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World of Tanks rolling toward retail
The retail box hasn't quite succumbed to the digital download onslaught, at least if World of Tanks and Wargaming.net have anything to say in the matter. Yes, fans of clutter and old-school box collecting rejoice, as WoT is on its way to a game store near you thanks to a new partnership with Interactive Gaming Software. The World War II-based tank MMO will be available at retail for $19.99, and Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi hopes that the new deal will result in increased exposure around the globe. "We're extremely proud to say that our headliner will finally appear in stores," Kislyi said via press release. "[We] hope that [IGS'] tremendous expertise in distributing retail production will help in bringing the popularity of World of Tanks to a completely new level." World of Tanks is a free-to-play action MMO that launched last April. The game features squad-based tank combat, traditional MMO progression, and a strategic territorial meta-game based on a large-scale map of World War II-era Europe.
E3 2011: New Dark Millennium Online teaser sighted in the wild
The first E3 tidbit on THQ's Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online is officially loose on the interwebs, and it takes the form of a short teaser video. When we say short, we mean short (as in, less than a minute in length -- 10 seconds of which are given over to company logos). Since the footage is heavily stylized, it's hard to tell exactly what is gameplay and what is cinematic. In any event, it all looks pretty cool, and fans looking forward to Vigil's take on the dark and dystopian far-future setting will be left wanting a bit more. The video also plays it coy when it comes to WAR40K's release date, opting for a cryptic "coming soon" tag when all the pyrotechnics have died down. Have a look after the cut and let us know what you think. [Thanks to Alluvian for the tip!] Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 6-9, bringing you all the best news from E3 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
World of Tanks coming to real-world Tankfest event
It's not often that an MMO intersects with history, and it's even rarer when it does so with enough authenticity to merit inclusion in real-world historical celebrations. World of Tanks has done just that, and thanks to a new press release from Wargaming.net, we've got word that the dev team will be participating in Tankfest 2011, an annual military history event. Tankfest takes place at the Bovington Tank Museum in Britain on June 25th and 26th, and Wargaming.net will be on hand to demonstrate "one of the largest virtual examples of WWII-era steel armor." World of Tanks officially launched on April 12th after an extensive beta period, and the game recently released new maps and the meta Ultimate Conquest mode.
Rumor: TERA Korean servers merging [Updated]
Bluehole Studio's TERA action MMORPG is gearing up for its second round of Korean server merges since launch according to a blurb at MMO Culture. The fantasy title, which is currently being prepared for a North American release by En Masse Entertainment, is scheduled to trim its list of 35 shards to 15 this week. Despite more upbeat news of fresh content in the offing, the merges come amid reports of lower-than-expected financial performance according to publisher NHN Korea. TERA launched in Korea last February and is gearing up for a Japanese beta on July 1st. No North American or European beta dates have been announced. [Update]: TERA's main Korean website does provide both official confirmation of server merges as well as time projections.
Frogster hints at expansive new TERA update
TERA's Korean client is getting a big update, and the game's European publisher has issued a press release that details quite a few changes coming to the action fantasy MMORPG. Frogster's press release doesn't mention a date, nor does it mention why the EU publisher is reporting on the Korean client of a title that has yet to launch in Europe (nor why En Masse, the North American publisher, is silent). In terms of the update itself, it boasts a level cap increase from 50 to 58, 10 new zones, a large new city, and four new dungeons. Guildmasters may declare war on opposing guilds and ignite no-holds barred conflicts that last for seven days, and there's also an interesting new skill customization feature that allows players to choose which abilities to connect via combos. You can learn more about TERA at the game's official website.
First Impressions: Elsword Online
Last time we checked in on Elsword Online, we found a fun, little, over-the-top, side-scrolling, action-based MMO. (That's a mouthful.) It provided a good amount of challenge but was never too hard, and the freeze-frame finishing moves were... well, neat. I've just used a series of words that do not really describe to you how fun the game is, but like most fluffy arcade romps, it really just needs to be experienced. It was nice to go back and check in on the game after its official release, but I didn't find much difference. Sure, the cash shop is now open (will explain that later), and yes, there are actual players around now, but it's still basically a cute little tear-'em-up that will probably make millions. If you like this kind of game, you'll love Elsword Online. Click past the cut to read more.
Secret World impressions video shows glimpses of new footage
Game Reactor has just released a new preview video for Funcom's horror-conspiracy opus known as The Secret World. Petter Martensson and Bengt Lemne have a lot to say about the title in an impressions piece that runs just north of 10 minutes in length. Lemne talks about his experiences viewing the game at GDC, and we get to see a few glimpses of new footage from Kingsmouth and other locations throughout the world. The duo also talks about Funcom's much-publicized focus on story, with Lemne ultimately concluding that whether TSW is story-centered or not will be up to the players. "You can go and do all this [the story elements], and I think you can have a lot of fun if you do it in a group... but I think that the day the game is released, you're going to find guys that know how to do all these things, how to find these things, how to do it the fastest," he explains. Lemne also posits that earning skill credits will be the primary motivating factor for players (as opposed to Funcom's stated aim to have the narrative drive gameplay). Endgame is also a concern, as eventually the story content will dry up, and the plan seems to be to funnel players toward TSW's PvP elements. There's more, including discussion of PvP modes and the game's "overwhelming" skill options (as well as the resulting balance issues). Check out the full video at Game Reactor.
TERA producer: Getting to endgame doesn't take a lot of time
Episode three of the official TERA podcast is a wrap, and community director Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical sits down with En Masse producers Brian Knox and Chris Hager to talk voice acting, E3 2011, and the recently concluded community play event. There's also a few interesting blurbs related to TERA's endgame, both in terms of reaching it and what it entails. Hager discusses the challenges of recording "greet and goodbye" dialogue snippets for quest-givers as well as more involved cinematic presentations that will occur throughout the TERA progression experience. Knox jumps right to fan concerns about TERA's leveling curve, saying that it doesn't have much in common with your typical grindfest. "We're putting a lot of focus on adding more content to the endgame and making sure there's lots to do at max level. Getting to max level in TERA, it doesn't take a lot of time. We've made sure that progress is fast and efficient," Knox explains. So what is there to do at endgame? Knox says that dungeons and boss fights will play a significant role, and En Masse will be tweaking the difficulty levels to continually challenge players.
Games Campus announces new upcoming game, Scarlet Legacy
Action-based gameplay in an MMO once sounded like a bad joke, but these days more and more games are adopting a more active set of mechanics. Scarlet Legacy, the upcoming game just announced by Games Campus, is billing itself not just as an action-based MMO but the action-based MMO, supposedly featuring a control system to make controlling the flow of actions fluid and engaging. While that might not be everyone's cup of tea, players who are lukewarm or neutral to the idea of active gameplay can probably still get behind the idea of large-scale PvP contests or an overarching game storyline. And the game certainly sports the latter, with characters embarking on quests in hopes of ultimately saving the eponymous Princess Scarlet. Scarlet Legacy is currently set for release this summer, but if it sounds like your cup of tea, check out the gallery below or the teaser trailer just past the break. %Gallery-122504%
First Impressions: Gunshine
Gunshine is a good example of a game that will probably be lumped into the "Facebook game" category. I bring this up only because the game uses Facebook as a vehicle for its content, yet it also takes advantage of some of the social aspects of the network. The truth is that it launches in its own window, so really it's as much of a "Facebook game" as Free Realms is. Many MMORPGs of all shapes and sizes use Facebook's social tools occasionally at the same level that Gunshine does. So let's be clear: There is no farming or coin-clicking in Gunshine. It is simply a top-down shooter, and a cute one at that. While I soloed most of the time in the game, I was aided by the occasional extra player or rented NPC mercenary. What I found was a game that has a lot of potential, makes great use of Flash, and is a good amount of fun. But I found plenty of issues as well. Join me past the cut and I'll tell you about it.
Perfect World releases RaiderZ trailer, promises monster slaughter
Perfect World Entertainment just released a teaser page and trailer for its upcoming action MMO RaiderZ. We won't be getting a true taste of the gameplay until E3, but the trailer shows off some of the fast-paced action that is promised to change the entire world of monster hunting. We weren't aware that there was a world of monster hunting, but it had better be ready to be rocked. In the trailer we get to see different characters battling with all types of unusual, enormous critters that look like they would be a handful for any warrior. The website and trailer indicate the need for grouping with others, so gather some friends and click past the cut to check out the trailer! Now get out there -- those monsters won't hunt themselves!
World of Tanks rolls on to release day
How's about we strap ourselves inside 60 tons of steel, form up with a company of like-minded comrades, and steam-roll those unfortunate chaps rolling along in the enemy tank brigade on the other side of the map? If you answered hooaahh, World of Tanks is probably an MMO that you'll want to check out (and even if you didn't, the game is free-to-play, so you've got nothing to lose). So grab your buddies, your extra ammo, and a cup of that engine degreaser that passes for coffee and avail yourself of video tutorials, interviews with Victor Kislyi, and clan wars discussions -- all courtesy of the best World of Tanks coverage on the web. That's right, release day for Wargaming.net's action/strategy MMO is finally here, and Massively's got your mission-critical intel briefing just after the cut.
World of Tanks beta statistics announced
The devs at Wargaming.net aren't shy about sharing player statistics, and why would they be when the studio's flagship World of Tanks title is cranking out some pretty impressive numbers. In a press release dated this morning, the company said that approximately 700,000 tank drivers took part in the year-long beta testing throughout Europe and North America, and those 700,000 players participated in 5.6 million battles. More than 115 million virtual tanks were bombed into oblivion courtesy of 1.7 billion shells, and World of Tanks surpassed 25,000 peak concurrent users. Closed beta testers (registered by 0:00 UTC 27/01/2011) with 1000 or more battles under their belt will be rewarded with an M4A2E4 tank to acknowledge their contribution to the game's development. World of Tanks is officially releasing on April 12th, and Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi is advising players to get their real-life affairs in order. "You still have a couple of days to spend with your friends and families before the war breaks out, so spend it the right way," Kislyi says.
Divine Souls launches today
Divine Souls has been in the works for a while; we first previewed the title way back in March of 2010. Since then, the team at Outspark has been hard at work polishing, tweaking, and updating the free-to-play action MMO, and today gamers around the globe get to see the results. Yep, it's launch day, and very soon you'll be able to indulge in the game's detailed visuals and arcade-style fighting game functionality (including complex air- and ground-based combos). Divine Souls also boasts Xbox and PlayStation controller support and is designed to run on a huge variety of hardware configurations. The game also features a small downloadable client to get you up, running, and into the action quickly. Choose from one of three classes (Mage, Slasher, or Fighter), check out the trailer after the cut, and look for our Divine Souls first impressions later this week.
TERA's Chris Lee on making a Korean MMO into an American hit
The recent announcement regarding a mind-meld between En Masse Entertainment and Atari for the purposes of bringing Bluehole Studio's TERA to North America has generated a fair bit of industry buzz. Not only does it indicate an impending release date (though En Masse remains coy about anything other than a "2011" date), but it also signifies to fans of AAA Asian-themed MMOs that they'll soon have an alternative to Aion and Lineage II. Gamasutra recently chatted up En Masse publishing vice president Chris Lee about the challenges inherent in bringing TERA to the West, and surprisingly, the "westernization" catch-phrase -- and associated deflections -- were nowhere to be found. Lee instead focused on how En Masse has a long road ahead when it comes to turning a Korean MMO into an American hit (regardless of the title's inherent quality). "One of the biggest misconceptions in the business is that a good game will sell itself," Lee says. Lee also spoke to TERA's decision to bypass the free-to-play craze as well as the title's unique combat mechanic, which is "a large departure from traditional MMOs, regardless of region."
GDC 2011: World of Tanks' clan wars showcase player and developer passion
MMO devs rarely play their own games, right? That's the conventional player wisdom, anyway, and it's commonly found on forums, guild chats, and vent channels after a particularly painful nerf. Apparently the devs at Wargaming.net didn't get that memo, though, as our GDC sit-down with Victor Kislyi illustrated. Kislyi is the driving force behind World of Tanks, the World War II-based action MMO currently shattering industry concurrent user records as its Russian beta steamrolls the free-to-play competition. Not only does Kislyi play his own game, but he plays (and discusses) it with such passion that you can't help but root for the scrappy title and the team from Belarus that is bringing it to life. Join us after the cut to see what Kislyi had to say about the upcoming clan wars implementation as well as player politics.
World of Tanks game modes and grouping discussed in fourth tutorial video
Curious about the game modes in Wargaming.net's World of Tanks MMO? Look no further than the ongoing series of video tutorials detailing various aspects of the free-to-play title. The series covers everything from newbie acclimation, to fighting techniques, to progression systems, and today's fourth installment adds grouping and game modes to that list. The default game mode in World of Tanks is called random battle mode, and just like the name suggests, it throws together random players on one of the game's extensive battle maps. Players can opt to join the fray solo, or form up into platoons or companies. Platoons are groups of three players that function as a traditional "pre-made," and, depending on your skill and coordination, vastly improve your chances of walking away from the random battle mode on the winning side. Companies are groups of up to 15 tank drivers that enable a player to enter stand-alone battles against evenly matched companies for practice and profit. Forming platoons and companies requires a premium World of Tanks account, and you can learn more on the game's official site. Don't forget to watch the video after the cut!
The Daily Grind: Are you a keyboard luddite?
So controlling your MMORPG characters with console peripherals is apparently the new hotness. Whether it's because of the brawler-style button mashing of DC Universe Online, the controller-friendliness being programmed into TERA, or the various Kinect-flavored projects in the works, the traditional keyboard/mouse setup is looking anxiously over its shoulder right about now. Where this leaves those players who prefer the gameplay depth and control complexity afforded by the keyboard and mouse is anyone's guess, but there's no doubt that as MMO design is shifting increasingly towards action-heavy lobby games, control schemes are following suit. Today's Daily Grind is all about your comfort level with a console-style controller. Do you like the feel of a gaming peripheral with an MMO? Does it depend on the MMO? Are you a keyboard luddite? 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!
World of Tanks progression detailed in third video tutorial
The video tutorial series for World of Tanks is rolling right along, as Wargaming.net has just released the third installment of its ongoing series. The latest update is called Progress, and it's all about unlocking your tank's potential and acquiring bigger and badder equipment. As each World of Tanks battle comes to a close, the game presents your personal achievements in the form of tanks destroyed, vehicles damaged, and vehicles spotted. These numbers are used to calculate your experience and credit gains, which in turn go toward researching modules and upgrading armor. All tanks have five basic module slots, which are accessed when you click research and select from a list of available upgrades. Advancement takes the form of progressing through research tiers and unlocking new tiers by participating in battles. World of Tanks also features an experience curve for your NPC tank crew. Leveling your crew members up enhances their overall performance, and once they've reached 100% in their basic skills, the advanced skills of repair, firefighting, and camouflage become available. Click past the cut for more details courtesy of the new video.
TERA community play diaries detail character creation
We talked briefly last week about TERA's upcoming community play test, an event designed to give TERA fans the opportunity to see and discuss the game's latest build prior to the start of North American beta activities. As a prelude, En Masse Entertainment community team members Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical and Evan "Scapes" Berman have penned a couple of Community Play Diary blog entries to whet our collective appetite. Mical's In the Beginning piece focuses on character creation and offers a bit of commentary on the new build, new character options, and the author's roleplaying background. There's also a couple of nifty screenshots including one from the new introduction cinematic that shows a freshly created character flying to the Isle of Dawn. Berman's A Labor of Love entry gives us the low-down on the En Masse employee guild as well as a few anecdotes from staffers who spent time grouping and questing together in the new build. Scapes goes into a good bit of detail regarding customization sliders and also notes that he spent 54 minutes perfecting his character's look. You can read both play diaries in full at the official TERA website.
