Matt Daniel
Articles by Matt Daniel
Star Trek Online announces Tribble Test Weekend
Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, is going to be launching in less than two weeks, and to build up some hype for the new addition, the folks at Cryptic have deemed this weekend a Tribble Test Weekend. Beginning tomorrow, players can log on to the Tribble test server and get their first look at the new content coming when Legacy of Romulus goes live on the 21st. But if that's not enough to enthuse you to play on the test server, Cryptic is sweetening the deal. Any players who log in and play on the Tribble server for at least one hour over the course of the weekend will receive a special to-be-announced reward after Legacy of Romulus is released. For the full details on this Tribble Test Weekend, just head on over to the game's official site.
Diablo III auction house down for 'at least another 24 hours'
Diablo III's auction house continues to be the stuff of legends. You may remember that a couple of days ago, the Diablo III auction house went down for a time due to a gold duplication bug that was being rampantly exploited by players. Thankfully, a patch was deployed in a nice, timely manner, and everything ended up all right. Or did it? Rather than performing a server rollback, which would set all Diablo III players back, Blizzard has decided to perform a complete audit of the transactions made on the auction house in order to find players guilty of utilizing the gold duplication exploit. Unfortunately, Blizz was a bit conservative in its estimate of how long the auction house would be down. While there's currently no new ETA for the auction house's return, a post by Blizzard CM Lylirra states that the studio anticipates the AH being down for "at least another 24 hours" while the audits are in progress.
World of Warcraft loses over a million subs since February, now down to 8.3 million
The world's most popular MMO has gotten a bit less popular in the last few months, it would seem. During today's quarterly investor call, Activision-Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft's subscriber numbers are down to 8.3 million. While that's still nothing to thumb your nose at, it does represent a significant decline from the 9.6 million subscribers the game was reported to have last February.
DUST 514's Uprising update is now live
The official launch of DUST 514 is planned to go live later this month on -- what else -- May 14th. But judging by the latest CCP dev blog, players can expect a whole bevy of new features before the game launches thanks to an update by the name of Uprising which, as it happens, went live today. For starters, the skill system is getting totally revamped in order to "make it more intuitive and deep." CCP is also introducing three new dropsuits to the game, along with a new assault dropship. As if that weren't enough, the studio has "done major rebalancing on weapons, dropsuits, modules, and vehicles." In light of all of these changes, players will be receiving full skill respecs and market refunds. Uprising will also include the addition of the new starmap, new UI and graphics features, and adjustments to the faction warfare system. But that's not all. When the game officially goes live on the 14th, CCP will introduce DUST's planetary conquest system, which means that DUST players will be able to take part in the great territorial control battles that will tie the game into EVE Online. The launch will also bring a few new weapons and a new game mode (Domination) and new maps over which players can vie for supremacy. If that's not enough to look forward to, then we're not sure what to tell you. For the full details on Uprising and DUST 514's official launch, go on and check out the full dev blog on the game's official site.
First Impressions: Forge
When I first picked up Forge on Steam back in the day (when it first hit the Greenlight service), I was hesitant to say the least. The last time I played any sort of game billed as a class-based PvP arena, it was FURY (does anyone else remember that?) and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic before that. To say those games were less-than-stellar would be a bit of an understatement. Despite my trepidation, I still snagged the game since it was fairly cheap and I felt there was at least a good deal of potential for it to finally do justice to the concept. Unfortunately, Forge ended up being released far too early because of (as I understand it) a lack of funds, so many of the advertised features (such as a ranking system, matchmaking, and so forth) were conspicuously absent. So I figured I'd put it on the backburner and check it out once it had received some much-needed polish. So of course I was pretty pleased when Dark Vale Games announced that Forge had been "re-released" with many of the missing features in tow, but my initial worries about the game were far from assuaged, and I figured it would just be FURY 2: Electric Boogaloo. But man, do I love being proven wrong.
Star Trek Online dev diary details new species: The Remans
Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion is slated for release in just over two weeks from now, and if you've been keeping up with the onslaught of dev diaries, you know that means new ships, new fashions, and of course, new playable alien species. The most recent dev diary from the folks at Cryptic Studios focuses on the Romulans' slightly nastier counterparts, the Remans. Players will be able to unlock Remans as a playable species in one of two ways: They can either purchase it from the C-Store (standalone or as part of the Legacy Pack) or "achieve Tier 5 in the New Romulus Reputation." Remans, of course, come with their own unique racial traits, including the powerful Mind Drain ability, described as "a powerful single-target psychic attack which drains vital essence from the victim to the caster." Sounds rather unpleasant to us. Remans also have access to two exclusive ship materials that can alter the appearance of any Romulan vessel they own, and they'll also gain access to spiffy Reman-only uniform variants. To check out the details on the new species, head on over to the official site for the full post, and remember that Legacy of Romulus will be going live on May 21st.
Diablo III PS3 preorders available now
Rumors of Diablo III coming to consoles have been around since before the game ever launched, and not long ago it was confirmed that the ever-polarizing action RPG would be making its way to the PlayStation 3. Well, the time has almost come for console players to set foot in the treacherous lands of Sanctuary. Blizzard announced on its official site today that preorders for the PS3 edition of Diablo III are officially open. Players who preorder the game will be given a gift in the form of the PS3-exclusive Infernal Helm. Each character created on the PS3 version will start with this stylish chapeau that grants its wearer a bonus to experience gained. There's still no official release date for the PS3 edition of the game, however, and the studio states that it will announce the game's release date as launch draws nearer (in case that wasn't blindingly obvious). In the meantime, Diablo devotees can go ahead and lay down their preorders.
Camelot Unchained unveils new video, Mark Jacobs visits Reddit for AMA
The Camelot Unchained information deluge continues with the release of a new video and a Reddit AMA by Mark Jacobs himself. The video is a half-hour-long affair in which Jacobs provides fans (and prospective Kickstarter pledgers) with an in-depth look at the lore of Camelot Unchained and the myriad features that the game is bringing to the table. Also, as it happens, you can check it out after the cut. Meanwhile, on Reddit, Jacobs stopped by /r/IAmA to answer questions from the communit. Suffice it to say, questions range from the standard, "tell us about the progression system" to details on server structure, maximum player population, and much much more. Surprisingly, however, horse-sized ducks don't appear to be mentioned even once. To check the full Q&A session out for yourself, head on through the source link below.
The Elder Scrolls Online's Matt Firor answers closed beta questions
The interwebs have been all aflutter because of the recently leaked video of The Elder Scrolls Online beta footage, and it's left many people clamoring for more beta details. Thankfully, ESO Game Director Matt Firor has stepped forth to provide just that. In a new interview, Firor didn't care to comment on the leak itself, but he was more than willing to answer a number of questions regarding the game's ongoing closed beta. Firor states that the game's beta is progressing "very smoothly so far" and that the team is now "focusing more on the gameplay exerience" and "getting valuable feedback from beta testers." He goes on to explain that the current beta focus is on "moment-to-moment gameplay," including questing, combat, and the game's progression system. Also on the table are questions about the game's AI, the introduction of guilds, the importance of crafted gear, and of course, when the next round of beta invites will go out (spoiler alert: the answer is incredibly nonspecific). Regardless, there's probably some useful information to be found for ESO fans, so click on through the link below to check it out for yourself.
Virtual world economist says Guild Wars 2's pre-endgame economy 'broken'
Ever since Guild Wars 2 went live back in August of last year, the state of the game's economy has... fluctuated wildly, let's say. But now, about eight months down the line, how is the economy holding up? Virtual world economist Ramin Shokrizade (the same fellow who wrote about using EVE Online to predict the real-world recession) has published a new piece on Gamasutra that takes an in-depth look at the economy of Guild Wars 2 as it stands today. The article is too detailed to summarize here, but one thing worth taking away is Shokrizade's observation that, "with the exception of craft materials, [Guild Wars 2's] pre-endgame item economy is broken." He elaborates that, for example, a level 39 green-quality chestpiece regularly sells on the auction house for around 112 copper -- a scant 1 copper more than vendors pay for the same item. He concludes that GW2's pre-endgame economy is "one of the worst [he has] studied in the last 14 years." Eesh. He also takes an in-depth look at the role crafting plays in the economy and the effects of the in-game economy on cash-shop purchases. The full piece is a bit long but certainly worth the time for anyone interested in the intricacies of virtual economies or Guild Wars 2 players in general.
New Earthrise: First Impact screenshots unveiled
We're sure many sci-fi sandbox fans have been looking forward to the (re)launch of Earthrise: First Impact since German studio SilentFuture took the helm in May of last year. Unfortunately, those fans are going to have to wait a bit longer before they can get their hands on the game in earnest, but in the meantime, SilentFuture has released a new bevy of screenshots to help satiate their hunger. And we've gotta say, they look pretty darn spiffy. The screens include an arid desert outpost, mysterious ruins admist a lush, verdant jungle, and what appears to be an absurdly oversized artillery gun, amongst other things. It would certainly appear that the folks at SilentFuture have been hard at work, and although screenshots are no substitute for actual gameplay, they're still a feast for the eyes nonetheless. So how about checking them out in the gallery below? [Source: SilentFuture press release] %Gallery-186841%
Forge rerelease introduces tons of new features, goes 75% off on Steam
Keen-minded readers may remember Forge, Dark Vale Games' action-oriented PvP title that launched via Steam Greenlight in December of last year. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, the game was released in a decidedly unfinished state, lacking many of the key features that the studio hoped to incorporate. Despite this, many players flocked to the game, providing the devs with the money needed to polish up the game, and now Forge has been officially "rereleased" on Steam. To celebrate the occasion, Dark Vale Games is allowing fans to play Forge for free from today until Sunday. The game's rerelease brings with it a number of new features sure to satisfy fans of all playstyles. The fashionistas in the crowd will be pleased by the addition of new armor customization options, while completionists will have plenty to work toward thanks to the introduction of achievements to the game. New players will be able to jump into the action faster than ever thanks to a new-and-improved tutorial, and new ranking and matchmaking features ensure that players can always find the perfect match. On top of all of that, the UI has received an overhaul, and the addition of bots and co-op modes allows players to practice new strategies before they take them into the game proper. So if you're up for some adrenaline-fueled PvP action, you can check out the game for free and/or snag it on the cheap for a paltry $5 US. [Source: Dark Vale Games press release]
Second Wind Roundtable: NSFW edition
For this edition of the Second Wind Roundtable, I thought it'd be a funny little prank to coerce a couple of my colleagues into playing Scarlet Blade with me. I was wrong. I was so, so very wrong. We lost some good men in there, but those of us who survived to talk about it gathered 'round for some group therapy over hard whiskey and mind-bleach. Coincidentally, we also transcribed it so that you can learn from our mistakes. Be warned, many screenshots below the cut are explicit, though some have been tastefully censored for the sake of all things holy and sacred. No, really, we are not kidding: This post is not safe for work/children/anyone with a sense of common decency. That being said, you can join us after the cut. I'm so, so sorry.
Second Wind: Final Fantasy XI
Here's a fun fact about me: Final Fantasy XI was one of the first MMOs I ever played. I had dabbled in Ultima Online and EverQuest before it, but at the time those games came out, I was but a wee lad of nine or so, and I truly had no idea what I was doing in either of them. What I did know was that I was in love with the idea of sharing a massive, persistent world with thousands of friends (and enemies) waiting to be made. So when Final Fantasy XI came out stateside in late 2003 (it launched in Japan in 2002), I was firmly in the grip of some kind of JRPG mania thanks to Final Fantasy IX, Legend of Dragoon, and others of that ilk. Naturally I took to the notion of a massively multiplayer Final Fantasy game like a Black Mage to a comically oversized hat. I was a devout player of FFXI for a couple of years after that, before all of my FFXI-playing friends decided to jump ship to some uppity little newcomer called World of Warcraft, and I've had an on-again, off-again (mostly the latter) relationship with FFXI ever since.
Camelot Unchained reveals final Kickstarter reward tiers
Have you ever heard of Poe's law? It originally applied to parodies of fundamentalist behavior, stating that it's impossible to create a parody of fundamentalism that someone won't mistake for the real thing. Sometimes, though, the law finds applications elsewhere, such as in Camelot Unchained's suspiciously timed unveiling of its final Kickstarter reward tiers. We're pretty certain that these are legitimate; after all, there's plenty of room for absurdity in rewards that only a small fraction of people will ever pay for. But some of these are so out there that we wouldn't be at all surprised if Mark Jacobs popped out of our computer screens and yelled, "April Fools!" Many of the rewards seem innocent enough, sure: Up to 50 particularly spendy players can drop a thousand bucks in exchange for the opportunity to work with the dev team to design their own custom-built house, for instance. But that same thousand bucks could also be used for the ability to "name a liquid substance" in Camelot Unchained, which is probably one of the more bizarre rewards we've seen in recent times, especially considering the exorbitant amount of money required. And if you're the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or some kind of oil sheikh, pledging a whopping $10,000 (yes, ten thousand bucks) will net you a three-day visit to the studios of City State Entertainment, on the final day of which you'll "get to say the magical words 'AOT DEKCUS' (protip: read that backwards) and throw your choice of fruit pies at Mark Jacobs." If that's not sufficiently surreal for you, then you might be living in an Dali painting. Either way, the full list of rewards can be found on the official Camelot Unchained site.
PAX East 2013: A second hands-on with WildStar's Draken Stalker
Everyone at the completely fictional Massively office seems to have some kind of schoolgirl crush on Carbine Studios' quirky upcoming sci-fi title WildStar, and I can understand why. The setting is fresh, melding some aspects of our favorite sci-fi properties (cough Firefly cough) with a a healthy dose of fantasy and a not insignificant amount of witty comedy, and the list of features the game boasts is rather extensive. I mean, did you even see that housing trailer? Holy wow, guys. In spite of all of that, though, I was still a little cautious about giving in to the hype. After all, I'm sure there's not an MMO fan in existence who hasn't gotten super excited about a game and become a devoted fanboy only to have his hopes and expectations shattered when the game didn't live up to the hype. So I let myself be excited, but reservedly so, until I could get my hands on the game for myself to complement Eliot's earlier PAX hands-on with the game. As it so happens, on the last day of PAX East, I got to do just that. Though it was only a short 25-minute demo (thank goodness -- otherwise the lines would have circled the convention center), I think I was able to get a pretty solid idea of what we can expect from WildStar, and let me tell you right now, we can expect some great things.
Trion Worlds' Victoria Voss talks ArcheAge
There's been quite the hubbub surrounding Trion Worlds' taking up the mantle as the Western publisher of Korean sandbox title ArcheAge, largely because many fans were doubtful that the game would even make its way to the western hemisphere at all. Now that we know that we're going to be able to get our hands on the title courtesy of Trion, a new set of questions have been raised. How will Trion be handling the game's localization? Will the game be receiving extensive westernization, or will we be getting the game as-is? Thankfully, some of those questions now have answers. In an interview with MMOCulture, Trion Worlds' Senior Producer for ArcheAge, Victoria Voss, answered a few questions on the upcoming western version of the hotly anticipated sandbox title. In the interview, Voss reveals that Trion is in constant communication with ArcheAge developer XLGAMES in regard to the localization process, noting that Trion has discovered that "XLGAMES had many of the same thoughts [on localization] as [Trion], so many of the changes will be game-wide, not just for the west," though Trion is also "working with XLGAMES on some western-specific changes, such as character creation options, which [western] players are expecting." And of course, in the ultimate tease, Voss reveals that there is an internal ETA for the game's closed beta test, but Trion isn't quite ready to announce the specifics. For now, though, try to satiate your cravings by clicking through the link below to check out the full interview. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
PAX 2013: Hands-on with Smashmuck Champions
MOBAs are all the rage these days, with dozens of the things cropping up like weeds in my neglected back yard. As a result, it can be hard for me to pay attention to all of them, and with new ones being announced on what seems like a monthly basis, it's hard to figure out which ones are worth keeping an eye on and which ones can be safely relegated to the realm of ignorance, so as a result I tend to just shrug and say, "Oh, another MOBA," and carry on with my life. But then came Smashmuck Champions. The bizarrely named game was probably my surprise hit of this year's PAX East convention, largely because I had absolutely no expectations when I walked up to the booth. "Another MOBA," I figured, "that's going to play the exact same as every other one (and that I'm going to suck at, also just like every other one)." Yawn. Man, was I wrong (about the first bit, anyway). Kiz Studios, the studio behind this new entry into the multiplayer online battle arena... well, arena, has taken the tower-attacking, top-mid-bottom-ganking, minion-farming genre made famous by games such as DotA and League of Legends and turned it on its head. Sure, the general MOBA feel is still there, but it's definitely not like any MOBA I've seen before. But as we all know, "different" doesn't necessarily equate to "good," so why don't you click past the cut and find out whether Smashmuck Champions is worth your time?
PAX 2013: Hands-on with Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a brand-spankin'-new online collectible card game from Blizzard, announced just yesterday here at PAX East 2013. And since I love you guys soooo much, I took the time to stand in line to take a look for myself. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that I flock to CCGs like a moth to flame. No sirree. Of course, this isn't your traditional MMO, so it's difficult to write a traditional review, especially considering I was able to play only a single match (which I won by a landslide, thank you very much), so instead I'm just going to give y'all a rundown of how the game plays and let you draw your own conclusions. Shuffle your cards, cut your decks, and read on for the skinny on Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.
PAX East 2013: Hands-on with City of Steam
I don't know what it is about steam engines, brass goggles, and copious amounts of clockwork mechanisms that excites me so much, but the steampunk genre has a special place in my heart. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that when I discovered that Mechanist Games, the studio behind upcoming F2P browser MMO City of Steam, was going to be at PAX East, I immediately claimed the assignment. For the uninitiated, City of Steam is a title that mixes the traditional fantasy flavors of magic, elves, and goblins with steampunk staples of industrialism, clockwork automatons, and airships to create what is described as "industrial age fantasy in a fallen world." During my time at PAX East, I got to spend just under an hour exploring the world of City of Steam and chatting with the game's developers who were milling about the booth. It's a fairly ambitious title that's aiming to bring a high-quality, modern MMO experience to players' browsers, but will it run like clockwork or go up in a cloud of steam?