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Some Assembly Required: Community as content
Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to cover an occasion during which an in-game community came together and created a new player-run annual event. Born as an anniversary follow-up to a service event for the young terminally ill player Ribbitribbit, the new tradition focused on celebrating that very community that pulled together to create him a dream playground within EverQuest II. If the game lacked a sense of community in the game before that original project, it certainly didn't after. After tugging at my heartstrings for a while, that experience made me reflect on how much our communities are really a cornerstone of player-generated content. How often have you attended or participated in an event or run a mission created by someone other than yourself? And yet, when discussing important tools and elements needed to support player-generated content, we often overlook the necessity of a vibrant community. It's like trying to bake a cake without adding the flour. Or how about this analogy: You can give folks a giant tool box full of a shiny implements and tell them to build a house, but not much will happen without the actual wood and materials! So to foster PGC, games need to foster building communities.
Lineage II releases Lindvior update trailer, announces PvP tourney
Before Lineage II's big Lindvior update hits servers in May, players can participate in an inter-server PvP competition for a chance at some impressive prizes, including piles of adena, R99-Grade eternal armor sets, weapons, wigs, and more. During the month of April, up to 32 different teams will fight for the title of greatest PvPers in the 2013 Battle Tournament. Unlike many PvP tourneys, this one will be focusing on skill by removing gear discrepancies; all participants will set up with a premade level 99 character on a special event server. Folks who use any items or skills that differ from the premade settings will be disqualified along with their entire team. To qualify for this event, all players on a team must be from the same server, at least level 85, and from a different Awakened classes. All qualified teams must also pay an entry fee of 350 million adena. For complete details on how to enter, check out the official rules and requirements. And you can watch trailers for both the Battle Tournament and the upcoming Lindvior update after the break. [Thanks to FizzyFreeze for the tip!]
The Game Archaeologist: When sequels attack!
Sequels are both the bane of and a fact of life for movies and video games. Well, "bane" is a strong word, and you're probably thinking of Batman right now anyway, but personally, I'm always willing to give the benefit of doubt to any continuation of a favorite franchise. While we don't see sequels pop up as often in MMOs, they do exist and have significant effects upon the original title that bears the same name. It's here that MMOs diverge from movies and other video games. With those, the original is not in any sort of danger, other than the perception of having its legacy dragged down into the muck (Caddyshack II, anyone?) and perhaps overstaying its welcome. An MMO sequel, on the other hand, can cause serious consequences to its ancestor. Here at Game Archaeologist, we look at classic games that have often seen their time come and go. But what happens to one of these titles when a sequel attacks? Almost anything, it turns out.
Lineage II offering augmented Adenian underwear promo
While wading into virtual battle in your skivvies may invite the wrath of the PC police, doing so in the world of Lineage II will give you substantial stat bonuses. NCsoft is running a Choose Your Underwear promotion from now through March 13th. The unmentionables in question are broken down into five cash shop sets, each of which grants the wearer base stat bonuses in the form of +35 to physical defense, +15 to magical defense, +7 to speed, and +15 to elemental attributes (fire, water, wind, etc.). The garments can be augmented with additional stats and skills via life stones and gem stones. Lineage II's business model relies completely on the cash shop, as 100% of the game's content is available to all players for free. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]
NCsoft earnings report shows healthy growth
NCsoft just released its fourth quarter 2012 earnings report, and things are looking pretty good across the board for the multi-MMO company. NCsoft's earnings are up both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year due to the releases of Blade & Soul and Guild Wars 2, not to mention "record-breaking annual revenues" from Lineage. Guild Wars 2 accounted for 45% of the company's sales in Q4, followed by Lineage (24%) and Blade & Soul (10%). ArenaNet's newest game increased the North American market from 16% in Q3 to 25% in Q4. It's not completely sunshine and roses, however. Lineage II and Aion both experienced declines during the period. NCsoft's net income was in the red for the quarter and its stock has slid since September, losing half of its value in the process. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Lineage II looks back at 2012 and forward to 2013
Lineage II went free-to-play last year, and according to the newest state of the game letter, that conversion went very well indeed. The letter points out that more than one and a half million new accounts were created in 2012 alone, an impressive number for any game and doubly so for a game approaching its ninth anniversary. Over 800,000 store items have been sold, solidifying the game's performance and moneymaking capabilities. In other words, if you were worried the game wasn't doing well, you can stop worrying. But what about the future? Well, there's another major installment of the Goddess of Destruction series due out. The development team is also looking into a variety of improvements for players including tradeable shop items, methods of gifting microtransaction currency, and more options to pay for your cash shop purchases. There's also discussion of more events and tournaments for everyone to enjoy, showing that the title is aging but still has quite a lot of life left.
Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty
Beyond amazing character design, compelling narratives, and the presence of dragons, there is one thing that all MMOs depend upon for success: player loyalty. Without returning subscribers, a loving community, or folks dropping a few dimes in the cash shop now and again, MMOs simply wouldn't be a feasible way for a games studio to do business. Smart development teams have player retention departments tasked specifically with tracking and analyzing the rise and fall of player allegiances and finding ways to leverage loyalty is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the creation process. Even the non-gaming world is getting in on the fray. Back in November, researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Management published a study tracing the roots of player loyalties in a variety of MMO environments. The study outlined the mentalities of MMO gamers and the things that successfully encouraged them to keep coming back for more looting, more grinding, and more /hugging. Most importantly, the study declared that an MMO that increases loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%. We sat down with Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, to dive a little deeper into the researchers' methods, results, and plans for future MMO investigation.
NCsoft releases Lineage II 'vision' trailer
Remember Lineage II? Yeah, we know it's been nearly a decade since it released in the States, but it still boasts some of the best PvP in the MMO space. Now, NCsoft has released a 10-minute monstrosity of a trailer that offers a "glimpse of a possible future." If you haven't played the game in a while (or if you've never played), much of the trailer's narrative will be lost on you. That's OK, though, because fantasy ultraviolence rarely needs an explanation. According to NCsoft's YouTube verbiage, the developers are considering some sort of server wars concept, too, so there's that. The clip is all yours after the cut. [Thanks to WarElf for the tip!]
Lineage II releases Glory Days update
Hallelujah, the Glory Days are here! NCsoft released the update for Lineage II today, which is certainly one of the most sizable the game's ever seen. The publisher said that the patch was directly influenced by player suggestions and comments. Glory Days adds a something for the whole family of gamers. The update includes new raids, zone overhauls, a nifty clan wars PvP system, dual classes, subclasses, zombie quests, and a whole mess of smaller changes and improvements. If this is your game, then you will want to clear about a half-hour or so to read through all of the patch notes. We've got the soul-stirring trailer for Glory Days after the jump!
The Perfect Ten: Worst expansion names of all time
When SOE announced that EverQuest's 19th expansion would be titled Rain of Fear, I instantly found myself tripping over the name. I shouldn't have -- it's a few simple words that are first round picks for spelling contests -- but it defied the traditional naming conventions for MMO expansions. Many people I talked to kept wanting to write "reign" instead because "rain" seemed like a deliberate misspelling by some intern in Smedley's empire. Homophones aside, Rain of Fear is hardly the worst expansion title I've ever seen. The industry has had its share of bad names, from the confusing to the downright unpronounceable. Sure, we get used to these titles, and perhaps it's nit-picky to lug them out at such a late point in many of their lifespans, but petty is my middle name. My first name is Tom. And these are 10 poorly named expansions. Deal with it.
Lineage II launches a teaser site for Glory Days [Updated]
Another update for Lineage II is approaching, and this one promises to be full of glory. Days of it, even. But if you weren't sure about what the Glory Days update will offer for players, you can now stop at a handy teaser site that contains all of the upcoming features and expansions to Lineage II's existing gameplay. And there's a lot in there. High-level players can venture to the Isle of Souls for solo or small-party play, take on Pagan's Temple for solo or group play, make a small team to infiltrate Nornil's Cave, or take part in the daily instanced raid of Nornil's Garden. Meanwhile, all players can enjoy the revised Mentoring and Reputation system, while players with a Subclass can enjoy special dual-class abilities as well as a free subclass level reset. And there's a whole revamped system of Clan Wars coming, complete with contestable halls. Really, if you're an avid Lineage II player, you might want to just look at the site. [Update]: Glory Days will launch on October 24th.
NCsoft seeks to correct Lineage II rebalancing changes with player feedback
Change is inevitable in any MMO, but in a letter to players Lineage II Development Director Gon Namkun acknowledged that not all change is good. As Lineage II has developed over the years, classes have been added and then changed around and stripped of many of their distinctive characteristics in the name of balance. And NCsoft wants to bring some of the diversity back to the classes. Gon Namkun explains the need for diversification and offers four possible solutions. However, instead of just forging ahead with changes, the development team wants player feedback: Players can vote on their preferred method through a poll on the official site. This poll, open until September 26th, 2012, is specifically for Western players as the Korean market poll has already been completed.
NCsoft weathers $6M loss in Q2
NCsoft may have more banking on Guild Wars 2 than once thought. The mega-publisher announced that its second quarter earnings were lower than expected; it posted a $6 million loss for the period. Revenues were down 12% from last year to $130 million, of which a vast majority came from NCsoft's online titles. The company stated that it dipped into the red due to rising labor costs, an increased marketing budget for Blade & Soul's Korean launch, and the acquisition of Ntreev. Aion was also blamed for the company's financial woes, as revenues in that title sharply decreased due to fewer microtransaction sales. Both Lineage titles composed a great share of the company's revenues, with the first game producing 45% of sales and the sequel 13%. NCsoft said that it is banking on Guild Wars 2 to produce a profitable third quarter, however.
MMO Blender: Jeremy's unholy MMO concoction
Have you ever wished MMO developers could put away their checkbooks, pluck out the best bits of their respective MMOs, and weld them together to construct the megalopolis of MMOs? We do too! So today, we're launching a brand-new opinion column, MMO Blender, in which the Massively writers will mix and match their favorite features from existing MMOs for your amusement. But do our choices create a perfectly honed machine or a lumbering, speechless frankenstein of an MMO that deserves to be put out of its misery? First up: Livestreamer extraordinaire and Contributing Editor Jeremy Stratton with a potent, sandboxy blend of Fallen Earth, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and more. Wet your whistle after the break and look for more MMO Blenders from the rest of our staff in the coming weeks!
Lineage II celebrates its eighth anniversary with a Massively giveaway
To celebrate the eighth Anniversary of Lineage II, NCsoft and Massively have teamed up to bring you a special in-game item to give away. The item is the two-slot head accessory known as the Warrior's Helmet (pictured above), complete with the Vampiric Rage skill, which increases attack speed by 33% and bestows the ability to recover as HP 9% of the physical damage inflicted upon the enemy for one hour. Reuse delay is four hours, and this item is seven-day use only. If you'd like to grab one of these special items for your Lineage II character, head on over to our giveaway page to grab a code. And be sure to visit the item redemption page for complete instructions on how to add the code to your account!
Lineage II brings a full update of Harmony
Harmony is a good thing wherever you can find it. It's true in work, it's true in friendship, and it seems to be true in Lineage II as well. The latest patch, Harmony, will be launching on March 7th and bringing a number of improvements to the upper tiers of leveling: new quests, a new dungeon, and several updates for skills. If you're already near the top of the leveling game, the new dungeon of Kartia's Labyrinth is your primary destination, with the option to enter solo or in a party at level 85, 90, or 95. There are also a variety of new quests introduced, starting at level 76 and moving up. For lower-level characters, new Campaigns have been added; Campaigns are special zone-wide events that happen on a regular schedule and give everyone a chance at some bonus experience and Marks. New mentoring skills are also available to help low-level characters reach their full potential, the sort of thing that really inspires some harmonious behavior among players.
Choose My Adventure: How Lineage II feels to a Western newcomer
We're down to the wire for Lineage II's Choose My Adventure, with one more week to go. My Abyss Walker quickly rushed to the 40s, at which point leveling has slowed down considerably. I've talked about pets, explored (only a fraction of) the countryside, and touched on crafting and other features. What else could we possibly talk about? I haven't really shared a lot of my experiences with my character class or how the class-transfers and skills affect my overall enjoyment of Lineage II. My third class-transfer is set in stone thanks to your poll choices and the game mechanics; now that I'm an Abyss Walker, I'm locked-in to become a Ghost Hunter, which makes sense. Ghost Hunter is melee, like my Abyss Walker. I can't really jump ship at this point and go ranged. So let's look a little more at my character, what the future could hold for him in terms of more class-transfers, and my opinions on non-situational combat and how that makes the game feel to me.%Gallery-141708%
The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011
You know what I love about the end of each year? The lists. Man, but I'm a sucker for lists, especially when they come in "best of" varieties. In the lull between Christmas and New Year's, there typically isn't a lot happening in the world of entertainment, so it's a good time to look back before we head forward. And so it is for The Game Archaeologist. 2011 marks the second year I've been doing this column, and it's been one of my personal favorite series to write. Every week I'm learning more and more about the history of the MMO genre, and I'm encouraged to see just how much passion and interest there are for the titles that started it all and got us to where we are today. So before we head into 2012, let's take one last glimpse back at the road we've traveled. If you've missed out on any of these columns or want to revisit your favorite classic MMO, I've compiled a huge list of everything I talked about this year, from histories to interviews to player stories. There's also a special request for you (yes, you) at the end of this column, so do me a favor and hit that jump!
Former Lineage II artist returns to NCsoft for new MMO project
NCsoft's prodigal son has returned, and with him the hopes and dreams of the future of gaming. Well that might be a smidge melodramatic, but fans of the company's games certainly have a good reason to celebrate today as former Lineage II artist Juno Jeong has come back to the fold. Jeong signed back on with NCsoft as of yesterday to be the art director of an unknown MMO project. This is a marked step up from his previous role in the company as a member of the character production team, and those who know Jeong's art style are already expressing excitement with his current role. Following his stint on Lineage II, Jeong worked for several other game companies including Gravity, NHN, and Npluto. While speculation is swirling over the exact nature of the project to which he's been assigned, the most common assumptions are either that he's working on another Lineage or Aion title.
Choose My Adventure: Post-Christmas update
A turkey and ham coma, family soiree, and the biggest calendar holiday of the year have left my Lineage II escapades a wee bit smaller this week, but not without some fun happenings. Speaking of holidays, I hope everyone had a terrific one! Random events, miraculously revived dead pets, more amazing scenery, and lots of killing are on deck in today's Choose My Adventure. It turns out that I am terrible at raising my pet wolf and even got into an accidental scuffle with another player that left her pet dead and me even deader. I returned to the Path to Awakening because that's what you voted for last week. I've also neared the end of the uber-fast leveling cycle via quests and am turning to grinding for the majority of my experience gain. The fun-level has yet to dip for me; there's higher level gameplay I'm really hoping to dip my dagger into, and I'm curious to see what level I can reach by the end of this trip. As always, check out the extensive gallery and livestreams, and tune in to MV Guide to see when my next livestream will be.%Gallery-141708%
