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Brad McQuaid's Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen launches Kickstarter campaign
Ready, set, go: One of the industry's most notorious developers has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $800,000 or more for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. Visionary Realms head Brad McQuaid's super-secret project is labeled as "a group-focused MMORPG based on challenging gameplay and open world high fantasy." Pantheon takes place in a world where both gods and heroes roam and where players will be on a quest to reclaim their lost glory and power. According to the feature list, Pantheon will have a heavy social focus, an open and non-linear world, the ability to customize your class by "bonding with the spirits of fallen warriors," action combat, an emphasis on travel instead of instant ports, exploration as part of character development, and "designed downtime" as part of the game experience. While McQuaid is asking for $800,000 to add more employees and fund development of the game, his stretch goals continue to the $6.7 million mark. Will you help pony up the $3.2 million needed for a Bard class?
War of Omens CCG strives to cross Kickstarter finish line
War of Omens, a deck-building CCG by Fifth Column Games, is making an attempt to meet its Kickstarter funding goal by January 13th. The game is set in a dark fantasy world and has three factions to which you can pledge loyalty and undying devotion. The devs describe War of Omens a hybrid between deck-building games like Dominion and traditional collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering. Players will purchase cards during play that will then be shuffled into their inventory for future rotation. There are also resources to collect and use during the course of a match. Fifth Column is asking for $30,000 in funding to finish the title. As added incentive to donate, all those who chip in $10 or more will be given an early access beta key. You can get a look at how a battle works after the break. [Thanks to Mike for the tip!]
New F2P sandbox Fantasy Realm Online invites everyone in to play
Fans hunkering for a free-to-play sandbox game that's reminiscent of Ultima Online have a new place to hang their hats and crafting tools: Fantasy Realm Online. The new game just opened its doors to the public, and players can adventure through the world and collect treasures while dispatching mighty foes or explore as a merchant and apprentice under a shopkeeper, harvest, and craft. Fantasy Realm Online is a blend of single-player RPGs and MMO and is designed to be played either solo or with others. Want to get a glimpse of the action? Check out the trailer below. Then if the game is your cup of tea, head on over to the official site to download and jump in. [Source: Fantasy Realm Online press release]
Disney announces Star Wars: Attack Squadrons
There's a new online multiplayer Star Wars game coming to a computer near, near to you. Today, Disney Interactive announced that it's been working on Star Wars: Attack Squadrons, a space combat title for 2014. Star Wars: Attack Squadrons will put pilots into the cockpits of classic attack craft like the X-Wing and TIE Interceptor, fighting against each other in 16-player environments. Disney promised plenty of ships and iconic locations for the game. You can sign up for the beta that will start next year as well as check out screenshots and the announcement trailer below.
Fight for evil in Inferno Legend's open beta today
If the idea of jumping in and playing through a game as a traditional villain in Inferno Legend piques your interest, you'll be happy to know that the multi-platform game opens up its beta doors today to let everyone in. Built on the Unity 3-D engine, this game allows players to select from five races of devils and fight against the so-called "just" authority on PC, Android, and iOS. Other features include hundreds of pets (each with different skills and attributes), a player arena, random battles, an exploration system (that unlocks at level 30), and a "Miracle" system. If you need another incentive to check out Inferno Legend, Gamebox is giving players free gift codes for rewards such as rare skills, gold, and gems. Get a taste of the action in the open beta launch trailer below. [Source: Changyou press release]
Monster Madness Online announced, starts open alpha testing
It's not every day that you get to hear about a brand-new MMO and get to try it out at the same time, but here you go: Nom Nom Games and Trendy Entertainment (Dungeon Defenders) announced the birth of Monster Madness Online and encouraged folks to jump into its open alpha test program. Monster Madness Online is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that pits players against a Martian invasion of a suburban town. All of the adults have been abducted, leaving teenagers to be the sole defenders of our home soil. Players will go on co-op missions to fight the monsters with an optional roguelike mode for those who prefer the hardcore life or jump into 16-player PvP battlegrounds. The game also features the option for players to set up their own servers, create their own mods, and whip up their own levels. It offers crossplatform play between PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Browser, and Windows Phone 8. Players can register for the upcoming beta on the site as well. [Thanks to Mehighlow for the tip!]
Inferno Legend begins closed beta on December 10th
Chinese developer Gamebox announced that its upcoming "reverse Diablo" MMO Inferno Legend will be going into closed beta testing on December 10th. The company said that it was inspired by the movie Avatar in the creation of Inferno Legend's air island world. Players will explore these islands brick by hexagonal brick, finding out what's on each when they step on them. The unpredictability that each brick brings, from a battle event to a treasure boon, is what Gearbox hopes will intrigue players. Inferno Legend has five classes: Vampire, Cyclops, Ghost Knight, Fairy, and Mummy. Battles take their visual cues from the comic books, and there's a demon summoning system that gives alternate skills and buffs for players foolish enough to toy with the underworld. You can check out the preview video of Inferno Legend after the break. [Source: Gamebox press release]
Warhammer 40,000 MOBA coming early next year
Still waiting for Warhammer 40,000 to break into the MMO space? Well, how about a MOBA instead? European developer Eutechnyx is hard at work on Storm of Vengeance for an early 2014 release. Storm of Vengeance pits the Dark Angel Space Marines against Orks in classic lane strategy. It looks to be based on the Games Workshop campaign of the same name. The MOBA will be coming to both PC and mobile platforms. Eutechnyx is a UK developer with a history of mostly creating racing games such as Auto Club Revolution and NASCAR The Game 2011.
'Classic MMORPG' Arcane Hearts launches
Looking for a brand-new MMO to play today? G4Box probably wouldn't mind if you checked out Arcane Hearts, which transitioned from open beta to launch on this momentous date. Arcane Hearts is a self-described "classic MMORPG" that mixes medieval settings and mythological motifs. The free-to-play title works in a browser and challenges players to explore the world from an isometric perspective with three classes: Warrior, Mage, and Shaman. Among the standard features are guild battles to establish dominance, an auto-hunting function that allows you to "level efficiently" without the grind, and party teleport so that members can meet up with each other easily. G4Box is celebrating the launch with in-game events and giveaways. [Source: G4Box press release]
Trion officially reveals Trove: Endless adventures through endless worlds
Even with its recent "regroup and reorganize" strategy, there's no doubt that Trion Worlds is an ambitious company that enjoys having its fingers in many pies. But what about that yummy voxel Minecraft pie? So tempting... so trendy... so full of antioxidants. Well, Trion's baking one of those up too, and it's called Trove. So what is Trove, exactly? It's something radically different for Trion, though it's plainly drawing upon lessons learned from the studio's other titles. Trove is a multiplayer universe of worlds where creation, destruction, and adventure go hand-in-hand. It's a sandbox, an RPG, a toolset, a public space, a private space, a free-to-play experience, and according to CEO Scott Hartsman, a passion. We spoke with Hartsman to get a handle on what Trove will bring to MMOs and how it's looking to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. So take one last look at the cute bug above and prepare yourself for an endless adventure through endless worlds.
Trion starts the Trove teasing
Trion Worlds made news earlier this week by registering several domains with the word "Trove" in them. While the studio made no announcement regarding new games in development, most speculation centered firmly on Trove being Trion's next big project. Today we've received another little tidbit on the topic via Trion's official and brand-new Trove Twitter account. Posting under the name TroveGame, Trion asked simply, "Where will you go?" It's not much in terms of information, but the Twitter username at least confirms that Trove is a game. The profile information says only, "Something new from Trion Worlds." Stay tuned.
Spacetime debuts Battle Command strategy MMO
Spacetime has a new MMO out that isn't saddled with the "Legends" moniker. The studio, which is now called Spacetime Games, announced the release of Battle Command for Android devices. Unlike Spacetime's previous games, Battle Command skews away from an RPG and toward a city-building RTS. Players will develop a futuristic base, pump out an army, and fight both the computer and other players in offensive and defensive campaigns. Alliances can be forged as well, linking players together in economic and militaristic support. The free-to-play title is currently available on Google Play.
Trion Worlds registers Trove domains
Trion Worlds looks to be up to something new, as the studio has snapped up several domain registrations with the word "Trove" in them. TroveGame.com and PlayTrove.com are but two of the many domains secured by CEO Scott Hartsman as of late. There are also several regional domains in the list, including those for Germany, Canada, and the UK. As of the writing of this post, none of the domains link to a working website. Could this be a new title from Trion or an expansion to one of its other games? Whatever the case may be, we'll be keeping a close eye on this situation. [Thanks to WNxArcticwolf for the tip!]
More on Albion Online's unique equipment customization system
Previously we learned that character customization in Albion Online would include a unique system for customizing gear where players can add any crafted spell to any piece of equipment. Players can eschew cookie-cutter character molds and choose any combination they want, but they can also play up the inherent characteristics of a particular weapon or armor piece. Armor-wise, cloth pieces will have natural enhancements for mana regeneration, stealth, energy shields, or cleanse; plate piece enhancements, on the other hand, are about protection, instant self-heals, and survival mechanics. Weapons also have their own inherent characteristics: Broadswords have defensive characteristics, axes have offensive damage, and one-handed hammers have healing. To learn more about Albion Online, check out Massively's exclusive interview. Interested players can sign up for beta on the official site. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
Albion Online trailer dives into cross-platform design
Sandbox Interactive today released a new trailer for Albion Online, a game the studio refers to as the "first true cross-platform sandbox MMO." In the trailer, employees of Sandbox offer details regarding the development of the game and the challenges of cross-platform design. Information revealed in the trailer includes the reason the team got rid of player leveling, notes on how the economy will function, an explanation of Sandbox Interactive's focus on social interaction as a gameplay requirement, and a brief glimpse of PvP. There's also plenty of gameplay footage on display in between snippets of various dev interviews. Check out the full video after the jump. Albion Online is due for release in 2014 and will feature territory control, corpse-looting, and other "hardcore" conceits along with crafting and class customization. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
See the dark side of survival in Nether's live-action trailer
Last month, we gave you a deeper look into the post-apocalyptic survival game Nether being developed by Phosphor Games. Today, the studio announced that pre-orders for the game will grant early access and allow players to try their hand at survival against the mutated monstrosities starting (fittingly) on October 31st, 2013. Additionally, pre-orders will net 72-hour game keys to share with friends, as well as other in-game perks. Creative Director Chip Sineni stated, "As an online multiplayer game, we feel strongly that the focus is on community collaboration so we want to reward the early players with solid pre-order incentives and really make them a part of the future of the rich, urban environment that is Nether." Along with the announcement, the studio released a new live-action trailer. If you want to get a feel for the game, check out the video after the cut. Then if you like what you see, join the community and help direct the development path of future content in Nether. [Source: Phosphor Games press release]
Massively Exclusive: Albion Online dev blog explains diversity with spells and crafted items
Previously, we learned about Albion Online's territory control, housing, the economy, and more in our exclusive interview with CEO Stefan Wiezorek. Thanks to this exclusive dev blog, today we get a look at the relationship between crafting and spells and how that translates into deeper character customization. In short, Albion players will craft spells that can be put on crafted gear, which in turn gives them access to that spell whenever they equip that item. This system offers an endless possibility of combinations as players equip various items, each with their own set of spells added on. For a detailed run-down of this system, check out the full dev blog after the break.
Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online
After a long drought in the industry, the tide of the sandbox gaming is finally coming in. This year can definitely be called the year of the sandbox. While not all of them are out yet, many more games promising those features we love are in development now than ever before. In fact, there are so many titles floating about now that it can be hard to keep them straight! One of the latest upcoming titles to be announced is the stylized, medieval sandbox Albion Online. With such offerings as territory control, housing, a player-driven economy, and full looting, this game certainly fits the sandbox bill. Heck, the development company is even named Sandbox Interactive! But what makes Albion Online stand out from the pack is that it will be a cross-platform experience; players will be accessing the game via both tablets and PCs. Of course, as promising as it may sound, just a terse feature list doesn't give players the kind of details we want. So to get the scoop, I had a chat with Sandbox Interactive CEO Stefan Wiezorek, who shared more information about the economy, housing,the skill system, PvP, and territory control.
Ragnarok browser game renamed for English market debut
A Ragnarok here, a Ragnarok there -- there are Ragnaroks everywhere! Last July we learned that Ragnarok Online was reinventing itself for browsers as Ragnarok Online: Prequel (which, by the way, is not any relation to Ragnarok 2). At that point, the browser version of the game, developed by Dream², was only available in China. Now, however, the company is bringing Prequel to the west and giving it a shiny new moniker to set it apart from the rest of the franchise. Ragnarok Zero, as the English version will be known, currently has its own website and forums up and running for fans to keep tabs on the game. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Mobile MOBA Fates Forever offers official trailer
Back in June we learned about a new MOBA that was being developed for tablets... and only tablets. Called Fates Forever, this self-proclaimed re-imagining of League of Legends utilizes gestures on the touchscreen for movement and activating attacks in three vs. three real-time combat. Curious how this plays out? Hammer & Chisel has released an official gameplay trailer that showcases some actual in-game footage as well. You can get a glimpse of a few of the heroes as well as see some combat in the video after the break.
