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MMO Roundup: Family Guy, Harry Potter, and more
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. Fox unveils Family Guy Online ... really Yeah. You're seeing that right. Family Guy Online. It may be a bit early to say, but we can probably add this one to the list of worst MMOs ever in advance. Details are scarce at the moment, but Fox has already set up a social media presence and a pre-beta website. Is Pottermore the upcoming Harry Potter MMO? The Harry Potter fanbase was abuzz yesterday as a mysterious new website was launched. The site itself is rather bare, merely sporting the words "Pottermore: Coming Soon" and J.K. Rowling's signature underneath, but there's reason to believe that this may be connected to an online game ... or just a social hub for Potter fans. The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters Enjoy playing a druid in WoW? Wondering what other MMOs feature shapeshifting classes or effects? From RIFT to Guild Wars to City of Heroes, this week's Perfect Ten has what you need. Is Turbine working on a console MMO? Internet scuttlebutt has it that Turbine is cooking up a console MMO codenamed Project Hendrix. A posting at GameSpot cites a Turbine job listing that seeks an engineer for an "unannounced online console project." Turbine's console aspirations are nothing new, as studio VP Craig Alexander hinted at such desires as early as 2009. Massively Speaking episode 153 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi reminiscing on E3 through this year's awards. Other topics include the LulzSec DDOS attacks and Fallen Earth's acquisition by GamersFirst. They also read through a listener email and clarify their annoyance at kill-10 quests. 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.
MMO Roundup: E3, DUST 514, RIFT, and other capital letters
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. Massively's E3 Coverage E3 wrapped at the end of last week, and the MMO news that came out of the convention was substantial. Make sure you didn't miss any major highlights from any of the up-and-coming MMOs in the industry. Check out Massively's extensive coverage of the event! Hands-on impressions of Star Wars: The Old Republic Members of the Massively staff and WoW Insider's very own Editor-in-Chief Dan O'Halloran had an opportunity to play The Old Republic at E3. Did they like it? Did they hate it? Find out! DUST 514's realtime integration with EVE Online At E3, EVE Online developer CCP Games made an appearance to announce that the company's upcoming MMOFPS DUST 514 will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3. The ambitious title aims to link the world of ground troops fighting over planets to EVE Online's universe of spaceborne conflict. EVE players will be able to hire DUST mercenaries as part of an ongoing territorial war. Head over to Massively for the full details. Trion Worlds takes players on a tour of RIFT's upcoming Hammerknell raid Trion Worlds, the developer behind the polarizing MMO RIFT, recently gave fans a hands-on tour of their upcoming raid zone, Hammerknell. It's an abandoned dwarven stronghold which has jailed one of the great dragons for ... well, a really long time! Massively Speaking episode 152 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week to wrap up E3 2011 by recording another unedited show just for you. The Massively team discusses RIFT's patch 1.3, Cryptic's Neverwinter and Rubi's impressions of SWTOR. 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.
The Joystiq Network's E3 coverage kicks off
Our network is abuzz with E3 news this week. Our friends over at Joystiq and Massively are hard at work in the convention coal mines, doing their best to bring us the best coverage they possibly can. If you're interested in gaming outside of World of Warcraft and want a rundown of the day's events, this post is for you. We will be covering just the last 24 (or so) hours in this E3 roundup, so if you're interested in any of the information that came in over the weekend or early Monday, I highly recommend checking out the entirety of both Joystiq's coverage and Massively's coverage.
Hang out with Massively (and Joystiq) at the E3 2011 reader meetup
So E3 is coming up, and you what that means: games booze! If you've done the convention circuit before, you know that listening to PR reps and watching multiple presentations on the greatest-game-in-the-history-of-games pales in comparison to the opportunity to indulge in a bit of pub-crawling with industry types. If you're over 21 and a fan of Massively, Joystiq, or WoW Insider, you'll want to mark Friday, June 10th on your party-going calendar. The Joystiq crew will be taking over the La Cita bar in downtown Los Angeles for a swag-filled shindig sure to please the most discriminating gamer. And if not, hey, you can always drink with us. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 6-9, bringing you all the best news from E3 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
MMO Roundup: Zelda MMO, Fallout Online's apocalyptic future, and more
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. Is Zelda about to hit the MMO space? Nintendo, creator of the console hit Legend of Zelda, has just registered for an ESRB rating for a game called Zelda Universe. According to the ESRB website, this mysterious game has received an "E" rating with "violence" as the only descriptive text, but the game is listed as "online." Although all other Nintendo games have a console listed along with the rating, this particular title does not. Fallout Online's future in jeopardy as Interplay's finances suffer Fallout Online, the in-development MMO from Interplay, has been through some rough waters already, but it looks like the situation may be about to go from bad to -- pardon the pun -- apocalyptic. A recent SEC filing by Interplay indicates that the company is going through some rough financial times, which doesn't bode well for Fallout Online's future. Men outspend women on mobile social games Ladies (or gentlemen), is your man a gamer? If so, you may finally have a worthwhile retort for the next time he scoffs and rolls his eyes at that $10 non-combat pet you just had to have. A recent study by MocoSpace surveyed 1,500 "mobile social gamers" about their spending practices within social games. The results? "While 53 percent were male, and 47 percent female, 69 percent of men were buying virtual goods, while only 31 percent of females did." SWTOR trooper progression video lays on the hurt Even with E3 just around the corner, BioWare is still churning out the regular previews for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Most recently, the developers at BioWare released a trailer showing off the progression of the trooper class. Massively Speaking episode 149 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi discussing the week's best MMO news. This week, they talk about RIFT's free character transfer program, Guild Wars 2's engineer class, Age of Conan's new hybrid business model 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.
MMO Roundup: RIFT's free character transfers, Sony's fiscal losses, and more
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. RIFT offering free character transfers with patch 1.3 Trion Worlds has announced that with the advent of patch 1.3, RIFT will allow players to move to select servers once per week -- for free. These free character transfers include a wholesale move of all of the character's items, achievements and titles. Also, Trion has stated that initially, there will be no limit to the number of times your character can hop to a different server. Sony loses $3.2B, spends $170M in response to hacker attacks Sony's bad year is getting a smidge worse. The company, which had previously predicted a healthy profit for the past fiscal year, is now expecting a loss of $3.2 billion for the period of April 2010 through March 2011. The reverse in fortunes is mostly due to writing off a $4.4 billion tax credit, although the company has been struggling with both the recent earthquake and hacker attack that disrupted operations of both its physical operations and online services. Funcom prepping new Age of Conan adventure pack inspired by film reboot Recent rumors of new film-related content for Age of Conan proved to be accurate. According to a new press release, the pack "includes but is not limited to" content from the forthcoming Conan the Barbarian film reboot and will see players traveling to the lands of Turan some 20 years after the events of the movie. Guild Wars 2's explosive seventh class: The engineer ArenaNet has announced the seventh Guild Wars 2 profession: the engineer. Rifles, dual pistols, pistols with shields, explosives, flamethrowers, and automated turrets -- come on, do I really need to say any more than that? Massively Speaking episode 148 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the latest MMO news, including some more details on ArcheAge and Guild Wars 2, a better explanation of the DCUO MegaServers (formerly Super Servers), and the return of SOE! 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.
MMO Roundup: Blizzard on RIFT, SOE outage compensation, and more
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: RIFT players will come back to WoW During Activision Blizzard's recent investor conference call, the question of how RIFT's launch in early March had affected WoW's playerbase inevitably came up. Morhaime was quick to point out that while a percentage of players have historically left WoW to try out each new game released in the MMO market, a healthy proportion of them tend to return. Blizzard expects the same to occur with RIFT. SOE reveals compensation plan for outage After the long silence during SOE's recent downtime, Sony has finally revealed its compensation plan of action. All current SOE players will receive 30 days of game time added to their accounts plus one day for every day the system's been down. Depending on the game to which players are subscribed, SOE has a list of specific in-game items, currency, Station Cash, events and bonuses ready as well. The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online The Matrix Online (otherwise known as MxO) may have been shut down a few years ago, but it still holds many fond memories for its former players. The Matrix had the potential to be this generation's Star Wars, but the franchise ultimately petered out, eventually taking MxO with it. Gaming with Game of Thrones Sorry to disappoint -- this isn't a Game of Thrones MMO announcement. However, if you enjoy Game of Thrones, there are a number of free-to-play MMOs that may offer you some of the same things you like from the novels or television series. Political intrigue in an MMO? It's true! Massively Speaking episode 147 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week as Shawn is joined by Leala and Dana from the Game Dames blog and podcast. Topics include more on Sony's downtime, The Old Republic's confirmed launch window, the power of a possible Mass Effect MMO, the revenue growth of Nexon and Activision Blizzard, and the fact that World of Warcraft is dying! Wait, what? No. 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.
MMO Roundup: RIFT referral program, The Old Republic launch confirmed, and more
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.
MMO Roundup: More Sony downtime, 8 years of EVE, and more
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. SOE takes services offline due to serious issue Sony has not been having a good couple of weeks, and it just keeps getting worse. This Monday morning, Sony Online Entertainment customers woke up to discover that all of their games' services were down. Apparently, the company has discovered a serious issue while following up with the previous weeks' hacker intrusion and is taking steps to rectify it. SOE releases further breach details; 24.6 million accounts compromised And things just get worse for Sony from there. The San Diego-based MMORPG publisher has announced that approximately 24.6 million accounts may have been stolen, in addition to the 12,700 credit or debit card thefts reported earlier. 8 years of EVE Online EVE Online is coming up on on its eighth anniversary. EVE has grown from a fledgling niche game with under 40,000 launch subscriptions to a global melting pot of over 360,000 actively subscribed accounts. The company itself has seem similar expansion, starting from humble beginnings as a small independent studio in Iceland and growing into a multinational monster with offices in China, Iceland, North America, and the United Kingdom. Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis Move over, DC Universe Online -- it's Marvel's time to shine. After a few false starts, Marvel's finally poised to become the next big MMO superhero thing. Marvel Universe Online recently announced its head writer: Brian Michael Bendis. Comic nerds, assemble! Blade and Soul videos feature PvP, gliding Blade & Soul, the upcoming Korean beat-'em-up MMO, has just seen the conclusion of its first closed beta phase. It appears that beta phased marked the beginning of the game's media frenzy, because numerous gameplay videos have started to surface. Check it out! 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.
MMO Roundup: SOE's downtime, SWTOR subscribers, and RIFT's latest
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. Ethnologist researches the development of social skills in World of Warcraft A lot of players probably think that World of Warcraft breeds social skills, to the extent that contempt for one's fellow human beings can be considered a social skill. But according to Peter Stenberg of Umea University in Sweden, there are some actual developments taking place when you play. SOE acknowledges "external intrusion" responsible for downtime Sony Online Entertainment has acknowledged an issue that has caused its MMORPGs and game-related websites to be sporadically unavailable since Thursday, April 21. SOE's Linda "Brasse" Carlson posted on the EverQuest II forums, attributing the trouble to "an external intrusion." Massively's Easter event roundup World of Warcraft isn't the only game celebrating Easter this week. Noblegarden is fine and dandy, but check out what the other MMOs have to offer, from EverQuest to Runescape and Vindictus. Everybody is celebrating! Analyst says 1 million subscribers attainable for SWTOR Gaming business website Gamasutra quoted Hickey as saying that Janco "suspect[s] a willingness from investors to believe [500,000] to 1 million Star Wars MMO subscribers is an attainable target." Hickey has been focused on games and the gaming industry for some time now, specifically on EA, so the rise and fall of EA-published Warhammer Online cannot be off his radar when he makes his predictions about SWTOR. An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond With almost two months on the post-launch clock at Trion Worlds, RIFT appears to be holding its own in the wild and woolly field of MMORPGs. With a major update and the first world event under its belt, RIFT is sailing into the future with the wind at its back and a hull full of subscribers below. Top 10 MMO forum terms beaten to death We're all familiar with the MMO forum culture. Everybody has favorite complaints, buzzwords, and acronyms. This week, Massively takes a look at the top 10 forum terms that really should be sent to retirement. 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.
MMO Roundup: RIFT world event, The Old Republic polish, and more
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. RIFT world event fizzles, Trion reevaluates approach Much like World of Warcraft's early attempts at world events, RIFT's first major world event ... didn't go so well. Server queues and intermittent server outages plagued the event, but Trion Worlds has already issued a statement indicating that it is aware of the issues and will use the lessons it learned to forge future events. Battlestar Galactica Online passes 1 million player milestone Bigpoint's browser-based Battlestar Galactica Online is a certifiable hit, according to a new press release touting the fact that the title recently surpassed 1 million registered players. The milestone comes a scant six weeks after the launch of BSGO's open beta period and dovetails nicely with the news that the game is getting an engine upgrade as well as new ship content. BioWare tackles The Old Republic environment polish, class questions Ever wondered what "polish" entails when it comes to an MMORPG? The word is tossed about on forums often enough, and just as often, newly released titles are lambasted by gamers who feel that polish is severely lacking in some form or fashion. The latest Star Wars: The Old Republic update goes behind the scenes at the Jedi dream factory to give readers an inside scoop on how the developers at BioWare define polish. Guild Wars 2's Johanson: MMO class trinity is "tired" ArenaNet is a company with one game to its credit, yet the firm still has the courage to openly challenge Blizzard as well as the rest of the crowded MMO market. In a recent interview, lead content designer Colin Johanson says ANet's success and confidence largely stem from a culture of creative fearlessness. LFM: Massively is hiring! Are you passionate about every single MMO you can get your hands on? Do you have a particular skill with the written word? We're looking to expand our ranks with a fresh MMO-loving writer, so if you answered yes to both of those questions, Massively wants to hear from you. 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.
MMO Roundup: Mass Effect MMO, MOBAs, and more
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. Mass Effect the MMO? Could Mass Effect be an MMO? In a recent interview with Game Informer, Executive Producer Casey Hudson of BioWare says that the intellectual property makes sense for an MMO. The Old Republic dev blog talks advanced classes Ready for more Star Wars: The Old Republic information? BioWare's Georg Zoeller is happy to oblige via his new dev blog that focuses on TOR's advanced classes. His previous entry laid the groundwork, whereas the most recent blog is all about the details. CNN looks at RIFT's server technology MMORPGs don't get much virtual ink on the world's top news sites, and when they do, it's usually because someone's died during a grind session. RIFT recently bucked that trend with a lengthy spread on CNN.com and, somewhat predictably, the initial focus is on the "battle" between Trion's upstart and Blizzard's World of Warcraft behemoth. Exploring the lands of MOBA It's sometimes hard to believe that MMOs and online gaming in its current form are both relatively new. In a single generation, online gaming has gone from a technical infeasibility to a global industry worth billions. The list of MMOs is constantly growing, and the line between MMOs and other online games blurs more every year. Head over to Massively to learn about MOBAs, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas. Massively Speaking episode 143 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns to your regularly scheduled programming this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include fixing Earthrise, expanding Mortal Online and DC Universe Online, and SOE's mass layoffs. 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.
MMO Roundup: April Fools' Day, EVE Online fundraiser, and more
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. Massively's April Fools' Day roundup World of Warcraft players spent April Fools' Day hanging out with Crabby, but what happened with the other major MMOs? How would you like to play as broccoli in Dungeons and Dragons Online? A Commando in Guild Wars? A barber in Firefall? EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund EVE Online's developer, CCP Games, has encouraged donations through its unique PLEX system. Players who couldn't afford to donate cash were encouraged to buy PLEX using in-game currency and donate them to the relief fund. CCP would then scrap the PLEX items and donate their full real-money purchase value to charity. Total donations have amounted to more than $40,000. DC Universe Online Update 2 is on its way! Community Manager Tony "RadarX" Jones told DCUO fans that the update will be coming next week. The Penguin and Two-Face are the villains of choice this time around, and we'll even see a special appearance from Mister Mxyzptlk. If you want to know more, Massively has an exclusive interview about it, too. RIFT updates River of Souls world event RIFT's worldwide River of Souls event, starring the charismatic Alsbeth the Discordant, has been trucking in game for a few days now, but Trion Worlds didn't want to rest on its laurels even so. After evaluating how the event was progressing, the team added a patch yesterday to make a number of improvements and adjustments -- fixing this major, temporary event while it was still in progress. Massively Speaking episode 142: EVE Fanfest 2011 Massively Speaking is back this week "live-ish" from EVE Fanfest 2011. EVE Evolved columnist Brendan Drain joins Shawn to record on location from Reykjavik, Iceland, where they cover interviews with CCP Manifest, CCP Shadow, a glacier and a few volcanoes. 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.
MMO Roundup: Rogers throttling WoW, Jedi armor sets, and more
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. Rogers throttles World of Warcraft across Canada If you play World of Warcraft in Canada and were wondering why your connection seems a bit slow, it turns out there may be a good explanation: Rogers Communications has been deliberately throttling the game across the country. One month after launch, how is RIFT holding up? It's been a month since RIFT went retail. How is the game holding up? Has the launch day hype faded, or is it still going strong? What's still working? What isn't? BioWare releases Jedi armor progression video Due to what could be considered a lack of hard info on everyone's favorite Star Wars archetype, BioWare has had many fans crying out in terror. Today, said fans were suddenly silenced, though not because something terrible has happened. On the contrary, the traditional Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday update brings us a breathless look at glowstick-powered combat footage courtesy of the new Jedi Knight armor progression trailer. Banned WoW player offers $1,000 for reactivation If you lost an MMO account through hacking, banning, or any other method, what would you pay to get it back? One California World of Warcraft player didn't hesitate to put a hefty price tag on that possibility. The anonymous player posted via Craigslist last week, offering any form of payment the recipient might ask for -- including "an envelope under a tree." Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online coming to Xbox Live Arcade The MMO console lineup just got a bit bigger thanks to the folks at Nexon and Softmax. The latter is porting the former's Dungeon Fighter Online beat-'em-up to the Xbox Live Arcade delivery platform, where the title will boast a freemium business model (meaning you download the client for free and pay for items and upgrades). Massively's Week in Review: Hobbits in space 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.
MMO Roundup: PAX East in review, RIFT account security, and more
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. PAX East 2011: One Massive(ly) roundup PAX East has already begun fading into memory, but there was a lot to see and do over the three days of the convention. Even if you disregard the numerous fan gatherings and community events taking place, there were an awful lot of games on the floor, with showings from MMOs that dwarfed last year's offerings. Head over to Massively to check out all of their coverage of the event. NCsoft makes multi-million-dollar Japanese relief donation NCsoft is throwing a considerable contribution into the relief drive for victims of the recent disaster in Japan in the form of 500 million Yen (or 4.5 million Euros/6.3 million USD, for those of you counting along at home). NCsoft's Sung Joon Park explained that the sum equals a month's worth of sales. Trion responds to RIFT account hacks Trion World's Scott Hartsman responded to the hacker attempts, reassuring fans curious about what steps were being taken to secure their accounts. Citing "constant attacks" since the launch of RIFT that have impacted 1% of accounts, Hartsman said that the team is blocking hackers and botnets as quickly as they are identified but that this will also be an ongoing process. World of Warcraft bloggers fight back against RIFT While RIFT is certainly a four-letter word, it's becoming that kind of four-letter word for certain bloggers in the World of Warcraft community. Reala of Click the Lightwell went so far as to whip up a graphical badge certifying WoW blogs as RIFT-free zones in response to the amount of virtual ink devoted to Trion's title on Azeroth-centric websites. Massively Speaking Episode 141: PAX East wrap-up Massively Speaking is back this week with a special PAX East wrap-up episode. Eliot Lefebvre, Larry Everett, and Karen Bryan join Shawn to talk about their experiences at the event, including panels, interviews, and an exciting hands-on demo of SWTOR. Massively's Week in Review: New promise for an Old Republic 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.
MMO Roundup: PAX, Titan, and more
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. Blizzard COO: We hope Titan will still be growing in 20 years "I believe [it's] the most ambitious thing we've ever attempted," Sams said. "And I feel like we have set our company up to succeed on that. We have some of our most talented and most experienced developers on that team. Many of the people that built World of Warcraft are full time on that other team." BioWare reveals new Old Republic trailer Fans were expecting a big showing out of Star Wars: The Old Republic at this weekend's PAX East. BioWare didn't disappoint, as the renowned RPG maker released the newest (and best) trailer for its upcoming Star Wars MMORPG opus. Player-run event in RIFT kicks off an eight-month war One of the core conflicts underpinning RIFT is the righteous and absolute morality of the Guardians versus the technology and self-determinism of the Defiants. You might not feel that distinction in the most of PvE gameplay, but a player-run public event is hoping to change that. EVE ISK buyers outed in database leak Beware, EVE Online ISK buyers! Big Brother is watching you. Actually, the whole internet is watching you, too, thanks to an insider leak at the IskBank.com currency trading site. EVEnews24.com, a fan-run news site dedicated to the goings-on in and around CCP's New Eden, has published a huge list of virtual currency buyers that earned IskBank some $290,000 between April 2010 and March 4, 2011. Massively Speaking episode 140 Massively Speaking returns from GDC with the remainder of the news from the last week. A sick Shawn and Rubi discuss their final day at GDC, RIFT's launch, Ryzom's new business model, Bungie's MMO hoax, and the latest Guild Wars patch. 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.
MMO Roundup: Massively's GDC coverage and more
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. GDC 2011: Impressions of the conference and what 2011 will bring The Game Developers Conference of 2011 has come to a close, and it's given us a better idea of what's to come in the world of MMOs this year. Head over to Massively for Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster's impressions of the conference and a glimpse at the future. Bungie admits to MMO hoax Is it or isn't it? This is the multimillion-dollar question for Bungie Studios, who had all but confirmed that it was working on a MMO of sorts. Apparently, this was either a ruse, a goof or a massive misunderstanding, as a Bungie representative clarified David Aldridge's comments at GDC as being nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek joke. BioWare's Damion Schubert on designing for loners Nothing stirs up a good MMO debate like the age-old question of whether or not the genre should cater to solo players. BioWare's Damion Schubert, lead systems designer on the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic, recently added a bit of fuel to that particular fire during a presentation at last week's GDC in San Francisco. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Another look at the bounty hunter It has been two years since the bounty hunter class was unveiled as the first player class in The Old Republic. BioWare has released another class video for its Star Wars MMO, highlighting the bounty hunter and his/her tricks and gadgets once again. Massively Speaking at the Games Developers Conference Looking for even more GDC information? Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, recorded a show live each night of the conference. Hear the team's impressions as they developed! Massively's week in review: GDC madness 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.
The Road to Mordor: You're the best around, nothing's gonna ever keep you down!
Two semi-stunning thoughts hit me this week. The first is that March 5th marks the debut of my very first column on Massively a year ago, and I still have my life and sanity intact. The second is that even with the release of RIFT, which I'm playing, I still feel compelled to play Lord of the Rings Online just as much -- if not more -- than the new shiny on the block. These thoughts are related after a fashion, so just hang in there with me. When I first came on board Massively and chose the game I'd be following for a presumably lengthy stretch of time, only LotRO seemed as though it would fit the bill. I knew it was a great game from experience and that I had a lot to do, see and learn about it, and I'd hoped that it had a lot in store to keep me from getting bored. Still, I was worried that I would lose interest after six months or so, as I'm a habitual MMO sampler. Could I settle down and form a serious relationship with an MMO like this? It turns out that yes, yes I could -- and quite easily at that. While I had liked LotRO before last year, these past 12 months have helped me form a deep appreciation and connection with this version of Middle-earth. This relationship has held firm even as I've dabbled -- or dived in deep -- with other MMOs, because there's something LotRO has that I've never experienced in another MMORPG. So what is it about this world that sets it apart and has endeared itself to me?
MMO Roundup: RIFT launch coverage, world records, and more
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. Massively's RIFT launch day coverage RIFT's launch has, so far, been an undeniable success. For those of you who decided not to take the preorder plunge and weren't playing during the preorder head start, Massively has everything you need to know about the game -- guides, content previews, soul (player class) reveals, and more. World of Tanks sets Guinness World Record This surprisingly popular MMO, which is still hip-deep in beta, already has one record for the books -- literally. Wargaming.net announced that World of Tanks set the Guinness World Record for Most Players Online Simultaneously on One MMO Server. The event happened on Jan. 23, as 91,311 players crowded onto its Russian server. DCUO launches first major content patch The first content patch of the recently release DC Universe Online hit live servers this past week, and Massively has all of the details. Help Batman out in the batcave and chase Catwoman over the rooftops of Gotham City! Exclusive launch trailer for EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious expansion This past week, Sony Online Entertainment unleashed its seventh expansion for the company's premier title, EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious. In celebration, SOE has released a brand-new video calling all EQII players to arms. It features narration from the Erudite Al'Kabor and boasts footage shot entirely in game. Massively Speaking episode 136 Massively Speaking returns this week with Shawn and Rubi being joined by SWTOR columnist and Contributing Editor Larry Everett. Topics include the new Norn race details for Guild Wars 2, EverQuest II's newest expansion launch, DCUO's first patch, Xsyon's postponed release date 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.
EVE Evolved: Tough lessons in corp management
Back in November, we began the Massively Mob -- an EVE Online corporation designed to help our readers get into EVE despite the game's steep learning curve and harsh death penalty. The primary goal of the Mob was was to provide advice and assistance to new players as well as a financial safety net to help them overcome the game's notoriously steep learning curve. Free corp ships were available to help players try out the many things the game has to offer without that fear of losing a lot of belongings in one newbie mistake. Players flocked to the corp in droves, many just starting EVE or returning to give the game another shot. One member set up a forum, another a killboard, and a third provided a free teamspeak server. Members wrote helpful guides; the forums filled with ship fitting advice and mission fleets flew almost every night. Regular events and contests kept the corp alive with activity, and for a time everything was good. We started out with the best of intentions and set our sights on the very difficult task of being a large corporation that does a little bit of everything. It's been a bumpy road; the corp has lost its way several times and we've learned some very tough lessons. In this week's EVE Evolved, I dig up some tough personal truths and share my experiences of the difficult job of corporate management.
