the promise that Shroud of the Avatar "will not use any form of DRM" for its offline mode and that the single-player version won't be littered with microtransactions. [Thanks to Don for the tip!]
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| Cloud Imperium previews spiffy Star Citizen marine concept Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items  The artwork, which includes a full-body shot and helmet closeups, was done by artist Rob McKinnon. Star Citizen's website says that more info on Roberts' panel appearances will be available later this week. In the meantime, you can click past the cut to see all the art. Continue reading Cloud Imperium previews spiffy Star Citizen marine concept
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| Jukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Free-to-play, Jukebox Heroes, Music  Other than doing a little double-take when I first found this out, I'm really cool with it. I love it when well-known movie composers dip into video games, such as when Harry Gregson-Williams branched out to do several of the Metal Gear Solid titles. Shore's works are really distinctive and give SUN a sound that's far more "professional" than many of the game's contemporaries. That said, it's not the best score I've ever heard. It's quite noisy and pulls a little too much from the LotR films. Sometimes composers crib their own works (Harry Potter's music is John William's shameless ripoff of his own Home Alone soundtrack), and that's just how it goes. Let's take a look at an MMO scored by a Hollywood bigshot, shall we? Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Soul of the Ultimate Nation's soundtrack
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| The Daily Grind: Which game are you most concerned about right now? Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  As players, all we can really do is keep playing and paying for the games we enjoy. But sometimes it feels like the game is in trouble and that's just not enough after all. So out of all games, both available and not, which one are you the most concerned about right now? Which title makes you worry that it might be facing its twilight even if the development team insists otherwise?  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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| Trion breathes new life into RIFT with Raptr Rewards promotion Posted: 11 Mar 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, RIFT, Promotions  Engaging new players and retaining veteran ones is one of the great life goals of every MMO. Trion looked to outside incentive in trying to find ways to revitalize RIFT's playerbase. Partnering with Raptr, Trion came up with a four-tier reward system that gave players everything from a free copy of the game to in-game ranks, mounts, and gear. The free copy of RIFT was accompanied by a month of game-time and served as the first reward, meant to bring in players of other RPGs. The other tiers were aimed toward veteran-type players. Al the rewards were available from mid-November to the end of January. How effective were these rewards? RIFT's daily active players on Raptr increased 470% over the length of the promotion, and average daily playtime jumped up from four hours a day to just over six. It's almost like players like getting stuff.
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| The Elder Scrolls Online serves up a stack of answers about combat Posted: 11 Mar 2013 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, Community Q&A, The Elder Scrolls Online  At the moment, the trinity setup is not vital but is certainly helpful, as tester groups without a dedicated tank have managed to clear content (albeit with some difficulties). The soft lock system is based more around offense than defense, as healing abilities are not targeted. Players can also feel free to join in when they see other players fighting things, as all players who participate gain the rewards of fighting as in Guild Wars 2. For more information about the particulars of combat, check out the full set of answers.
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| Not So Massively: SimCity's launch fiasco, Victory's kickstarter Posted: 11 Mar 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Video, Business models, Game mechanics, Launches, New titles, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Comics, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding  Diablo III revealed details of its upcoming loot overhaul that will make legendary items a little more legendary and rare items and good bit rarer. Path of Exile's patch 1.10.2 was deployed successfully, adding a few item mods and significantly improving the Duelist class area of the passive skill tree. League of Legends celebrated its 100th Summoner Showcase with a look back at the community's best creative output and announced a brand-new comic contest that will see players voting for the winner. SMITE announced its $10,000 PAX East invitational tournament, and Guardians of Middle-Earth tempted players back with 75,000 free in-game gold in a new weekend event. Continue reading Not So Massively: SimCity's launch fiasco, Victory's kickstarter
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| Fallen Earth prepares new Deathtoll weapons and the perilous Dome Posted: 11 Mar 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries  It's March! Spring is in the air, bringing with it the lilting cries of embattled players and their screams of horrific agony floating on the breeze. March is bringing its springtime magic to Fallen Earth in the form of new Deathtoll weapons, a new two-player PvE gauntlet, and the long-awaited AP Augmentation system. Players will soon be able to snatch up the Jet Engine Hammer and the sawn-off Murder of Crows Shotgun for their arsenal. These Deathtoll weapons will be some of the first to use AP Augmentation. We don't have a lot of details on this new customization system yet, but we do know that "weapons will have various stats that players can put AP in that will enhance aspects of the weapon." The system will be introduced with weapons for max level characters and expand to armor later. The Dome is an abandoned football stadium that's been repurposed as a deathtrap for level 55 players. When it goes live, you'll be able to queue as a pair or get matched up through solo queue before heading in to face 10 deadly bosses. Each boss you defeat will ramp up the difficulty and rewards for your next encounter. One of the key rewards from this experience will be recipes and components for the new Augmentation system.
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| Perfect World shares RaiderZ: Broken Silence trailer Posted: 11 Mar 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Expansions, News items  RaiderZ, the monster hunting title from Perfect World Entertainment, is due for its first expansion. As you revel in the glorious possibilities contained in that statement, why not watch the brand-new trailer for the expansion, which we've conveniently included just below the cut? RaiderZ: Broken Silence will bring in a new level cap, new areas, new bosses, and piles of shiny new gear and features. Among those features will be an improved party and matchmaking system and a "Wave System" that finds other folks hunting down large monster packs. Additionally, Broken Silence will bring in a new PvP arena. We don't have a date or other juicy details yet, but be sure we'll bring 'em to you as they come. [Source: PWE press release] Continue reading Perfect World shares RaiderZ: Broken Silence trailer
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| The Nexus Telegraph: All your WildStar speculation is wrong Posted: 11 Mar 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph  It's not the only thing I'm going to write about WildStar that will be wrong, even. I could be wrong about the Exiles. I could be wrong about the Dominion. It is entirely possible that all of my speculation will fall handily under the header of "very wrong." Yet I persist all the same. And if you want to understand why I keep talking about things when I know they might be completely wrong, that's the subject of this week's column. I love speculation columns, I will be writing more in the leadup to WildStar's release, and I wanted to explain why I do that when I have no doubt many of them will be proven wrong. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: All your WildStar speculation is wrong
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| Hands-on with Neverwinter's Control Wizard Posted: 11 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Neverwinter  Along with what seemed like the entire state of New Jersey, I rolled a Control Wizard to give Neverwinter's offensive magic user a test drive. The Wizard is a mixture of familiar fantasy aspects with a dash of unexpectedly awesome differences. So while I was casting the same-old elemental spells (all fantasy magic users seem to know only four elements due to a lack of imagination on behalf of the creators), I was also tossing in spells to mess with enemies and keep them off my back. Here are my early hands-on impressions of the Control Wizard, a class that I'll definitely be playing at launch. Continue reading Hands-on with Neverwinter's Control Wizard
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| TERA invites new players to power level Posted: 11 Mar 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Free-to-play, TERA, Promotions  The promotion begins tomorrow and is open only to players who do not have a TERA account. By hitting certain milestones, players will accumulate rewards that increase the higher they get. The first tier of prizes begins at level 30 with the best being reserved for those who get to level 60 by March 26th. The prizes include strongbox keys, XP boosts, reputation boosts, mirrored shades, mounts, and an extra character slot.
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| JOYHUBs announces new browser MMO Call of Camelot Posted: 11 Mar 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  As great as big-budget MMOs can be, sometimes it's nice to have a game you can play to kill some time during your lunch break at work, and nothing fills that niche better than a good-ol'-fashioned browser game such as JOYHUBs' newly announced title Call of Camelot. The game takes place in the mythical realm of Camelot, and features all the Arthurian fantasy staples people expect: dragons, wizards, demons, and kings who expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at them[citation needed]. The game's press release boasts a number of features such as three PvP modes (team-based battlegrounds, guild-vs-guild-vs-guild siege warfare, and open-world encounters), and instances "where players can train themselves or their mounts." Players can work toward enhancing their equipment, find and acquire new mounts, and even get married. Call of Camelot also features a method of idle-progression in the form of an "in-game legal bot" which "allows players to beat mobs automatically," which is a feature that will likely fall into love-it-or-hate-it territory. If any of that sounds like it tickles your fancy, the game will be entering alpha testing sometime this month, so keep an eye out for more news soon. [Source: JOYHUBs press release]
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| Captain's Log: Dabbling with STO's duty officers Posted: 11 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log, Guides  I've already tackled the free-to-play conversion, lockboxes, a few featured episodes, and the new shooter mode. This week I'll be focusing the entire column on just one subject: Star Trek Online's popular duty officer system. Continue reading Captain's Log: Dabbling with STO's duty officers
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| EVE Online reconfiguring launcher to use BitTorrent Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox  CCP cites BitTorrent's ability to utilize a number of different transport channels at the same time, a feature that would minimize patching failures. Also noted was the ability to prioritize files, which could allow users to create characters while the game is still downloading. CCP also acknowledges player concerns about BitTorrent, saying that it won't be using players' bandwidth without their knowledge: "By default the new EVE Launcher will only make you share the data required for installing the client while you are downloading; once your download is complete you will not be distributing it to others, unless you explicitly enable this in the options."This change is planned to hit test servers within the next few weeks, after which players should experience more reliable and possibly even faster updates and repairs to the EVE client.
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