| Is this our first glimpse of SOE's revamped EverQuest Next? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Rumors, EverQuest Next, Sandbox Is this our first in-game glimpse of a revamped EverQuest Next? Take it with a grain of salt since it comes from an anonymous Joystiq tipster, but regardless, it's awful purty. Sony Online Entertainment originally teased some heavily stylized in-game assets over two years ago, but since then the company has announced that its next EverQuest title has been blown up and re-designed as a sandbox. We don't know if this includes an artistic revamp as well, but we do know that the game will make use of the same proprietary Forgelight engine that powers PlanetSide 2. Have a look at the full-size leaked image after the cut. Continue reading Is this our first glimpse of SOE's revamped EverQuest Next?  Is this our first glimpse of SOE's revamped EverQuest Next? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Summoner's Guidebook: Cleaning up after your LoL messes Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook Two weeks ago, we covered initiation in the Summoner's Guidebook, and last week we covered zoning. Those two elements comprise the early and middle parts of a teamfight, but if you want to win in League of Legends, you need to finish strong. As a fight winds down, wounded players begin to disengage in order to lick their wounds. Some characters just want to pull out early to wait out cooldowns, while in other cases it's purely a matter of health. Sometimes a player will get zoned out of a fight so far that she cannot contribute meaningfully to the teamfight at large. At this point, tough decisions start to crop up. Do you split off and give chase, taking away a large chunk of health from your team to secure the kill? Or do you allow the enemy to get away, giving away potential gold and/or allowing the enemy team a chance to come back? This decision is a non-question for a lot of players, but we should really be thinking about it when we are fighting. There are a lot of questions we should be asking ourselves before we drop out of a fight to chase, but all too often our eyes get filled with the sight of blood and everything else vanishes. I know you can do a little better than that. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Cleaning up after your LoL messes The Summoner's Guidebook: Cleaning up after your LoL messes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| A Mild-Mannered Reporter Extra: Interviews with Champions Online and The Phoenix Project Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Interviews, Champions Online, A Mild-Mannered Reporter I promised you that we would be doing interviews next time, but astute readers would note that I did not say "next week." So welcome to our special extra installment of the column looking at two different sides following the City of Heroes shutdown. We've already seen two projects coming from the ashes of CoH; The Phoenix Project and Heroes and Villains are both currently being assembled by passionate fans of the now-departed game. But we'd be remiss if we failed to note the impact that the game's closure has had on existing games like Champions Online and DC Universe Online. Rather than just speculating on any of this, we decided to just ask. So today you've got two interviews. One is with Brad Stokan, Executive Producer at Cryptic Studios, about how the City of Heroes shutdown has affected Champions Online and the studio that helped bring the game to life in the first place. The other is with the lead staff at Missing Worlds Media, the team behind The Phoenix Project. So let's take a look behind the scenes, yes? Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter Extra: Interviews with Champions Online and The Phoenix Project A Mild-Mannered Reporter Extra: Interviews with Champions Online and The Phoenix Project originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| B2P boosts The Secret World sales by 30%, Funcom still restructuring Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Business models, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World The Secret World is doing pretty well since its buy-to-play conversion, according to a new Funcom press release targeted at investors. Since its December relaunch, the game has moved over 70,000 units which represents a 30 per cent increase in total sales. Funcom also says that "player activity levels" have increased by a whopping 400 per cent "as original players have returned joined by thousands of new players." Finally, the release mentions further restructuring plans for the company which "involve cost reductions through the closure and the consolidation of offices with the goal of creating a stronger unified organization." Funcom says that details will be available upon completion of the process. [Thanks to David for the tip.] B2P boosts The Secret World sales by 30%, Funcom still restructuring originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| EVE now lets you nuke entire DUST 514 sites from orbit Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox CCP has completed its downtime migration of the DUST 514 beta onto EVE's live Tranquility server. The company has published an extensive FAQ entry that aims to answer everyone's questions, including how capsuleers can rain fiery hot death down on their terrestrial mercenary counterparts. As it turns out, ground forces can't fire back just yet, but it's also not possible for EVE pilots to hop from planet to planet sowing wanton destruction in their wake. Orbital strikes must be requested by DUST 514 players. After the request is made, any EVE pilot allied with the relevant militia and possessing the appropriate tactical ammo may answer the call. There's much more to it than that, of course, and the EVE wiki has all the specifics. EVE now lets you nuke entire DUST 514 sites from orbit originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Daily Grind: Will you play TERA when it's free? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, TERA TERA and I have a strange relationship. During the buildup to En Masse's fantasy game I wrote dozens of articles about it, spent considerable amounts of time studying up on it via fansites and foreign news reports, and generally got pretty excited by it all the way around. At launch, I enjoyed it to a degree, but for whatever reason it didn't sustain my interest past the free month that came with my collector's edition. I'm tempted to pick it up again now, though, but my flirtation has less to do with the business model and more to do with being re-exposed to the game's gorgeous visuals via the new trailer. What about you, Massively readers? Will you play TERA next month after the F2P conversion, and if so, is the business model the main reason 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: Will you play TERA when it's free? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Enter at Your Own Rift: The burden of leveling Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift I've seen a lot of positive comments about RIFT: Storm Legion so far, many of which are praising the expansion's zone designs, the new classes, and especially the Dimensions housing system. However, it seems that there's another comment that pops up frequently that's not as kind: It takes way too long to level from 50 to 60. For some of you, this may be moot. You might already be level 60, have multiple 60s, or have been 60 since the day after Storm Legion came out. For others who aren't even level 50 yet, the expansion might sound a bit intimidating because of the hefty XP requirements to move that level marker up one number. In any case, I think that a good number of us can agree that it's definitely a slow process that detracted from rather than added to the experience of Storm Legion. I've got several thoughts about how leveling in RIFT has become a burden instead of a blessing, how Trion is reshaping the XP game, and what this might portend for the future of the title. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: The burden of leveling Enter at Your Own Rift: The burden of leveling originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Pathfinder Online unveils 'Environment Experience' Posted: 09 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Sandbox Pathfinder Online's Kickstarter campaign continues ever onward, but it will soon be drawing to a close. The Goblinworks title has received pledges totaling $671,765 of its whopping $1,000,000 goal. If you're on the fence trying to decide whether or not to pledge to the campaign, Goblinworks' latest treat might be enough to knock you off of it (one way or another). Fans can now access a nifty tool that will allow them to traipse about the environment from the game's tech demo. It runs right in your browser courtesy of Unity, so it's definitely worth at least a quick look. There is, as you may have guessed, no actual gameplay in this little demo-land; it's just you, the movement keys, and a small chunk of the Pathfinder Online world. If you wanna poke around for yourself, you can find the demo at the source link below. Pathfinder Online unveils 'Environment Experience' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Choose My Adventure: Farewell, SWTOR Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Choose My Adventure My six weeks in Star Wars: The Old Republic are up this week, sadly enough, but I've come away with much more than a fun story to tell all of you. Playing the Imperial Agent has been a blast (get it?!) and has shown me that BioWare writes a darn good story arc. Will I continue to play after this week? Hey, you need to read my character's story, first! Last week, you chose for me to hang on to Kaliyo and not be guided strictly by light or dark side choices. Those choices helped mold the ending to my character's story in a rather interesting way. Follow along after the cut for how the story of Xel'es will end, followed by my brief impressions of the first 20 levels and where I'll go from here. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Farewell, SWTOR Choose My Adventure: Farewell, SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Archlord combines Zian and Gracia servers Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play The world of Chantra is about to get a lot cozier: Archlord will undergo a server consolidation on January 30th that will combine the Gracia and Zian servers. Gracia characters that have been accessed since July 1st, 2012, will be merged without any transfer requests, but players are encouraged to check the eligibility of their character transfers. Prior to the merge (and ensuing epic battles), players will be supported with free cash shop items and will be able to celebrate the combination with "various events." The first Archlord (and guild members) after the consolidation will be rewarded with unique items. [Source: Webzen press release] Archlord combines Zian and Gracia servers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| A star is born as Hercules makes his SMITE debut Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA Hi-Rez Studios' SMITE is going the distance with its newest playable god. Players can now go from zero to hero by slipping into the sandals of everyone's favorite super-strong demi-god, Hercules! Good ol' Herc fills the role of token berserker in SMITE with an ability that causes his attacks to gain strength as his health gets lower. Hercules's titanic strength also lends itself to a number of abilities that help him to gain control of the battlefield. He can drive enemies back with a ferocious charging strike or knock them into the air with a mighty earthquake. And if Hercules is his team's one last hope, he can use his ultimate attack to hurl a gargantuan boulder at his opponents. If you want to see the man who puts the "glad" in "gladiator" in action, head on past the cut for Herc's big reveal trailer. [Source: Hi-Rez Studios press release] Continue reading A star is born as Hercules makes his SMITE debut A star is born as Hercules makes his SMITE debut originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| WildStar tester talks about his experiences Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, News items, Community Q&A, WildStar  Don't worry, this isn't some hideous NDA breach -- it's this week's WildStar Wednesday! Way back in the long-lost time that was known as 2012, WildStar fans were asked to submit questions for Friends & Family testers. This week we've been treated to part one of the responses to those questions, courtesy of one intrepid tester. The anonymous tester says that his favorite part of the game so far has been "delving into the mystery that is Nexus," while his least enjoyable experience has been on the Settler path. He's finding the double jump feature challenging due to its general finickiness. According to this tester, while mobs' telegraphs will tell you where you need to not be standing, knowing the best response to telegraphs comes with fighting the creatures and getting to understand them. When asked about any one thing he would like to see improved, Tester Man called out the map interface. "In a world where space travel is possible, control on what and when you see things on a map should be a given." WildStar tester talks about his experiences originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| DarkCryo clarifies Fox's 'well wishes' for Firefly Universe Online, dispels hoax allegations Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Legal, Sandbox, Crowdfunding During our conference calls we were essentially asking how close to the line we are allowed to tread and still maintain a positive, open comm link with Fox Legal. We've never received a C&D, and don't want one. We gave scenarios, and Fox Legal was generous enough to give us specifics on what they perceived to be derivative. So long as we maintain this fine line, Fox Legal stated that "of course" we can proceed, and that they "wish us well".
When we stated 'well wishes', we were simply alleviating people's fear that - no matter what DarkCryo does-it will be 'shut down.' We know now how to avoid this scenario, and should no longer be an issue. FUO was scheduled for a Kickstarter campaign in the not-too-distant future, which "may have to be postponed indefinitely" in response to the recent drama. If that Kickstarter secures funding in a timely manner, DarkCryo will be aiming for an alpha release in winter of 2013. DarkCryo clarifies Fox's 'well wishes' for Firefly Universe Online, dispels hoax allegations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| The Defiance MMO gets a trailer, too Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, News items, Defiance Trailers aren't just for TV shows, no sirree. Syfy's TV show Defiance got a new trailer today, but the fun doesn't stop there! Trion Worlds' video game Defiance got a trailer all of its own -- and it's pretty shiny, if we do say so ourselves. It may not have that fancy "plot" and "dialogue" stuff like the TV trailer, but it does have a lot of explosions, some truly gnarly lookin' monsters, and a bit of time warping and Inception horning. The trailer also includes a call for interested players to enlist for the game's first beta test (which you can do at the new official site). Skip below the cut to see all the action with your own two eyes. Or however many eyes you have. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Continue reading The Defiance MMO gets a trailer, too The Defiance MMO gets a trailer, too originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Aion, EVE Online, Lineage, Lineage 2, MMO industry, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Casual, Virtual worlds, Massively Interviews, World of Tanks, TERA, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2, Age of Wushu Beyond amazing character design, compelling narratives, and the presence of dragons, there is one thing that all MMOs depend upon for success: player loyalty. Without returning subscribers, a loving community, or folks dropping a few dimes in the cash shop now and again, MMOs simply wouldn't be a feasible way for a games studio to do business. Smart development teams have player retention departments tasked specifically with tracking and analyzing the rise and fall of player allegiances and finding ways to leverage loyalty is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the creation process. Even the non-gaming world is getting in on the fray. Back in November, researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Management published a study tracing the roots of player loyalties in a variety of MMO environments. The study outlined the mentalities of MMO gamers and the things that successfully encouraged them to keep coming back for more looting, more grinding, and more /hugging. Most importantly, the study declared that an MMO that increases loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%. We sat down with Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, to dive a little deeper into the researchers' methods, results, and plans for future MMO investigation. Continue reading Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| City of Steam focuses on improvements for open beta Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries With City of Steam preparing for its eventual open beta test, Mechanist Games CEO Dave Lindsay has a few words to say about the testing process so far and what the team has in store for the future. Lindsay said that he personally spent time gaming with players during the recent test because as he says, "I believe as a small developer working on our first game, it's critical for us to be listening to our players." Lindsay delivers a substantial list of improvements and additions for the next version of the game in a short letter on the official site. Among these chances include a smoother difficulty curve, easier-to-understand stats, a broader training regimen, better UI tools for quests, and a whole lot of polishing. Then there are some yet-to-be-named surprises: "Of course, we will continue to raise the bar for browser games all-over the world. New features will definitely be in there to dazzle and jaw-drop. You ain't never seen a browser game like this!" City of Steam focuses on improvements for open beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Trion tackles holiday RIFT botters Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Legal, RIFT RIFT's come under siege as of late, but instead of that siege being the "vicious creatures from another planar dimension" variety, it's been the players themselves. Trion Worlds has posted that the game became infested with botters over the recent holidays, so the team has taken action. "As of today, we've already shut down a few thousand accounts over the recent rise in fishing botting, and we've begun removing gains from others in places of extreme bot use. A good number of these botters were brought in, as is often the case, on stolen credit cards and fraudulent RIFT purchases," the development team wrote. The studio said that while the situation is being dealt with, disabled gamers who use keyboard-assistance software are advised not to use these programs (but aren't forbidden from doing so, either). Trion has plans for "a more creative content solution" for the botting issue that will come in the future. Trion tackles holiday RIFT botters originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Marvel Heroes introduces Founders Program in preparation of spring 2013 launch Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Galleries, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes, Promotions Superhero fans have another reason to look forward to the end of winter besides a break from the cold and snow: Come spring, they will be able to to adventure as their favorite caped -- or non-caped -- crusaders in the free-to-play action RPG Marvel Heroes. To help fans get ready for the upcoming launch, Gazillion Entertainment has announced a program offering players special limited-edition packs that include unique costumes, access to favorite heroes, early game access, and even in-game currency to buy more once the game releases. This Founders Program offers three tiers for purchase. Fans can choose the starter pack with one hero of their choice for $19.99 USD, the premium pack with a team of four preselected heroes for $59.99, or the ultimate pack that includes all heroes and all costumes for $199.99. Each pack also includes XP boosts, item-find boosts, in-game currency, and early access time, although the specific amounts vary per tier. For more details and a look at all the different costumes available, including newly announced outfits and exclusive ones, check out the gallery below. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release] Marvel Heroes introduces Founders Program in preparation of spring 2013 launch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Infographic offers noobs a summary of the US MMO industry Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: MMO industry, News items What is an MMO? If you are reading this, chances are you can already answer that! But there are still poor souls out there who can't, folks who scratch their heads and look at you quizzically when you discuss your latest pwnage. So in an effort to enlighten the uninitiated, PoetCode, the creator of Dynasty of the Magi (an app combining a MMO with an ongoing eBook series), has put together an interesting infographic to help explain MMOs at a glance. With a mini lexicon, a code of conduct, and even a list of ingredients for making your own MMO mingled among statistics, the partly tongue-in-cheek collection offers gamers and non-gamers alike a look at the industry in the US. What percentage of gamers is male vs. female? And what age group dominates the playerbase? Both of these questions and more can be answered in the full infographic after the break. Check it out, then tell us in the comments below what you think of the various points. Do you agree? [Source PoetCode infographic] Continue reading Infographic offers noobs a summary of the US MMO industry Infographic offers noobs a summary of the US MMO industry originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
| Free for All: Preparing for battle in Alliance Warfare Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, MMORTS, Free for All As I have pointed out before and will likely point out again, the MMORTS represents one of the most common genres in MMOs today -- and one of the worst ones for repetitive design. If you've played one MMORTS, you haven't played them all, but you've played pretty damn near to them all. I love the genre luckily so I am able to wade through literally scores of these games in the hopes of finding those rare gems that make me think that the genre is still very valuable. There are a lot of reasons the MMORTS is so common, number one being ease of delivery. After all, the gameplay in an MMORTS is more MMO-like than most MMOs out there, thanks to layers of persistence. Creating a series of barely animated images has to be much easier than creating an entire 3-D world; surely that has something to do with the spread of the genre. I played yet another one over the last several days, this time Alliance Warfare. Is it different? Does it just simply repeat the same designs and mechanics from every other MMORTS? Well, yes and no. Continue reading Free for All: Preparing for battle in Alliance Warfare Free for All: Preparing for battle in Alliance Warfare originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments |
