fanfest-2012
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DUST 514 handing out first beta keys tomorrow [Updated]
Did you drop your name into CCP Games' hat as a potential tester for DUST 514? Then tomorrow might be a lovely day for you, as the studio is emailing out the first round of closed beta keys for registered participants after a short delay from its original key-handing-out schedule. It is unknown how many keys will be sent out and to whom. Last month, CCP told Fanfest attendees that they would be among the first to test the anticipated MMOFPS. The DUST 514 website states that the studio is sending out Fanfest keys first and keys to standard registered players "soon after." To celebrate the release of the closed beta keys, CCP is holding a "special event" over the weekend. The details of this event are forthcoming. [Update: CCP has confirmed that beta registration has begun today and that EVE players and Fanfest attendees will get first pick.]
CCP reiterates anti-pay-to-win stance for EVE microtransactions
CCP has been pretty quiet on the subject of microtransactions since last summer's monoclegate and the ensuing Jita protests. EVE Online creative director Torfi Frans Olafsson recently spoke up about the trendy new business model, and while he acknowledged that it is popular, he also said that CCP is "very reluctant to do that in EVE because it's so established. It's like changing the DNA of a living organism after it's born. That didn't work in Blade Runner," he tells PC Gamer. Olafsson also repeats the anti-pay-to-win mantra that comes standard in just about every developer interview these days. He says that CCP will sell cosmetic items in EVE, including makeovers for your avatar, ship, and starbase. Given the fact that players will be purchasing weapons and gear in DUST 514 (which will interface directly with EVE's pre-existing economy), we've no doubt it will be interesting to see how CCP maintains that delicate balance. "I think we have to be very careful in introducing such mechanics into EVE. And I personally think that we shouldn't be doing it in the near future," Olafsson says, "because it's such a vulnerable little flower in a vulnerable little ecosystem. You make minor changes to an ecosystem and you can introduce hostile things and the whole system breaks down." Check out the video interview after the cut.
The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition
Oh man, this back and forth between PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 is going to be the death of me. I feel like I'm cheating on one game every time I get excited about the other, but I just can't help it since both titles are drawing a bead on my personal sweet spot. This week's Firing Line is all DUST all the time, thanks to the massive info dump at last weekend's Fanfest 2012 event. I didn't get to go to Iceland for the hands-on, unfortunately, but I did log into PlayStation Home for the keynote livestream (which is archived after the cut in case you missed it). And I'll go ahead and beg your forgiveness for my fanboy breathlessness in advance this week. I've been an EVE Online player for a number of years now, so I'm already enamored of both the DUST universe and CCP's propensity for sandbox mechanics. What I didn't know prior to Fanfest, though, was just how deep the rabbit hole's going to go.
The MMO Report: Horsesteak edition
In tonight's ultra-short MMO Report, Casey complains that Phantasy Star Online 2 will launch for mobile platforms ahead of PC, drools all over the integration of DUST 514 and EVE Online, maintains a weirdly neutral face while discussing Anarchy Online's graphical overhaul, and regales us with an explanation of The Secret World's class-less game mechanics. He ends on a high note with a peek into Uncle Casey's mailbag and some mockery of World of Warcraft players' forum campaign to undo the latest round of Warlock nerfs. No one's ever done that before. All this and some tips on Icelandic cuisine in the video beyond the cut!
The Mittani gets hit with ban and resigns in wake of EVE Online controversy
Alexander "The Mittani" Gianturco has been a fairly notorious figure in EVE Online for years now, but his recent notoriety has been all about some rather untoward remarks from the EVE Online Fanfest. Following harsh remarks in which he advocated finding and harassing a player who had expressed suicidal thoughts, Gianturco issued an official apology for his actions. But that isn't the end of it -- Gianturco has also been hit with a 30-day ban from EVE Online due to actions that violate the game's terms of service. He's also resigned from his position as chairman of the current Council of Stellar Management and forfeited the right to serve on the next CSM. CCP Games has been following the whole issue and has put together an official post detailing what happened at the panel, what went wrong, and what steps will be taken to ensure that this incident is not repeated. According the official response, the format for the panel was entirely wrong and went far beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable for an official event hosted by the company. Offhand remark or no, it looks like a few careless words have caused some major disruptions to the life of EVE Online players.
EVE Online's The Mittani issues formal apology for crossing the line [UPDATED]
Sci-fi MMO EVE Online is famed for being set in a cold, harsh universe where no player is truly safe. The line between griefing and gameplay is more subtle in EVE than in many other MMOs. Activities like scamming or Goonswarm alliance's Ice Interdiction operations could be seen as griefing in other games, but as long as it all stays in-game it's all a legitimate part of EVE's unforgiving sandbox universe and open PvP ruleset. Yesterday we reported that Goonswarm's leader and elected CSM chairman The Mittani mistakenly crossed that all-important line during a drunken presentation at Fanfest 2012. In his talk, he gave out the name of another player and told viewers to "find him" if they wanted to make him kill himself. Today The Mittani landed following his flight home from Fanfest and reportedly was ashamed to read the transcript of what he said during his panel. He issued a full apology via the forum, describing himself as "utterly ashamed and sickened by [his] behavior." "This has been hanging over my head since Thursday when I stumbled away from the Alliance Panel with a vague sense that I had done something horrible," he began. "Then I landed, and saw the article listing my actual quote." He told players, "It's one thing to play a villain in an online roleplaying game, but I am not that character in real life, as anyone who has met me can attest. I went way, way, /way/ past the line on Thursday night." CCP's investigation is still underway, and we'll bring you the results of that investigation as soon as we get them. [UPDATE: This post has been updated as part of an apology for covering the story in a sensationalist manner]
CCP investigates player panel amidst controversy [Updated]
EVE Online's annual Fanfest is an opportunity for players from across the world to share stories of the year's big events, political actions, and epic battles won and lost. Each year, player speakers from the game's biggest and most influential alliances are invited to take part in the Alliance Panel at Fanfest, where they can talk about their organisation and what it's done over the preceding year. GoonSwarm alliance speaker The Mittani gave a talk on some of the year's most memorable alliance activities, from shutting down Ice Mining operations across several regions to scamming people with fake supercapital ship trades. During a Q&A session after the presentation, he said something that has become the focus of a great deal of controversy. Massively got a hold of a copy of this year's Alliance Panel to find out what all the controversy is about. [UPDATE: The Mittani has issued a public apology for his behaviour during the Alliance Panel and has vowed to make all restitution necessary.] [UPDATE: This post has been updated as part of an apology for covering this in a sensationalist manner]
EVE Evolved: New info from Fanfest 2012
The annual EVE Online Fanfest is starting to become a major event in the gaming calendar, thanks to CCP's partnership with Sony and the addition of DUST 514 and World of Darkness talks to the event schedule. This year, CCP flew gaming journalists to the event to give the press hands-on time with DUST and demonstrate the game's impressive realtime integration with EVE Online. Massively, unfortunately, is not permitted to accept such travel stipends, which meant that we couldn't produce in-depth coverage and interviews as we did last year, so instead we've pieced together information from the talks that were streamed to viewers at home. The theme of this year's Fanfest was unmistakably DUST 514 and its integration with EVE Online. Attendees got first-hand experience with DUST 514 and a free pass to enter the beta in April. There was even a live demonstration of the EVE-DUST link during which a battleship delivered an air strike directly into a DUST match in realtime. There were several talks on EVE's upcoming Inferno expansion and its PvP revamp, with details of new modules and gameplay designed to shake up the PvP landscape for the first time in several years. Players report leaving Fanfest this year with a very real sense that CCP is back on track and recovering from the aftermath of Monoclegate. In this week's colossal EVE Evolved, I piece together some of the information from EVE Fanfest 2012 and consider what it means for EVE players.
DUST 514 presented at EVE Fanfest 2012
While Massively isn't at this year's EVE Online Fanfest, those who are in attendance have been treated to a wealth of new information and reveals on upcoming console MMOFPS DUST 514. During the DUST 514 keynote speech, developers demonstrated orbital bombardment of a DUST match by EVE players in realtime. We saw the orbital command center and surface command centers that enable communication between the two games; we also saw the orbital artillery that let DUST players retaliate against players in orbit. Earlier today, during the CCP keynote, the DUST crew revealed some exciting new information based on questions repeatedly asked throughout Fanfest. In addition to PvP matches organised by NPC corporations, there will be co-op PvE survival missions in which players fight off hordes of rogue drones -- living machines with a collective consciousness. The PvE mode will be released in 2012, and there are some exciting plans for expansions scheduled for the year after. 2013 will bring in e-sports and competitive gaming, with gladiator arenas in which players compete in capture the flag, deathmatch and custom game modes. The matches will be a true spectator sport, with live viewing from both the EVE and DUST game client and even betting on matches. Battles on hostile worlds are also due for release in 2013, with tactically different terrain that may require vehicles to get around. CCP confirmed that the highly requested MTACs (mechs) will also be introduced in 2013. DUST is currently in closed beta, with additional waves due to be released in April and June in time for E3. Read on to watch the first incredible trailer for the game in HD.
World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012
Ever since CCP Games merged with White Wolf, it has been developing the World of Darkness MMO. The game is nowhere near complete, and fans worried that last year's heavy layoffs at the Atlanta office had slowed the game's production. We haven't heard much about World of Darkness since then, but today at the EVE Online Fanfest, a few new details were revealed. Attendees were shown some early in-game footage of a city and given a mix of information we already knew and snippets of new information. CCP wants to draw in the largely female World of Darkness fanbase. The game will have a focus on fashion, and CCP will control the theme of that fashion rather than letting players design their own clothes. The game will be based in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, with an initial focus on vampires before the introduction of the other factions. Vampires will use human blood as a currency; it will be the resource they'll compete over, making human cities the central locations they will inhabit. When mages and other character types are released, they will compete for different resources. The game will have a single-shard world, with sandbox territorial warfare for control of cities mirroring EVE Online's nullsec warfare. Developers investigated using real cities for the game but found that "real cities were generally boring." Presenters told fans that the team will "be using stylised versions, but they will be named after real cities." Each city will be lorded over by a player prince, who will under rare circumstances be potentially subjected to permadeath. The world's original vampire clans will be available on release, and CCP confirmed that it won't be using vampire generations as a form of leveling system but instead will be doing something different with it.
EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today
Day two of EVE Online Fanfest 2012 had a lot to offer fans of CCP's sci-fi sandbox. First and foremost was the announcement of Inferno's official launch date and the fact that EVE's latest expansion will roll out to Tranquility on May 22nd. As we told you yesterday, the patch is heavy on PvP tweaks, and everything from faction warfare to a new specialized mercenary marketplace is on the way. The official EVE website also received a ton of updates yesterday, the better to catalogue all of the breaking news direct from Fanfest. Today's docket is equally fascinating, and CCP devs are scheduled to speak about EVE-related game design topics that include war decs, concept art, and growing the game's infrastructure. Also on the menu is a presentation on World of Darkness that we'll be following with great interest. You can follow it too via our EVETV Livestream channel. Be sure to look for our expert analysis of all the Fanfest happenings in this Sunday's EVE Evolved column!
EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th
EVE Online aims to revamp PvP in its upcoming Inferno expansion. In addition to continuing the good work that started with Crucible, Inferno will revamp the wardec system, iterate on faction warfare, and introduce new ships and modules for players to smash to pieces. It sounds like the perfect PvP expansion, and today at the EVE Fanfest, CCP revealed some firm details of exactly what the wardec and faction warfare revamps will entail. A new wardec interface will make wars easier to follow; loopholes like the wardec shield used by EVE University will be closed; and a new mercenary marketplace will be introduced. Faction warfare system ownership will be given more consequences, such as making it impossible for enemy militias to dock in the system. During the EVE Keynote speech today, CCP announced that Inferno will be hitting on May 22nd and that it will be CCP's first ever expansion preceded by a precursor patch. CCP intends to introduce new content with the patch that will prepare the way for the main expansion, but exactly what form that preparation will take has been kept a secret.
CCP shifts gears from DUST to EVE at Fanfest 2012
Day one of EVE Online's 2012 Fanfest is in the books, and it was quite the interesting spectacle from CCP's perch at the top of the world. As expected, yesterday's juicy news centered on DUST 514, and we learned a bit about merc quarters, skills, and objectives. The devs also talked about DUST's battlefield resupply mechanics (which are somewhat unique for a shooter since every bullet, weapon, and vehicle must be produced before it can be airlifted to the front lines). We also got to see the first real footage of EVE/DUST integration courtesy of a live orbital strike coordinated between a ground trooper and a capsuleer. Today looks just as interesting, and the focus will be shifting to EVE as CCP talks up the state of the game's economy, factional warfare, and a variety of other topics. As you're probably aware, you can catch all of this via our dedicated EVETV Livestream channel, and we'll have more info and analysis for you as the weekend rolls on.
The Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream
Welcome back to The Firing Line, shooter fans. I'm still recovering from Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 demo last week (as well as CCP's reveals regarding DUST 514 gameplay footage and impending beta dates). Life goes on, though, and there are plenty of interesting tidbits to talk about with regard to our favorite genre. Won't you join me after the break for a recap?
The Daily Grind: Do exclusive in-game event items annoy you?
I was looking longingly at an ad for EVE Online's Fanfest a few minutes ago. I say longingly because it's a bit late to be booking airfare to Iceland for a couple weeks hence, to say nothing of getting off work. The event seems like a good time, though, and the icing on the cake is the in-game swag that CCP distributes to attendees. Sony Online Entertainment does something similar for its annual Fan Faire shindig, and I remember tons of exclusive items on display in the virtual homes of Star Wars Galaxies fans who made the annual pilgrimages to Las Vegas. It's bad enough that I never made it to Fan Faire, but it was infinitely worse that I wasn't able to get my collection-obsessed paws on rare no-trade paintings and whatnot (yeah, first-world problems, yada yada). What about you, morning crew? Do exclusive in-game event items rub you the wrong way? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
CCP announces EVE Online Fanfest 2012 livestream
We're just over a week away from EVE Online's Fanfest 2012, but unfortunately it isn't always convenient for the game's worldwide fans to take a weekend trip to Reykjavik. The folks at CCP know this, and they've got it all under control. Players who aren't lucky enough to get to attend the event in-person will have the opportunity to be there in (virtual) spirit with thanks to a livestream of the event on EVE TV. CCP's Soundwave, Sunset, and Guard will be providing fans with a continuous stream of coverage of major events, panels, and tournaments, complete with commentary to help viewers navigate the treacherous depths of the Fanfest. Serious fans can opt to shell out 1 PLEX (or its real-world equivalent wherever they may be) for EVE TV HD, which will allow them to stream the entire event in high-definition. That 1 PLEX will also net players an in-game Fanfest 2012 t-shirt and a fancy-schmancy Iteron Mark IV Quafe Ultra Edition industrial ship. More casual players will probably be content with EVE TV Free. While it doesn't include the nifty bonus items and it isn't in HD, it will still provide the same amount of Fanfest coverage as the HD stream. Virtual tickets for access to the stream are on sale now on EVE Online's official site, so if you want to experience the joys of the EVE Online Fanfest from the comfort of your own home, this is your chance. And remember, Massively will have its own stream of the Fanfest right here on the site, so be sure to drop by and spend some time with your fellow spaceship-faring Massively readers.
EVE Fanfest events detailed
Preparations for EVE Online's annual Fanfest are well underway, and CCP has updated its website with a blog entry that gives gamers an idea of what to expect if they're coming to Reykjavik in March. CCP is adjusting its VIP office tour prize package this year. A contest entry will only set you back one PLEX (as opposed to the $1,000 minimum bid in years past). There's also a poker tournament, a silent auction, and a battle of the bands in the offing. What does all this have to do with New Eden, you're asking? Well not much, aside from the opportunity to drink heavily and put a name to a face when it comes to all those capsuleers you've been swindling and killing for the past eight years. Head to the official site for details on all the events and prizes.
CCP launching EVE character names and pictures into space via giant balloon
Well, it's not technically space, but it's as close as you can get without the help of some Russian rocketeers and their flying machines. As a token of gratitude, the Icelandic MMO moguls at CCP will be placing the names and pictures of every currently subscribed player character in EVE Online (as of 23:59 GMT tonight) into a capsule, which will then be sent into near-space via high-altitude balloon. High-altitude balloons cannot actually leave the Earth's atmosphere and enter legit outer-space, but they are capable of traveling hundreds of thousands of feet into the air; high enough to see the curvature of the Earth against the blackness of space. The event will take place during CCP's own Fanfest 2012 in beautiful Reykjavik, Iceland.
CCP announces EVE Fanfest 2012 dates
CCP has just announced its plans for EVE Online's eighth annual Fanfest. The drunken buffoonery celebration will take place March 22nd through March 24th at the shiny new Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavik, Iceland. CCP Tyr has posted the details on EVE's official website, and there's a loose itinerary that includes a poker tournament, a battle of the bands, chessboxing, and hey, there might even be some EVE- and Dust 514-related presentations and assorted tomfoolery if things go according to plan. Tyr says that further info -- including flight, accomodation, and access pass availability -- will be forthcoming as the event draws closer.
