Might-and-Magic
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Might & Magic Heroes 6 announced, slated for 2011
Ubisoft has announced that the sixth installment of the Heroes of Might & Magic franchise -- somewhat awkwardly titled Might & Magic Heroes 6 -- will be headed to PC next year. The game is being developed by Black Hole Entertainment, most recently known for Warhammer: Mark of Chaos and its expansion Battle March, and will feature turn-based gameplay mixed with RPG elements. It takes place 400 years before the events of Heroes of Might & Magic 5 (released in 2006) and revolves around "a family of heroes in a thrilling, epic story where Angels plot to revive an unfinished war." Check out fresh screens below and the first trailer after the break. %Gallery-99658%
First Impressions: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms
Browser-based games have come a long way. A few years ago, I would have never predicted that they would be as popular and varied as they are now. I wouldn't have believed that the quality would rise, while still being contained in the 2-D walls of your favorite browser. But, here we are, discussing Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms, another browser-based game that has raised that level of quality once again. It's a subtle difference, but the improvements should still be noted and enjoyed. First of all, I want to say that I am generally horrible at any type of PvP. I rarely think of conquest and would rather trade with my fellow players than attempt to murder them. Call me old-fashioned! So, when I signed up for a game that promised that type of epic conquest (and diplomacy as well, lest we forget) I was a little more than worried that the following First Impressions would consist only of the words "I SUCK." What I found, after giving in and joining the very first alliance that offered membership, was a game that is heavy on the chin-scratching and light on difficulty. And it's fun, too.
Play me, my lord: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms fires up an interview
The Heroes of Might and Magic franchise has a long and rich history with PC gamers, although the series has somewhat fallen into obscurity as of late. Ubisoft is looking to thrust it back into the spotlight with the upcoming Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms, a Civilization-type title. We've been tracking MMHK since this year's E3, and recently MMOsite.com grabbed some facetime with Ubisoft's Chris Early about the game. (Note that this isn't the Heroes of Might and Magic Online that's also nearing release.) A browser-based title imported from overseas, Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms encourages players to slowly build up a city (and later, cities) and interact with their neighbors. This can take the form of peaceful resource trading, hostile skirmishes, or large-scale strategy. While MMHK is set in the Might and Magic universe, the game differs from Heroes of Might and Magic's playstyle -- for example, combat is automatically resolved instead of turn-based. One of the most interesting features of the game is that it has a six-month cycle, after which winners are declared and the server resets for another grand struggle. The interview spends a bit of time prodding Chris Early about the advantages -- and potential imbalance -- between free players and those who drop cash for advantages (such as more cities to control). Early claims that while paying players will have more options available, free players are still a significant force, especially if they specialize. You can read the whole interview over at MMOsite.com.
Preview: Clash of Heroes HD (multiplayer)
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes on PSN and XBLA is pretty much what it sounds like: last year's DS game in high definition on consoles. For me, that alone is enough to ensure a purchase, because I'd make a hobby out of purchasing that delightful game if I could. Similarly, the new online (or offline) multiplayer component in Capy's remake of the DS puzzle RPG is, precisely, the Clash of Heroes gameplay, adapted for more players. Which is enough. %Gallery-96062%
E3 2010: Your complete Massively coverage roundup
The 2010 edition of the gaming nirvana known as E3 has come and gone, and Massively was there to bring you three days of exclusives, firsts, and hands-on impressions for all your favorite MMORPG titles, studios, and developers. This year's Expo saw plenty of news and announcements regarding highly anticipated games, as well as plenty of information on assorted titles large and small. We thought it best to collate our coverage into a complete and concise roundup post for your viewing pleasure, so read along after the cut to make sure you didn't miss anything. You can also check out all of our E3 galleries along the way.
E3 2010: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom preview
On Tuesday, we caught up with Chris Early, Ubisoft's Vice President of Digital Publishing, to chat about Heroes of Might and Magic's future with a new browser-based MMO. I must admit, I'm personally a bit skeptical about whether browser-based games can supplant full-fledged applications, but after talking with Chris, I'm sold on the concept -- at least insofar as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom is concerned. First up, the basics. Just what is MMHK? Ubisoft calls MMHK a "strategic casual MMO." It's turn-based with more of real-time strategy vibe than we've seen in other MMOs and it's designed with people who may only have a few minutes a day to play in mind. Think of something along the lines of multiplayer Civilization with thousands of other people and you'd be near the mark. Now, whether "casual" turns into hours of "just one more turn" is another matter entirely. Gameplay and lore from the Might and Magic franchise we all know and love -- the goal with MMHK is just to throw more players into the mix. Want PvP? You can do that. Want PvE? You can do that. Want to advance as a merchant-type character purely for the pursuit of wealth without killing your fellow players? You can do that, too. Browser-based, which means you can play it on your PC, your Mac, or even your shiny new iPad -- wherever you've got an internet connection.This means there's no software to download or install. Free to play with an optional subscription fee. (Though Ubisoft hasn't announced pricing for the game's North American release, it's currently live in France, where a monthly subscription runs five euros.) If that sounds like something that might be up your alley, read on for more details. %Gallery-95376%
Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms crowns you king of the iPad
When you buy a fancy new gizmo like an iPad, you're probably looking for something to validate that expensive purchase -- we wouldn't know, we're not rich. Based on the trailer above, it seems that Ubisoft's Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms could fill that need. It's a free-to-play, massively multiplayer web-based game focusing on resource management and diplomacy in a persistent virtual world, called Ashan. You can form alliances with other players and wage war as you vie for supremacy. Sadly, the game's only available in the United Kingdom, Germany and France right now. If you live in one of those qualifying regions, you can download it now, free of charge. We've contacted Ubisoft to see if and when it'll be available in the US. We'll let you know what we hear back.
Heroes of Might and Magic Online beta announced
The Might and Magic franchise is coming to the MMORPG genre, courtesy of publishing giant Ubisoft and the Chinese development studio known as TQ Digital. The original Might and Magic series, considered by many to be a classic example of the early PC roleplaying game genre, was rebooted by Ubisoft in 2006 with Heroes of Might and Magic V, and later with Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. The new MMORPG, Heroes of Might and Magic Online, is slated for closed beta in May 2010. The game will marry elements from an early entry in the franchise, Heroes of Might and Magic III, to the visual upgrades established in the last two Ubisoft games, culminating in a 2.5D massively multiplayer experience featuring a turn-based persistent world. (Perhaps similar to the 3D but turn-based Atlantica Online.) The game will feature eight factions, sixteen classes, and a variety of campaign missions. Additionally, TQ Digital will be hosting a variety of PvP events, including Team PK, Extreme PK, and various Guild combat events. You can register for the closed beta as well as visit the official website, and don't forget to stay with Massively for more info on Heroes of Might and Magic Online as it becomes available.
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes trailer offers taste of high-def wizardry
Following up yesterday's announcement that Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes is getting an HD facelift and coming to Xbox Live and PSN, Ubisoft has revealed the first teaser trailer for the game. Amidst all of the quoted accolades and plumes of smoke are some actual tidbits of gameplay. In short: this looks purty. %Gallery-88014%
A mighty good deal on Might and Magic games
Do you like vintage first-person RPGs? Do you have a decent supply of graph paper at hand? If so, Good Old Games has an offer on Might and Magic classics that could provide you with thousands of hours of gameplay for a pittance.The site has has added the Might and Magic 6-Pack to its shop, which is essentially the same as the Might and Magic VI Limited Edition. It packages the first six Might and Magic games bundled together, with (digital) bonus materials like soundtracks and maps. The whole package sells for just 10 bucks! Considering that we'd get lost about fifteen minutes into the first one and never finish it, the set offers infinite gameplay.[Via Big Download]
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes trailer may look familiar
We will refrain from the bullish assumption that everyone (and their mother) owns an iPhone, but if you do and have played Critter Crunch, Ubisoft's upcoming Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes may look a tad familiar. That's because Critter Crunch and Clash of Heroes are developed by the same team -- Toronto's Capybara Games -- and both feature a similar look and puzzle style.Something that won't be familiar when watching the trailer for Clash of Heroes is excitement for a Might & Magic title. While Ubisoft has attempted to revamp the license in various ways over the years, Capybara's simple puzzle adventure feels like a step in the right direction for the franchise. Also, it doesn't help that every character in Clash of Heroes is adorable -- another trademark of Capybara Games, it would seem.
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes coming to DS August 2009
Oh Might and Magic brand, how we've missed you! We really hoped that this wouldn't be the swan song for your venerable RPG series and Ubisoft didn't disappoint. The company has just announced Might and Magic Clash of Heroes, coming to DS this August.Now, we'll admit that we weren't necessarily hoping for a puzzle RPG developed by Capybara Games (you know, of Critter Crunch fame?). But at least there's two-player peer-versus-peer mode, so that's something, right?%Gallery-63309%
Over $100 million invested in Trion and its unusual distribution platform
Trion announced that it has managed to get another $70 million in invested funds, bringing the total amount to over $100 million. For reference: that's somewhere in the ballpark of the development cost Grand Theft Auto IV, and about half of what Blizzard has spent on World of Warcraft since its 2004 launch.Trion is the company co-founded by EA alum Lars Buttler and Might and Magic creator Jon Van Caneghem, which announced that it'll be making a game in concert with The Sci-Fi Channel, as well as a fantasy console MMO we know little about.We've talked a bit about Trion's plans and business model before, but here's a refresher: it is creating development tools for making games that will run completely server-side. The graphics will be drawn on the client, but everything else -- physics, game logic, etc., will occur on the server and be downloaded to the user's computer. This serves two important functions. It greatly reduces the minimum hardware specifications for games and it makes piracy extremely difficult. We're not going to say yet that it makes piracy impossible, because, well, "life finds a way."
Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO
Trion World Network is quite a company -- without releasing a single game, they've put together millions of dollars in venture capital and compiled a staff list that's got team members from across the history of MMO games, from EverQuest and Ultima Online to World of Warcraft and City of Heroes.This week, they sent waves through the MMO community by announcing that not only were they working on a fantasy MMO to be helmed by Jon Van Caneghem (original creator of the Might and Magic series of RPG strategy games and co-founder of the company along with Lars Buttler), but that they were forming a groundbreaking partnership with the SCI FI Channel to develop and publish and MMO to live alongside a television show. Finally, we had a small glimpse of just what Trion, with all of their money and experience, were up to.To find out more, Massively sat down with Van Caneghem (a busy man since the news dropped on Monday) to chat about both the fantasy MMO and the SCI FI project, and what Trion's been working on since they formed. Van Caneghem told us why Trion wants to make a different kind of MMO, and how they'll balance an online game with a television series from the network that's running Battlestar Galactica. The interview starts right after you click the link below.
Trion announces another project, coming to consoles
Despite predictions that this generation of consoles would herald in the first wave of successful console MMOs, we've really yet to see anything more than scattered chatter and a few announcements here and there. That's why we were excited to hear that Trion World Network, who we found out earlier today are also working on a project with the Sci Fi Channel, announced plans to bring a new fantasy MMO project to the Xbox 360 and PS3, in addition to a release on the PC.Jon Van Caneghem, creator of the Might & Magic series, will be the creative force behind the game, which we still know precious little about at this point. The comments from Caneghem indicated that the as-yet-unnamed game will have a dynamic world that would change based on the actions of players. No word yet on the scale of the project, whether there will be cross-platform play, or whether there is some sort of development timetable. Very interesting news from a developer/publisher that is quickly finding a place on our MMO radar. And hey, they're hiring!
Dark Messiah content hits Live days before release [Update]
Update: Our original tipster is at it again letting us know that since the release of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements the content that was originally offered for download has now vanished from the Xbox Live Marketplace. We wonder if there was an issue with the content, it dropped too soon or the pricing was wrong. Only time will tell.The upcoming Source engine first-person roleplaying game, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, is hitting retail shelves on February 12. However, one of our eagle-eyed readers noticed downloadable content was already made available over Xbox Live Marketplace. At a cost of 400MS space-bucks you can add new maps, classes and weapons. While we're all about being proactive here at X3F, we wonder why this content isn't on the disc. We don't imagine the 151MB download would have filled a standard DVD to bursting and considering Dark Messiah was originally released on the PC in 2006, you'd imagine Ubisoft would find the time to toss it on the retail disc.[Thanks, ccc]
Might and Magic goes MMO
GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that the Heroes of Might and Magic series is going to be re-imagined as a browser-based Massively Multiplayer Online game. Due out in the Spring of next year from Ubisoft, Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will allow players to lead huge armies against each other, while also developing heroic characters. This is essentially the gameplay seen in the traditional PC games, though assumably it will be set in a persistent environment.The game will be browser-based, meaning no download or installation will be required, and play sessions can last anything between a few minutes to several hours, depending on the player's own preference. The publisher's chief creative officer, Serge Hascoet, commented: "Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will open a wide door to the Might and Magic universe, allowing players to immerse themselves within it unlike ever before."There's no word on what kind of fee, if any, will be leveled for the game service.
LotRO quest inspired by Apple II text adventures
It seems that most gamers these days haven't played any of the old Apple II computer games, much less the particularly ancient text-based adventure ones. Most people now see them as arcane and even intimidating. Those black & white fossils bear no relation to something as modern as say, The Lord of the Rings Online, right?Wrong! Gaming's old-timers will be tickled to hear that a quest in Tal Bruinen was inspired by a gameplay mechanic from an Apple II text adventure game. A Turbine employee revealed this behind-the-scenes tidbit in a thread about the quest on the official LotRO forums.The Apple II was the first widely successful personal computer. It had a large library of games, many of which are cornerstones of computer gaming history. You can play a lot of those games in your web browser at virtualapple.org, one of the best online emulators. It has many of the all-time classic RPGs like Ultima, Might and Magic, and Wizardry as well.
Dark Messiah rises on Marketplace
A new Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements video is risen on Xbox Live Marketplace. The video is short and to the point, making sure to emphasize the violent first person combat of the title. There's plenty of slicing, dicing, whacking, and thwacking to be had, and just so you remember that there is both might and magic, a few spells are thrown in for good measure. We imagine most players will get a kick out of telekinetically launching opponents off cliffs. One new tidbit revealed in the trailer: the 360 version of Dark Messiah will have a new multiplayer mode designed by the Splinter Cell team (how will that work? Spies versus orcs?). Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements ships September 7.
Ubisoft dates its winter titles
It's been said by many people for months now: 2007 looks to be a big year for gamers. It seems like every company is pulling out all the stops and quality games are getting ready to rain from the heavens. Some say that 2007 may be the best year EVAR. True or not, Ubisoft is playing a large role in the 360's holiday season. As proof of that, Eurogamer has unveiled Ubisoft's official release list for this holiday season, including planned release dates for major titles like Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell Conviction. Check out the list after the break.
