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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

Alex Ziebart
Owner
Updated ·2 min read

Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future.

BioWare says gamers find it hard to go back to other MMOs after playing SWTOR
As Star Wars: The Old Republic's release date looms larger on the calendar, BioWare cofounders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are starting to be seen with increasing frequency on the PR circuit. The interview also touches on lore inspirations for both The Old Republic and the classic single-player Knights of the Old Republic RPG, as well as the team's confidence in its new massively multiplayer product.

Square-Enix announces end of Final Fantasy XIV's free play and roadmap for next year
Square-Enix has put a lot of work into repairing Final Fantasy XIV's poor launch and has recently announced that its unbilled period of the game will be coming to a close. In addition to the changes already made, a full graphics engine and UI overhaul is in the works.

BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model
Schubert says that devs are often trying to double code MMOs for both casual and hardcore players. This is where the well-known slogan "easy to play, hard to master" originates. He held up Blizzard as a primary example of this model. Blizzard's "donut," as Schubert calls it, has a casual outer ring and a hardcore center for both types of players. By double coding, Blizzard ensures that casual players can invite their hardcore friends to experience the game and vice versa. However, this model is faltering, and Schubert pinpoints why.

THQ releases flood of new details for Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online
THQ has released a huge list of data on design, gameplay, classes and races, and much more in the upcoming Warhammer 40K: Dark Millenium Online. The information ranges from all-encompassing, such as talk of art style and who is involved in development, to very specific, such as a party size of five, raid size of 50, and level cap of 60.

Massively Speaking Episode 169
Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with hosts Shawn and Rubi. Topics include SOE's newest battle with hackers, Lineage II's upcoming freemium business model, Fallen Earth's chopper and freemium launch, Blizzard's dive into RMT, and more!

Massively's week in review
Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.