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Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th
It's been going only for three years, but the action MMO Rusty Hearts is being brought to an early end. Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will be ending the game's run on September 15th. If you're not playing and were hoping to check Rusty Hearts out before it ends, you're already out of luck. PWE said that the game is no longer downloadable and won't will be accepting new ZEN deposits. It will remain playable until the 15th for current players, however, and PWE is refunding the past six months' worth of ZEN to use in the company's other titles. "We would like to thank all the fans who helped bring life to all the characters in Rusty Hearts. Your loyalty, dedication, and countless hours crawling through dungeons is what made it all possible. Rusty Hearts was a unique experience and will be cherished forever," the studio wrote.
Wizardry Online is now... Wizardry Offline
The MMO world mourned Vanguard's sunset yesterday, but as The Ancient Gaming Noob reminded us, Vanguard wasn't the only MMO SOE shuttered in July. Wizardry Online also closed its doors permanently last night, bringing to a end one of the stranger games SOE has published in its long career. Over on the official forums, where players have been posting their goodbyes, a player named Dremlock published a video of the game's last moments. We've included it below (start at about 1:29:00 to see the final curtain call).
Ultima Forever will sunset August 29th
Ultima Forever is unfortunately not so forever after all: EA/Mythic has just announced that its Ultima-flavored mobile MMO will be shutting down on August 29th. Forever. Strangers, Seekers and Avatars all, While the past year has certainly been quite the adventure – in Britannia and beyond! – that adventure is now drawing to a close, as the time has come for us to say goodbye. As of Aug 29th 2014 (11:00 AM EDT), Ultima Forever will be shutting down its online services, and will no longer be available to play. This was a very difficult decision for us to make. We've seen the game through ups and downs, and hope that you've enjoyed playing it every bit as much as we had making it! Through it all, it's been players like you who've made it all worthwhile. The team says that during this final month of operation, it will boost rewards and drops, halt equipment decay, and cease selling premium currency.
The Daily Grind: I'll miss you, Vanguard
Hey Vanguard. I wish you could stay longer. Yeah, you've been hanging around my hard drive since 2007, but that first year was a mess. You launched right next to The Burning Crusade, which would have been the kiss of death even if you hadn't debuted with a bunch of bugs. SOE eventually fixed you up, and the result was a niche and highly enjoyable MMO world of the kind that no one wants to make any more. You were vast, you were an explorer's dream and, stutter-step chunk lines notwithstanding, you were seamless. You had more races and classes than I can remember, though I will remember the Dread Knight and the Disciple quite fondly. I wish more people had given you a whirl. I wish more devs would copy your crafting. I wish all MMO quests were as fun as that lengthy, lovely unicorn mount chase. I'll probably get in trouble for saying so, but I wish your labyrinthine code could've led to an emulator. Most of all, though, I wish you weren't leaving. You were the first themepark I actually enjoyed, and that's no small feat. You will be missed. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Do you prize MMO stability?
Will your MMO be there tomorrow? How about next year? How about in five years? As often as we consult the Massively office oracle about such matters, the answer is always, "Outlook hazy, ask later." Predicting whether or not a game is going to be around for a while yet to come isn't as easy to do, especially considering that we've witnessed a few surprise shutdowns over the past couple of years. But I've seen many gamers accept or reject the notion of playing an MMO based on how long those gamers perceives it lasting. In other words, they're trying to play the odds if they're going to sink time into a game. I can sympathize and certainly relate. Do you do this? Is it a dealbreaker if you think an MMO is likely to go under within a few years? Is it an added incentive if a game's been around a while and probably will be around for a while yet? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Something new under the Sunset at Tale of Tales
The past releases of developer Tales of Tales have often defied recognizable genres, and even avoided conventional principles of what a game is defined to be. Experiences like The Endless Forest, Fatale, and The Path have brushed up against familiar gaming mechanics but never really fully embraced them. In the process, they've been met with critical praise, but more than a little bewilderment from players. Now the team behind the studio, developers Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn, are trying something different. "With Sunset we want to explore the possibility of creating an entertaining interactive experience that is not a game (in the very narrow sense of the word). We have tried to do this before but I feel we always failed and we made art instead," Harvey and Samyn tell Joystiq. "But with Sunset we're a lot more purposeful about it. We really want this to work. We believe it is possible to create entertainment in video games that is as accessible as film, books and music. We feel that the traditional competition-based designs of most games are holding this medium back. But because of the relatively esoteric nature of our previous work, I feel we have failed at making a strong case for this. With Sunset we will! Or die trying." Last week, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, Sunset will have an opportunity to leave its mark on gamers when it launches in 2015.
The sun sets on Tale of Tales' funding for next game
Sunset has been funded on Kickstarter with $67,636 raised of a requested $25,000, allowing developer Tale of Tales to conquer a stretch goal aimed at creating a richer, bigger game through the addition of an animator, programmer and concept artist. Sunset is a narrative-driven exploration game about Angela Burnes, an American tourist trapped in the fictional South American city of Anchuria after a military coup in 1972 prevents her from returning home. Angela becomes a housekeeper, and once a week, an hour before sunset, she cleans the high-rise apartment of Dr. Gabriel Ortega. As Angela cleans, she uncovers secrets about Gabriel's life and his involvement in the revolution against the new dictator, Generalísimo Ricardo Miraflores. Sunset includes music by Austin Wintory – as heard in the new story trailer (below), it's a mellow, Latin guitar kind of vibe. Sunset is due out in 2015 for PC, Mac and Linux on Steam.
Age of Empires Online shuts down tomorrow
After tomorrow, Age of Empires Online will be no more. The online adaptation of the popular Microsoft RTS franchise will be shut down along with the PC Marketplace as of 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 1st. "On July 01, 2014, Age of Empires Online will shut down permanently. We thank the loyal fans for their support and commitment and look forward to many more battles before Age of Empires Online is retired," the studio posted on Facebook last year. This will come as a shock to no one, as Age of Empires' population decline was well-known and acknowledged by the dev team itself. The studio hasn't been developing new content for the game since January 2013.
Secrets in a South American rebellion in Tale of Tales' Sunset
Tale of Tales tells high-brow, intellectual and emotional stories with its games, including The Path and The Graveyard, and its latest project is Sunset, a first-person thriller set in the loft of a fictional South American city. It's 1972, and there's a revolution in the city – you play as a housekeeper, and each week you head to Gabriel Ortega's penthouse an hour before sunset to clean and, of course, rifle through his things. You discover he's involved with the rebellion against the dictator Generalísimo Ricardo Miraflores, and you'll be able to influence your place in the revolution. "These decisions will not radically alter the story itself, but they will affect your role in the events, your responsibility and the emotional impact of the experience." Tale of Tales founders Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn compare Sunset to other first-person exploration games Gone Home and Dear Esther, as well as military action games. Development includes music from Journey composer Austin Wintory and a crack team of architects, actors, sound designers and consultants. Sunset is due out in March 2015 for PC, Mac and Linux. To expedite this goal, Tale of Tales is asking for $25,000 on Kickstarter by July 17. In its first day, it's raised more than $10,000. [Image: Tale of Tales]
The Daily Grind: What was your favorite Mythic memory?
It's been a little over a week since Mythic Entertainment went out with a whimper, and as a former Warhammer Online fan, I'm still feeling a little sad about it. I appreciated the studio's enthusiasm and vision, even if I wasn't as much into PvP as some of those devs were. But at least a couple of the studio's former charges live on -- as do our memories. So what was your favorite memory involving a Mythic game, the studio, or the dev team? Let's raise a virtual glass and give a fond toast to yesterday's tales. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Mythic closes, 'end of an era' for former MMO studio
We saw this coming, but it doesn't make it any less regrettable: Long-time MMO studio Mythic Entertainment has been shut down by EA. "We are closing the EA Mythic location in Fairfax, Virginia, as we concentrate mobile development in our other studio locations. We are working with all impacted employees to provide assistance in finding new opportunities, either within EA or with other companies via an upcoming job fair," EA told Kotaku. Former Mythic lead Josh Drescher tweeted his reaction to the news: "Condolences to everyone at Mythic today. It's the end of an era, but you were all part of something amazing." Mythic shuttered Warhammer Online last December, while Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and many Mythic developers moved over to Broadsword Online Games this past February.
Disney shutters Star Wars Attack Squadrons
Disney has just announced that Star Wars Attack Squadrons will cease operations in the wake of its closed beta test. A message on the official site reads, "We want to thank all of the fans who participated in the closed beta of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. After much consideration, we have decided to cease development so that we can focus on other Star Wars game experiences. We truly appreciate the time you spent engaging in the beta." The company first revealed the game in December 2013 as a Star Wars dogfighting space combat title set in pseudo-MMO-like 16-player environments.
Dungeon Fighter Online returns from the dead
It was a about a year ago that Dungeon Fighter Online closed up shop in North America, but the scrappy MMO might be back for round two. The resurrected version of Dungeon Fighter Online is being run by developer Neople, not Nexon. The studio plans to begin the alpha test of DFO tomorrow, May 15th. This will be an open alpha test requiring players to use their Facebook accounts to access. "As some of you rightly mentioned, this is an alpha test, not a full re-opening of the game," Neople cautioned on its Facebook page. "So there might be bits and pieces that don't go as smoothly as we want, and we sincerely hope the DFO community understands this." [Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Website builds the fiction for Tale of Tales' new game, Sunset
Developer Tale of Tales wants you to get acquainted with the world of their upcoming game, Sunset. One small, tiny, teensy-weensy problem though: unlike the developer's previous games, which took place in or were inspired by established universes, Sunset's land of Anchuria doesn't exist yet. So, Tale of Tales is building up the fiction of Sunset, starting with a website aimed at attracting tourists to the city of San Bavon. Even though we in the real world already know that Sunset will feature an oppressive regime, the website also contains little hints that not all is well in the land of Anchuria. One section reads: "The museums and theaters have been closed to make room for state of the art factories and well equiped consumption centers. Work and freedom for the people of Anchuria!" Because closing down museums is always a good sign. Tale of Tales noted on their Tumblr that they will share the story behind Anchuria and Sunset as they invent it. [Image: Tale of Tales]
CCP is 'reviewing the status' of the World of Darkness IP
In the aftermath of World of Darkness' cancellation and the layoffs at its Atlanta studio, CCP said that it is taking time to "review" the White Wolf IP. "We believe that the World of Darkness IP is very valuable and will be reviewing the status of it in the coming weeks and months, but we have no specific plans under consideration at this time," a CCP spokesperson said to CVG. In the search to understand why World of Darkness got shuttered, players might turn to last December's financials for CCP. In these, the studio lodged a loss of $21 million for the year despite increasing revenue year-over-year. This was mostly due to a "massively increased R&D budget" that was feeding into projects such as WoD.
Marvel: Avengers Alliance to shut down on Playdom
Playdom has announced that Marvel: Avengers Alliance will be shutting down for good on April 20th, 2014. "Although it is a difficult decision to shut down a game," a note to the players states, "this decision will allow us to focus on building new, more engaging games." This shutdown will affect only the Playdom version of the game, not the Facebook version. Playdom says that it will offer no refunds or credits for "virtual goods, game currency or other items purchased" once the game stops being offered on Playdom's platform.
Co-star in Tales of Tales' first-person exploration, Sunset
The Path developer Tale of Tales' next adventure is called Sunset, and it's due to launch in 2015 on PC, Mac and Linux. Described as a first-person exploration game, Sunset is set in a "fictional tropical republic suffering under an oppressive regime" in the early 1970s. In it, players control the housekeeper of a secluded, former philanthropist, and awaken "a new love for his country and his people" in the troubled occupant. The housekeeper investigates the man's belongings and learns of his role in the civil war, strengthening or weakening their relationship along the way. Tale of Tales founders Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn liken Sunset to "a shooter game where you are not the hero but one of the people in the background." While deemed the second largest project by Tale of Tales, the game is being developed by Harvey and Samyn, sound designer Kris Force, is penned by an anonymous author and will receive music from Journey composer Austin Wintory. "The game contains both empathy and apathy. But also a feeling of being caught up in a struggle bigger than your day to day life," the founders added in the announcement. [Image: Tale of Tales]
Ten things to do in Free Realms before it's gone
Free Realms is set to close down at the end of this month, and despite the fact that the game is aimed toward players much younger than I am, I'm going to miss it. When the game first launched, my two oldest daughters and I played religiously. It was an easy way for us to interact and play together when I was away, and they spent a sizable chunk of their allowances on pets, mounts, and housing items over the years. So I've decided to honor Free Realms with this article detailing a few things you can do in the game before it's gone forever.
The Game Archaeologist: The care and feeding of older MMOs
When an MMO has reached a certain age and dwindled to a certain player population, what do you do with it? Do you put it out to pasture, nurture it, or put it down? With some of our older graphical MMOs approaching their 20th anniversaries, the question of what studios should do with aging titles is becoming very important. It's not just important for the games in question but as a precedent to the population of games that will one day become just as old. Lately we've seen different studios act on this topic in a wide variety of ways, all of which I find fascinating. Some of these games have seen tragic ends, while others may be entering into the enjoyable golden years. If nothing else, it's shown me that there isn't just one set answer for this and that some devs are hoping to do the right thing by their companies and their players.
Lord of Ultima shutting down in May
The land of Caledonia will soon be swallowed up by the sea of game closures. On Monday, May 12th at 2:00 a.m. EST, Lord of Ultima services will be stopped permanently. Announcing the closure, the developers of Lord of Ultima thanked players for their continued support over the years. Starting now, the ability to buy Play4Free Funds is disabled, but players who currently have the in-game currency are encouraged to spend it before the shutdown. New account creation has also been disabled; those who are already in the game, however, can continue their quest to be one of the final lords ruling over the land. [Thanks to all who sent in tips!]
