MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

Captain's Log: Community guide to Star Trek Online
We aim to inform and entertain here at Massively, and the same can be said of our Star Trek Online coverage. This is the first in a new ongoing feature entitled -- as you can plainly see -- Captain's Log. However, as a regular column you can expect guides, tips, op-eds and community spotlights. I've opted to kick this one off with a community guide to the game, as it's arguably one of the most useful things for anyone interested in learning more about the people playing a game.

Exclusive Allods Online dev tour: Astral Ships and the end game explained
Earlier this week, the team at Allods Online were kind enough to sit down and walk me through some of the highest-level areas in the game. Knowing that I'm already an avid fan of the game, it was exciting for us both to "talk shop" for a bit. It was especially exciting to see some features of the end game that not too many North American players have seen up to this point. Of course, I'm talking about Astral Ships and the end game.

Bioware confirms 2011 SWTOR release
Yesterday we talked about a rumor that had been floating around thanks to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello, who had mentioned the spring 2011 launch of an unnamed MMO on a recent conference call. Of course, the Star Wars: The Old Republic rumor mill sprang into action, with good cause as it turns out.

Seven tips for Star Trek Online newbies
There's certainly a lot of lesser known MMO concepts to learn in Star Trek Online, and there's also some familiar aspects as well. With open beta ongoing and launch looming, this guide is here to help brand new players ease into the swing of things. We'll cover the odd class system, progression and several other tips and suggestions for those of you just beginning your venture into a galaxy full of Gorn raiders, Orion slavers and uh, Tribbles.

HanbitSoft acquires worldwide publishing rights for Hellgate: London
It's been a long and turbulent ride for Hellgate: London, stretching all the way back to its rather troubled Halloween 2007 launch under the banner of the ill-fated Flagship Studios. This stretched through a bewildering morass of licensing disputes, general misinformation, and mixed signals (like continual English press releases for the game in a non English-speaking market. *ahem*)

Dungeons and Dragons Online releases notes for update 3
Turbine is planning the next update for Dungeons and Dragons Online, and while it's not set to launch for a few more weeks, the current release notes are up for players to take a look at now. The next update will bring about some very welcome changes, such as the removal of level sigils, new free content in the form of four new dungeons, and the addition of casual difficulty mode for solo players and small groups.

MMO Family: A parent's look at Free Realms
This week, MMO Family begins a gaming-savvy look at some of the most popular kid MMOs. You know what you like in an MMO – but what about your kids? And what if you're looking for something the whole family could play together?

Star Trek Online lifetime subs now available
Cryptic has revealed the lifetime subscription offer for Star Trek Online, which comes with playable Borg (not as a faction, but as liberated Borg) and is only available to those who've pre-ordered the game. Oddly enough, the price of the LS is $40 higher than Champions Online's was when it was announced August of last year.

Why You Should Be Playing PlanetSide: It's online war!
War seems to be a hot topic in MMOs today. From MAG to Global Agenda, online war is the place to be. But a few years ago, having an online war with 300 people at once was unheard of until one game pushed the boundaries and made it so -- PlanetSide. Sony Online Entertainment started the concept of having the MMO and the FPS merge together into one being that was above and beyond a persistent online shooter.

LEGO Universe gameplay footage full of 'imagination'
It's been a long time coming, but we've finally got a good look at early alpha footage of LEGO Universe thanks to CES10. Gametrailers has a four part video of a developer walkthrough given by NetDevil's Scott Brown, and boy is it ever full of multicolored brick-y goodness.

First Impressions: MAG
It's a technical marvel, really, to be able to shoot at 256 people at once. Very few games have been able to get this many players into one enclosed space, and even fewer have been able to do it without having everything lock down in lag. But Zipper Interactive's MAG is taking the bull by the horns and is following in the footsteps of games like PlanetSide to deliver a true "war" experience to the PS3.

Global Agenda launch trailer released
"They always warned us that if we weren't careful, our technology would outrun our humanity. Way I see it, it's finally getting interesting." So begins the latest Global Agenda offering from Hi-Rez Studios: the launch trailer. With the launch of Global Agenda just a few short weeks away, fans and developers alike are enjoying the excitement that comes as a game's release date approaches.