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Heroes of Neverwinter brings D&D combat to Facebook
The actual Neverwinter MMO isn't set to come out until later on next year, but Heroes of Neverwinter is a new social game that's available to play right now on Facebook. According to the trailer above, it offers the "deepest RPG experience Facebook has ever seen," with some strategy-accented, turn-based combat based on the D&D system, and even a dungeon creation tool to play with. As you might imagine, the game is heavily microtransaction-based, so your journey through the Forgotten Realms will likely be punctuated with plenty of pitches to spend some real-life dough on the title. But if you've been waiting for Facebook games to actually show a little more complexity (more complexity, at least, than those wooden animations in the trailer), Heroes of Neverwinter does up the ante. It's available for free right now on the big blue social network.
MV Guide: August 29-September 4, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's scheduled for this week!
Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 gets 'Ascend into Darkness' expansion on Sept. 14
Done did all the dueling you could in Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012? Wizards of the Coast is looking to inject some new life into the downloadable title with a new expansion pack come September 14. Titled "Ascend into Darkness, the DLC will include fresh art, new cards for each deck, three new playable decks and several new campaign levels – six single-player levels and eleven Archenemy levels in all. On top of that, players will also be able to take up the titular role of Archenemy – both locally and via online multiplayer match. Archenemy mode, for the unaware, pits three players against an overpowered opponent. Ral Zarek, a new Planeswalker, will also be included in the DLC. The only thing we don't know right now is the price, but given that the expansion will be playable at PAX Prime later this month, we'll be sure to bug the guys at the booth. %Gallery-130959%
Rumor: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012's first DLC pack revealed
The source code for Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 supposedly outs the first DLC pack for the game, according to MTG Salvation forum user "luminum can". It's a triple pack of decks -- standard fare for all you mana tappers out there, including a red/blue, white/green and mono black deck. And if you fear change (hey, we get it -- just thinking about David Bowie gives us the chills), the original decks will each be bolstered by four new cards each. If you're looking to do some recon, a majority of the cards can be looked up through Gatherer, Wizards of the Coast's search utility for Magic: The Gathering. For the full list of cards found in the files, hit up the source link below.
Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale lands on PC
Atari has announced that Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is now available for the PC. We didn't really like the hack-and-slash title, calling it "a terrible use of Wizards of the Coast's timeless license" (ouch), but hey, maybe you're a huge completist and absolutely must play through anything and everything having to do Forgotten Realms. If that's the case, you can pick up the game for $14.99 at a fine e-tailer near you.
Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 review: All decked out
Last year's Magic: the Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers was an unforeseen success for Wizards of the Coast and developer Stainless Games. Planeswalkers 2012 is an attempt to capitalize on that newfound audience and bring them into the tangible Magic: the Gathering TCG fold -- a goal it ambitiously reaches for with improvements to last year's model, such as a more robust campaign, and more cunning AI -- a much-needed fix for the previous game's pushoverable foes. Another key feature is, of course, the addition of more modern cards that will release as part of the 2012 Magic: the Gathering core set. Yes, even in the virtual world, you can't avoid the good old fashioned (and costly!) pattern of trading card game iteration. %Gallery-118886%
Heroes of Neverwinter preview: Facebook fantasy
I didn't see a Facebook game on the E3 show floor that I would consider passing along to you, honored readers, whose time I value more than my own -- with one noteworthy exception. Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter represents a project which fans of its tabletop predecessor have been pulling for for a good, long time: An actual adaptation of the game's 4th Edition, complete with dungeon tiles, character progression and the move/minor/standard turn layout. It is, of course, a simplified version of the robust RPG -- most of the series' constituent features are represented in some form or another, but in a limited capacity. Still, even with this one conceit, Heroes of Neverwinter looks like one of the beefiest titles on the platform; not to mention a dungeoneer's dream come true. %Gallery-125848%
Duels of the Planeswalker 2012 preview: Scheming on the archenemy
When it came to Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers, I was in the minority. The fact that I couldn't fully edit a deck never really bugged me -- I enjoyed the structure. So, for me (and I imagine a lot of you), the biggest question going into my Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 preview session was how customization would work in the sequel. It's still structured, but not so much that you can't play around with those initial 60 cards in each deck. While lands are set in stone, any other card in that base deck list can be swapped out for another -- outside of the restriction that a deck must be at least 60 cards, you're free to mingle cards in and out that fit the parameters of that deck (e.g. color and creature themes). %Gallery-118886%
Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale review: Critical miss
Dungeons & Dragons: 4th Edition represents one of the most drastic facelifts the long-running tabletop RPG franchise has ever undergone. The game's once ethereal elements have been turned tangible, its mechanics made far less punishing for new players, and its every component finely tuned to a state of balance that few other tabletop developers can match. It is as accessible as the game has ever been -- and, as a result, as adaptable as the game has ever been. Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale has been promoted as an opportunity for Bedlam Games and Atari to bring "an accessible version of Dungeons & Dragons: 4th Edition to life," a task at which they have failed in a huge, huge way. Some of the tabletop game's terminology and a few superficial concepts show up in Daggerdale, but the rest has been sacrificed to create a monotonous, hideously buggy hack-and-slash RPG. %Gallery-122655%
Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 launches June 15 on XBLA, PSN and Steam for $10
Anxious planeswalkers waiting to slap on their favorite pair of Nikes and make with the strutting of their stuff will be delighted to hear that Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is set for launch on Wednesday, June 15, across Xbox Live Arcade, Steam and PlayStation Network. Wizards of the Coast confirmed the launch date (which we assume will actually be Tuesday, June 14, on PSN) today, along with a $10 price point for the sequel to 2010's surprise hit, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers. Each version of Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 will also include a rare paper card bonus (while supplies last!), which can be acquired at your local card shop by producing a unique in-game code. Check out an image of all three cards just past the break. %Gallery-118886%
Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 tapped for XBLA, PSN, PC this summer
Card tapping aficionados can take on other summoners this summer through the magic of the internet with Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 on XBLA, PSN and PC/Steam. The new standalone game will add "new game modes, Planeswalker opponents, decks, puzzle challenges" and more. The title will feature a tutorial to ease new players into the potentially overwhelming card game, along with a "new-to-digital" multiplayer mode called Archenemy, where two allies take on an AI. PAX East attendees can check out the new Archenemy game mode for Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 at the Magic booth (#648) on the show floor.
Exclusive: Massively's interview with the author of the first DDO novel
Tie-in novels are nothing new in the world of MMOs. We've had several in the last year alone, both for Guild Wars 2 and for RuneScape. You can add the world of Eberron to that list, as the first Dungeons and Dragons Online novel will be hitting the shelves this September. It's early days, of course, but we've spent some time chatting with the author of The Shard Axe. Marsheila "Marcy" Rockwell has completed the book's final draft and had lots to say about what fans will find in this novelized version of Xen'drik. Follow along after the jump for your first look at The Shard Axe!
Magic: The Gathering - Tactics trailer taps its Blue Mana reserves
Curious to see what Magic: The Gathering - Tactics' most cerulean characters are going to look like once freed from the burdensome confines of their flat, glossy prisons? Check out the trailer for the card-strategy title (which is due out in a scant three days) below to see Blue Mana in motion.
The siege continues as DDO launches Update 8
Massively has been hinting that Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 8 would be out soon, and now it is here! We knew Turbine would not let us down. The siege on Lordsmarch Palace rages on in the Attack on Stormreach. A green Hag controls monstrous forces in this ever-expanding plot. Adventurers launch on four different death-defying quests stretching on, over, and under Stormreach, battling the evil armada from Droaam. Take defensive positions against an Ogre General and his army in the Assault on Summerfield; sneak out in the darkness of night and sabotage Droaam mine-laying ships in Blockade Buster; counter a sneak-attack in the tunnels under Lordsmarch Palace courtyard in Undermine; finally, battle through ruins just outside Stormreach where the villainous army is opening a portal directly to Droaam. Beyond the expansive new quests, Update 8 features four unique cosmetic armor sets with 11 unique appearances each. If classic good-vs.-evil fantasy warfare is your thing, you will want to head over to the official site and download the patch now! (Well, after you peek at the gallery, of course.) %Gallery-110491%
Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers summons third DLC pack on Steam
While the console versions of Magic: The Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers are stuck waiting on that third DLC pack, PC users can now boost their virtual card collection through a Steam update today. The third content pack will set budding planeswalkers back $4.99, for which they get two new decks, a plethora of new cards to unlock, new challenges to conquer and, of course, a new single-player campaign to tackle. If you've checked out either of the previous two DLC packs, then you know this is pretty much par for the course. There's still no timetable for when the DLC will be available on consoles, though we've contacted both Wizards of the Coast and Stainless Games for comment. In the meanwhile, feel free to tap our gallery below for some magical screens. %Gallery-106678%
Atari and Cryptic teaming up on new Neverwinter RPG [update]
Hey, die-hard fans of fantasy fiction, right about now would be a good time for you to make a saving throw against having your head explode. Atari and Cryptic, whose former unions resulted in Star Trek Online and Champions Online, have announced their next joint effort: A new online RPG set in the frequently game-adapted Dungeons and Dragons universe, Neverwinter. The PC game allows up to five players (or one player with AI companions) to select between five classes from the pen-and-paper RPG's roster, and play through an all new campaign, the story for which was developed in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast and author R.A. Salvatore. Also, much like previous games in the Neverwinter franchise, this one will include a tool, tentatively named "Forge," that allows players to create their own campaigns. The game's currently set for Q4 2011, but a Salvatore-penned prequel book, titled Gauntlgrym, will hit store shelves on October 5 of this year. Update: Gamespot recently sat down with Cryptic CEO Jack Emmert to divine a few details about the game, including its five classes (Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Ranger and Cleric), what the Forge tools will be capable of, and how Neverwinter will adapt the tabletop game's 4th Edition gameplay mechanics. If any of that means anything to you, give the interview a look.
Exploring (the rest of) Eberron
By the time you read this, I'll be scampering about GenCon in Indianapolis, thick in the middle of four days of gaming and geekery. Don't weep for me, for I am already gone! One of my hopes for this weekend is to reconnect with pen-and-paper RPGs, a part of my gaming life that has almost withered into nothingness. That got me thinking about Eberron -- the D&D campaign in which DDO is set. You don't hear DDO players fussing about it so much any more (people either made their peace with it or moved on), but way back when, the Eberron setting was a fairly controversial choice for Turbine to make. After all, there are dozens upon dozens of campaign settings, including some (like Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance) that most people associate with the franchise. Eberron, on the other hand, was a relatively wet-behind-the-ears upstart with a quirky setting that can best be described as "Indiana Jones meets steampunk meets flashy, practical magic." Personally, I've grown to like the campaign, and I want to take a look at how the pen-and-paper version was constructed, how the Eberron setting shines in DDO, and how Turbine could be using it more.
Magic: Duels of the Planeswalkers summoned to PC June 15
Our compatriots at Big Download report that Wizards of the Coast has nailed down a release date for the PC version of Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers. The game is slated to hit Steam on June 15 and is currently available for pre-order. If you plan on summoning Duels of the Planeswalkers, be prepared to tap 10 Green Monies.
Magic: The Gathering on deck for Steam
Wizards of the Coast has announced that it plans to release Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers on Steam. Unfortunately an actual release date has not yet been confirmed by WOTC. We're guessing the date isn't too far off, as the game will be available for pre-purchase on Steam starting June 1. Those who pre-order Planeswalkers for $9.99 will receive both the original game as well as its first expansion pack, which was released last year on XBLA. The release will also support future content. A second DLC pack is already available on XBLA, with a third pack expected this summer.
Second Magic: The Gathering DLC pack out tomorrow
Wizards of the Coast is set to shuffle things up once again, having announced that the second Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers expansion will arrive tomorrow, May 12. The DLC will include three new decks and a new single-player campaign. It will also come packing three new cards for each original deck and the three decks from the first expansion. Finally, the DLC will also offer five new challenge levels, three new Achievements, multiplayer host migration and even some Avatar attire awards. The second expansion will set you back 400 ($5).
