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Exclusive: Zombies Monsters Robots launches T-Rekt update tomorrow [Updated]
En Masse's not-so-massive co-op online shooter Zombies Monsters Robots heard you liked dinosaurs, so it's launching a dino-themed update tomorrow. In the aptly named T-Rekt patch, "players will find themselves battling for survival against some of the most terrifying, prehistoric beasts that walked the Earth, including a T-Rex with a rocket launcher strapped to its back" because of course it's a T-Rex with a rocket launcher strapped to its back; the game is called Zombies Monsters Robots for skies' sake. The studio also promises three new co-op maps, three new competitive maps, and new gear in the patch. We've got the launch trailer as well as some fresh screenshots below. Enjoy!
The Division's director on gameplay, customization, and The Cleaners
Ubisoft has released a video filmed at last month's E3 featuring The Division game director Ryan Barnard and a bunch of slick-looking footage. Barnard touches on gameplay, character customization, Clancy-style tech, and a group of baddies known as The Cleaners who take no prisoners when it comes to dealing with The Division's infected populace. Click past the cut to have a look!
The Division dev talks districts, mobile, and more
Co-Optimus has posted an interesting video Q&A with Division IP developer Martin Hultberg of Ubisoft. Hultberg talks a bit about the game's backstory as well as how players will interact with the game world. There are certain level restrictions, for example, as well as equipment requirements for entering a given area (gas masks to deal with contagion levels, etc.). Hultberg also mentions that players who buy The Division get a tablet version as well, so if you can't make it home to your console (and eventually, your PC, right Ubi? RIGHT?), you can be a fifth wheel of sorts and "support the four other players" via your tablet. The interview clip has a lot of gameplay footage spliced throughout, so head past the cut and have a look for yourself.
Gamescom 2012: District 187, Hounds, and Monarch
During this year's Gamescom, we met with the folks of CJ Games for a coffee near Cologne's central station, away from the hectic crowds of the show floors, to talk about what the Korean giant has in store for us in the near future. Earlier this year, CJ Games opened its North American subsidiary, which is tasked with bringing some of the company's most popular games to western audiences, and we were curious as to what it's got cooking. Jon-Enée Merriex, producer at CJ Games, talked us through three of the studio's upcoming titles: District 187: Sin Streets, Monarch, and Hounds.
Gamescom 2012: Talking Firefall with David Williams
Firefall has undergone quite a few changes over time just like most betas. As the size of the testing base slowly grows to massive proportions, more and more input fuels the ideas-machine at Red 5 Studios as it improves an already-impressive game. The immense booth at this year's Gamescom was testament to the amount of ambition the developers have for this free-to-play MMOTPS, and the sheer number of convention-goers in, up, and around the booth revealed no shortage of interest in the game. We were led into a small, air-conditioned room in the undercrofts of this behemoth of a booth so that we could have an intimate chat with Firefall's Lead Class Designer, David Williams, away from the noise of the show floor crowd.
You (yes, you) can expand Firefall's gameworld
Red 5 Studios is making a little marketing push for Firefall, and the first salvo takes the form of a new dev diary video starring CEO Mark Kern. If you're not familiar with the game, this clip is a great place to start. Kern explains how Firefall is really two titles in one, with the first game being a ginormous open world featuring loads of PvE content. The second game is centered around Firefall's e-sport components, which include ranked leaderboard matches ranging from 5-on-5 to 15-on-15. Kern also mentions the game's unique take on beta and launch. In basic terms, Red 5 implements feature sets, collects beta feedback, and iterates on down the line (as opposed to presenting a finished product for mass beta testing). This staged approach will also apply to the game's launch, and Kern says the game will be rolled out "organically" much like Google's Gmail service. Finally, content expansion in Firefall will be player-driven. Cross-server cooperation will be necessary to craft MRU units that will expand the playable area from 10 square miles to an entire globe. Kern also touches on the trendy games-as-a-service mandate, and he says that as long as players are around to support Firefall, Red 5 will be around to generate new content. Watch the full video after the break.
The Firing Line: Global Agenda year two retrospective
You! Yeah, you! You still haven't played Global Agenda, have you? I know, I know, you're going to get around to it, it's on your list, blah blah and etc. While you've been dilly-dallying about, Hi-Rez Studios' sci-fi shooter has gone and turned two years old! That's OK, though, because the game has more options, more content, and more pew-pew than at any time in its history, and thanks to a gaggle of anniversary events, now is the perfect time to saddle up.
Hi-Rez handing out prizes for Global Agenda's second anniversary
Time flies when you're fragging newbs, and Global Agenda fans have been doing just that for the better part of two years now. Hi-Rez Studios' sci-fi shooter launched on February 1st, 2010, and for this week's anniversary, the firm is offering up some exclusive prizes as well as trotting out a few old flair favorites. Starting today, any Global Agenda player who wins an instanced PvE or PvP mission before February 6th will receive a mini Switchblade pet to parade around Dome City in between matches. Hi-Rez is also sponsoring a 6-on-6 PvP tourney that features a dragon helmet for all participants and an unnamed exclusive item and cash prize for the winning team. But wait, there's more! Check out Chloe's Burning Fashion for an extensive back catalog of previously retired flair pieces. There are over 100 items available for purchase using Hi-Rez's cash shop currency, including some headgear from past holiday events. Finally, check out this Friday's The Firing Line for more info on Global Agenda at the two-year mark. [Source: Hi-Rez press release]
The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition
Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line. Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.
The Firing Line: American aircraft and a real-life shooter
What's happening, shooter fans? Hopefully everyone's getting ready for a long holiday weekend filled with family, food, and gaming (of course). Several interesting online shooter nuggets came across my desk this week, including a deeper look at World of Warplanes, a Firefall beta clarification, and some sexy new DUST 514 details. Also, would you believe a real-life -- and real, live -- online FPS featuring actual locations?
The Firing Line: Getting into Global Agenda
OK, so you've heard about this whole Global Agenda thing, and you've talked yourself into giving it a shot. It's completely free-to-play from start to finish these days, and the Unreal graphics, sci-fi setting, and strange mixture of hyper-competitive PvP and ultra-accessible PvE have always held a certain appeal. You're not sure, but you think it's kind of an MMO, given that it has persistent territory control, lots of quests, and plenty of progression-based gameplay. Maybe you're a pro skillz baller, or maybe the extent of your shooter knowledge is which end of the gun gets pointed at the bad guys. Either way, you'll likely have a good time in Hi-Rez's spy-fi action title, and you'll have an even better time if you understand a few key points about the game prior to diving in.
The Firing Line: All the shooter news that's fit to print
Welcome back to The Firing Line, folks. I'm still putting out a few flames from last week's how-dare-you-call-this-an-MMO smackdown, and rather than fuel that particular fire by telling you that I've been playing a lot of World of Tanks (oh, did I say that?), I figured I'd take a high-level look at what's been happening with a few of the larger MMO shooters (and quasi-MMO shooters) over the last couple of weeks. Despite my best efforts, we're still stuck with lore updates and insignificant PR when it comes to PlanetSide 2, though we did snag a few new screenshots recently. Things have also been quiet when it comes to Global Agenda and a few of my other favorite titles. Not to worry, though. Hi-Rez is moving right along with its Tribes: Ascend beta, and you can read about that and more in my news roundup after the break.
The Firing Line: Defining the MMO shooter
Hello shooter fans, and welcome back to Massively's Firing Line. Last week's inaugural column hit the ground running with a visit to Hi-Rez Studios and a preview of the company's new Tribes: Ascend title. This week I'd like to pull back a little bit and lay the groundwork for some of the things we'll be talking about over time. When I talk about MMO shooters with friends and colleagues, one of the first things mentioned is the definition of the term. Everyone knows what a shooter is (or at least what he thinks it is), and everyone knows what an MMO is (although thanks to MOBAs and the social networking explosion, the definition of the latter grows murkier by the day). Can we all agree on the definition of an MMO shooter, though? Probably not, and to be honest, that's perfectly OK.
The Firing Line: Tribes impressions and a visit to Hi-Rez
What's up folks, and welcome to The Firing Line. We've been branching out our coverage lately, first with MMO-specific columns and then with Not So Massively and MOBAs. Now we're doing something similar with online shooters. This genre is positively huge, and while there's a lot of room for debate in terms of what constitutes an MMO shooter, there's also no denying that all of the games hovering around the periphery of that designation are a lot of fun. So what will we be talking about in The Firing Line? Well, this is the part where I rub my hands together in anticipation! Naturally we'll spend a lot of time with the genre's big guns (sorry, I had to use that at least once), so I'll be playing huge amounts of PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, Firefall, Global Agenda, and the semi-obscure free-to-play titles crowding the market -- all in an effort to bring you the very best news and views from the world of pew pew.
Firefall announces beta, details launch
Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5 Studios, dropped by the Firefall forums today to write an open letter to The Escapist regarding Firefall's beta testing and launch. In the post, Mr. Kern states that the game is currently in friends and family beta testing. But there's good news for those of you who aren't friends or family of the folks at Red 5: The expanded beta program will begin later this month after PAX Prime. As far as the game's launch is concerned, Mr. Kern goes on to explain that the team already considers the game to be launched, as Red 5 seems to feel that the traditional closed beta to open beta to launch process is outdated "in a modern, online, service oriented business, especially a free2playgame." Instead, they will be modeling the game's launch after Gmail's invite system, wherein certain players will be invited by the team, and those players will receive invitations that they can pass on to friends, thereby allowing the game to gradually grow as layers of invitations are passed around. Stick around for more, because you can bet we'll have the first news on the beta this month after PAX.
Global Agenda gifting AP to booster account holders
Hi-Rez Studios is throwing a bone to Global Agenda veterans who raised concerns about the limitations on the title's Agenda Points. Agenda Points are Global Agenda's item shop currency and were introduced with the Free Agent patch as a way for players to spend real-life money on optional character items. Agenda Points will now be distributed for free to active Booster supporters on a daily basis (to the tune of five AP per day plus an additional five for each level 50 character on an account). Theoretically players could walk away with 1,350 AP per month if they have eight max-level toons. In other Global Agenda news, Hi-Rez's month-long player appreciation promotion is in full swing, and each successive week brings a 50% AP discount on all store items for one of the game's classes. Head to the official GA website to learn more, and don't forget to download the game!
Global Agenda's new F2P model a resounding success
The business model saga of Global Agenda is an interesting one, and PC Gamer recently sat down with Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris to chat about it. In a brief interview, Harris mentions his observations on free-to-play and the future of gaming as well as Global Agenda's resounding success since going to a full-featured F2P model. "We have many, many more people creating accounts every day, many more people playing concurrently, our revenues are higher than they ever have been before which means we can develop content and put it into the game faster than ever before," he explained. It wasn't always so, as Harris also admits to a bit of F2P bias in a previous life. With Global Agenda flying high under its new model, though, it's unlikely that Hi-Rez will be looking back. "I do think [F2P is] clearly the direction of gaming," Harris says.
New Firefall dev blog introduces super-secret surprise mystery writer!
Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5 Studios, sits down with players today for a nice fireside chat in the not-quite-June Firefall developer diary. The focus of the dev diary is on the story Red 5's upcoming MMOTPS. Mr. Kern explains that the Firefall team really wants players to be invested in the game's story, and he goes on to discuss how the folks at Red 5 intend to make them give a darn. So how exactly are they going to do that? Well, as Mr. Kern points out, a large part of a good story is a good writer. And contributing to Firefall's story will be none other than the esteemed Orson Scott Card. That's right, the creator of the legendary Ender's Game series -- alongside his daughter, Emily Janice Card -- will be contributing to a free upcoming Firefall manga that will help to set up the story prior to the game. Udon Entertainment (of Street Fighter comic fame) will be providing the artwork for the manga, so it's sure to be a must-read for any Firefall fans. To see the whole dev diary, which includes some words from Mr. Card himself, head on past the cut.
Deep Black Online coming to PC this summer
It's not every day that we get to tell you about a new MMOTPS (that's third-person shooter, if you're wondering), so without further delay: Hey guys, check out this new MMOTPS! It's called Deep Black, though we're wondering why it's not called Deep Blue since much of the action apparently takes place underwater and in the air via various forms of jetpack. Don't worry, land-lubbers, there's plenty of action on terra firma as well. The title is being developed by Biart Studio, a Russian outfit headquartered in the Moscow equivalent of Silicon Valley, and the game will feature "fully customizable [character] appearance, more than 30 types of sci-fi weapons, and three game modes at launch," according to a Biart press release. The game is a F2P instanced shooter featuring eight to 24 players, and it's coming to a PC near you in the near future. You can check out our sister site's Deep Black reveal from last summer, and you'll also want to head to the game's official website to learn more.
We have an agenda: Global Agenda launch day coverage and play with Massively event
The cat's out of the bag! Or perhaps the spies are out of their hexes? Either way, Global Agenda has gone into official launch mode today! We here at Massively can't help to celebrate by looking back at our past coverage of Global Agenda, as we watched the game go from a little team-based TPS to the MMORTS that it is today. If you like commanding, or if you just like shooting people with hi-tech guns, then this might be the game for you! In any case, we promised you an event to go along with the launch! Tonight, jump in to Global Agenda at 8 PM EST to meet up with Shawn Schuster (Agent Name: Ampersand, Medic) and Seraphina Brennan (Agent Name: Seraphina, Recon!). Both editors will be commanding their own PvP strike teams and will be launching into the queues head first. By the way, don't forget your headset -- it makes team building so much easier. If you don't have one, no worries, just be ready to play. So, without any further delay, let's take a trip down memory lane and look back at the best of our Global Agenda coverage...
