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The Nexus Telegraph: Winter in WildStar
Another round of beta testing is almost here for WildStar, after what seems to have been forever and a day. And that's with the promise of upcoming class reveals after a several-month-long information drought on the game, something that I suspect all of us felt pretty acutely. No more waiting! There's information that will be coming fast and furious, even if the developers are going to start off with a refresher of the information we already have. Thus far, there's not a whole lot to react to. We have a clearer picture of the Warrior, we have a peek at a new build from the livestream, and we've seen some hoverboard footage. It's not what I would call a coherent picture just yet. But we can suss out a few new bits here and there, as well as some things that might not be worth getting all that excited about just yet. Yes, I'm saying it might not be worth getting excited about something. You read that right.
Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze?
Do you feel lucky when you log into Xsyon? Do you feel as if you can go anywhere and do anything in complete safety? Then perhaps you'd like to test your skills this weekend when the game unleashes the Mutant Maze event starting at 3 p.m. EST (12 p.m. PST). Open to everyone who wishes to take part, the event will teleport all volunteers to the designated grounds at the start and teleport them back at the conclusion... but there's no certainty you'll emerge victorious. So what is the Mutant Maze? It's a labyrinth filled with all sorts of nasty mutants, hence the name. Players will be able to keep the spoils of their kills, and there's a special prize for completing a round of the maze by both surviving and finding the exit successfully. There are three total rounds, enough to test the game's most seasoned veterans -- but for the glory of a prize, won't you spend a weekend ambling through a maze filled with enormous bears? [Source: Notorious Games press release]
City of Heroes sets the date for the next Freedom Player Summit
Did you miss the first City of Heroes player summit? It's understandable -- no matter how much of a fan you might be, a trip to California in November is hard to swing sometimes with the holidays fast approaching. But perhaps you'll have better luck in April, as that's the announced month for the second Freedom Player Summit taking place (once again) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Specifically, the summit is planned for Saturday, April 28th, 2012. It's also quite possible, of course, that you did attend the first summit and found certain areas of the event to be sorely lacking. That's something that the staff at Paragon Studios is looking at very seriously; it's made a change to a single panel track rather than multiples and will host more interactive panels instead of static ones. Keep an eye over the next few weeks for more details on pricing and location if you're interested in going; for fans of the game, it's a great chance to get your feedback heard in person.
City of Heroes announces a player summit
City of Heroes has always had a development studio keenly interested in keeping players abreast of new developments. That's been reflected in the regular gatherings hosted by Paragon Studios for the players, but with the launch of the game's new business model, the team wants to have a much larger-scale event. That puts it beyond the realm of a mere gathering -- it's now being dubbed the City of Heroes Player Summit, taking place on November 19th in Palo Alto, California. While the details of what will take place at the summit are currently under wraps, the announcement promises that players will have a chance to chat with developers, attend special panels just for the summit, and walk away with a few extra goodies. It might be a bit of a trek if you're not already in the area, but if you're a longtime player of the game, it might be worth a trip to the West Coast just to see what will be on the agenda for the summit.
The Daily Grind: What are you looking forward to at PAX Prime?
It's something of a tradition here at Massively when there's a major convention just around the corner to ask our readers what they're looking forward to seeing. We like to know what other people are interested in, after all, and while we can certainly attest to our own excitement, that's nothing compared to what you'd like to see. Heck, if you're not quite sure what there is to look forward to, we've even got a handy-dandy guide to all of the stuff promised to be on display. So what are you looking forward to for this incarnation of PAX Prime? There's a heavy MMO lineup, ranging from current darlings Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic to the much-discussed newcomer WildStar. Which of the many exhibitors are going to have you watching the news, or possibly traveling all the way out to Seattle? Or are you just not all that interested in all the proceedings? 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!
City of Heroes heading for San Diego Comic Con
It's understandable that a lot of people might be in convention overload at the moment -- after all, E3 is just now wrapping up with all the information that entails. But for City of Heroes fans, the next big convention is still around the corner. San Diego Comic Con 2011 is taking place at the end of July, and Paragon Studios will be showing off on the show floor, celebrating both the game's four-color roots and the latest developments in gameplay. While the team has given several presentations in recent conventions, this year the game will have a booth on the show floor from July 21st to July 24th, giving players a chance to stop by and talk about the game with both developers and community managers. And if that's not enough, the team will also be giving away a new costume card, transforming characters into the Mk-VI Victoria assassin droid. City of Heroes players should keep their eyes peeled for more news of a meet-and-greet to accompany the gathering.
The MMO Report: Predictions of E3
This week's MMO Report is coming to viewers live from E3! Well, in theory, anyway. See, at the moment, our host Casey Schreiner is nowhere near the studio, being at E3 himself, which means that this week's installment is not about what's going on at E3. Rather, it's what Casey predicted would be going on today at E3. So you can amuse yourself where the predictions were entirely wrong and see if any of the wild guesses turned out right after all. Needless to say, predictions regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic run rampant, as does speculation about Guild Wars 2, TERA, and The Secret World. Of course, you've no doubt been following our E3 coverage here religiously, so when you click on past the break you can see for yourself what was on the money and what went completely off the rails, along with a completely true prediction about the next big hit in the MMO world.
Final Fantasy XI lays out plans for its anniversary celebration
As of May 16th, Final Fantasy XI will have been running for nine years. That's quite a milestone for any game, and it's the sort of thing that deserves quite a celebration. Square-Enix outlined plans today for the full-featured cavalcade of events, starting with the nine-year anniversary art contest that's just kicked off. But players with a dearth of artistic talent needn't worry, as they'll still get to participate in other events, such as the 2011 Vana'diel Census, which will be collecting a plethora of interesting trivia about characters across the globe. Still not enough? Of course not. There's also an anniversary Mog Bonanza around the corner, complete with a variety of prizes as always. And the Adventurer Appreciation Campaign is set to start up on the day of the anniversary itself, letting players who want to celebrate the game's history do so in style. Whether you've been with the game since its launch many years ago or just got into it recently, you can enjoy the many ways Final Fantasy XI commemorates its birthday.
Naoki Yoshida outlines the next patch plans for Final Fantasy XIV
If you've taken part in the various holiday events that have begun appearing in Final Fantasy XIV, the title image will look very familiar. But there's good news -- the next in-game holiday event will not include bells. That's according to the most recent producer's letter, in which Naoki Yoshida outlines the changes in patch schedules based upon the disruption in service. Patch 1.17 was originally prepared for release to coincide with another real-world event, but due to the earthquake and the temporary shutdown, the team is splitting the patch into two installments. The update will go live in time for an Easter-themed event, with the patch's contents slightly reduced and necessitating a delay before 1.17a releases. But there's more than just holiday events to look forward to. While he doesn't provide details, Yoshida specifies that these two patches will start laying the groundwork for the game's dungeon and raid content, with more information forthcoming in the very near future. Final Fantasy XIV is only just back online, but it seems to be streaming right along at full speed once more.
Producer's letter for City of Heroes hints at the future and promises big improvements
It's the start of a new year, one that already promises to be an exciting one for fans of superheroic MMOs. DC Universe Online is launching tomorrow, Champions Online will be going free-to-play early this year, and City of Heroes is not sitting down either. In what we hope might be a new monthly tradition, fans have been treated to a brand-new producer's letter that looks back at the year before and begins peering ahead to the next 12 months while also hinting at some of the more interesting new additions to the game. Among the more interesting revelations are the promise of a double XP weekend this month, as well as more information regarding Praetoria's Hamidon when PAX East rolls around. The development team is also hoping to step up its communication this year, both from well-known members of the team and from some of the newer talent with less public exposure. While another expansion might not be in the works for City of Heroes in the near future, fans can take a look at the full letter on the site and rest easy -- it promises to be a very interesting year.
The Rikti return to City of Heroes
If you've played City of Heroes, you know who the Rikti are -- the dangerous race from beyond our dimension who invaded and nearly destroyed Paragon City. Over time they've slowly become less of a threat, but they've never truly left, and amidst all the talk of Praetorian invasion they've decided to remind heroes and villains alike who they're dealing with. That's right, it's time to get ready for another brawl for the fate of humanity as the full-scale Rikti Invasion returns to the live servers. Paragon Studios has announced that the invasion will commence at 9:00 a.m. PDT on November 4th and last until midnight PDT on November 7th, giving players ample time to take part in the battle against the invaders. While lesser invasions have happened from time to time, the full-scale invasion has been on hiatus for a while, but it remains one of the more popular server events. And if you're a new player to City of Heroes, it's your chance to see one of the biggest enemy groups in the game face-to-face. Fair warning, however -- despite what the header might suggest, most of the Rikti do not simply wish to dance at the tailor.
LEGO Universe lets pre-order customers start extra early
Anticipation for LEGO Universe has been building ever since the foundation was laid for the game. Considering the way in which players have assembled for the game's release, it seems no surprise that the team behind the game has put together something special for launch. We had known that there would be an early access event to allow players to start piecing things together, but now it seems that an even earlier release is being opened up for "Founders" to start playing -- one that starts this weekend. Starting at 10:08 a.m. EDT on Friday, October 8th, the pre-order customers known in community terms as "Founders" will be able to log in and start playing the game, allowing them full access over the weekend. If you can't wait until then and still haven't pre-ordered, however, you aren't out of luck yet, as the official announcement encourages players to visit the nearest LEGO store to pre-order the game and get a special mini-figure. LEGO Universe players will have to keep their eyes peeled for further instructions, as the end of the week is quickly approaching, and it promises quite a set of experiences.
City of Heroes has plans... PAX plans
If you haven't already thought about PAX Prime coming up in September, odds are good you're not going. But if you are going and you're a fan of City of Heroes, you'll be happy to know that the team from Paragon Studios will be making a showing at the convention. The team will be hosting a panel as well as a meet-and-greet event for the fans over the weekend, similar to what was done during PAX East in March. Players will also be rewarded with a new disguise power -- in this case, the Praetorian Police Department's duty outfit. Since the convention will take place after the release of Going Rogue, the panel's topic will be on the new expansion as well as the future beyond release, most likely covering the Incarnate system and the further future. The meet-and-greet, meanwhile, is happening off-site and gives players both the aforementioned costume code and an exclusive lenticular button for the game. Take a look at the full rundown of the events with the City of Heroes team -- even if you're not attending, we'll make sure to keep everyone up-to-date on the information.
Celebrate your WorldWidePad: Live Chat Friday
worldPad Feliz iPadidad! Buon' iPad! KonishiPad! iPad Ace Beauty Mate! Ni xaoPad, eh! Grüsspad! The iPad has finally gone World Wide -- and TUAW is there. Please join us Friday at 7PM Euro for our live world iPad chat with authors Erica Sadun and Steve Sande as we talk about all things new and iPad. Did you felt left out in April when the iPad hit the US? This is the chat for you! We'll be sharing tricks and tips, hints and help as you share your excitement with other new owners. Don't miss this event! Where: Here at TUAW When: 10 AM PDT, 1 PM EDT, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Berlin / Rome / Paris, 3 AM (Saturday) in Sydney, 2 AM (Saturday) in Tokyo. Who: Join Erica Sadun and Steve Sande for this fun iPad-inspired chat
Star Trek Online offering veteran rewards and free trials
Star Trek Online players and former players got a little surprise in their inbox this morning -- the promise of rewards if you were still playing, and the chance to get back in if you stopped. Quite apart from the recent update to the game's first large content patch, Cryptic is rolling out three new features to players: Veteran Rewards, a demo, and an upcoming free trial weekend. The demo, not quite available yet but promised in the very near future, will work along the lines of the Champions Online demo: unlimited time, but gameplay itself limited to the first few missions and areas. For lapsed players or new players who prefer limited time and unlimited content, there's a free weekend coming up starting on May 7th. Again much like its sister game, there are no limitations on gameplay, just time: May 7th at 10 AM PST until May 10th 10 AM PST. Of course, if you're an extant player none of these options are terribly engaging to you -- but the newly-added veteran rewards most likely are. Rolling in each 100 days, the rewards allow another free respec each interval, special costume pieces, and a small skill point buff on low-level characters. Take a look at the full page for all the rewards, which are the latest in a large dose of good news for Star Trek Online fans.
Atlantica Online dev diary hints at forthcoming features
NDoors Interactive is pleased to announce new features coming to their Atlantica Online free-to-play fantasy MMORPG later this year in their latest dev diary. The update talks about everything from new security measures to new outfits, as well as the winning Mercenary design from an earlier contest. Check out all the details after the cut.
