With the North American server for Phantasy Star Online 2 getting a delay later into the year, the Southeast Asia English server was announced discreetly a few weeks back. The publisher will be Asiasoft, which is also hosting the popular Ragnarok Online 2. There is no word if the Vita and mobile versions will
MMO Culture
Friday, May 31, 2013
Stoopid n00bs and conversion rates
Card Hunter is a game that requires very different skills than a MMORPG or MOBA game does, as it is a turn-based tactical game. So the player base is a different one. Nevertheless it turns out that on the Card Hunter forums exactly the same sort of discussion takes place as in every other online game, specifically the conflict between the hardcore and the casual players. On the Card Hunter beta forums there are numerous threads of beta players getting stuck in the campaign and finding the game
World of Warcraft Crashes
Tired of crashing.. Can't play on any toons.. All I can do is stand still and chat. Wonder why I'm mad?
When Girls Go WoW: Lkpriest's World of Warcraft Blog
When Girls Go WoW: Lkpriest's World of Warcraft Blog
Dungeon & Fighter: Defense – Nexon launches new Android title
Nexon is really making use of its own IP (intellectual properties), and using them well to invade the booming mobile gaming market. The latest game to roll out is Dungeon & Fighter: Defense, only for Android phones. Of course, the game is only available in Korea now. Gameplay is pretty simple, where players have
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Red vs. Blue: Revelation
Red vs. Blue: Revelation
List Price: $ 2.99
Price: $ 2.99
More Halo Movie Products
List Price: $ 2.99
Price: $ 2.99
More Halo Movie Products
Story trailers spotlight two Dragon's Prophet EU zones
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lore, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet
Dragon's Prophet launched into open beta yesterday on both sides of the pond, and players are jumping into the world of Auratia to try their hand at domesticating the various dragon-kind. But there's more to Dragon's Prophet than just taming dragons, there's also a fight against the evil threatening to take over the land. So what's the story on this invading evil?
To give players a glimpse of what they are fighti
Dragon's Prophet launched into open beta yesterday on both sides of the pond, and players are jumping into the world of Auratia to try their hand at domesticating the various dragon-kind. But there's more to Dragon's Prophet than just taming dragons, there's also a fight against the evil threatening to take over the land. So what's the story on this invading evil?
To give players a glimpse of what they are fighti
Take-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US
Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Miscellaneous
The good news: Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says that the company that brought you BioShock, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and the GTA series is "actively investing in online and MMOs." The bad news: He adds, "We're just not doing it in the U.S."
Speaking at the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Zelnick reinforces what he believes many studios are learning the hard way, "
The good news: Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says that the company that brought you BioShock, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and the GTA series is "actively investing in online and MMOs." The bad news: He adds, "We're just not doing it in the U.S."
Speaking at the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Zelnick reinforces what he believes many studios are learning the hard way, "
EVE Online dev blog discusses Odyssey UI changes
Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Expansions, News Items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox
The folks over at CCP have put up a new, puntastically titled post on the EVE Online site to fill players in on some of the UI changes coming in EVE Online: Odyssey. The changes range from the miniscule ("you can now make the input field in chat a single line and gain like 20 extra pixels! Yay!") to the more ambitious (such as a major reworking of the game's fleet management window), plus a few things in-between. To g
The folks over at CCP have put up a new, puntastically titled post on the EVE Online site to fill players in on some of the UI changes coming in EVE Online: Odyssey. The changes range from the miniscule ("you can now make the input field in chat a single line and gain like 20 extra pixels! Yay!") to the more ambitious (such as a major reworking of the game's fleet management window), plus a few things in-between. To g
Thursday, May 30, 2013
The Elder Scrolls Online – First official view of first person combat mode
[Game website] While the previous 20-minute video was leaked by a Closed Beta player, the video this time round is official and recorded by CVG. The journalists of the gaming website managed to show off first person combat, which is very much in the veins of the offline Elder Scrolls games. Enjoy!  
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
The Guild Counsel: Lessons in guild leadership from a pop star
Filed under: Culture, Guilds, Opinion, Humor, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous
Apologies to the Beliebers, but good old Justin hasn't exactly had a banner year. He's been in the news a lot lately, just not for his dulcet tones or his fancy dance moves. But his behavior can actually remind guild leaders of a few important things not to do.
Can a brash pop star really provide tips on guild leadership? Let's take a lighthearted look in this week's Guild Counsel.Continue reading The Guild Counsel:
Apologies to the Beliebers, but good old Justin hasn't exactly had a banner year. He's been in the news a lot lately, just not for his dulcet tones or his fancy dance moves. But his behavior can actually remind guild leaders of a few important things not to do.
Can a brash pop star really provide tips on guild leadership? Let's take a lighthearted look in this week's Guild Counsel.Continue reading The Guild Counsel:
Explore the <b>World of Warcraft</b> Gold Gaming on IGXE
Explore the World of Warcraft Gold Gaming on IGXE
IGXE offer you free guide to buy wow gold, WOW CD Key, warcraft gold, wow power leveling, Diablo 3 gold. Forward · Print · Save · Repost This. Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2013 -- World of Warcraft is MMORPG (massively multiplayer ...
Read more on SBWire (press release)
Weekend has cowboys, a pow wow, trains -- and jumping frogs
Through culture, dance and song, the festival is held in a drug-free, a
IGXE offer you free guide to buy wow gold, WOW CD Key, warcraft gold, wow power leveling, Diablo 3 gold. Forward · Print · Save · Repost This. Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2013 -- World of Warcraft is MMORPG (massively multiplayer ...
Read more on SBWire (press release)
Weekend has cowboys, a pow wow, trains -- and jumping frogs
Through culture, dance and song, the festival is held in a drug-free, a
Real world value systems in virtual worlds
Browsing through my newsfeeds I noticed several blogs talking about gender issues in virtual worlds. Again. For the thousandth time. I decided to just skip over those posts. I am all for gender equality in the real world, but I believe that real world value systems do not necessarily apply to virtual worlds.
For example, are you a racist in real life? I'd hope not! But in a typical MMORPG, like World of Warcraft (and it doesn't get any more typical than that), we are all supposed to be racist
For example, are you a racist in real life? I'd hope not! But in a typical MMORPG, like World of Warcraft (and it doesn't get any more typical than that), we are all supposed to be racist
Legend of the Condor Heroes: ZERO – Game engine focus for new trailer
Perfect World has been building up its catalog of self-developed game engines these few years, and the upcoming Legend of the Condor Heroes: ZERO will be crafted using the ARK Engine. The company’s first in-house non-target action MMORPG, the trailer seems pretty impressive. To add on, Perfect World is boasting 126 different types of dynamic
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Willow (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)
Willow (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)
Journey to the far corners of your imagination with Willow, for the first time ever on Blu-ray! Now fully digitally restored, this release features a dazzling array of extras, including new, never-before-seen exclusive content. From legendary filmmakers George Lucas and Ron Howard comes a timeless fantasy tale in which heroes comes in all sizes...and adventure is the greatest magic of all. When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) finds an abandoned baby girl, h
Journey to the far corners of your imagination with Willow, for the first time ever on Blu-ray! Now fully digitally restored, this release features a dazzling array of extras, including new, never-before-seen exclusive content. From legendary filmmakers George Lucas and Ron Howard comes a timeless fantasy tale in which heroes comes in all sizes...and adventure is the greatest magic of all. When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) finds an abandoned baby girl, h
Ask Massively: You can't cover WoW because of reasons
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Community Q&A, Miscellaneous, Diablo III, MMORPG
When I took over Massively last fall, I made myself a little digital post-it note in Gmail Notes that read, "Remember: You work for Joystiq, not studios." Today, I've amended that to also read, "And not commenters."
I love commenters, even the trolls sometimes when you make me laugh. You guys provide instant feedback and adoration but also entertain
When I took over Massively last fall, I made myself a little digital post-it note in Gmail Notes that read, "Remember: You work for Joystiq, not studios." Today, I've amended that to also read, "And not commenters."
I love commenters, even the trolls sometimes when you make me laugh. You guys provide instant feedback and adoration but also entertain
Chaos Online – Southeast Asia server for new MOBA enters Open Beta
[Game website] The first English server for Chaos Online launched earlier today, entering Open Beta under the wings of SEA publisher, Asiasoft. This Korea-developed MOBA is created by Neoact, the team which first made the Chaos map in Warcraft III, hence the familiar visuals. I played the China server a while back, and it
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Black Gold Online – Debut test phase begins with huge amount of content
The debut test phase, or Closed Beta 1, for Snail Game’s latest online game, Black Gold Online, started about 2 hours ago. Leaving the essence of wushu far behind, players will not travel into a world where magic and technology are in a bitter conflict against each other. Below are some of the features
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Mabinogi Heroes – New character teased for Episode 3 update
Mabinogi Heroes will be getting its next major content update this summer, which is Episode 3. Nexon announced a few days back that the game will now be led by a new project director, and at the same time teased the upcoming 7th character, a male character wielding a greatsword. He will be the 3rd 4th
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Free for All: Interviewing Achaea's Matt Mihaly for MUD May
Filed under: Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Roleplaying, Community Q&A, Free for All, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Sandbox
MUD May has been a very enjoyable experience, but the main thing I learned is that a month is not long enough to cover all of MUDdom. Not by a long shot. The fact is that MUDs have a much longer history than graphical, 3-D MMOs, and here we are on an entire site dedicated mainly to those! We owe a lot to M
MUD May has been a very enjoyable experience, but the main thing I learned is that a month is not long enough to cover all of MUDdom. Not by a long shot. The fact is that MUDs have a much longer history than graphical, 3-D MMOs, and here we are on an entire site dedicated mainly to those! We owe a lot to M
Anonymity + Money = Crime
News this week is of Liberty Reserve, a global online currency exchange, which got shut down and its owner arrested for money laundering because it allowed sending money anonymously. Now personally I have trouble believing that every single dollar at Liberty Reserve was of criminal origin and used only to buy criminal goods. You can't "launder" money in a system which doesn't contain clean money as well as dirty one. But it is certainly true that a part of the money was dirty.
That could also
That could also
MapleStory – Japan server sees major Magi anime content update
If you are a fan of Japanese manga and anime, you would have heard of the series known as Magi. I personally am a fan, despite the obvious Arabian Nights references, but who cares? Magi has invaded MapleStory Japan, with new gears inspired by the title. Of course, there are new maps on Magi. Anime
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Swordsman Online – New combat mode added for 2nd test phase
Swordsman Online recently entered its 2nd test phase in China, and developer Perfect World added a new rectile combat mode, much similar to Blade & Soul’s. I am guessing this is to make the rather monotonous game more “action-y”. While players have to manually move close, normal attacks will only hit multiple targets if
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Core Masters – First overseas server announced for MOBA title
The debut online game for Korean studio Soft Big Bang, Core Masters will has been announced for Japan, under publisher/ developer Gamepot. A MOBA title, much in the veins of League of Legends and the Dota games, Core Masters will be differentiating itself by having several unique game modes. The game is still in Closed
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Project Titan – Blizzard reportedly delaying next-gen MMO till 2016
According to VentureBeat, Blizzard Entertainment has delayed the launch of its mysterious next-gen MMO, Project Titan. The ETA is now in 2016, with the team of 100 developers reduced by 70 positions. The small team now will “start over” on Project Titan. Prior to this information, I was informed by an ex-Blizzard employee that Project
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Own a copy of RIFT, play for free for a weekend
Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Subscription
So you bought RIFT, and you played it for a while, and then you stopped. Now you're not playing RIFT. But now you also know the game is going free-to-play in June, and so you could jump back in. But you don't know if you want to, you've lost track of the patches... you're just not sure. What you really need is a chance to jump back in the game for a few days and see whether the game still holds some ma
So you bought RIFT, and you played it for a while, and then you stopped. Now you're not playing RIFT. But now you also know the game is going free-to-play in June, and so you could jump back in. But you don't know if you want to, you've lost track of the patches... you're just not sure. What you really need is a chance to jump back in the game for a few days and see whether the game still holds some ma
Designing to your business model
Recently I walked into a bank because I needed change for a 10-Euro bill. The bank refused to do that, because I didn't have an account with them, then asked me whether I'd be interested in opening an account. I told them that their refusal of service to not-yet-customers made me less likely to open an account with them. I was thinking of that episode when in yesterday's thread the question popped up how companies designed Free2Play games to cater to the small percentage of people paying for th
Mechanist launches City of Steam's patch 1.2: The Vault Unsealed
Filed under: Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Races, City of Steam, Steampunk
Tomorrow (or tonight, depending on your point of view) is patch day for free-to-play, browser-based title City of Steam. Starting at 2 a.m. EDT, the game will be taken offline for four to six hours while Mechanist Games pushes live patch 1.2: The Vault Unsealed.
This new patch adds quite a bit of content to the still-in-development City of Steam, including new quests, the return of the Riven and Draug
Tomorrow (or tonight, depending on your point of view) is patch day for free-to-play, browser-based title City of Steam. Starting at 2 a.m. EDT, the game will be taken offline for four to six hours while Mechanist Games pushes live patch 1.2: The Vault Unsealed.
This new patch adds quite a bit of content to the still-in-development City of Steam, including new quests, the return of the Riven and Draug
Guild Wars Nightfall (Bonus Pack - Presell) Reviews
Guild Wars Nightfall (Bonus Pack - Presell)
Guild Wars "Play Now" key for a 10-hour/14-day trial of Guild Wars Prophecies and Guild Wars Factions (maximum of 10 hours of game play over a 14 day period from the time the code is activated)Guild Wars Nightfall Bonus Key, providing one additional character slot for a Guild Wars Nightfall account, as well as two exclusive items for the new professionsItems: Fiery Sunspear of Shelter (for the new Paragon profession) and an Icy Soulbreaker of Enchan
Guild Wars "Play Now" key for a 10-hour/14-day trial of Guild Wars Prophecies and Guild Wars Factions (maximum of 10 hours of game play over a 14 day period from the time the code is activated)Guild Wars Nightfall Bonus Key, providing one additional character slot for a Guild Wars Nightfall account, as well as two exclusive items for the new professionsItems: Fiery Sunspear of Shelter (for the new Paragon profession) and an Icy Soulbreaker of Enchan
Penguin Warfare – Snail Game debuting its first online shooter
Other than maintaining Age of Wushu and rolling out its new steampunk MMORPG, Black Gold Online, Snail Game somehow still managed to announce a debut test phase for its first online shooter, Penguin Warfare, on 1st June. There will be 4 modes for the test, and there will be 1 which is slightly “unique”.
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Lastest Gold For World Of Warcraft News
GungHo Stock's 4000% Run -- What it Means for Game Studios and Investors
It became the second game in the history of the industry to cross $ 1 billion annual sales (after World of Warcraft). Between 2009-2012, investor sentiment swung ... In March 2013, App Annie's data shows Puzzle & Dragons was the #1 highest grossing game ...
Read more on Gamasutra (blog)
The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game
Even World of Warcraft's auction houses exhibit roug
It became the second game in the history of the industry to cross $ 1 billion annual sales (after World of Warcraft). Between 2009-2012, investor sentiment swung ... In March 2013, App Annie's data shows Puzzle & Dragons was the #1 highest grossing game ...
Read more on Gamasutra (blog)
The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game
Even World of Warcraft's auction houses exhibit roug
Monday, May 27, 2013
Legend of the Condor Heroes: ZERO – Game primed for ChinaJoy 2013
After the official teaser trailer being leaked yesterday, Perfect World Beijing has officially announced Legend of the Condor Heroes: ZERO (or Condor ZERO). It will be the game company’s first self-developed non-target action MMORPG. Below is a low-res gameplay capture by Cinese gaming website, 17173.com. The journalist is playing the game with a gamepad,
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Kritika – PvE arena to be introduced in upcoming content update
Arriving in the Korean server on 30th May, Kritika will see a new PvE arena mode, where players can battle against new humanoid bosses. No stamina will be consumed, and players can apparently challenge them for an unlimited amount of times, costing just in-game currency. The bosses will be tough, and they will certainly
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Metrology
Metrology is the science of measurement. Sounds somewhat dry, but in fact in the discussion of MMORPGs questions of metrology pop up all the time, for example how to measure player numbers of a game. The issue is complicated because what we want to measure is often either a number that is not available, or something that is in fact not measurable at all, like how good a certain game is. So the approach generally is that you measure something you can measure, and then extrapolate.
That approach
That approach
Legend of the Condor Heroes: Zero – New Perfect World game leaked
First announced last year at ChinaJoy, and subsequently teased as Project Z earlier this month, it has been confirmed that Perfect World’s first self-developed action MMORPG will be Legend of the Condor Heroes, although now with an extra “Zero”. The game will be officially announced tomorrow. Hopefully, the game will really impress me. Swordsman
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Defiance is the MMO equivalent of a popcorn movie
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance, Buy-to-Play
Defiance is a curious beast. One part television show and one part video game, it is as much an experiment in building a brand as it is an MMO. The game half of Defiance, developed by Trion Worlds, is a third-person action shooter with dynamic events, a persistent open world, and dozens of nasty enemy types. The television half is, well, a tel
Defiance is a curious beast. One part television show and one part video game, it is as much an experiment in building a brand as it is an MMO. The game half of Defiance, developed by Trion Worlds, is a third-person action shooter with dynamic events, a persistent open world, and dozens of nasty enemy types. The television half is, well, a tel
Sunday, May 26, 2013
MMO Week in Review: The planet of galactic peace
Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
Three-year-old Star Trek Online loosed its Legacy of Romulus expansion this week, carrying with it the thrills of a third faction and the annoyances of extend
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
Three-year-old Star Trek Online loosed its Legacy of Romulus expansion this week, carrying with it the thrills of a third faction and the annoyances of extend
League of Legends – New cinematic trailer impresses the legion
With League of Legends currently the top online game, in fact the top overall game on all platforms currently, Riot Games could easily have slacked off and reap the rewards. The good thing is, the company not only announced a new map, but also released a new cinematic trailer. Below is a video focused
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Freaky Creatures Add-on Pack: Horzan
Freaky Creatures Add-on Pack: Horzan
Far in the future, the fates of planets are decided by epic battles between genetically engineered creatures. Buy cool monster action figure, discover flash drive buried in packaging, create your own creature, more than 3.2 billion possibilities, get freaky and get ready to battle! Battle thousands online! Are you freaky?1 Freaky Creatures Horzan Collectible Action Figure1 Code Card (Code Card Unlocks 1 In-Game Freaky Creature, 25 Creature Parts, 10 Power
Far in the future, the fates of planets are decided by epic battles between genetically engineered creatures. Buy cool monster action figure, discover flash drive buried in packaging, create your own creature, more than 3.2 billion possibilities, get freaky and get ready to battle! Battle thousands online! Are you freaky?1 Freaky Creatures Horzan Collectible Action Figure1 Code Card (Code Card Unlocks 1 In-Game Freaky Creature, 25 Creature Parts, 10 Power
EVE Evolved: Archaeology and Hacking in Odyssey
Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Dungeons
EVE Online's Odyssey expansion is set to land in just over a week's time, kicking off the game's second decade with a focus on exploration, immersion, and resource rebalancing. Developers plan to shake up nullsec by redistributing the value of various moon minerals and buffing player-owned outposts, and lowsec will become a more tempting place to visit with the addition of
EVE Online's Odyssey expansion is set to land in just over a week's time, kicking off the game's second decade with a focus on exploration, immersion, and resource rebalancing. Developers plan to shake up nullsec by redistributing the value of various moon minerals and buffing player-owned outposts, and lowsec will become a more tempting place to visit with the addition of
League of Legends reveals new cinematic trailer: A Twist of Fate
Filed under: Trailers, Video, Culture, Lore, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends
If you've been following the League of Legends competitive scene, you've probably noticed tiny cinematic snippets in promotional videos for big events. Those little clips have all been part of a huge effort at Riot Games spanning the past several years and aiming to create an epic cinematic trailer.
Following last night's conclusion of the League of Legends All-Star event in Shanghai, Riot finally rel
If you've been following the League of Legends competitive scene, you've probably noticed tiny cinematic snippets in promotional videos for big events. Those little clips have all been part of a huge effort at Riot Games spanning the past several years and aiming to create an epic cinematic trailer.
Following last night's conclusion of the League of Legends All-Star event in Shanghai, Riot finally rel
One Shots: Home sweet home
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Screenshots, One Shots, The Secret World, Mortal Online, RIFT, Miscellaneous
It's easy to forget that in all of these game worlds that we're adventuring through, some people allegedly live and work in these lands! Even in the very, very scary places! Reader Xexanos found this run-down house in a dark corner of The Secret World and found himself entranced by the mystery of it.
"I stumbled upon this place during my exploration of the Shadowy Forest (the name really
It's easy to forget that in all of these game worlds that we're adventuring through, some people allegedly live and work in these lands! Even in the very, very scary places! Reader Xexanos found this run-down house in a dark corner of The Secret World and found himself entranced by the mystery of it.
"I stumbled upon this place during my exploration of the Shadowy Forest (the name really
Word Realms Review
Asymmetric, makers of Kingdom of Loathing, sent me a copy of their new game for review: Word Realms. They said it was their take on the basic formula of Bookworm Adventures, but I haven't played that one. In fact I haven't played *any* word games on the internet ever, not Words with Friends nor any other Scrabble-like game. So the reason why I checked out Word Realms was that it is half word game, half role-playing game. You have a character who is gaining powers by doing quests and killing mon
Saturday, May 25, 2013
TUG closes in on its Kickstarter deadline with a new video
Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Previews, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding
It's the final countdown for TUG, with less than a week to go and about $ 50,000 more needed as of this writing. The development team has penned a penultimate Kickstarter update for fans and would-be fans, compiling several updates and news posts for everyone to read. It covers the care and development of player characters, the use of companions, and the structure of the game servers... all questions to be asked by anyone
It's the final countdown for TUG, with less than a week to go and about $ 50,000 more needed as of this writing. The development team has penned a penultimate Kickstarter update for fans and would-be fans, compiling several updates and news posts for everyone to read. It covers the care and development of player characters, the use of companions, and the structure of the game servers... all questions to be asked by anyone
The Tattered Notebook: EQ Next scoops up Emily 'Domino' Taylor
Filed under: EverQuest II, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, Crafting
A curious thing happened as I was strolling through EverQuest II this past week. It seems there was a bit of commotion in the Norrathian community, with races good and evil cheering and dancing in the streets. Personally, I didn't even know Sarnak could move like that! What was the catalyst of this celebration? Why, didn't you hear -- there was news about EverQuest Next! And with the scarci
A curious thing happened as I was strolling through EverQuest II this past week. It seems there was a bit of commotion in the Norrathian community, with races good and evil cheering and dancing in the streets. Personally, I didn't even know Sarnak could move like that! What was the catalyst of this celebration? Why, didn't you hear -- there was news about EverQuest Next! And with the scarci
Dragon Sword – A brief tour of the new open-world action combat game
Just a brief reminder, Dragon Sword is currently just in Alpha phase, hence I will not be touching too much on the game except for some of the features. Developed by China’s no.2 MMO company, NetEase, Dragon Sword is an open-world action combat game which should be the first from the country. Some folks
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Friday, May 24, 2013
The Azerothian Dream
The new President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, this year started talking about "the China Dream", to offer an alternative to "the American Dream". Wikipedia defines the American Dream as "a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work". And I frequently hear people talking about MMORPGs like World of Warcraft in similar terms, stressing the need for equality of opportunity and merit
Wowwee Roboraptor
Wowwee Roboraptor
Dinosaurs are back and roaming the earth in the 32" long RoboraptorThree distinct moods hunter, cautious and playfulMulti-sensory touch sensors in his tail, chin and mouth, sonic sensorsPowerful jaws that play tug-of war games, "bite" and pullMood dependent behavior aggressive/hunting mood, nervous/cautious mood, friendly/playful mood
Meet The RoboRaptor, America's favorite robotic dinosaur.Evidence that the robotic dinosaur revolution is spreading, this Roboraptor comes fu
Dinosaurs are back and roaming the earth in the 32" long RoboraptorThree distinct moods hunter, cautious and playfulMulti-sensory touch sensors in his tail, chin and mouth, sonic sensorsPowerful jaws that play tug-of war games, "bite" and pullMood dependent behavior aggressive/hunting mood, nervous/cautious mood, friendly/playful mood
Meet The RoboRaptor, America's favorite robotic dinosaur.Evidence that the robotic dinosaur revolution is spreading, this Roboraptor comes fu
Wildstar paths
Syp is pondering what path to pick in Wildstar. Me, I'm most definitively going for settler, which is the path for people who want to build stuff for the benefit of the community. The simple fact that such a path even exists, complete with path-specific quests and benefits, makes me want to play Wildstar. The only regret I have is that those paths appear to be secondary to classes, and the path activities secondary to a same-old-same-old leveling game. I very much like the idea of a virtual wor
RIFT China – Shanda Games determined to maintain P2P model
Over at the latest quarterly financial reveal yesterday, China MMORPG developer and publisher, Shanda Games, confirmed that RIFT China will not be going Free-to-Play like the North America server. Instead, it will continue using its 0.49 CNY (0.08 USD) per hour after level 20 plan. The company’s CEO, Mr Xiangdong Zhang, admitted that RIFT did not performed as
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Guild Wars 2 mixes up its WvW matchups
Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play
There's a problem in the Guild Wars 2 World vs. World matching system, and it's a subtle one that's almost invisible until you look closer. Because of the way ratings are calculated and how the matchups happen, the net result for each server is always being matched up against the same servers. No matter how well you perform, you wind up locked into a certain tier without any hope of changes. It's a problem that the
There's a problem in the Guild Wars 2 World vs. World matching system, and it's a subtle one that's almost invisible until you look closer. Because of the way ratings are calculated and how the matchups happen, the net result for each server is always being matched up against the same servers. No matter how well you perform, you wind up locked into a certain tier without any hope of changes. It's a problem that the
Battle Pet: Twilight Iguana
In silence, I fly over the still waters that has engulfed the Thousand Needles and marvel at the destruction. The Cataclysm brought upon us by Deathwing has submerged the once parched canyon, rendering it virtually unrecognizable. Though I have passed by here many times in my travels, expediency has never allowed me a chance to really look... To remember... I am hit by a sudden sense of loss as I pass over what was once the Shimmering Flats. Memories and regrets float to the surface. No more rac
Challenging games for the weekend
As I mentioned in previous posts this week, under loud protest, I do not consider MMORPGs to be challenging, skill-based games. Not that they don't have challenging parts requiring lots of skill, but because those skill parts take comparatively little time, a small percentage of the overall time spent in game; and in consequence the skill parts also only contribute to few of many different personal "win conditions" people have. What I maybe didn't express so well is that not being skill-based f
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Lastest World Of Warcraft Power Leveling News
The Nexus Telegraph: Still moving in WildStar
That means everything you'd expect in a post-World of Warcraft world, with loading screens popping up only when you take the time to travel between continents. The off-planet areas aren't technically considered continents, but they work along the same ...
Read more on Joystiq
The Queue: Who do you call
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft
That means everything you'd expect in a post-World of Warcraft world, with loading screens popping up only when you take the time to travel between continents. The off-planet areas aren't technically considered continents, but they work along the same ...
Read more on Joystiq
The Queue: Who do you call
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft
Dragon Nest – Web version of action game scheduled for launch this year
If you did not know, Korean developer Eyedentity Games, creator of Dragon Nest, was bought by China MMO company Shanda Games a few years back. At yesterday’s financial call, Shanda Games’ CEO anounced that the web version of Dragon Nest will launch later this year. Of course, these schedules are always known to change, so take it
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Dusting Off My World of Warcraft
So, I'm back in the game again. To be honest, it's a little daunting. I am a little overwhelmed as to where to pick up. To to it all off, when I logged on, I found myself guildless. Yes, the Mal'ganis guild I was in, Duality, transferred servers during my hiatus. Seeing as how I technically recently transferred myself, and haven't played in months, I'm a bit unwilling to transfer myself. Still, there were some really amazing people that I will miss hanging with. Maybe I will pop over and say hi?
The Summoner's Guidebook: Why you shouldn't always buy Deathcap on LoL casters
Filed under: Opinion, Free-to-Play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook
Once upon a time (OK, a few weeks ago), I was playing an ARAM as Diana. I had a fairly bad score (I'm passive and don't chase kills), and we lost. One of my teammates blamed me, claiming my item build was awful. It was largely because I didn't build Rabadon's Deathcap.
Deathcap is one of the perennial caster items in League of Legends. Not only does it give an enormous amount of ability power, but it a
Once upon a time (OK, a few weeks ago), I was playing an ARAM as Diana. I had a fairly bad score (I'm passive and don't chase kills), and we lost. One of my teammates blamed me, claiming my item build was awful. It was largely because I didn't build Rabadon's Deathcap.
Deathcap is one of the perennial caster items in League of Legends. Not only does it give an enormous amount of ability power, but it a
Visionman Widow Gamer / AMD64 X2 4200+ / 4GB DDR2-800 / GeForce 9400GT 512MB / 500GB SATA Reviews
Visionman Widow Gamer / AMD64 X2 4200+ / 4GB DDR2-800 / GeForce 9400GT 512MB / 500GB SATA
Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.Top Quality Children's Item.
Widow WGMA-1PCC10 Gaming RigAffordable Gaming Power, Unbeatable StyleHave you been itching to play the latest games in all their breath taking glory? Look no further! Widow is proud to introduce the most affordable gaming system yet! Equipped with a multitude of features, this rig is ideal for gaming all night long.
Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.Top Quality Children's Item.
Widow WGMA-1PCC10 Gaming RigAffordable Gaming Power, Unbeatable StyleHave you been itching to play the latest games in all their breath taking glory? Look no further! Widow is proud to introduce the most affordable gaming system yet! Equipped with a multitude of features, this rig is ideal for gaming all night long.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – Worldwide launch on 27th August
[Game website] It was just announced that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will officially launch worldwide on 27th August, with both PC and PlayStation 3 version sharing the same launch date. A new trailer for the game will be revealed at E3 next month. Preorder for the game has started, including the awesome looking Collector’s
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Plastic Wax Studios targets MMO and mobile cinematics
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter
If you found yourself impressed when you watched the four-minute cinematic opening for Neverwinter, then address all kudos and praise to Plastic Wax Studios. The company has previously focused on console titles, although it recently stated that it is branching out to provide cinematics for MMOs and mobile titles as well.
Executive Vice President Dane Maddams touts the studio's high fidelity and skill when it comes to
If you found yourself impressed when you watched the four-minute cinematic opening for Neverwinter, then address all kudos and praise to Plastic Wax Studios. The company has previously focused on console titles, although it recently stated that it is branching out to provide cinematics for MMOs and mobile titles as well.
Executive Vice President Dane Maddams touts the studio's high fidelity and skill when it comes to
Shazam gives Infinite Crisis lineup a jolt
Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis
Even as a mere mortal, Billy Bastion stood up to injustice. And now, thanks to the powers granted him by the ancient wizard Shazam, Billy can turn into a mighty lightning-infused warrior to fight against injustice, evil... and whatever opponents happen to queue against him! Joining the pool of available champions in Turbine's upcoming MOBA Infinite Crisis, the sup
Even as a mere mortal, Billy Bastion stood up to injustice. And now, thanks to the powers granted him by the ancient wizard Shazam, Billy can turn into a mighty lightning-infused warrior to fight against injustice, evil... and whatever opponents happen to queue against him! Joining the pool of available champions in Turbine's upcoming MOBA Infinite Crisis, the sup
Neverwinter Days: The great economic collapse of 2013
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Bugs, Economy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Days
So funny story: In planning out in advance what I wanted to talk about in this biweekly Neverwinter column, I had selected something that recently caught my eye about the game and made me happy. That something was the Neverwinter Gateway, a web portal that allows out-of-game players the ability to fiddle with their character sheets, auctions, professions, guilds, and mail. I thought -- a
So funny story: In planning out in advance what I wanted to talk about in this biweekly Neverwinter column, I had selected something that recently caught my eye about the game and made me happy. That something was the Neverwinter Gateway, a web portal that allows out-of-game players the ability to fiddle with their character sheets, auctions, professions, guilds, and mail. I thought -- a
Project Black Sheep – Preview for new action online game
The hot trend of non-target action online games continue, and this time Neowiz is previewing Project Black Sheep, a self-develop effort. Led by Neowiz CRS, the studio which made games such as Martial Soul (or Seven Souls Online), Project Black Sheep seems oddly familiar… Players start out as new recruits of a special group
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Choose My Adventure: Building on the clan experience in Darkfall
Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Darkfall, Guilds, PvP, Choose My Adventure, Sandbox
Boy, MJ's Misadventureland is really coming along! Hiring a few more hands sure has sped things up; you wouldn't even recognize the project now compared to even just one week ago. But isn't that the whole point of Choose My Adventure -- to watch the adventure that you're building develop and unfold? Well, that and to snicker at your Massively guinea pigs... we know.
Having gone into this particular adventure knowin
Boy, MJ's Misadventureland is really coming along! Hiring a few more hands sure has sped things up; you wouldn't even recognize the project now compared to even just one week ago. But isn't that the whole point of Choose My Adventure -- to watch the adventure that you're building develop and unfold? Well, that and to snicker at your Massively guinea pigs... we know.
Having gone into this particular adventure knowin
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Bad generation
There are a handful of console games I really loved. But the majority of the games I played were always on the PC, and thus I was always annoyed by the ongoing "PC gaming is dying" discussion and the idea that at some point in time all gaming would happen on consoles. Well, it turned out differently. These days we have more game platforms than ever, there is some quite good gaming to be had on tablets and smart phones of different operating systems. And the new generation of consoles is looking
Alicefancy World Of Warcraft Plastic Cover Case with Game Theme For Apple IPad Mini YQC40589
Alicefancy World Of Warcraft Plastic Cover Case with Game Theme For Apple IPad Mini YQC40589
Designed Specifically For the Apple iPad miniLightweight and durable Hard plastic design adds ultimate protection.Precise cutouts for your device's features and ports allow for easy access and full functionality of your device.Size: Perfect fit. Accessory ONLY, phone not included.100% Brand New.
The Custom Fashion store offers your ipad mini the most usable and protective solution possible.*The case
Designed Specifically For the Apple iPad miniLightweight and durable Hard plastic design adds ultimate protection.Precise cutouts for your device's features and ports allow for easy access and full functionality of your device.Size: Perfect fit. Accessory ONLY, phone not included.100% Brand New.
The Custom Fashion store offers your ipad mini the most usable and protective solution possible.*The case
Free for All: An interview with ThresholdRPG's Michael Hartman
Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Browser, Free for All, Livestream, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, Crowdfunding
The last time I explored ThresholdRPG, I had a blast. It was one of a batch of MUDs that I used to re-introduce myself to the ancient gaming genre, and I enjoyed its simplicity and friendly community. MUDs can seem to be very similar to each other, so in order to enjoy them, you must be able to pick out the finer details that separate them. In Threshol
The last time I explored ThresholdRPG, I had a blast. It was one of a batch of MUDs that I used to re-introduce myself to the ancient gaming genre, and I enjoyed its simplicity and friendly community. MUDs can seem to be very similar to each other, so in order to enjoy them, you must be able to pick out the finer details that separate them. In Threshol
Bad generation
There are a handful of console games I really loved. But the majority of the games I played were always on the PC, and thus I was always annoyed by the ongoing "PC gaming is dying" discussion and the idea that at some point in time all gaming would happen on consoles. Well, it turned out differently. These days we have more game platforms than ever, there is some quite good gaming to be had on tablets and smart phones of different operating systems. And the new generation of consoles is looking
ArcheAge – Reports claim Korean server to announce F2P change
According to foreign reports, XLGAMES is ready to announce a full conversion to a Free-to-Play model for the Korean server in June. The Korean server is currently on a Pay-to-Play (P2P) model, with the China and English servers’ models unconfirmed still. The reports claim that while ArcheAge is a consistent title in the top
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
WildStar – New developer video finally gets my utmost attention
[Game website] I was always skeptical about WildStar, given that it looks awfully similar to World of Warcraft. The game features such as combat and movement didn’t wow me as well, but my perception is changing for the better after the latest developer video. Without a doubt, if I eventually play the game, Explorer is the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Dawngate – New MOBA by Electronic Arts (EA) to enter beta later this week
[Game website] I am not sure what to think of Dawngate, especially after watching the video below where the developers of Waystone Games touch on some features of the new MOBA. The game will be published by Electronic Arts (EA), which isn’t really known for its online strength, on its Origin platform.  
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Star Trek Online Collectors Edition
Star Trek Online Collectors Edition
Design your captain and crew from set races or create new ones: choose science, tactical, medical officers and more, then customize each with hundreds of skills and unique equiped weapons, equipment and armor.Star Trek Online Collector's Edition features loads additional bonus items including unique packaging, descriptive material and in-game items (see list below).The first Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) set in the Star Trek universe, and the firs
Design your captain and crew from set races or create new ones: choose science, tactical, medical officers and more, then customize each with hundreds of skills and unique equiped weapons, equipment and armor.Star Trek Online Collector's Edition features loads additional bonus items including unique packaging, descriptive material and in-game items (see list below).The first Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) set in the Star Trek universe, and the firs
Tencent – China tech giant now more valuable than Facebook and Samsung
According to the latest report by BrandZ, Tencent Holdings saw a rise in value of over 50% since last year, standing at 21st place in the 2013 list of most valuable global brands. Without a doubt, the company will continue to grow as China continues to catch up in terms of technology. While Tencent Games
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Jukebox Heroes: Character select music
Filed under: City of Heroes, EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI, The Chronicles of Spellborn, Vanguard, Miscellaneous, WildStar, Jukebox Heroes, Music
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come.
These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be ple
Character select and creation music has always fascinated me. OK, maybe not fascinated; it's interested me. I've always viewed such themes as the overture of the game, the interlude between the title theme and the game proper to come.
These themes don't tend to be rip-roaring in their presentation because that's not their purpose. They have to be ple
Age of Wushu – New couple skill set introduced and info on new faction
More updates have either arrived or coming to the China server, and here is a small update. Note that I will not be covering every new content. Simply known as the Couple Blade (the Chinese name is much more elegant, ”鸳鸯双刀”. While mentioned as a couple skill set, the news releases have yet to mention how
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus launch-day roundup
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Launches, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Races
With today's launch of Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, players can boldly go where no one has gone before. (Not to mention it gives us a reason to use that iconic phrase!) From new species and ships to more Klingon content, this next chapter in the STO saga expands the universe for players to explore. Want to captain a new ship as a Romulan or a Reman? Can do. How about adventure i
With today's launch of Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, players can boldly go where no one has gone before. (Not to mention it gives us a reason to use that iconic phrase!) From new species and ships to more Klingon content, this next chapter in the STO saga expands the universe for players to explore. Want to captain a new ship as a Romulan or a Reman? Can do. How about adventure i
Wolfknights – IMC Games announces new 3D online game
While everyone is waiting impatiently for more information on Project R1, the spiritual successor to Ragnarok Online, IMC Games just announced its 2nd in-development title, Wolfknights. IMC Games is also well-known for its first MMORPG, Granado Espada. Inspired by designs from the Middle Ages, Wolfknights is a far cry from the cute and sprite-based R1, which is reported as
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
The Favorites of Selune campaign - Level 5 - Session 5
Our heroes had ended the previous session by killing the vampires in the dining hall of Castle Ravenloft. As they had used up a lot of resources like healing surges and daily powers in the last two fights, this session started with them looking for a place to take an extended rest. They wisely decided to take that in the chapel, and nothing happened during that rest. Refreshed they entered the dining hall again, where Count Strahd von Zarovich was still playing the organ. The players half guess
Monday, May 20, 2013
Dragonball: Evolution
Dragonball: Evolution
Based on one of the most popular Japanese manga series of all time, Dragonball: Evolution follows a young warrior on an epic adventure to discover his destiny...and save the world from the forces of darkness. For his eighteenth birthday, mild-mannered Goku is given a mystical Dragonball, one of only seven in existence, which combine to grant a perfect wish to whoever possesses them. But an ancient warlord named Piccolo has escaped eternal imprisonment and is on his own
Based on one of the most popular Japanese manga series of all time, Dragonball: Evolution follows a young warrior on an epic adventure to discover his destiny...and save the world from the forces of darkness. For his eighteenth birthday, mild-mannered Goku is given a mystical Dragonball, one of only seven in existence, which combine to grant a perfect wish to whoever possesses them. But an ancient warlord named Piccolo has escaped eternal imprisonment and is on his own
PlanetSide 1 appears to be going free-to-play... eventually
Filed under: Sci-Fi, PlanetSide, Business Models, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Anniversaries
In a series of tweets earlier this evening, SOE's John Smedley hinted that classic PlanetSide 1 will at some future date be converted into a free-to-play MMO. He wrote,
We did a mass grant of anyone who has ever played ps1 or ps2 with free time in ps1. We weren't ready to announce it yet because the database grant is still ongoing and won't be done till tmw morning. So please if you d
In a series of tweets earlier this evening, SOE's John Smedley hinted that classic PlanetSide 1 will at some future date be converted into a free-to-play MMO. He wrote,
We did a mass grant of anyone who has ever played ps1 or ps2 with free time in ps1. We weren't ready to announce it yet because the database grant is still ongoing and won't be done till tmw morning. So please if you d
GREE – Reports claim mobile gaming giant closing China operations
After retrenching about 40% of the team in San Francisco, Japanese mobile games giant GREE announced that the China office will be shutting down as well, with all employees’ final day on 28th June 2013. This news is being reported in all major IT websites in China. This is somewhat a shocking progress seeing that the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Monster Hunter Online – First look at the mysterious Hermit Forest
Monster Hunter Online will be entering its debut Alpha test in June, and publisher Tencent Games has been releasing new information consistently since the game was announced. The area introduced recently is simply known as Forest of the Hermit, or Hermit Forest. Powered by CryEngine 3, players can see how the mysterious forest look during different times
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Holy King – Perfect World invites you to swallow the world in new game
Leaked a couple of days ago, Perfect World China today officially announced its new MMORPG, Holy King, based on a popular novel. Do note that this is not Project Z, the company’s first self-develop action MMORPG. The art direction of Holy King is said to be led by a former NCsoft art director. Do
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
MapleStory – Game gears up for major RED summer update
[More information] Holding MapleStory’s 10th anniversary celebrations yesterday, Nexon revealed that the game will be getting a massive summer update, named as RED. It actually stands for Revolution, Evolution and Delight. Some of the major highlights include: 1. Adventurer classes getting a total overhaul/ remake/ balancing. 2. Reinforced account security system. 3. Free users
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
EVE Evolved: Fanfest 2013 video roundup
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events (Real-World), Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, MMO Industry, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Events (Massively's Coverage), EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Anniversaries
Last month saw the huge tenth anniversary EVE Online Fanfest, a three-day convention packed full of exclusive reveals, behind-the-scenes talks, and community events. This year's Fanfest was the biggest one yet, celebrating EVE's t
Last month saw the huge tenth anniversary EVE Online Fanfest, a three-day convention packed full of exclusive reveals, behind-the-scenes talks, and community events. This year's Fanfest was the biggest one yet, celebrating EVE's t
Apple iMac MD093LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop (NEWEST VERSION) Reviews
Apple iMac MD093LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop (NEWEST VERSION)
2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) with 6MB L3 cache1 TB (5400-rpm) hard drive, 8 GB (two 4GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 memory21.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 1920-by-1080 resolutionNVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memoryMac OS X Mountain Lion
What is the most advanced computer desktop on the planet? It is the latest 21.5-inch iMac. This iMac has a huge L
2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) with 6MB L3 cache1 TB (5400-rpm) hard drive, 8 GB (two 4GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 memory21.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 1920-by-1080 resolutionNVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memoryMac OS X Mountain Lion
What is the most advanced computer desktop on the planet? It is the latest 21.5-inch iMac. This iMac has a huge L
Sunday, May 19, 2013
MMO Week in Review: Trion's tribulations and DUST's launch
Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
This week, Trion Worlds' announcement that RIFT will transition to a free-to-play MMO in less than a month was tempered by news that the studio was forced to
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
This week, Trion Worlds' announcement that RIFT will transition to a free-to-play MMO in less than a month was tempered by news that the studio was forced to
Special Force 2 – Teaser site now up for Europe server
[Game website] Following the announcement of the North America server, the teaser site for Special Force 2 Europe has gone live. The game was first revealed back in January, when the contract was officially signed with Korean developer Dragonfly. Crafted using Unreal Engine 3, the developers took time to record the real gun shot
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Dragon Seeker Chronicles – An early look at China’s latest online game
The game is not really that famous compared with others, but it caught my eyes after some massive online advertisements on the China websites. Intrigued, I decided to give the game a try once Open Beta began. I do notice that the art style is really trying hard to mimic Blade & Soul’s, and no one should be
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Lastest The World Of Warcraft News
WRUP: Our hipster WoW - WoW Insider - Joystiq
I might try to get a little WoW in there as well, maybe work on an alt. I don't really think I have any hipster activities, unless mass amounts of remodeling and interior design count - which reminds me, I need to look at drapes or sheers this weekend ...
Read more on Joystiq
WoW community member Lore joins Blizzard Entertainment - WoW Insider - Joystiq
One of the great things about being a member of the WoW online community is getting
I might try to get a little WoW in there as well, maybe work on an alt. I don't really think I have any hipster activities, unless mass amounts of remodeling and interior design count - which reminds me, I need to look at drapes or sheers this weekend ...
Read more on Joystiq
WoW community member Lore joins Blizzard Entertainment - WoW Insider - Joystiq
One of the great things about being a member of the WoW online community is getting
Skyforge – Obsidian Entertainment to take part in developing new MMORPG
Announced back in 2012 by the team behind Allods Online, Skyforge will now be a cooperative effort between Russian publisher/ developer Mail.ru and North America’s Obsidian Entertainment. Almost everything is still in Russian now, but I am expecting the game to be picked up for the English market as well. Skyforge is scheduled to
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Pocket Guide to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
Pocket Guide to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is the upcoming fourth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft. Super Gamer Guide's Pocket Guide to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria spills all of the juice, bringing you the need-to-know information that will give you a head start in Pandaria.This guide is the result of extensive game play in World of Warcraft: Mists
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is the upcoming fourth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft. Super Gamer Guide's Pocket Guide to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria spills all of the juice, bringing you the need-to-know information that will give you a head start in Pandaria.This guide is the result of extensive game play in World of Warcraft: Mists
Saturday, May 18, 2013
TUG tech video shows off in-house engine
Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding
Recently Nerd Kingdom promised more demonstrations of the tech behind its new TUG MMO hopeful. The company has made good with a new video that shows off the in-house engine, and lead programmer Brandon Nelson starts things off with an interesting tidbit about the game's contouring algorithm. "An algorithm like dual contouring gives us the ability to have the same quality of terrain that other games have, but
Recently Nerd Kingdom promised more demonstrations of the tech behind its new TUG MMO hopeful. The company has made good with a new video that shows off the in-house engine, and lead programmer Brandon Nelson starts things off with an interesting tidbit about the game's contouring algorithm. "An algorithm like dual contouring gives us the ability to have the same quality of terrain that other games have, but
Tattered Notebook: A guide to EQII's Moonlight Enchantments (with new stuff!)
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Events (In-Game), Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook, Guides, Housing
Lately, there have been a number of topics all vying for my attention here in Tattered Notebook. In a couple of instances, some of them got a little rough and started pushing the others around to try for a better place in line. Yet all the while, EverQuest II's Moonlight Enchantments has been patiently waiting. So as a reward (we do like to reward good behavior here!), that quiet l
Lately, there have been a number of topics all vying for my attention here in Tattered Notebook. In a couple of instances, some of them got a little rough and started pushing the others around to try for a better place in line. Yet all the while, EverQuest II's Moonlight Enchantments has been patiently waiting. So as a reward (we do like to reward good behavior here!), that quiet l
MMORPGs and win conditions
Dàchéng believes I don't know the difference between toys and games. But not only am I very well aware of that difference, I also believe that he didn't consider the possibility of somebody playing with a toy and only imagining playing a game. Imagine the following situation: You are on your way from home to work, when a car of a colleague rushes past you at high speed. Once arrived at work your colleague laughs at you and brags on how he beat you in your race. But you weren't even aware that
The Road to Mordor: Six reasons LotRO's Lore-masters rock
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor
In my Lord of the Rings Online career, I've played two classes far more than any others: the Captain and the Lore-master. Both scratch that "pet class" itch that I have in MMOs, both are quite group-friendly, and both seem to be somewhat unorthodox picks (at least compared to the plague of Hunters and Champions infecting the game).
I'll leave a discussion about Captains for another time, but today
In my Lord of the Rings Online career, I've played two classes far more than any others: the Captain and the Lore-master. Both scratch that "pet class" itch that I have in MMOs, both are quite group-friendly, and both seem to be somewhat unorthodox picks (at least compared to the plague of Hunters and Champions infecting the game).
I'll leave a discussion about Captains for another time, but today
Trion Worlds – Former executive comments on new round of layoffs
I am sure most readers would have read about Trion Worlds’ new round of layoffs by now, in which many employees were apparently given the boot out. Teams in Austin, Redwood Shores and San Diego are said to be dramatically affected, with the Defiance team in San Diego reportedly “obliterated.” According to Gamasutra, a trusted source close
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Gaslight Joker spotlighted in new Infinite Crisis gameplay vid
Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis
Looking for a beefy enforcer who can dominate close-range combat in Infinite Crisis? Look no further than Gaslight Joker, the newest champion spotlighted in Turbine's ongoing DC-centric MOBA video reveals.
Turbine says its laughing butcher can throw hams at enemies with the Shower of Filth skill, sending them running in fear and debuffing them for good m
Looking for a beefy enforcer who can dominate close-range combat in Infinite Crisis? Look no further than Gaslight Joker, the newest champion spotlighted in Turbine's ongoing DC-centric MOBA video reveals.
Turbine says its laughing butcher can throw hams at enemies with the Shower of Filth skill, sending them running in fear and debuffing them for good m
Betawatch: May 11 - 17, 2013
Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, Previews, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous
Early access for Marvel Heroes is just around the corner, if you consider 11 days to be a corner. It'll be a chance for everyone to get started on the process of hitting the level cap... or at least getting halfway there before grinding dailies. Your mileage may vary. DUST 514 finally ended its testing earlier this week, meaning that you can go be obliterated by an orbital strike right now if you own a PS3.
Elsewhe
Early access for Marvel Heroes is just around the corner, if you consider 11 days to be a corner. It'll be a chance for everyone to get started on the process of hitting the level cap... or at least getting halfway there before grinding dailies. Your mileage may vary. DUST 514 finally ended its testing earlier this week, meaning that you can go be obliterated by an orbital strike right now if you own a PS3.
Elsewhe
Forge 2-Pack [Download]
Forge 2-Pack [Download]
GamesRadar - "FORGE looks like it'll be a great romp for gamers looking to test their skills without investing hours into acquiring gear before they can compete."MMORPG.com - "Face-Punchingly Good PVP... I can tell you that while Forge may be difficult to describe to the uninitiated, its gameplay will be instantly comfortable to aficionados of the MMO and FPS/TPS genres."MASSIVELY -"...there's a lot to love about Forge, and I think that anyone who gives the game a figh
GamesRadar - "FORGE looks like it'll be a great romp for gamers looking to test their skills without investing hours into acquiring gear before they can compete."MMORPG.com - "Face-Punchingly Good PVP... I can tell you that while Forge may be difficult to describe to the uninitiated, its gameplay will be instantly comfortable to aficionados of the MMO and FPS/TPS genres."MASSIVELY -"...there's a lot to love about Forge, and I think that anyone who gives the game a figh
Friday, May 17, 2013
Storyboard: The way it was for three years
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous
Roleplaying is the same as it ever was. People are still shoehorning in lore characters into backstories, someone is a sparkly magic vampire, and you can still turn a corner in a tavern to find two people with a decided lack of gear or public shame. (In Second Life, that corner is the one you turn to download the game.) But I've had three years of talking about it, so it's at least a little different than it wa
Roleplaying is the same as it ever was. People are still shoehorning in lore characters into backstories, someone is a sparkly magic vampire, and you can still turn a corner in a tavern to find two people with a decided lack of gear or public shame. (In Second Life, that corner is the one you turn to download the game.) But I've had three years of talking about it, so it's at least a little different than it wa
Storyboard: The way it was for three years
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous
Roleplaying is the same as it ever was. People are still shoehorning in lore characters into backstories, someone is a sparkly magic vampire, and you can still turn a corner in a tavern to find two people with a decided lack of gear or public shame. (In Second Life, that corner is the one you turn to download the game.) But I've had three years of talking about it, so it's at least a little different than it wa
Roleplaying is the same as it ever was. People are still shoehorning in lore characters into backstories, someone is a sparkly magic vampire, and you can still turn a corner in a tavern to find two people with a decided lack of gear or public shame. (In Second Life, that corner is the one you turn to download the game.) But I've had three years of talking about it, so it's at least a little different than it wa
Defiance PC client half off through Sunday
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Defiance, Buy-to-Play
Were you waiting for Trion to drop Defiance's $ 59.99 launch price point before taking a look? That day has arrived, as the B2P shooter MMO is now available for $ 29.99. The promotion runs through Sunday, May 19th, and it applies to the PC version of the sci-fi title.
Defiance is also available on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, but as of press time the console versions still feature launch-day pricing.
Were you waiting for Trion to drop Defiance's $ 59.99 launch price point before taking a look? That day has arrived, as the B2P shooter MMO is now available for $ 29.99. The promotion runs through Sunday, May 19th, and it applies to the PC version of the sci-fi title.
Defiance is also available on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, but as of press time the console versions still feature launch-day pricing.
Marvel Heroes rolls out first episode of "Chronicles of Doom" motion comic series
Filed under: Super-hero, Video, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes
When Marvel Heroes launches on June 4th, it will begin a super story that finds Doctor Doom wielding a fair share of power. But what about the story behind that story? To reveal just how Doctor Doom rose to power, Gazillion is releasing a short series of motion comics entitled "Chronicles of Doom." Penned by Brian Michael Bendis, well-known for his work creating the Ultimate Marvel Universe, the adventure begins
When Marvel Heroes launches on June 4th, it will begin a super story that finds Doctor Doom wielding a fair share of power. But what about the story behind that story? To reveal just how Doctor Doom rose to power, Gazillion is releasing a short series of motion comics entitled "Chronicles of Doom." Penned by Brian Michael Bendis, well-known for his work creating the Ultimate Marvel Universe, the adventure begins
Saint Seiya Online – Cosmos burning all the way to Taiwanese shores
The first overseas server after China, Saint Seiya Online Taiwan was confirmed earlier today. The publisher, Iwan Interactive, is 1 messy company after some digging, but it has been publishing Perfect World’s online games in Taiwan. If you missed my preview some time back. Saint Seiya Online is 1 hell of a good game, with
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Prosecutors laugh last, Lulzsec hackers sentenced
Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, News Items
The Lulzsec hackers responsible for a string of 2011 cyber attacks that targeted game companies including Sony, Nintendo, Epic, Bethesda, and Mojang have been sentenced to jail time.
Gamespot reports that Ryan Cleary, Jake Davis, Mustafa al-Bassam, and Ryan Ackroyd pled guilty last month. The BBC says that the men could also face extradition to the United States due to various indictments. Lulzsec targeted a number of high profile corporations duri
The Lulzsec hackers responsible for a string of 2011 cyber attacks that targeted game companies including Sony, Nintendo, Epic, Bethesda, and Mojang have been sentenced to jail time.
Gamespot reports that Ryan Cleary, Jake Davis, Mustafa al-Bassam, and Ryan Ackroyd pled guilty last month. The BBC says that the men could also face extradition to the United States due to various indictments. Lulzsec targeted a number of high profile corporations duri
World of Warcraft DRUID Class 3" Embroidered PATCH Reviews
World of Warcraft DRUID Class 3" Embroidered PATCH
The Buy Pile: Magic & Science & Snow White's Swordplay
The Buy Pile: Magic & Science & Snow White's Swordplay
Wow. There's a relentlessly entertaining adventure here that, in just the pages of this issue, spells out everything you need to know about more than half a dozen characters, an impossible situation that's been going on for issues and a world where ...
Read more on Comic Book Resources
Chef is all fired up about grilling - Vancouver Sun
“It's about saying 'wow.' It's about pushing people to gri
Wow. There's a relentlessly entertaining adventure here that, in just the pages of this issue, spells out everything you need to know about more than half a dozen characters, an impossible situation that's been going on for issues and a world where ...
Read more on Comic Book Resources
Chef is all fired up about grilling - Vancouver Sun
“It's about saying 'wow.' It's about pushing people to gri
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Dawngate – Electronic Arts (EA) prepares to launch new MOBA title
[Game website] Voted America’s worst company again, and after firing hundreds of employees, Electronic Arts (EA) is targeting its millions of Origin users by announcing its new MOBA title, Dawngate. Developer Waystone Games is a new studio, and rumor has it that some members made Dead Space 3. 1 of the more eye-catching features listed
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Bungie squashes rumors that Destiny might come to the PlayStation Vita
Filed under: Launches, New Titles, News Items, Consoles, Rumors, Destiny
Some rumors recently started circulating regarding Bungie's upcoming title, Destiny, and the PlayStation Vita. Bungie confirmed that these rumors are false and that Destiny will not be revealed on the PlayStation Vita (despite some previous vague hints to the contrary in the preorder page's source code).
The rumors started after the release of an image that hinted at a Bungie game coming to PS Vita in 2014 called Destiny
Some rumors recently started circulating regarding Bungie's upcoming title, Destiny, and the PlayStation Vita. Bungie confirmed that these rumors are false and that Destiny will not be revealed on the PlayStation Vita (despite some previous vague hints to the contrary in the preorder page's source code).
The rumors started after the release of an image that hinted at a Bungie game coming to PS Vita in 2014 called Destiny
RuneScape 3 dev diary gets serious about audio
Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, News Items, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, Browser, Mobile, Dev Diaries
RuneScape 3 is coming soon. To get you all excited about it, the devs have released a new video talking about audio improvements in the game. The team recently recorded an orchestral score, but that's apparently just the beginning of its plans for RuneScape 3's audio. A lot of smaller recordings have been done to provide music for menus, incidentals, and poignant story moments. Audio i
RuneScape 3 is coming soon. To get you all excited about it, the devs have released a new video talking about audio improvements in the game. The team recently recorded an orchestral score, but that's apparently just the beginning of its plans for RuneScape 3's audio. A lot of smaller recordings have been done to provide music for menus, incidentals, and poignant story moments. Audio i
ArcheAge – New trailer as countdown to debut test begins
With less than a week to go before ArcheAge China enters its first test phase, a new trailer briefly introducing the game has emerged. With the activation keys so exclusive and limited, prices of 1 key is currently trading at 990 CNY, around 160 USD on the black market. And yes, there are people buying.
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
No fun later
As Azuriel always disagrees with me in the comment section of my blog :) , it is worth mentioning that I fully agree with his post on Instant Gratification vs Fun Investment. So much that I'd even use the same examples, deckbuilding in Magic the Gathering and campaign preparation for Dungeons & Dragons: For time investment for a future return of fun to be worth while, the activity into which you invest that time has to be fun by itself.
Of course in the context of MMORPGs it has to be rema
Of course in the context of MMORPGs it has to be rema
Leather Cover Spell Book Journal Classic Diary
Leather Cover Spell Book Journal Classic Diary
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Most Challenge Play Games Series World Of Warcraft Black Hard Plastic Cover Case For Iphone 4/4s/Shopping
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Most Challenge Play Games Series World Of Warcraft Black Hard Plastic Cover Case For Iphone 4/4s/Shopping
RIFT – North America server goes totally Free-to-Play in June
[Game website] Yes, you read it right. After disastrous trips to South Korea and China, RIFT will be converting to a totally Free-to-Play model on 12th June 2013. No more level limits, no more content restrictions, everything goes. Of course, subscribers will be getting some bonuses, which is expected. Are they overpowered? Head on to the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz
Filed under: Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Hands-On, First Impressions, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous
I have to begin this week's column with a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Facebook, and I'm even less a fan of Facebook games. The only one I found enjoyable was Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker because it was a giant middle finger to the bottom-feeding practices so commonly found in Facebook Villes.
But when I got a Google alert in my inbox about the world's
I have to begin this week's column with a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Facebook, and I'm even less a fan of Facebook games. The only one I found enjoyable was Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker because it was a giant middle finger to the bottom-feeding practices so commonly found in Facebook Villes.
But when I got a Google alert in my inbox about the world's
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Free for All: Celebrating MUD May with Gemstone IV
Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Opinion, Roleplaying, Free for All, Subscription
MUD May has been a blast so far, but I won't lie to you and say that I hope to even make a dent in the decades-old history of many of these titles. I decided instead to use some examples from my favorite MUDs that I have come across over the last couple of years. It's admittedly been a challenge to think about what to cover. Do I cover the communitie
MUD May has been a blast so far, but I won't lie to you and say that I hope to even make a dent in the decades-old history of many of these titles. I decided instead to use some examples from my favorite MUDs that I have come across over the last couple of years. It's admittedly been a challenge to think about what to cover. Do I cover the communitie
Yes, I've seen the Hex Kickstarter
Over the years I have repeatedly on this blog proposed the idea of having a game that mixes MMORPG and Trading Card Game elements together. So when Cryptozoic did a Kickstarter for a MMO Trading Card Game called Hex, I got several mails and comments of the "have you seen this?" type from readers. Yes, I've seen it. But no, I don't believe in it. As much as I did like the "we'd do anything for funding" video, I couldn't help but notice that all what they have right now, both in terms of experien
Catch ArenaNet's Spring Break tour of Southsun Cove replay on Twitch
Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play
Did you miss ArenaNet's Southsun Cove developer livestream? Do you have a spare 27 minutes and 31 seconds? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you can head to the Guild Wars 2 Twitch page and watch the replay. Even if you didn't answer yes to both of those questions, you can still watch the replay, and yes, I am attempting to fill out what is otherwise an extremely cut-and-dried news post.
Le
Did you miss ArenaNet's Southsun Cove developer livestream? Do you have a spare 27 minutes and 31 seconds? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you can head to the Guild Wars 2 Twitch page and watch the replay. Even if you didn't answer yes to both of those questions, you can still watch the replay, and yes, I am attempting to fill out what is otherwise an extremely cut-and-dried news post.
Le
Ragnarok Online 2 – Castle siege battlefield coming to Korean server
Finally, the much anticipated castle siege/ guild wars/ War of Emperium update arrived in the Korean server today, after the regular maintenance. From now on, this event will be held on a weekly basis on Saturdays at 21:00. There will be siege weapons to use, and the familiar emperium crystal will be making its return.
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Time, money, games
There has been some renewed discussions on the "evils of Free2Play" following the news that Rift is changing its business model and like so many others will abandon subscriptions. In the context of people recently pointing fingers at World of Warcraft for being down to 8 million subscribers it is worth remarking that WoW is one of the few games that actually still *has* subscribers. There is a wide range of different other models now, so that even games that on paper still have "subscriptions"
The Daily Grind: Which game has the best character animations?
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous
Character animations seem to be only noticed when they don't come off right. It's often a matter of subjective opinion whether or not these animations are pleasing or jarring, of course, but the fact remains that animations that don't meet players' standards are the target of long, long-winded rants.
I try to give credit where credit is due. MMOs that show off fluid, good-looking animations are deserving of praise. For me, the litmus
Character animations seem to be only noticed when they don't come off right. It's often a matter of subjective opinion whether or not these animations are pleasing or jarring, of course, but the fact remains that animations that don't meet players' standards are the target of long, long-winded rants.
I try to give credit where credit is due. MMOs that show off fluid, good-looking animations are deserving of praise. For me, the litmus
Star Citizen concept art shows off Orion III colony
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Lore, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play
This time of night I've only got one thing on my mind, and that's dinner. Seriously, the Massively graveyard shift makes my stomach rumble. Fortunately Cloud Imperium is here to fill it up with some sweet, sweet Star Citizen concept art.
The main course is a trio of gorgeous images from the former colony world of Orion III. Armitage, as the world was also called, was "the site of th
This time of night I've only got one thing on my mind, and that's dinner. Seriously, the Massively graveyard shift makes my stomach rumble. Fortunately Cloud Imperium is here to fill it up with some sweet, sweet Star Citizen concept art.
The main course is a trio of gorgeous images from the former colony world of Orion III. Armitage, as the world was also called, was "the site of th
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Combine your consoles and get new ships in Star Trek Online's expansion
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Expansions, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play
If you've already purchased the very expensive Legacy Pack for Star Trek Online's first expansion, there's good news to be had -- you just got more for your $ 125 investment. For one thing, you've got access to a new ship, the Haakona Advanced Warbird, an assault craft capable of separating into two units for maximum versatility. For another, you've got a set of uniforms based off of the Romulan outfits from
If you've already purchased the very expensive Legacy Pack for Star Trek Online's first expansion, there's good news to be had -- you just got more for your $ 125 investment. For one thing, you've got access to a new ship, the Haakona Advanced Warbird, an assault craft capable of separating into two units for maximum versatility. For another, you've got a set of uniforms based off of the Romulan outfits from
Jukebox Heroes: Defiance's soundtrack
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Opinion, Defiance, Jukebox Heroes, Music, Buy-to-Play
First of all, I wish my first name were a cool animal. Bear McCreary has that on me, so it seems unfair that he's also a geek icon for his work on several beloved TV series (Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, The Walking Dead). And now the guy is composing the soundtrack of one of this spring's hottest MMOs? Where did I go wrong with my life?
Before I go and change my name to Sugar Glider Olivetti, I guess it's only fair that
First of all, I wish my first name were a cool animal. Bear McCreary has that on me, so it seems unfair that he's also a geek icon for his work on several beloved TV series (Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, The Walking Dead). And now the guy is composing the soundtrack of one of this spring's hottest MMOs? Where did I go wrong with my life?
Before I go and change my name to Sugar Glider Olivetti, I guess it's only fair that
Age of Wushu – First look at the mysterious Palace of Moving Flowers
First mentioned in my previous post about an upcoming mega update (rumored to be in August) for the China server of Age of Wushu, the Palace of Moving Flowers (移花宫) is 1 of the new factions which will be introduced. A brief recap, the requirements to enter this faction include being a female character who has
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Randomness in Cardhunter
There are certain games which would be impossible to play without randomness, for example Poker. And personally I like some degree of randomness in tactical games, because it adds to replayability if for some reason you want or need to do the same combat again or a similar one. Thus I am quite happy with the random card drawing mechanic in Cardhunter. Having said that, randomness is not something binary which you either have or have not. There are varying degrees of randomness, from the minimal
ArcheAge – Preview of awesome media gift bag as debut test nears
On 22nd May next week, ArcheAge China will be entering its debut test phase, opening the server doors to the public (those with activation keys of course) for the very first time. Hundreds and thousands of gamers in China are still trying to get a key, but the media and invited guests will have no such hassle. In
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Graphics in pen & paper RPGs
When you read a review of a video game, almost always there are comments about the graphics: How do the characters look, how are they animated, how do their surroundings look, and how do things like spell effects look. There are both artistic considerations to that, as well as technical ones, like how blurry a texture looks when viewed from close. In a pen & paper game like Dungeons & Dragons you would think there are no graphics. And in fact there are a lot of people talking about the
RIFT goes free-to-play, promises 'no tricks, no traps'
Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Miscellaneous
Trion Worlds has just announced that fantasy MMO RIFT will be headed free-to-play. Though former studio reps were once adamant that the game would remain a subscription MMO, the team has apparently decided it can better compete in a F2P world by being F2P. The hybrid model will include an optional sub with fully free content like dungeons and questing; consumables, cosmetics,
Trion Worlds has just announced that fantasy MMO RIFT will be headed free-to-play. Though former studio reps were once adamant that the game would remain a subscription MMO, the team has apparently decided it can better compete in a F2P world by being F2P. The hybrid model will include an optional sub with fully free content like dungeons and questing; consumables, cosmetics,
WarCraft III: Reign Of Chaos Exclusive Gift Set
WarCraft III: Reign Of Chaos Exclusive Gift Set
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Captain's Log: Story takes center stage in Star Trek Online
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, Patches, Endgame, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log
Now that Star Trek Online's expansion, The Legacy of Romulus has moved into open beta on the Tribble test server, I think it's high time I wrote about one of the biggest changes the game has ever seen. It's not just about what will occur in the game's story; it's how the story is being told.
Players who create a Romulan faction character when Star Trek Online launches
Now that Star Trek Online's expansion, The Legacy of Romulus has moved into open beta on the Tribble test server, I think it's high time I wrote about one of the biggest changes the game has ever seen. It's not just about what will occur in the game's story; it's how the story is being told.
Players who create a Romulan faction character when Star Trek Online launches
GunZ: The Duel – English server closure announced
Back in the early days, the GunZ was hosted by NHN’s own North America portal, Ijji. The portal later closed down, and most of the game went under Aeria Games’ stable as part of a deal. Fast forward a couple of years, Aeria has just announced the closure of GunZ: The Duel. Most of the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Monday, May 13, 2013
Not So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Economy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Launches, Lore, New Titles, Patches, PvP, News Items, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Casual, Dev Diaries, Sandbox, MechWarrior Online, MOBA, Diablo III, Star Citizen, Infinite Crisis, Path of Exile
Diablo III was hit with yet another exploit this week as players discovered a way to duplicate gold via a bug in the auction house. Blizzard responded by shutting down the auction house but did not perform a server rollback to rever
Diablo III was hit with yet another exploit this week as players discovered a way to duplicate gold via a bug in the auction house. Blizzard responded by shutting down the auction house but did not perform a server rollback to rever
Browser game market in China 'booming'
Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Browser, Mobile
If you love to hate on browser-based MMOs and feel as though their time has passed, China might like to have a word or two with you. Sales of browser-based titles in the country have risen substantially in the past two years, increasing 46% in 2011 and 35% in 2012 according to a Taiwanese games company president, whereas client-based MMOs only made a 13% increase in growth in 2012.
XPEC's Aaron Hsu said that the figures showed that bro
If you love to hate on browser-based MMOs and feel as though their time has passed, China might like to have a word or two with you. Sales of browser-based titles in the country have risen substantially in the past two years, increasing 46% in 2011 and 35% in 2012 according to a Taiwanese games company president, whereas client-based MMOs only made a 13% increase in growth in 2012.
XPEC's Aaron Hsu said that the figures showed that bro
The Nexus Telegraph: Getting from place to place in WildStar
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph
Nexus is a big place. We saw last week what it's going to be like getting from spot to spot in a smaller sense with last week's overview of movement, but there's more to movement in WildStar. After all, there are a lot of zones stretched out over big chunks of land, and even if you're sprinting as much as you can you'll eventually find that you can't traverse an entire continent by foot, much less the ocean.
No,
Nexus is a big place. We saw last week what it's going to be like getting from spot to spot in a smaller sense with last week's overview of movement, but there's more to movement in WildStar. After all, there are a lot of zones stretched out over big chunks of land, and even if you're sprinting as much as you can you'll eventually find that you can't traverse an entire continent by foot, much less the ocean.
No,
ArcheAge – XLGAMES apologizes to angry player in official news post
In an official news posted on ArcheAge’s website today, it was reported that a player of ArcheAge Korea caused a din at XLGAMES’ offices on 3rd May, kicking on the office’s glass walls and trying to enter the premises due to lack of support over his hacked account. Of course, he was restrained by the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
World of Warcraft: Horde Leveling Guide (Js) Reviews
World of Warcraft: Horde Leveling Guide (Js)
World of warcraft is the most largest and most successful Online game to date. Although it is easy for most too pick up and play. There are certain elements that could make it not so easy to understand and/or enjoy. This guide is here to offer people an idea how too level from level 1 to 60 with little time compared to months that it could take if you did not have this guide.
Price:
More World Of Warcraft Leveling Guides Pr
World of warcraft is the most largest and most successful Online game to date. Although it is easy for most too pick up and play. There are certain elements that could make it not so easy to understand and/or enjoy. This guide is here to offer people an idea how too level from level 1 to 60 with little time compared to months that it could take if you did not have this guide.
Price:
More World Of Warcraft Leveling Guides Pr
HeroesGo – Closed Beta announced as a stunning success
[Game website] Developed by ESTsoft, the Korean studio which created Cabal Online 1 and 2, HeroesGo ended its Closed Beta phase recently, with the North American office announcing that “closed beta testing for HeroesGo was nothing short of a stunning success.” A dungeon-based fantasy MMORPG, HeroesGo centers around a wide selection of skills and talents that
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
NCsoft sales down from last quarter, up from last year
Filed under: Aion, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, MMO Industry, Guild Wars 2, Blade & Soul, Miscellaneous
A recent earnings report suggests that NCsoft's sales have slipped from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, although the studio is quick to point out that the showing was "solid" particularly when compared to sales from a year ago. While sales were down 35% and net income was down 49% from the last quarter, sales were up 31% and net income was up 322% year-over-year.
Guild Wars 2 accounted for 21% of
A recent earnings report suggests that NCsoft's sales have slipped from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, although the studio is quick to point out that the showing was "solid" particularly when compared to sales from a year ago. While sales were down 35% and net income was down 49% from the last quarter, sales were up 31% and net income was up 322% year-over-year.
Guild Wars 2 accounted for 21% of
Sunday, May 12, 2013
EVE Evolved: Could EVE use twitch controls?
Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox, Subscription
A few weeks ago, the EVE Online community went nuts for EVR, CCP's exciting new virtual reality dogfighter developed for the upcoming Oculus Rift gaming headset. The game demo was produced by a team of just a handful of developers in just seven weeks using nothing but their spare time, but attendees and press at EVE Fanfest 2013 were nevertheless blown away during test sessions. Though
A few weeks ago, the EVE Online community went nuts for EVR, CCP's exciting new virtual reality dogfighter developed for the upcoming Oculus Rift gaming headset. The game demo was produced by a team of just a handful of developers in just seven weeks using nothing but their spare time, but attendees and press at EVE Fanfest 2013 were nevertheless blown away during test sessions. Though
MMO Week in Review: Quarterly financials
Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
Every three months, we gawk at the revealed financial health of various gaming companies, collectively cheering and jeering and sometimes both. This week, we
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.
Every three months, we gawk at the revealed financial health of various gaming companies, collectively cheering and jeering and sometimes both. This week, we
Gardmore Abbey Player Map
I'm planning on running a huge "sandbox" adventure for my D&D campaign, using Wizard of the Coast's boxed set Madness at Gardmore Abbey. Basically that is a huge abbey complex on a hill with lots of encounter locations, and the players are sent there on different quests and have many different possibilities on how to approach and play through the place. For me it appears obvious that at some point in that adventure the players will need a handout of a player map of Gardmore Abbey. But the a
The Queue: Mouse deer - <b>WoW</b> Insider - Joystiq
The Queue: Mouse deer - WoW Insider - Joystiq
The recent gold duping issue in Diablo 3 made me wonder, if you get perma-banned in one game of blizzards (WoW, Diablo, Starcraft) is that account now banned from all three? Bans are usually per license (that is, per single game account) as opposed to ...
Read more on Joystiq
Sunday Gaming News – 12/5/2013
One of the top raiding guilds in World of Warcraft, Exodus, has called it quits. This comes after the demise of a number of other radi
The recent gold duping issue in Diablo 3 made me wonder, if you get perma-banned in one game of blizzards (WoW, Diablo, Starcraft) is that account now banned from all three? Bans are usually per license (that is, per single game account) as opposed to ...
Read more on Joystiq
Sunday Gaming News – 12/5/2013
One of the top raiding guilds in World of Warcraft, Exodus, has called it quits. This comes after the demise of a number of other radi
The Legend of Tibet – A quick look at the Alpha phase of China’s Diablo III
A quick recap, Diablo III has yet to officially launch in China, with no confirmation if the situation is permanent. Blizzard’s China distribution partner, NetEase, is coincidentally the country’s 2nd largest MMO company as well, and The Legend of Tibet was pushed out apparently to cover the huge gap. Since this is just the
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Red Vs. Blue Volume 1, The Blood Gulch Chronicles
Red Vs. Blue Volume 1, The Blood Gulch Chronicles
List Price: $ 8.99
Price: $ 8.99
List Price: $ 8.99
Price: $ 8.99
One Shots: A light in the dark
Filed under: Screenshots, EverQuest, Star Trek Online, One Shots, TERA, Miscellaneous, Neverwinter
Reader Andrew is quite impressed with the look of Neverwinter, saying that it is visually "amazing!" Without descending into hyperbole, I have to agree. It's a good-looking title with plenty of interesting details if you take the time to stop and smell the corpses.
Corpses? Well, Andrew is standing in the middle of a whole bunch of dead folks here with his spectral flashlight (AA batteries not inc
Reader Andrew is quite impressed with the look of Neverwinter, saying that it is visually "amazing!" Without descending into hyperbole, I have to agree. It's a good-looking title with plenty of interesting details if you take the time to stop and smell the corpses.
Corpses? Well, Andrew is standing in the middle of a whole bunch of dead folks here with his spectral flashlight (AA batteries not inc
Dungeon Striker – New trailer takes shot at popular internet cafe games
In Korean online gaming culture, playing in internet cafes, or PC bangs, takes an important role. The hottest games recently includes League of Legends, Diablo III and Blade & Soul. With Dungeon Striker aiming to be a PC bang favorite as well, publisher Hangame can’t help but to take a shot at these close rivals. Dungeon Striker
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Tattered Notebook: It's the little things that count in EQII updates
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook
It's like they know me! You'd think with all the bag functionalities that SOE has introduced to EverQuest II this year that the devs have watched my livestreams and taken pity on me and my storage predicament. And it didn't stop with just one new addition; even after one set of sorting capabilities was released, another set came along. With all these new organizational tools, there is a chance
It's like they know me! You'd think with all the bag functionalities that SOE has introduced to EverQuest II this year that the devs have watched my livestreams and taken pity on me and my storage predicament. And it didn't stop with just one new addition; even after one set of sorting capabilities was released, another set came along. With all these new organizational tools, there is a chance
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Project Z – Perfect World teases its first action online game
Perfect World China has developed many games for over a decade, and today the company announced its first ever in-house developed, non-target action MMORPG, currently known as Project Z. Nothing much is known right now, but I am excited to see the company progressing to the next stage (from point and click). As you can see in
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV beta phase 1 and 2 - gathering
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log
We all like to stop and smell the roses. And then we like to pluck those roses, bring them home, and melt them into component enzymes that will allow us access to a temporary attack power buff. Final Fantasy XIV is beautiful, sure, but you need that attack power bonus.
If it isn't obvious, this week's stop on my whirlwind beta tour is the fine art of grabbing items from the landscape and turning them
We all like to stop and smell the roses. And then we like to pluck those roses, bring them home, and melt them into component enzymes that will allow us access to a temporary attack power buff. Final Fantasy XIV is beautiful, sure, but you need that attack power bonus.
If it isn't obvious, this week's stop on my whirlwind beta tour is the fine art of grabbing items from the landscape and turning them
Black Gold Online features 300 square kilometers to explore, dynamic events, and more
Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Steampunk
Snail Games may be best known for Age of Wushu, but that may change later this year as the company's Black Gold Online makes it way west. The steampunk fantasy title recently received a website update and a feature listing in its native China, and MMO Culture has translated the details.
Those details include 300 square kilometers of explorable landmass, two factions,
Snail Games may be best known for Age of Wushu, but that may change later this year as the company's Black Gold Online makes it way west. The steampunk fantasy title recently received a website update and a feature listing in its native China, and MMO Culture has translated the details.
Those details include 300 square kilometers of explorable landmass, two factions,
Death in Dungeons & Dragons
As I mentioned yesterday, Cardhunter is a game about a group of people playing Dungeons & Dragons. At one point their usual DM Gary is replaced by his elder brother Melvin, who makes the players play through an adventure designed to kill them, and is a rather mean DM. He reminded me of actual DMs I played with many years ago, for whom the job was some kind of a power trip. Anyway in Cardhunter your whole party is fit again as long as just one of them survives, and if you wipe you just have
The Road to Mordor: A Wildermore dev chat
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, Patches, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor
Snow-covered zones aren't exactly new to Lord of the Rings Online, but the upcoming region of Wildermore is a little bit different than the normal Misty Mountain ski resorts. How so? Well, for one thing, it's not supposed to be snowy at all. So what's up with the premature winter in this area of Rohan -- and what are you, the player, going to do about it?
That's the basic setup for Update 11: T
Snow-covered zones aren't exactly new to Lord of the Rings Online, but the upcoming region of Wildermore is a little bit different than the normal Misty Mountain ski resorts. How so? Well, for one thing, it's not supposed to be snowy at all. So what's up with the premature winter in this area of Rohan -- and what are you, the player, going to do about it?
That's the basic setup for Update 11: T
Betawatch: May 4 - 10, 2013
Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous
You don't need to read the rest of this column, folks. City of Steam goes into open beta in two hours, so there is no reason for you to be sitting here when you could be playing that. Oh, and Marvel Heroes is running one last open beta weekend. And UFO Online is also in open beta. Plus, Arcane Saga launched (or re-launched) its beta. There is too much stuff to play for you to be sitting around reading columns about betas. You
You don't need to read the rest of this column, folks. City of Steam goes into open beta in two hours, so there is no reason for you to be sitting here when you could be playing that. Oh, and Marvel Heroes is running one last open beta weekend. And UFO Online is also in open beta. Plus, Arcane Saga launched (or re-launched) its beta. There is too much stuff to play for you to be sitting around reading columns about betas. You
Black Gold Online – Game features listed in refreshed official website
Snail Game’s 2nd game after the successful Age of Wushu, Black Gold Online will be previewed at E3 2013 next month. Before that, the official China website has been updated with a new look, followed by descriptions of the game’s features. 1. Huge world to explore for both opposing factions, with around 300 square kilometers of
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Friday, May 10, 2013
Pathfinder Online never closes a door without opening a PvP window
Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Pathfinder Online
Having a settlement you worked hard to build be under constant attack just isn't fun. Pathfinder Online realizes this, which is why settlements are normally defended by large numbers of respawning NPC guards. Not too many to prevent players from scouting a town or stealing a few things, but enough to make a frontal assault fruitless unless you want your corpses to litter the outskirts of town.
If that were always the ca
Having a settlement you worked hard to build be under constant attack just isn't fun. Pathfinder Online realizes this, which is why settlements are normally defended by large numbers of respawning NPC guards. Not too many to prevent players from scouting a town or stealing a few things, but enough to make a frontal assault fruitless unless you want your corpses to litter the outskirts of town.
If that were always the ca
Cardhunter first impressions
After having made sure that there is no NDA (the beta forum is even public) I want to tell you some more about Cardhunter. You could say that it is a game about a game, you are playing a group of kids playing old-school D&D in the basement. There is soda and junk food on the table, and the artwork of the modules is spot on 80's D&D. Only of course you can't play a real pen & paper game on a computer, so the gameplay has been replaced by one of the best turn-based, card-based tactica
WowWee Robosapien RS Media
WowWee Robosapien RS Media
Revolutionary new designIncludes stereo speakers, SD card slot and color LCD screenComes with an USB Port
Robosapien Media is the world's first multimedia interactive robot. At 25" tall, he comes with 100 preprogrammed functions and a multitude of different modes. Features include a head-mounted VGA camera, built-in microphone, full-color LCD screen in his chest, 10-watt speakers, and a back-mounted sub-woofer and MP3 player. With humanoid body movements, infrared
Revolutionary new designIncludes stereo speakers, SD card slot and color LCD screenComes with an USB Port
Robosapien Media is the world's first multimedia interactive robot. At 25" tall, he comes with 100 preprogrammed functions and a multitude of different modes. Features include a head-mounted VGA camera, built-in microphone, full-color LCD screen in his chest, 10-watt speakers, and a back-mounted sub-woofer and MP3 player. With humanoid body movements, infrared
MapleStory – Subway station dresses up for 10th anniversary celebrations
MapleStory is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and a mega festival will begin soon. Despite its age, Nexon has spared no expenses in promoting the game further, with the Jamsil Station being dressed in Maple colors. Those 1,000 characters on the giant posters are gamers’ actual in-game characters. Nexon has also just released a
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Project Z – Perfect World teases its first action online game
Perfect World China has developed many games for over a decade, and today the company announced its first ever in-house developed, non-target action MMORPG, currently known as Project Z. Nothing much is known right now, but I am excited to see the company progressing to the next stage (from point and click). As you can see in
MMO Culture
MMO Culture
Lastest Private Server World Of Warcraft News
Mass Effect 4: Was machen die MMO-Pläne?
So kann mit einem MMO das Piraterie-Problem weitestgehend ausgeschlossen werden, auch wenn hier mittlerweile private Server für Unmut bei Publisher und Entwickler sorgen. Zumal sobald ein Online-Titel läuft auch ein gutes ... Das Mass Effect-Universum ...
Read more on SpieleRadar
So kann mit einem MMO das Piraterie-Problem weitestgehend ausgeschlossen werden, auch wenn hier mittlerweile private Server für Unmut bei Publisher und Entwickler sorgen. Zumal sobald ein Online-Titel läuft auch ein gutes ... Das Mass Effect-Universum ...
Read more on SpieleRadar
Atlantica Online goes to West Atlantis
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, Free-to-Play
Atlantica Online is in the middle of a three-patches-in-three-months cycle right now, starting with Awakening, moving on to Ascension, and finishing up with Judgment. The Ascension patch has gone live with a host of additional content for the game including the journey to West Atlantis.
The new zone of West Atlantis is a former technological haven turned centaur refuge and offers plenty of mysteries and adventures for the daring play
Atlantica Online is in the middle of a three-patches-in-three-months cycle right now, starting with Awakening, moving on to Ascension, and finishing up with Judgment. The Ascension patch has gone live with a host of additional content for the game including the journey to West Atlantis.
The new zone of West Atlantis is a former technological haven turned centaur refuge and offers plenty of mysteries and adventures for the daring play
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Diablo III auction house down for 'at least another 24 hours'
Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, News Items, Diablo III
Diablo III's auction house continues to be the stuff of legends.
You may remember that a couple of days ago, the Diablo III auction house went down for a time due to a gold duplication bug that was being rampantly exploited by players. Thankfully, a patch was deployed in a nice, timely manner, and everything ended up all right.
Or did it? Rather than performing a server rollback, which would set all Diablo III players back, Blizzard has decid
Diablo III's auction house continues to be the stuff of legends.
You may remember that a couple of days ago, the Diablo III auction house went down for a time due to a gold duplication bug that was being rampantly exploited by players. Thankfully, a patch was deployed in a nice, timely manner, and everything ended up all right.
Or did it? Rather than performing a server rollback, which would set all Diablo III players back, Blizzard has decid
Get some Defiance DLC with a side of free updates
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Patches, News Items, Consoles, Defiance, Buy-to-Play
Now that Defiance is live and has gone through the usual slew of launch-day messes, it's time for the developers to start thinking about the future. That means DLC. The latest development blog explains both what the team is doing to address the game's issues and how DLC will be released in a tiered system, with every major DLC update containing upgrades to the cash shop, a paid DLC component, and a free up
Now that Defiance is live and has gone through the usual slew of launch-day messes, it's time for the developers to start thinking about the future. That means DLC. The latest development blog explains both what the team is doing to address the game's issues and how DLC will be released in a tiered system, with every major DLC update containing upgrades to the cash shop, a paid DLC component, and a free up
Star Trek Online announces Tribble Test Weekend
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Expansions, Previews, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play
Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, is going to be launching in less than two weeks, and to build up some hype for the new addition, the folks at Cryptic have deemed this weekend a Tribble Test Weekend. Beginning tomorrow, players can log on to the Tribble test server and get their first look at the new content coming when Legacy of Romulus goes live on the 21st.
But if that's not en
Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, is going to be launching in less than two weeks, and to build up some hype for the new addition, the folks at Cryptic have deemed this weekend a Tribble Test Weekend. Beginning tomorrow, players can log on to the Tribble test server and get their first look at the new content coming when Legacy of Romulus goes live on the 21st.
But if that's not en
The Summoner's Guidebook: How do assassins work in League of Legends?
Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook
In case you didn't notice, the title of this week's column is a question. It's not because I know the answer; it's because I've been thinking a lot about it lately and don't have a really good answer.
Assassins are in a strange state when it comes to teamfights. In League of Legends, there's a period when teams tend to group up to fight over objectives. This marks the midgame in Summoner's Rift, it happen
In case you didn't notice, the title of this week's column is a question. It's not because I know the answer; it's because I've been thinking a lot about it lately and don't have a really good answer.
Assassins are in a strange state when it comes to teamfights. In League of Legends, there's a period when teams tend to group up to fight over objectives. This marks the midgame in Summoner's Rift, it happen
Health and Mana Video Game Inspired Earrings with Key Charms
Health and Mana Video Game Inspired Earrings with Key Charms
Silver Toned Hook EarringsSmall Glass Rounded Bottom Potion BottlesAttached Key CharmsEarrings are sealed with high quality resin to prevent leakage
Now these are for the ULTIMATE gamer fan!! The potion bottles are made of glass with a sealed cork.
Measures approx 1.5" Tall x 1/2" Wide
DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, PLEASE EXPECT UP TO 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS FOR PROCESSING AS EACH ONE IS HAND MADE AND SEALED WITH RESIN, AND 3-5 DAYS FOR SHIPPING
Silver Toned Hook EarringsSmall Glass Rounded Bottom Potion BottlesAttached Key CharmsEarrings are sealed with high quality resin to prevent leakage
Now these are for the ULTIMATE gamer fan!! The potion bottles are made of glass with a sealed cork.
Measures approx 1.5" Tall x 1/2" Wide
DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, PLEASE EXPECT UP TO 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS FOR PROCESSING AS EACH ONE IS HAND MADE AND SEALED WITH RESIN, AND 3-5 DAYS FOR SHIPPING
New Blade & Soul video tours White Blue Mountain Range
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New Titles, Previews, News Items, Blade & Soul
It's no secret that many folks like to see what they are getting into... or in the case of MMOs not yet available in all markets, what they'd like to get into. So those looking forward to playing NCsoft's martial arts fantasy Blade & Soul should appreciate this newly released visual tour of the White Blue Mountain Range area.
Although lacking any English subtitles, the video contains over six minutes o
It's no secret that many folks like to see what they are getting into... or in the case of MMOs not yet available in all markets, what they'd like to get into. So those looking forward to playing NCsoft's martial arts fantasy Blade & Soul should appreciate this newly released visual tour of the White Blue Mountain Range area.
Although lacking any English subtitles, the video contains over six minutes o
The Favorites of Selune campaign - Level 5 - Session 4
In the previous session the heroes had cleared most of the ground floor of Castle Ravenloft. This evening we only played like half a session, because we started late, and then took some time to review all the handouts (like the Book of Strahd) and other clues the players had collected up to now. By doing so it became obvious that their next step should be to search for the grave of Count Strahd von Zarovich in the dungeons of the castle and scatter the earth from it to weaken the vampire lord b
Cardhunter
As there are so many different genres of games it would be hard to say how the perfect game for me would look exactly. But Cardhunter is coming pretty damn close. If you have any interest in turn-based tactical role-playing games and/or trading card games, I strongly urge you to sign up for the beta. You won't regret it.
Tobold's Blog
Tobold's Blog
Tobold's Blog
Tobold's Blog
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Arcane Saga triggers its beta test
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-Play
The MMO formerly known as Prince, er, Prius Online has gone into beta in preparation for its relaunch. The newly titled Arcane Saga represents a reworking of Prius' old content to include new features and content.
Netmarble Head Project Manager Joe Kim invites you to check out the changes: "With the start of the beta phase today, players will finally get to experience for themselves all of the improvements we've made to the world of Prius over the past
The MMO formerly known as Prince, er, Prius Online has gone into beta in preparation for its relaunch. The newly titled Arcane Saga represents a reworking of Prius' old content to include new features and content.
Netmarble Head Project Manager Joe Kim invites you to check out the changes: "With the start of the beta phase today, players will finally get to experience for themselves all of the improvements we've made to the world of Prius over the past
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