Mike Foster
Articles by Mike Foster
Neverwinter state of the game talks player feedback and future expansions
Neverwinter fans may want to pop over to the game's official site and read lead producer Andy Velasquez's state of the game post, which outlines challenges faced by the dev team, successes it has seen this year, and hopes it has for the future of the game. Velasquez noted the Shadowmantle expansion as a high point for the game, praising his team for being able to "get it done so quickly while maintaining a high-quality product." Velasquez also explained that it is Cryptic's goal to get future expansions live on the test server earlier in the development process, thus allowing for deeper testing and the collection of more player feedback. According to Velasquez, player feedback is invaluable in helping the Neverwinter team understand which changes to implement. Other small successes were celebrated; Neverwinter has launched a Russian shard and the team is hard at work on the next content update.
World of Warplanes' first update brings planes and also planes
Pilots of World of Warplanes likely noticed that Update 1.1, the game's first content patch, is now live. Update 1.1 brings two battle maps, 14 planes, and new training missions. The new aircraft in update 1.1 include nine German Focke-Wulf warplanes and five tier V premium planes: the UK's Miles M. 20, Russia's Curtiss P-40 M-105, the US's Grumman XF4U-1, and the German Messerschmitt Me 209V. Wargaming.net also noted that it has made improvements to mouse and joystick controls along with a few balance tweaks and other performance adjustments. Players who log in to World of Warplanes between December 23rd, 2013, and January 16, 2013, will receive the exclusive Curtizz Model 68C Hawk III premium aircraft. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Perfect World putting new resources toward console development
Perfect World Entertainment, the mega-publisher behind games like Neverwinter, Torchlight II, RaiderZ, and Star Trek Online, has just announced that it is launching a new in-house division dedicated to console development. According to general manager of publishing Andrew Brown, investing in console development offers Perfect World a way to "better connect with players." The console division will be dedicated to bringing new and existing PWE titles to consoles. Brown seemed optimistic about expanding into the console world, explaining, "You can expect Perfect World to be a major player in the console marketplace." No specific games were named for release. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Pick up MMOs on the cheap in Steam's holiday sale
It's that time of year again, folks -- the time when grandfather Valve slides down the chimney and offers you a huge pile of reasonably priced games. Yes, Steam's holiday sale is now in full effect, bringing with it some nice deals on a few MMO titles. Here's what we've found so far: Guns of Icarus Online - $3.74 (75% off - flash sale!) The Secret World - $14.99 (50% off) The Secret World: Massive Edition - $29.99 (50% off) Darkfall Unholy Wars - $13.58 (66% off) Defiance- $4.99 (50% off) Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition - $15.99 (60% off) EVE Online - $4.98 (75% off) Keep in mind that sales change daily and that some games above do require subscription fees. The Steam holiday sales ends January 2nd, 2014.
Hearthstone open beta pushed into 2014
Despite Blizzard's hope of launching Hearthstone into open beta sometime this month, it appears as though bug-catching, card-tweaking, and fine-tuning have gotten the better of the team. The studio today announced that Hearthstone's open beta has been delayed to ensure the game is "ready for wider testing." According to Blizzard, Hearthstone's open beta is still "very close." Blizzard tempered the bad news with an announcement that it is expanding the closed beta substantially; everyone who opted in before December 16th, 2013, should have received an invite. If you haven't yet opted in, you have until January 7th, 2014, to sign up. No further card data wipes are planned as Hearthstone edges its way to launch.
Strife has entered closed beta
S2 Games has announced that its "second generation free-to-play MOBA," Strife, has officially shifted into closed beta. Fans of the genre will recognize S2 as the studio behind Heroes of Newerth, which itself is among the litany of games cast from the original Defense of the Ancients mold. According to the announcement, Strife is "focused on giving players an environment where they're competing with enemies, not their own teammates." S2 claims that existing MOBA issues like in-team toxicity, fighting over shared resources, and drama over designating roles have all been alleviated through the game's design. Strife's closed beta is not region-specific; invites are going out to players across the globe. The game is set for launch some time in 2014, and beta sign-ups are currently live on its official website. For a closer look, check out our hands-on with the game from August. [Source: S2 Games press release]
DayZ moves 172,000 copies in first 24 hours of early access
The standalone version of Arma II zombie survival mod DayZ, which stealthily went live via Steam's early access program earlier this week, has generated $5.1 million in its first 24 hours of availability. According to Bohemia Interactive's Maruk Spanel, DayZ moved 172,500 copies on launch day and 142,403 players were online at the time of his last update. Creator Dean Hall has been celebrating the successful launch with regular tweets on the game's sales and performance, but he took a moment to remind possible buyers that this version of DayZ is still very much a work in progress: Please do not just buy the game because you heard it was cool. Many streamers are now streaming. Visit this and view the (many) bugs first. Early access to DayZ will run you $29.99.
Choose My Adventure: Against Allods
Last week's Choose My Adventure poll turned out to be something of a landslide. A couple of tweets and forum posts were all it took for gPotato's Allods Online to emerge the very clear winner of a race that included titles like Guild Wars, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, and Defiance. And now, with the winner chosen, it's time to leap into the fray and start smashing things in the face with fireballs or mallets or whatever it is one smashes with in Allods Online. But of course, this is a community activity. I can't simply create a character and start questing. No, dear readers, I need your help in deciding where and how this adventure begins. So let's get it started.
Learn more about WildStar's Engineer with this livestream replay
Carbine Studios recently hosted an hour-long WildStar livestream dedicated to showing off the newly unveiled Engineer class. In the stream, developers Hugh Shelton and Stephan Frost answered a variety of questions about how the Engineer works both in and out of battle. The pair revealed that summoned bots will last until destroyed, that taunts from bots will affect players as well as NPCs, and that Engineers will have loose control over how bots move and react to targets. The full stream also includes a look at some PvP and dungeon content from the Engineer's perspective with commentary from the devs. Check it out after the break.
MechWarrior Online's clan warfare bundles now available for pre-order
MechWarrior Online's implementation of clan warfare is scheduled for Soon TM, and Piranha Games is celebrating by making clan mechs available for pre-order in the form of special bundles. Each bundle includes one or more clan mechs with variants, XP boosts, and other exclusive items. Piranha also unveiled the Gold Khan collection of mechs, which have gold skin and are priced to match at $500 each. Non-gold variants of the mechs will be available for in-game currency at a later date. According to the official collection website, pre-ordering ensures you receive the collection by June 17th. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
The Stream Team: Healing heroics in World of Warcraft
Massively's Mike Foster has finally hit level 90 in World of Warcraft, and thanks to some savvy viewers he also managed to secure a few epic items from the Timeless Isle. This means, of course, that it's time for him to rush blindly into healing heroic dungeons. Can his heals keep up with the damage his foes are dishing out, or will he be doomed to sit in the normal dungeon queue for the rest of eternity? Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST to find out. Game: World of Warcraft Host: Mike Foster Date: Wednesday, December 11th, 2013 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below.
Choose My Adventure: The weather outside is frightful
December is here, which means it's about time to throw some logs on the fire, grab every blanket in the house, and collapse under the mantle in a freezing, sobbing heap. This week's arctic blast has left the United States feeling a lot like Northrend, but for those of us in certain parts of the country it's just the beginning of what's sure to be a long, hellish winter. However cold it may be outside, there's always a warm, toasty inn waiting in our favorite games. MMOs also provide sunny vistas, hot deserts, and steamy swamps, all of which make great places to escape nasty real-life weather. Even when it's cold in an MMO, it's still warm at our desks. In this edition of Choose My Adventure, I'm depending on you to help me hide from the snow that's piling up outside of my window. You don't have to send me somewhere warm, but I'd appreciate it if you send me somewhere fun.
Final Fantasy XI gets a nice juicy patch
Square Enix is pushing live a hefty patch for Final Fantasy XI. The patch, which lands December 11th JST (Japan Standard Time), includes the Records of Eminence system, the addition of new playable monster families and subfamilies, and the implementation of high-tier mission battlefields. Also in the patch: new home points in a variety of locations; a host of modifications to the Summoner, Dragoon, and Beastmaster jobs; new synthesis recipes and items; and a movement speed increase for pets, playable characters, and enemies. Check out the full patch notes for details; there are a lot of changes on deck.
Test drive Neverwinter's Hunter Ranger with an interactive trailer
Neverwinter's Shadowmantle expansion is currently live, and with its release comes (among other things) the addition of the game's newest class. The Hunter Ranger is a ranged/melee damage dealer capable of shifting attack abilities on the fly depending on how close the player feels like getting to the target. For those of you who haven't yet had a chance to create a Hunter Ranger or are curious about what playing as one might be like, Perfect World has released an interactive trailer designed to walk you through the basics. In the trailer you are able to select certain Hunter Ranger spells to see how they play out in the game world. Check out the trailer after the break. [Source: Perfect World press release]
Dota 2's Frostivus celebration is coming
Valve has announced that Dota 2's holiday-themed Frostivus event is on its way, though exact details are still somewhat sparse. The announcement, made via the official Dota 2 website, says only that "Frostivus is coming." The page hints at content to come, including what appear to be new crafting items and some sort of gift exchange in addition to the obligatory event-themed chests. The frosty, snow-covered map of Frostivus 2012 is also likely to return. Fans of Dota 2 will remember that last year's Frostivus event was canceled due to an influx of gift-snatching Greevils. We'll just have to wait and see if the same tragedy befalls this year's festivities.
Developers respond to Riot's streaming restrictions for pro players [Updated]
Riot Games' new contract with professional League of Legends players prevents those players from streaming certain games during the LCS (League Championship Series) season. Banned titles include Dota 2, Hearthstone, Awesomenauts, World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and many, many more. News of the contract broke earlier this week. Since that time, a couple of developers associated with games on the banned list have responded to Riot's rules in letters to website OnGamers, which broke the original story. Here's a clip of the lengthy response from Awesomenauts co-creator Jasper Koning: We are disappointed to see Riot impose restrictions on the spare time of its LOL Championship Series players. It's understandable Riot as a company wants to protect its interests, but the way they're doing it now is decidedly unsportsmanlike, anti-competitive, and it sets a bad precedent. And here's S2's (Heroes of Newerth) Marc DeForest: We view eSports differently - it is a platform for competition, growth, and the collective celebration of video gaming passion. We do not view it as a leveraging tool for anti-competitive and monopolistic practices. S2 Games will continue to support the eSports idea as a whole, not just our own specific interests in it. Riot has confirmed the terms of the contract but has not responded to further updates or fan criticism. [Update: Riot has announced that it is changing LCS players' contracts due in part to community feedback. Under the new rules, players will be able to stream any games they want as long as they are not accepting sponsorship from other studios to promote those titles.]
New video explores EverQuest Next Landmark's world and features
EverQuest Next Landmark is a world-building, voxel-based sandbox that Sony Online Entertainment insists is an actual game. This latest video from SOE helps to prove the point by highlighting some of the dangers to be found in Landmark's world including environmental hazards and monsters. The video also shows off some of Landmark's powerful building tools with time-lapse videos of houses, towers, arches, furniture, and more being built in the game engine. Check out the full video after the break to see Landmark in action, and take a look at MJ's latest Some Assembly Required for a closer look at how Landmark might affect the future of player-generated content.
DayZ alpha will be an actual alpha
Early adopters are in for a rough ride when the standalone version of DayZ first enters Steam's early access program. According to a post made by Dean "Rocket" Hall on the game's official forums, DayZ's initial limited launch will be "a true-blue alpha." Hall noted that because the team is rebuilding "massive areas of the engine," many of DayZ's core features will not be seen for months. Buying early will be a recipe for disappointment. It's a chance for those who want to be part of that whole process. For them, the process is as much a part of the game as the whole experience. For many, this is the opposite of what they want. To enable a smooth launch, we're really targeting it at a core audience who want to get deeply involved in a very barebones experience that is a platform for future development. In other words, it's an alpha. Dean did not provide a release date, so we'll continue to keep this filed under Soon TM.
Blacklight: Retribution launches today for European PS4 consoles
Zombie Studios' free-to-play multiplayer shooter, Blacklight: Retribution, is set for launch on European PlayStation 4 consoles today. The game, which hit North American PS4s as a launch-day beta, does not require a subscription to PlayStation Plus. Blacklight: Retribution originally released in April of 2012, hitting Steam a few months later. Since then, it has become one of the most-played shooters on Valve's digital distribution platform. The game was originally slated to land in Europe with the PS4 but suffered a brief delay.
EVE dev blog explores balancing player load
CCP has posted yet another incredibly detailed and highly technical dev blog over on the official EVE Online community site, this one relating to how the studio balances the player load across the node-based single shard on which New Eden exists. The post begins by explaining that an increase in players with this year's Odyssey expansion led to extreme CPU load in empire space, which in turn created scenarios where EVE's time dilation technology had to kick in even for systems that weren't experiencing some sort of mass fleet battle. The blog walks through how CCP identified the problem and also explains the solution, which basically comes down to rebalancing which systems share nodes by performing multiple splits of the existing universe. If you're an EVE player or love exceptionally granular, detailed breakdowns of the though process behind server-side changes, the full post is worth a read.