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EVE Evolved: Will Star Citizen or Elite harm EVE?
Publishers haven't been willing to put a lot of money behind a sci-fi sandbox for some time, but upcoming games Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous seem set to revive the genre thanks to the power of crowdfunding. Star Citizen in particular has collected a world record $19.6 million in pledges so far from almost 258,000 individuals, eliminating the need for publishers and heavy investment entirely. Though both games are designed to be a primarily singleplayer or small-scale multiplayer adventures, their respective developers have already promised shared online universes and sandbox gameplay that could give EVE Online a run for its money. The past decade has shown EVE to be one of the most resilient MMOs on the planet. It's survived several major scandals, barely noticed the release of giant World of Warcraft, and has somehow maintained its subscription-based business model in a market rapidly being overtaken by free-to-play titles. Even at its lowest point, the game managed to survive the 2011 monoclegate scandal and the subsequent fallout that saw CCP Games lose 20% of its staff worldwide. EVE's subscriptions and concurrent user numbers have historically been unaffected by the release of new MMOs or sci-fi titles, so why should Star Citizen be any different? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has lived with very little direct competition until now and ask whether Star Citizen and Elite could be among the first games to directly draw players from EVE.
Black Prophecy says goodbye today with parties
At the end of last month, Reakktor Media announced that the free-to-play space MMO Black Prophecy would be closing down for good on September 26th. Today, the studio posted a message on its Facebook page reminding players of the goodbye parties and inviting them to join with devs during the game's final hours to send it off into the sunset. The parties will be held tonight, first on the two EU servers Shinava and Kemmura at 3:00 p.m. EDT (9:00 p.m. PM CEST), and then on the US server Altair at 9:00 p.m. EDT. The servers are scheduled to shut down permanently in the morning.
Black Prophecy schedules shutdown party
Black Prophecy is counting down the days until its execution, and chances are the governor is not going to call. With the shutdown of the space MMO scheduled for September 26th, Reakktor Media announced that it will be throwing a Shutdown Party the night before on the 25th. The studio urged players to "hang out with old friends and the Black Prophecy GMs as we see this ship off on its final voyage" during the fiesta. The party will feature PvP fights and in-game prizes, although those prizes will be short-lived. The celebration will take place next Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. EST on the EU servers and 9:00 p.m. on the NA one. The shutdown will happen at 3:00 a.m. on the following morning.
Black Prophecy closing down on September 26th
Apparently Black Prophecy was in the red, as Reakktor Media has posted a closure notice on the free-to-play sci-fi title's official website. Today marks the last day that players will able to purchase in-game currency, and Black Prophecy will close its doors for good on September 26th. If you've purchased KK$ any time in the past six months, gamigo will be sending you an email credit voucher that may be applied to other titles in its portfolio. The closure post also mentions upcoming send-off events, and we'll keep you informed on those as we learn more. [Thanks to Wesley for the tip.]
The Game Archaeologist: Neocron and Neocron 2
It's the distant future. The high-tech battle armor you wear sharply contrasts with the ruins of civilization that you traverse. You spot an enemy and raise your pulse rifle, firing off shots as you strafe to cover. Technology hasn't solved the issue of war; it's just made it that much more bloody. PlanetSide 2? Nope -- this is Neocron, the quite-forgettable MMOFPS from the way-back era. I like to call it "that game with the most regrettable cover art in the history of video games," but that isn't quite as snappy. Going into this article, I have to admit that I previously knew absolutely nothing about Neocron other than the fact that it was a sci-fi MMO that vaguely reminded me of Anarchy Online. Oh, also the fact that nobody I know or perhaps ever will know played it. Is it just a myth? A practical joke to make us believe in a MMO phantom? Only sifting through layers of dust and grime would produce results, so I rolled up my sleeves and started digging.
Black Prophecy developer Reakktor Media on its last legs
The future is looking a bit hazy for Black Prophecy developer Reakktor Media, as reports indicate that the studio "has begun the insolvency process" and is scrambling for work in order to keep itself afloat. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Reakktor Media's managing director Kirk Lenke stated that "[the studio is] in a position to accomplish basically anything [that] is played right now, even if we were focused in the recent times on multiplayer mobile gaming," which may indicate an interest in developing games outside of the MMO genre. Lenke also notes that the studio currently has a Diablo-esque sci-fi title in the early development stages. At any rate, we wish the best of luck to the folks at Reakktor Media. Even if things are looking pretty grim, here's to hoping that there's a silver lining in store for the studio.
Black Prophecy celebrates World Space Week with bonus events
Did you know that it's world space week? Yep, it is, and gamigo is leveraging the occasion to hype its free-to-play Black Prophecy MMORPG. A new company press release has the details, and they boil down to a couple of special events both in and around the space shooter. First up is an XP boost that grants players a 25% increase on both missions and enemy kills. gamigo is also offering an additional 15% extra cash on all cash shop packet purchases. Also of note is Black Prophecy's first official expansion. Episode 2: Species War is out now, and you can view an official trailer for the new content after the break. [Source: gamigo press release]
Reakktor and gamigo release Black Prophecy tutorial videos
If you're having trouble sleeping at night, Reakktor and gamigo have a series of new Black Prophecy tutorial videos that just might do the trick. OK, that's mean, but the producers could stand to work on the monotone voiceover that drones throughout the entirety of three separate clips. Happily, the clips themselves are pretty informative, and they cover interface basics, advanced UI features, and basic game functions. If you're new to MMOs or new to the world of Black Prophecy, it's probably worth spending the 10 minutes required to check them out (and of course you can do so after the break). Just make sure you've got a Red Bull instead of a glass of warm milk.
Black Prophecy escalates the species war with Episode 2
"The time of peace has ended," gamigo writes in the introduction to the second major content update for Black Prophecy. We weren't under the impression that this was a tranquil game up to this point, but we suppose it's going to get a lot less peaceful with the introduction of warzones. Episode 2: Species War takes PvP to a much more intense place, as players will be encouraged to duke it out for the control of strategic locations in space. By pulling up the warzone tab, ship captains can identify where the contested borders are and zip right over to them. Up to 200 players can engage in a single warzone, pursuing multiple objectives with the ultimate goal of capturing the command center. By participating, players will not only earn honor points, but XP and loot as well. Black Prophecy is adding rare blueprints that can be purchased with these honor points. The update addresses the game balance in several ways, such as equalizing the benefit of shields and hulls. Players will receive a free skill reset because of the changes. To celebrate Episode 2's release, gamigo is throwing two consecutive bonus PvP XP weeks, from September 21st through October 6th. %Gallery-131819%
Black Prophecy preps for Episode 2: Species War
Black Prophecy's next patch is upon us: Episode 2: Species War launched on the game's public test server this morning. This patch opens up the Warzone section of the starmap. Warzones are contested areas, and as each faction conquers a zone, bonuses are granted to members of that faction. If a faction controls adjacent warzones, then pilots are awarded experience bonuses as well. Tyi and Genide pilots, all-out PvP is heading your way. Get ready! The rules for conquering a warzone are simple. Each of these new zones consists of three outposts, a support sector, and a command center. Holding all three outposts simultaneously opens the pathway to the command center. Command centers have nine capture points with one active point at a time. If attackers control all nine points before 20 minutes, then the zone is theirs. However, if the defenders successfully prevent that from happening, they are rewarded for each capture point defended. Players of both factions gain points based on kills within the warzone sector. Check the the new official screenshots in the gallery below. %Gallery-131819%
Choose My Adventure: No more lightsabers!
As most of readers of my column realize, I love the Star Wars franchise, and I will pretty much play any game if it has that label on it. However, I am not just a Star Wars fan, I am also a big MMO fan. Well, at least I like the idea of MMOs. Ultima Online blew my mind when it came out over a decade ago. I had been glued to my TV and Nintendo until I saw that I could play a game that simulated living in the Ultima universe. Since then I have tried out nearly every major MMO to hit the web since then -- which brings us to today. Choose My Adventure is a chance for Massively readers to guide one member of the writing staff on an adventure in a game of the readers' choosing. For the next six weeks, I want you to choose my adventure for me. As I mentioned, I have tried nearly every major title in the last decade, but I haven't necessarily spent a lot of time in all of them. After the break, I will describe some of the games that I believe will be great for this task, and you can choose one for me via poll. Then, as a special bonus, on Friday at 6 p.m. EDT I will introduce you to each of the games on Massively's Livestream channel.
Black Prophecy unveils Space Superstar contest
Feeling like a Black Prophecy superstar? The recently launched free-to-play space shooter is looking for a few good designers to take advantage of the game's character creation tools. The Space Superstar competition will feature three winners, one each in the categories of coolest, funniest, and most beautiful avatar. What do you get for your trouble? Immortality (or at least, the MMORPG version of it). Each category champ will have their character entered as the new preset in Black Prophecy's character creator. The contest kicked off yesterday and it runs through Wednesday, August 3rd, so what the frak are you waiting for?
Black Prophecy launch-day interview
Reakktor Media's space-faring MMO Black Prophecy saw its North American launch today, as well as its first major content update. We've already provided you lovely readers with a launch-day roundup for your perusal. To commemorate the game going live, we have a launch-day interview with gamigo's Executive Board Member Patrick Streppel. So strap yourselves in, kick your thrusters into overdrive, and jump past the cut for the full interview.
Black Prophecy North American launch day round-up
It's launch day for Black Prophecy, and while the impending blast-off probably won't generate as much publicity as last week's final space shuttle mission, it's nonetheless a day long remembered for fans of spaceships, sci-fi, and Reakktor's free-to-play followup to Neocron. But wait a minute, didn't Black Prophecy launch last March? Why yes, yes it did... in Europe. Today marks the official North American street date, and Massively's got you covered in terms of all the Black Prophecy news that's fit to print. Join us after the cut for recaps of the European launch, the North American closed beta phase, and a bunch of other blurbs to tide you over until you're able to strap into your very own internet spaceship.
Black Prophecy releases first content update, launches tomorrow in NA
It's a big week for Black Prophecy, as Reakktor Media's starchild both lights the fires of a North American launch and kicks the tires of its first content update. While Black Prophecy has been released in Europe for some time now, tomorrow will see the official start of the North American servers. So if you've been itching for free interstellar combat in the region, then you've got less than 24 hours to go! Along with the NA launch is the release of Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima. This sizable update is adding a new mission hub, a new sector set, additional stories, ship specials, an email system, and the ability to reset player skills. You can read the full patch notes for Episode 1 over on the Black Prophecy forums, and then hit the jump to check out the exciting trailer!
Black Prophecy heads into the Inferno with Episode 1
While we're still waiting for Black Prophecy to officially launch here in North America -- where it's still in open beta -- Reakktor Media is already going full throttle with the next update for the game called Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima. In Episode 1, level 15+ players will head to Enzo's Enigmatic Emporium of Exotic Elegance (say that three times fast) to tackle a set of new missions. Black Prophecy is also adding an interesting progression obstacle in the form of bound sectors. To get to the next sector -- and next hub -- groups of players will have to duke it out with fairly tough enemies guarding the passageways. Episode 1 will also include a better message system, in-game email, new jobs, additional missions, and a change in PvP rewards. Black Prophecy's first update is slated for an early July release. To help you during this nail-biting waiting period, why not help yourself to a complimentary screenshot below? %Gallery-46991%
Black Prophecy launches North American open beta
E3 is still in full swing, but Reakktor and gamigo are already looking past the publicity-soaked annual gaming convention and into the future. That future is now for North American fans of Black Prophecy, and today marks the beginning of open beta for the title that launched in Europe last March. Black Prophecy features real-time dogfighting, customizable ships, storylines, and open-world gameplay, all set against an interstellar backdrop punctuated by constant war and lush visuals. You can register for the open beta on the game's official website, as well as download the client. Be sure to check out all our previous coverage to get up to speed.
Black Prophecy stress testing U.S. servers this weekend
Black Prophecy may have debuted in Europe a couple of months back, but the free-to-play sci-fi title is still sitting on the launch pad here in the States. The date is drawing closer, though, as gamigo is gearing up to stress test the game's American servers beginning Thursday, May 26th. The publisher is also offering an unspecified launch-day gift to players who log in and test from May 26th through May 29th. If you were part of the recent closed beta events, you're cordially invited to help break the servers this weekend, and you should be receiving an official email summons if you haven't already. You'll need your closed beta account credentials, which can be looked up under your gamigo master account if you've forgotten. You'll also want to grab the American beta client and have a look at what's changed via the official forums.
The Perfect Ten: Sequelitis
As a long-time movie buff, I've always been fascinated by sequels. I know, they have a terrible reputation and everyone gets this face like he's digesting a porcupine when discussing them, but there's something fun about them as well. I think we always want a good story to continue, to see what happens next, and to answer the question, "What would the first film be like if it were put in the hands of a complete boob?" It would be an entertaining trainwreck, that's what. Even though the MMORPG genre is in its toddler stage, it's seen a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, just the same as other types of entertainment. Video game sequels for hit titles are safer financial investments than striking out into new territory, so it makes sense that MMO studios would follow this pattern as well. Right now there are loads of MMO sequels and spin-offs in the works -- including EverQuest Next, PlanetSide Next, Guild Wars 2, Mabinogi 2, MapleStory 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, Dust 514, and even a possible Ultima Online sequel -- so it's safe to say that the trend won't be dying down anytime soon. However, today I want to look at 10 sequels that already made it to release and briefly examine how they stacked up to their predecessors. Oh yes, there will be blood after the jump -- and I will drink your milkshake!
Black Prophecy patch brings new missions, fixes
Black Prophecy's first monthly patch is here, and today's update brings a bit of new content to the free-to-play sci-fi title -- as well as a number of smaller improvements. The content additions take the form of 10 new missions now available in the game's open sectors, and there are a variety of mission levels ranging from four to 35 according to the patch notes. Aside from that, Reakktor has made a number of performance tweaks, HUD and graphical fixes, and adjustments to everything from damage distribution across ship components to repair kit durability. You can learn more, as well as download the game, at the official website.
