MMO Updates

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• Elite: Dangerous maps out update beta schedule, teases expansions
• Neverwinter taking signups for February Xbox One beta test
• Final Fantasy XIV shows off story content and trials for 2.5
• Diablo III patches 2.1.2 and ends season one
• Elder Scrolls Online boxes continue to vacate store shelves
• WildStar will reduce grind, focus on 'a multitude of playstyles' in 2015
• The Daily Grind: What's your favorite EQII zone?
• The Stream Team: Spelunking in the second stage of Landmark's beta starter experience
• World of Tanks missions get personal tomorrow
• Blizz publishes WoW's Blackrock Foundry raiding schedule
• CCP and CSM IX review the year in EVE
• Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week?
• Get your Tree of Savior beta questions answered
• Echo of Soul hopes to make a strong Western impression
• Runewaker to reveal new game next week
• Heroes of the Storm is now in closed beta

Elite: Dangerous maps out update beta schedule, teases expansions Posted: 15 Jan 2015 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Business Models, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, Elite: Dangerous, Buy-to-Play In a development post released today, Elite: Dangerous Executive Producer Michael Brookes laid out Frontier's plans for the game's inbound major updates following the tiny 1.05 patch this morning. Update 1.1 is set to enter beta the first week of February, Brookes says, and will focus on mechanics for player collaboration and route planning. Who gets to join that beta? Currently beta testing will be available for those who already have beta access for the main game. For players participating in the beta tests there will be a separate mechanism for playing so testing does not affect your game and that you can continue to play the retail version as well. Options for players currently without beta access to be able to purchase beta access will be available. Details will be made available nearer the time. Depending on how the update Betas go in test, we expect them to be released to everyone a week or so after the Beta release.​ Brookes also teased E:D's upcoming paid DLC as well as the multiplayer-focused 1.2 update, the beta for the latter of which is expected in March. Elite: Dangerous maps out update beta schedule, teases expansions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Elite forums

Neverwinter taking signups for February Xbox One beta test Posted: 15 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Consoles, Neverwinter Are you yearning to play Neverwinter on your Xbox One? You may be able to next month, as Perfect World is dangling closed beta registration for a February testing phase. More specifically, the game will be on Microsoft's newest console from February 5th through February 8th. A Perfect World press release claims that "Neverwinter on Xbox One will utilize console features including friends list integration and optimized controls to easily transition the MMORPG experience from PC to console." Once it exits beta, Neverwinter will be free-to-play if you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. [Source: Perfect World press release] Neverwinter taking signups for February Xbox One beta test originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV shows off story content and trials for 2.5 Posted: 15 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Patches, Endgame, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription The last pre-expansion patch for Final Fantasy XIV is titled Before the Fall, not That Time When The Heroes Fixed Everything. There needs to be a fall, doesn't there? And there's a lot of stuff that can start falling, as demonstrated in today's preview from the official site. Ul'dah can fall. The Scions can fall. Ishgard can fall. Eorzea can fall. Or if you decide to face off against the Dark Divinity himself, you can fall. Players not confronting the dread primal directly will still have plenty of opportunities for pratfalls, as the Hildibrand storyline is wrapping up with the final confrontation between the Gentleman Inspector and his thieving rival. There's also a second confrontation with Gilgamesh Greg in the Battle at the Big Keep, with the victor winning the Treaty-Blade... which sounds like pretty good loot, but Greg carries a lot of weapons, so it seems rather natural. Patch 2.5 drops on January 20th. Final Fantasy XIV shows off story content and trials for 2.5 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 2.5 preview part 2

Diablo III patches 2.1.2 and ends season one Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Patches, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play There's a lot happening around the rainbow-and-glitter landscapes of Diablo III, although perhaps the biggest is the implementation of Patch 2.1.2 to the game. This patch adds in powerful ancient items, increases the drop rate for legendary items, and gives players more survivability with additional life and higher life-on-hit percentages. As Diablo III ushers in the patch, so it too prepares to say goodbye to the first season. The game is preparing to end season one and has posted a guide to aid players as they make the transition to the limbo that exists before season two. Season one is expected to end some time in early February, possibly February 3rd. Players on both the PC and consoles soon will enjoy an event full of boosts, including additional treasure goblins and higher drop rates. These boosts will begin tomorrow and continue through Friday, January 23rd. Diablo III patches 2.1.2 and ends season one originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 2.1.2, End of season one, Boost event

Elder Scrolls Online boxes continue to vacate store shelves Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Events (Real-World), News Items, Rumors, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription More Australian retailers have apparently lined up to pull boxed copies of The Elder Scrolls Online from store shelves. Aussie gaming site Games.On.net reports that both Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi have deleted copies of the game from their physical stores. The unnamed Games.On.net source, who said he/she had seen the paperwork confirming the recall, claims that "all game cards and copies were pulled out of Harvey Norman, and the ONLY reason that would happen is because it has become a free product [...] if it was being brought out in a different format, it'd have a price drop, not a recall." Last week, EB Games in the land down under began destocking ESO boxes, and Microsoft abruptly updated the game's scheduled release on Xbox One to February 24th, 2015. ZeniMax removed long-term subscriptions from the game back in December, claiming that players prefer shorter billing options and prompting widespread speculation about a possible impending business model change. Elder Scrolls Online boxes continue to vacate store shelves originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Games.On.net Via: Kotaku, Escapist

WildStar will reduce grind, focus on 'a multitude of playstyles' in 2015 Posted: 15 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Patches, Endgame, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Where does WildStar go from here? That's the question that director Mike Donatelli seeks to answer with his latest address to the community. Donatelli says this morning that while he's thankful for the praise the game received toward the end of 2014, there are several areas where the game needs to improve, and thus the team is working on making a better game experience for everyone moving forward. He lays out three chief foci for the team over the next year: listen to feedback to make the game more fun and "less grindy"; support "a multitude of playstyles," group sizes, and levels; and invest, expand, and improve the existing game. Donatelli targets for these plans the first half of 2015, which will contain better-tuned endgame reward systems to fight fatigue along with a wider breadth of content for solo and small-group players. Over the rest of the year, the team plans to introduce a new Contract system to support different playstyles, continue tuning the rewards, and greatly expand the game's customization options. It's a lot of changes, but the Carbine team seems dedicated to making them work. WildStar will reduce grind, focus on 'a multitude of playstyles' in 2015 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar's Big Plans for 2015

The Daily Grind: What's your favorite EQII zone? Posted: 15 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, The Daily Grind I've returned to EverQuest II. Seems like that happens every year around the time I get fed up with the rest of the industry and start yearning for a full-featured MMO. It's such a sprawling game at this point that despite my stable of max-level characters, I've probably only played through half of the zones. So I rolled a Coercer this week and took him through the 1-to-20 arc in Frostfang Sea, which was a new experience for me and an enjoyable one. What about you, EQII fans? What's your favorite zone and why? 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: What's your favorite EQII zone? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Spelunking in the second stage of Landmark's beta starter experience Posted: 14 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Video, Free-to-Play, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Landmark Last week Massively's MJ showed off the first hour of Landmark gameplay on a brand-new character with no extra perks, and she got surprisingly far, crafting some new equipment and conquering some wildlife. As promised, she'll spend the second hour of this beta tutorial experience checking out the caverns. Is it possible to enjoy exploration below the surface as a new player without all the fancy armors and weapons? Tune in at 8:00 p.m. to see as she descends into the depths of the island. And be sure to grab your own key to join her on the adventure! Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 Time: 8:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Spelunking in the second stage of Landmark's beta starter experience The Stream Team: Spelunking in the second stage of Landmark's beta starter experience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Tanks missions get personal tomorrow Posted: 14 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Historical, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, PvE, War, World of Tanks World of Tanks is getting a new personal missions feature starting January 15th. You can access them via the upper left corner of your garage screen, and getting started is as easy as picking a sortie, accepting it, and rolling out to the battlefield. You can complete each mission as long as its major win condition is met, but you may want to stick around a bit longer and rack up extra rewards by fulfilling secondary objectives as well. Further details are outlined in today's WoT website update. World of Tanks missions get personal tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Blizz publishes WoW's Blackrock Foundry raiding schedule Posted: 14 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Dungeons, Subscription "It won't be long before you'll be able to take the assault against the Iron Horde to the next level in new raid content," Blizzard says in its latest World of Warcraft website update. The firm has released an unlock schedule for Blackrock Foundry with normal and heroic difficulties due for public consumption on February 3rd. Mythic difficulty hits one week later while Raid Finder Wing 1: Slagworks (Gruul, Oregorger, and the Blast Furnace) debuts one week after that on February 17th. Blizz publishes WoW's Blackrock Foundry raiding schedule originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Unlock schedule

CCP and CSM IX review the year in EVE Posted: 14 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Sandbox CCP has published a recap of the year in EVE as viewed through the eyes of the ninth Council of Stellar Management. If you're new to EVE, it's worth noting that the CSM is an elected body of player representatives who "are in constant contact with the EVE Online dev team in order to have a front line, up to date view on features and improvements that are currently being developed for EVE." Elections for CSM X will open on February 25th and close on March 10th. CCP and CSM IX review the year in EVE originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week? Posted: 14 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, Opinion, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, Leaderboard, H1Z1 SOE's zombie-flavored sandbox comes to Steam early access tomorrow, and despite the under construction warnings of CEO John Smedley, I'm betting that lots of people are going to buy it. The question, though, is whether or not you have bought it. How about it, Massively readers? Are you playing H1Z1 this week? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week? Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Get your Tree of Savior beta questions answered Posted: 14 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Interviews, Free-to-Play Tomorrow's a big day for Tree of Savior, as the colorful fantasy title will begin its Korean closed beta. If you have questions about the beta test, MMO Culture posted a short interview that covers several of the details. The team's primary goal during the first closed beta test is to ascertain "development direction in the future." This will be done by letting gamers check out features like the circle ranking system, companions, and 28 playable classes. A post-beta wipe is confirmed as well. However, as 90,000 people have registered for Tree of Savior's test and only 3,000 of those will be admitted, the chances are not great that you can hop into the beta... at least for right now. Get your Tree of Savior beta questions answered originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

Echo of Soul hopes to make a strong Western impression Posted: 14 Jan 2015 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries What does it take to make a new MMO that can gain traction in this day and age? In a new video dev diary, the Echo of Soul team says that it's spent over four years and 110 developers to pursue a goal of "uniting MMORPGs and mobile games" while making it appealing for both an Eastern and a Western audience. The video goes on to talk up Echo of Soul's Asian launch; it claims the game is "constantly ranked among the top 10 Korean games" since then. Aeria Games Chief Manager Nara Kang concurred that the reception has been strong: "Players feel that EoS is the best MMORPG in a very long time." You can watch the full dev diary after the break! Continue reading Echo of Soul hopes to make a strong Western impression Echo of Soul hopes to make a strong Western impression originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Runewaker to reveal new game next week Posted: 14 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), New Titles, Miscellaneous Is it an MMO? Is it a MOBA? Or is it something else entirely? Those are the questions swirling around the news that Runewaker is working on a third title, following Dragon's Prophet and Runes of Magic. Whatever the case may be, Runewaker will be revealing the game next week to the public. After that, this new title will be playable at the Taipei Game Show. The studio did release a couple of pieces of concept art that show two fantasy forces squaring off against each other. There might be a touch of sci-fi in this as well, as the art shows giant robots (golems?) and neat-looking rifles. Runewaker to reveal new game next week originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

Heroes of the Storm is now in closed beta Posted: 14 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA If you've paid attention to the people in the early testing for Heroes of the Storm, you likely saw a lot of feedback that amounted to surprise that the game was just in alpha. Of course, a game that feels polished and fun in alpha testing is in a good spot, which is why it should come as no huge surprise that the title moved into closed beta yesterday. Players who wish to test and have not already opted in should be sure to do so, as beta invitations are being sent out regularly. The team behind the game also took a moment to explain a bit more going on behind the scenes with character design by looking at Thrall -- specifically, looking at top-down design for Thrall as he exists within Heroes of the Storm and bottom-up design using Thrall's Warcraft III abilities as a starting point. It's an interesting look at how the same basic character could wind up inspiring two different designs in the end and well worth a glance if you're crossing your fingers for that closed invitation. [Thanks, Dengar.] Heroes of the Storm is now in closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: A Tale of Two Shamans, Prepare for Closed Beta with Fighting Words

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