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MMO Roundup: RIFT referral program, The Old Republic launch confirmed, and more

Alex Ziebart
Owner
Updated ·2 min read

Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future.

Activision Blizzard posts record profits, WoW subs declining
Activision Blizzard hasn't just been surviving but thriving, posting a record profit for the first quarter of 2011 -- $503 million in net income, more than $100 million over the year before. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Blizzard Entertainment was responsible for a large portion of that profit, bringing in $170 million all by its lonesome. You may have already read about this on WoW Insider, but it's always worth checking out the perspective of the larger MMO scene.

Star Wars: The Old Republic launch window confirmed
EA's financial results report was released to the public last week, and alongside the various bits of fiscal information is one important tidbit for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. On page 17 of the document, you'll find "The Packaged Goods title release schedule excludes Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is expected to launch in either Q2 FY12 or Q3 FY12," where Q2 FY12 and Q3 FY12 correspond to July through September and October through December, respectively, of this year.

RIFT begins Ascend-a-Friend referral promotion
Beginning today with the advent of patch 1.2, RIFT subscribers will be able to Ascend-a-Friend into the ranks of the Defiant or Guardians, providing the newly Ascended with a seven-day free trial as well as linking the two players' accounts together. Referral bonuses include an adorable, corgi-like non-combat pet and a badass flaming horse mount.

Analyst predicts a Mass Effect MMO could top The Old Republic
Still having geek dreams about a Mass Effect MMO? Your flights of fancy have another advocate, as an analyst thinks it could be not only feasible but extremely profitable to boot. In a recent investor's note, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey predicted that a hypothetical Mass Effect MMO could make more money for Electronic Arts than Star Wars: The Old Republic will.

Massively Speaking episode 146
Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include APB's open beta date, DCUO's "super servers," more Marvel Online details, SOE's hacker problems, and more!

Massively's week in review
Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.