Richie Procopio
Articles by Richie Procopio
Massively's BlizzCon 2013 liveblog: Opening ceremony and WoW presentation
BlizzCon 2013 is now underway, and we're expecting big news from the folks at Blizzard, like more details on the Diablo III Reaper of Souls expansion. There's also the first ever Innkeeper's Invitational for Hearthstone, the white-knuckle gameplay of the StarCraft 2 tournaments, and the Hollywood insanity of the upcoming World of Warcraft movie. Most MMO gamers, however, are anxiously waiting to hear about World of Warcraft's fifth expansion. Is it happening? Whom are we fighting? Where are we going? Are there any new classes and races? If you want to be among the first to know but didn't snag a ticket, real or virtual, then join us in the comments below as we blog about all the juiciest news -- live! And don't forget that the opening ceremonies are being streamed for free!
Super Adventure Box is returning to Guild Wars 2 and we've got the LEGOs to prove it
If you're a parent and a Guild Wars 2 fan, then you have multiple things to celebrate in September. Not only will your rugrats be returning to school, but the Super Adventure Box is coming back to Tyria! Players will be able to explore World 2 for the first time and challenge themselves in the soul-crushingly difficult Tribulation Mode. ArenaNet sent us a LEGO BRICKSTORMS kit to get us ready for the return of this 8-bit world, and I enlisted the help of my son Logan to assist with the assembly. Click past the break to witness our construction project!
Guild Wars 2's first birthday by the numbers: 3.5M sold, 460K peak concurrent
Today Guild Wars 2 celebrates the first anniversary of its official launch day. On the one hand, it's hard to believe it's been a year already. On the other hand, the game has seen so many changes and content updates that my adventures in Tyria today don't resemble what they were like this time last year. According to the anniversary blog post just released by ArenaNet's president, Mike O'Brien, my experience is exactly what the team is aiming for: "I think the real mark of a success of an online world is how that world grows and evolves, and the extent to which players can take the world and make it their own," he writes. In addition to the blog post, ArenaNet has released a fancy infographic, announced a special anniversary bash, and answered a few of our questions via press conference. Read on!
Massively does Geek Week: The top 10 most epic encounters in Guild Wars 2
As MMO players, we know all about being geeks; we're the geekiest video gamers around! Join in the fun today as we celebrate Google's Geek Week with a series of MMO-flavored videos to introduce fellow geeks to our favorite games: Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, The Secret World, and more! Guild Wars 2 is gorgeous. It's as simple as that. Even as it approaches the first anniversary of its launch, we still find ourselves gawking at the painterly landscapes and impressive character models. Lush environments, enormous world bosses, and breathtaking vistas are all accented by an emotionally gripping soundtrack in an immersive experience. To illustrate this, we've compiled a top 10 list of the most epic encounters in Guild Wars 2 based on its environments, animations, and sound design. Temporary content was off the table (with one big exception), so some fan favorites like Super Adventure Box, Molten Weapon Facility, and the Wintersday festivities weren't included. Enjoy our take on the most epic encounters in GW2 in celebration of Geek Week!
Massively's Guild Wars 2 Cutthroat Politics patch preview
ArenaNet's next patch for Guild Wars 2, titled Cutthroat Politics, will allow players directly affect the living story by giving them the ability to vote in an important election. During the Dragon Bash storyline, Theo Ashford was murdered, causing a vacancy on Lion Arch's prestigious Captain's Council. Two candidates have stepped forward, Ellen Kiel and Evon Gnashblade, and players will cast votes using support tokens to decide the winner. While choosing which NPC will become a more prominent figure in the game is a nice twist, apparently there is more at stake. The winner of the election will express his or her gratitude by reducing the cost of certain goods and services, bringing back various minigames, and even sponsoring Mist research so players can re-live one of two historical events. This Cutthroat Politics game update goes live on July 23 and is full of new events, rewards, and features, so check out the preview video after the cut to hear me dissect all of the details. We've also got a screenshot gallery to accompany the official site release!%Gallery-193932%
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 Bazaar of the Four Winds patch primer
In continuing with its two-week content release cadence, ArenaNet is set to launch the Bazaar of the Four Winds patch today in Guild Wars 2. Yesterday, we teased the new features, but today I want to talk more in-depth about my experiences during the preview event this past weekend. The Bazaar of the Four Winds features a ridiculously beautiful zone called the Labyrinthine Cliffs, where players can trade wares with some unusual and shady vendors. The Zephyrites have docked their floating airship, the Zephyr Sanctum, and seek terrestrial supplies from the land-dwelling inhabitants. Sun, moon, and lightning adepts are scattered around the new area and are eager to teach players special movement powers, which are locked inside sky crystals. These movement skills will allow players to reach special areas in a vertical scavenger hunt and compete with each other in a race called the Sanctum Sprint.
Massively's video preview of Guild Wars 2's Bazaar of the Four Winds
The Bazaar of the Four Winds content update for Guild Wars 2 will hit live servers tomorrow, and players will have a plethora of new activities and areas to explore. In addition to wandering through a new area called the Labyrinthine Cliffs, the denizens of Tyria can engage in a competitive obstacle course race, the aptly named Belcher's Bluff drinking game, a crystalline scavenger hunt, and Skyhammer, an asura-themed PvP map. The achievement system is also undergoing a major overhaul with a flashy new UI and a brand-spanking-new reward system, which will shower gifts upon the game's most dedicated players. Take a hop past the cut to witness all of the changes in our video preview of the Bazaar of the Four Winds.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Revamping rewards in Guild Wars 2
ArenaNet has improved the reward systems in Guild Wars 2 this year by adding new features such as world vs. world skill trees, laurel and guild merit vendors, and better loot for world boss encounters. However, many players still feel that there should be more tangible incentives urging them to log in each day and engage in the content that they enjoy. Fortunately, Colin Johanson agrees and has taken to the forums several times to tease an upcoming reward revamp for all areas of the game. This redesign involves adding rewards for hitting certain thresholds of achievement points, creating more uses for blue and green items, and making fighting champion-level creatures more worthwhile. This month, we should expect to hear more about ArenaNet's plans for the second half of 2013, akin to the road map laid out back in January. While we wait for the official word, check out the video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles for some loot-themed speculation.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The history of weapon and armor skins in Guild Wars 2
The Sky Pirates of Tyria game update for Guild Wars 2 launches today, and if you haven't checked out our video preview, there's no time like the present to catch up. Along with a smattering of in-game activities for players to experience, ArenaNet has added three new armor skins to the gem store. The Aetherblade armor sets will be the first light, medium, and heavy skins to hit the gem store since the game's launch last August, and unlike town clothing, these steampunk-themed items can be worn in combat. Many fans will also appreciate that this new gear is available for direct purchase and not offered as a rare drop from a gambling chest. Guild Wars 2 players realize that ArenaNet needs the financial support of its gem store to sustain the game for years to come. But there has been a rash of negative feedback lately whenever a new weapon skin is offered as a rare drop from a gem store purchase. Whether we like it or not, however, randomizing the contents of a product has been proven to increase profits since the days of baseball cards. In this week's video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles, I dissect the weapon and armor skin offerings in Guild Wars 2 since launch and analyze the various methods ArenaNet has used to distribute them. Have the gem store weapons been distributed most often through random loot boxes, direct purchases, or through in-game activities? Let's investigate.
Massively's video preview of Guild Wars 2's Sky Pirates of Tyria Patch [Updated]
It's a new week, and that must mean we're ready for new content in Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet continues to pump out content quicker than a long-tailed Charr in a room full of rocking chairs, and tomorrow players will experience the Sky Pirates of Tyria game update. The main feature of this patch is the new five-player dungeon, Aetherblade Retreat. This limited-time dungeon pits players against the lightning-wielding aerial pirates known as the Aetherblades. Two unique boss encounters await players to test their skills, and new rewards, such as an infinite tonic recipe and a monocle, can be earned by those who succeed. The third Guild Wars 2 novel, Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee, also releases tomorrow; players can partake in an in-game scavenger hunt that ties into important locations from the book. Finding the 12 marriners' plaques scattered around Lion's Arch (and Orr) won't be easy, but players tenacious enough to uncover them all will be rewarded with a consumable worth five skill points. There are many other exciting additions going into this patch, so check out the video preview past the cut for more details. (Minor spoiler warning to anyone who hasn't yet done the effigy lighting ceremony and subsequent investigation yet.) [Update]: In the video, I mention killing Horrik first during the end boss fight of the Aetherblade Retreat dungeon. It should have said kill Mai Trin first as that is the correct tactic. My apologies!
Guild Wars 2 novel Sea of Sorrows releases on June 25
Tyrian lore fanatics have reasons to be excited as the third Guild Wars 2 novel is set to release on June 25th. Sea of Sorrows is written by none other than ArenaNet's Narrative Designer, Ree Soesbee, and takes place roughly 150 years before the events in the game. This time period lines up with the rising of Orr from the murky depths along with the elder dragon, Zhaitan, and his hordes of undead risen. Readers will get to experience how this cataclysmic event shaped the lives of many Tyrians and led to the destruction and rebuilding of Lion's Arch. The novel follows the life of a young sailor named Cobiah Marriner, who heads for the sea when his life in Lion's Arch takes a tragic turn. Cobiah's grandson is the current commodore of Lion's Arch, but other Easter eggs have been recently added to the game as well. A new statue of Cobiah has been added to Lion's Arch with an engraved book on it. Marriner's plaques have been scattered around the city for an unannounced upcoming activity, and ArenaNet has told us to expect more references and living story updates that will directly tie into the events in the book. Are you going to be picking up Sea of Sorrows next Tuesday? Let us know if you've got the sea legs for it in the comments below!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Raiding in Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 has been criticized in the past for not having having much PvE content for guilds and large groups of players. Several months ago, guild missions were added and helped fill that gap, but apparently we have more to look forward to. ArenaNet's Chris Whiteside was chatting with players in the game and was asked whether or not we'd ever see raiding in Guild Wars 2. His reply was, "Our answer to raiding may very well be in the works! It is something I am very excited about and will be unique to GW2." What could this mean for Guild Wars 2 and its players? What kind of unique spin could ArenaNet put on raiding? Let's dive into those questions after the break in a video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Temporary content in Guild Wars 2
Dragon Bash hits Guild Wars 2 today, and if you haven't yet checked out our video preview of the festivities, what are you waiting for? Dragon Bash is a holiday event, so much of what we'll be seeing in this update will be temporary content. These limited-time events have been the subject of much conversation in the community of late and, consequently, they're the topic of today's video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles. Let's get to it!
Video preview of Guild War 2's Dragon Bash Festival
ArenaNet's content train for Guild Wars 2 continues to chug along at full speed, and the next stop is the Dragon Bash festival. Unlike the Dragon Festival of the original Guild Wars, this festival won't find anyone revering dragons. The Elder Dragons put a kibosh on any warm sentiments that the humanoids of Tyria might have had for them in the past. Dragon Bash is all about unifying the races in celebration during these dark and terrifying times by distracting them with fireworks, gambling, and candy-filled dragon piñatas! The celebrations officially kick off tomorrow, but we have a video preview of the Dragon Bash celebrations to whet your appetite.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2
Last week, the Last Stand at Southsun game update hit Guild Wars 2, and players were urged to infiltrate Canach's Lair to curtail the villainous Sylvari's latest scheme. While there may not be an official patch today, ArenaNet has offered up a guide previewing some new content that will be made available today. Players bested the Ancient Karka during the November Lost Shores event, and now the Crazed Karka Queen has emerged to exact her sweet revenge. Unlike most of the Living Story content, however, this crabby boss encounter (and the event chains that accompany it) are permanent additions to the game. If you're a fan of world boss encounters, map-wide event chains, and vendors with new loot, then you'll want to check out the special video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles after the cut.
ZeniMax's Paul Sage on The Elder Scrolls Online's endgame, PvP, and crafting
During my hands-on play session with The Elder Scrolls Online at the media event last week, I got a glimpse of the early game experience, and it was delicious. But most MMOs are judged on what awaits players at the max-level endgame, so I sat down with ZeniMax Online Studios creative director Paul Sage to ask about those areas of the game that I didn't get to see. Specifically, I asked Sage to describe ZeniMax's strategy for keeping players occupied once they hit the level cap at 50. His reply included four main activities: questing in enemy alliance zones, four-player dungeons, adventure zones, and the PvP alliance war in Cyrodiil. Read on for all of the details I gleaned from the interview!
Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online
"Turn on your monitors, and for the next four hours, enjoy your hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online." Last week, that tantalizing phrase kicked off my visit to ZeniMax Online Studios, but those words must have also conjured some ancient time-bending ritual because those 240 minutes flew by in an instant. The first thing I did was create a character belonging to the Daggerfall Covenant, which means I was allowed to choose from the Breton, Orc, and Redguard races. There are two other alliances (Aldmeri Dominion and Ebonheart Pact) and six other races that weren't available for this preview (and the Imperials are NPCs). I had to buck my tendency to spend copious amounts of time customizing the minute details of my character in favor of actually getting to the gameplay. I did, however, take a look at some randomly generated characters of the three available races, and the models looked superb.