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NCsoft announces formation of NC West
Update: 'Minor reductions' have been reported at NC Austin: Tabula Rasa is once again confirmed as secure.Update 2: David Reid has told Kotaku.com that NCsoft will now be focusing on triple-A MMO titles, and moving away from lighter ones. Creating several online games for PS3 with Sony will also be important.In the midst of intense speculation and rumor, NCsoft today announced that it will be merging several subsidiaries under a unified banner, with a headquarters to be sited in Seattle. According to the press release, 'NCsoft's existing subsidiaries NC Interactive, NC Europe, NC Austin, and ArenaNet will be led as a unified organization under NC West with a dedicated focus towards becoming the world's premier western publisher of MMOs.' This throws new light on reports of job losses at NC Europe, and indeed gives a greater clarity to the recent events at NC Austin. The job losses at NC Europe are not yet tallied, with reports varying from 50 to 70 employees, but we can confirm, with great personal sadness, that Stephen 'Rockjaw' Reid is one of those affected. Rockjaw was the Creative Concepts manager at NC Europe, well regarded by the community, and the driving force behind many successful events, not to mention putting in sterling work for Draw the World Together.
Guild Wars players get two new companions
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, a new hero was to emerge on the Guild Wars scene for players who either bought the new Guild Wars Trilogy set or already had all three GW campaigns on their active account. Well, the time has arrived and M.O.X. the golem is ready for action! His primary profession is Dervish, and he is touted as being the largest hero in the game. Not only that, but in true Dervish fashion, he can change into five different forms. As most other heroes, M.O.X. needs a quest to unlock him, and he can be found just outside the port cities of Lion's Arch, Kaineng Center and Kamadan.In addition to M.O.X., we're also surprised with another NPC companion. The Fire Imp is considered your very own leveling buddy which is available only to players below level 20. He can only join you for 60 minutes at a time, and has certain other restrictions to make him more of a special sidekick than a constant companion. You can check out the website for more detailed information on acquiring these special allies, including the lore-riffic backstory on M.O.X. and a video of one of his Dervish form transformations.
Guild Wars 2 lore to be told in book series
At the Penny Arcade Expo yesterday afternoon, ArenaNet played host to a jam-packed Raven Theater within the Washington Convention Center for their panel entitled "Three Years of Guild Wars" where attendees were treated to the history of the game and an open Q&A session regarding the current and future state of the game.Yet possibly even more exciting was a small tidbit of news we got from Chris Lye, ArenaNet's Director of Marketing, regarding Guild Wars 2. The team is working with Pocket Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) for a three-book series that will fill in the lore gaps within the 250-year period between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. Stay tuned to Massively for more on this series and any other Guild Wars 2 news we may uncover.
PAX08: Day two impressions
The second, and arguably largest day of PAX 2008 is behind us, and we thought we'd get you up to speed on our ongoing expo impressions. Saturday was packed with some exciting panels from the MMO developer community, such as one accurately called "NCsoft is kicking @r$e at PAX!" This panel was all about the many games published and developed by NCsoft, including the much-anticipated Aion, new exclusive info for the City of Heroes franchise and more chances for players to get their DNA into space with Tabula Rasa's Operation Immortality.Later in the day there was an exclusive showing of Warhammer Online in a more "closed" setting where Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman showcased the features of the game. Then there was an ArenaNet panel that ended up being a full house with an endless line waiting to get in almost an hour before it began. This panel was especially exciting to this blogger as the ArenaNet devs ran down a history of Guild Wars over the past three years, and told us a tiny bit of info on Guild Wars 2 that we'll be reporting on later. Check out the still-growing gallery below and stay glued to Massively for more of this weekend's PAX 2008 coverage.%Gallery-30683%
Guide to the PAX 08 MMO afterparties
This Friday marks the kickoff of the Penny Arcade Expo 2008 in Seattle, Washington. If you're going, you may already have your schedule planned out with which panels you'll attend, which booths you're stopping by and which contests you're going to enter. However, you may be overlooking the most important part of this entire weekend: the parties! That's right, a few of your favorite developers are throwing their own afterparties where players can mingle with the game developers, community teams and other fans of the game. Leave it to us to compile a comprehensive list of these parties for you all to enjoy. Check after the cut for a detailed list of these top MMO developer parties.
Guild Wars announces PAX tournament prizes
With gaming expo season also comes live tournament season to most of these events. During the Penny Arcade Expo's event later this month, ArenaNet plans on continuing their trend of hosting competitive Guild Wars tournaments with some great contests held at the ArenaNet/NCsoft booth, and also at their VIP after-party. As we previously reported, this party will be held at the Gameworks across the street from the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle.These contests include a 2v2 tournament and a Rollerbeetle racing tournament. The prizes range from ATI graphics cards, laser mice, gaming keyboards, character slots, bonus unlock packs and more! Head on over to the main GW website for more info on each of these prizes.
PAX 2008 event schedule released
Gaming convention season is upon us and perhaps one of the largest of these is the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington. This being the fifth annual PAX, the turnout promises to already crush the numbers from the previous years combined. In anticipation of the event, every bit of news concerning the attendees and panel information is welcomed with open arms... and giddy screaming.Yesterday, the PAX folks released their tentative schedule of events in pdf format on their forums. This includes the usual general gaming panels, but also a few interesting ones for MMOs. There's a panel with ArenaNet on three years of Guild Wars, one on NCsoft, one on the MMO and Virtual World business, and many more. Check out the forum announcement containing the pdf link and good luck with the planning!
Major Guild Wars update drastically changes GvG
Guild Wars players have been anxiously awaiting this large skill balance for a long time, but many weren't expecting this much of a change. Not only have many key skills been buffed, but the nerfing of Ursan Blessing has finally happened. Plus, Guild versus Guild battles have been drastically changed. As with any gameplay changes, there are those who love it, and those who hate it.The key component to the GvG changes involves the complete removal of the Victory or Death finale effect. This means the Guild Battle NPCs no longer walk to the flag stand and the Guild Lord's health has been reduced to 1680, yet he gets a 300 max health boost for the rest of the game when a team obtains a morale boost. What does this all mean for GvG? Basically, previous strategies will need a complete revamp to be effective anymore. This should be interesting for those guilds who have dominated the ladder for so long.
A World of Warcraft player's guide to Guild Wars
Guild Wars and World of Warcraft have been peacefully co-existing for several years now. Considering the fact that the Guild Wars development team over at ArenaNet is made up of ex-Blizzard folks, you're bound to see some similarities between the games. Or, as is more accurately the case, you'll see some vast differences between the games, as ArenaNet's Jeff Strain and Mike O'Brien set out to make an experience that is unlike any they've worked on at Blizzard.So in this guide, we're going to break down several gameplay elements between the two games, and compare them for those who may only be familiar with World of Warcraft. We'll go through the differences and similarities between questing, combat, graphics and much more.Follow along to the comparison of Questing in an instanced world>>
ArenaNet will not show Guild Wars 2 at PAX
It's no secret that Guild Wars 2 is a hot topic among Guild Wars players, so every time the smallest leak of information surfaces, excitement ensues. Yet lately we've heard more and more about how this anticipated sequel is not quite ready for prime time. One example is the announcement earlier this month that there will be no GW2 beta in 2008, as was first estimated. Now we hear that GW2 will not even be shown at PAX in late August.This bit of news was leaked last week by ArenaNet's new Community Manager Regina Buenaobra. She said it first on the main forums, and then again on her user talk page of the official GW wiki. Despite many of the inevitable negative comments that have erupted in the forums since this was announced, creating an MMO from scratch still takes several years. With recent news of other games opting to release "on time" with minimal content, we can't help but scratch our heads at this type of situation. It's been asked a million times before, but we'll ask it again: would you rather have a partial game released now, or a complete game released later?
One Shots: Forgotten in the Crystal Desert
The ruins of ancient civilizations are always interesting to poke around in. While this may not be KV63 in terms of importance, it's still cool and interesting to see. Today's One Shots comes to us from Hawk Nevermore, who found this location while on 'pilgrimage' in the Arid Sea area of the Crystal Desert from Guild Wars Prophecies. Hawk writes: Slowly emerging from the haze of the burnt sands, like a mirage shimmering in the distance, this great statue watches over the Arid Sea. It is the last remnant of a forgotten civilization that sought Ascension in the Crystal Desert. As you approach the great colossus, it collapses without a sound, causing you to wonder, "Was it really there before?"Have you found the ruins of an ancient civilization in your in-game travels? Perhaps an area that just reeks of mystery and history? If so, we'd love to see them! Just send them in to us here at oneshots AT massively.com. Then relax and look for them in upcoming One Shots columns!%Gallery-9798%
One Shots: On Beacon's Perch
Ah, to escape to cold, frosty mountains! For many of us it's the dead heat of summer, so snow looks especially inviting. Today's One Shots comes to us from Reggie A, who stumbled across this area in Guild Wars while out exploring and made an incredible mini-panorama from three screenshots of the area. We'll let him fill you in on the specifics: I was running my new Elementalist in Guild Wars to Lion's Arch when I noticed a path I had never taken before. At the top of the peak one can look down and see almost all of Beacon's Perch, so with the help of 3 screenshots and some minor Photoshop work, I put together this minor panorama of the view. Beacon's Perch marks the starting point for the famous -- or infamous -- Droks Run; a task suited only to the incredibly skilled or the insane. Considering the area was flooded with people I don't know how I managed to get the shot without a single person in it!Have you tried your hand at making panoramics of a particular area in your favorite game? If so, we'd love to see them. All you have to do is attach them to an email and write up a quick blurb on what we're seeing, then email it to us at oneshots AT massively.com. Easy, no?%Gallery-9798%
Guild Wars new player guide wrapup
We've created a nice range of Guild Wars guides so far, from the very basics to some rather intermediate. While these guides will continue to get more advanced, we wanted to take this opportunity to catch readers up on where we stand so far. We hope this wrap-up will serve as an effective introduction to the game and gateway to our future advanced guides. It's never too late to start playing Guild WarsHaven't had a chance to play Guild Wars yet? You're thinking maybe three years after launch is a bit late? Nah, you're just in time! Guild Wars has so many enticements for people who are just getting into this new-fangled MMO scene, but also for people looking for a change from their regular game. We're here now to explain a bit about ArenaNet's masterpiece, targeted at someone who has only heard of Guild Wars, but never actually played it. A PvEer's guide to PvP in Guild WarsSo you think you want to get into Guild Wars PvP. Maybe you've taken a look at Observer Mode and thought, "Hey, I can do that!". After almost three years of playing against mobs and spawns with predictable patrol patterns, you're looking for something new to spice up your favorite game. A guide to Pre-SearingThe name "Pre-Searing" comes from the fact that everything in this tutorial area of GW:Prophecies occurs before the Searing, when the evil Charr burned the lands of Ascalon to the ground. Because of the fact that it precedes the rest of the storyline by two years, the area cannot be accessed again once you leave. A guide to HeroesGuild Wars has been an innovator in so many different aspects of the MMO genre, but none more than the introduction of ally NPCs to fill out a party and make soloing easier. It started out simple enough, but it eventually evolved into something much more advanced (and exciting) with Heroes. A guide to the Hall of MonumentsWho doesn't love to brag about their accomplishments and show off their stuff? Luckily for Guild Wars players, the addition of the Hall of Monuments with last year's Eye of the North expansion allows a new way to show off what you've achieved in game and the very best high-end items you've obtained. However, the Hall of Monuments is so much more. It's also a way to transfer these items into the future for all of your descendants in Guild Wars 2 to enjoy.
Guild Wars Wintersday in July event
If you've ever experienced the joy of Wintersday in Guild Wars throughout the years, you may be excited by the news that ArenaNet is bringing Wintersday back for a brief time this coming weekend. It's part of their Wintersday in July event beginning at noon PDT on Friday, July 18th and running until 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, July 20th.This event will not be the full Wintersday festivities, but there will still be access the the Snowball Arena in Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Ascalon City, Kamadan and the Great Temple of Balthazar. There will also be Wintersday-themed drops from all monsters throughout Tyria. You could probably consider this Wintersday-lite, since there will be no battle between Grenth and Dwayna, and no special headgear given away.
One Shots: Shiverpeaks snow
While the news is heating up from E3, we have a fantastic Guild Wars screenshot to cool your afternoon off with. This gorgeous screenshot was sent in to us by Hawk Nevermore, who gave us all the information on this breathtaking bit of frozen landscape. Hawk writes: The Shiverpeaks were once the heart of the Deldrimor Dwarves' kingdom. But with the combination of civil war with the Stone Summit and the devastation of the Destroyers, the proud Deldrimor kingdom is broken. Few tread on these forsaken, frozen passes, save the most intrepid adventurers. Infested by Ice Imps and abandoned Siege Ice Elementals once employed by the Stone Summit, it is an unforgiving land where only the strong can survive.Well, there goes our idea on a good place to set up a ski lodge. Have you found a lovely landscape? If so, what are you waiting for! Grab those gorgeous scapes and send them in to us here at oneshots AT massively.com along with a tantalizing tidbit about the area. You know you want to.%Gallery-9798%
NCsoft's upcoming summer tour around the Globe
NCsoft is taking a whirlwind summer tour across the Globe. First stop is in San Diego, California at Comic-Con where games, geeks, and comics will collide on July 23-27. The NCsoft booth (#5920) will feature game stations set up for attendees to play CoX, Exteel, Tabula Rasa and other NCsoft games. Also City of Heroes fanzine artist, Dave Hamann will be present to draw character sketches. In Europe, during July 29-31 Aion: Tower of Eternity will be playable to western journalists. This will be the first time in a year since the last firsthand look took place. NCsoft Europe is hosting the event at their Brighton England, locale and this is a select press event. However, one of the biggest gaming events is taking place August 20-24 in Leipzig, Germany. NCsoft is headed there and will be present at the Leipzig Games Convention in a big way. Attendants there will find a special surprise in Hall 3 Booth B20, Aion will be setup on several demo kiosks for the public to play, the first time outside South Korea.
Guild Wars Guru GvG Challenge 2008 starts this weekend
If you've thought about joining the Guild Wars Guru GvG Contest, but just haven't gotten around to it yet, you still have time! Guild registration will close tomorrow at 12PM EDT and there are still a few spots left.If you're unfamiliar with this contest, it is a guild vs guild battle arranged into 5 separate divisions, much like tournaments of the past. There is a division for premier guilds, gold guilds, silver guilds, bronze guilds and casual. The tournament will take place on Saturday, July 12th and the prizes are certainly nothing to scoff at. The grand prizes include a Shiro'ken mini-pet, 500 Tournament Reward Points and a Compaq Presario laptop. Well, at least the mini-pet and reward points are cool.
One Shots: On the Istani Coastline
It's almost the weekend, and while that means many of the Joystiq network crew (including some of the Massively staff) will be on the road for E3, it means it's time for relaxation for many others! Today's One Shot comes to us from Hawk Nevermore, who snapped this lovely screenshot in Guild Wars. This is definitely the kind of place we'd love to spend a weekend -- relaxing on the shore, swimming, sailing, or adventuring in a ruined city! Hawk writes:Fahranur the First City was the home of the Primeval Kings, who once ruled all of Elona. Decimated by the Scarab Plague and abandoned by the Istani, it is but a shadow of its former grandeur. Its grand exterior shows nothing of the pain that still resides in its shattered halls.Pain? Well, okay, maybe that's not the best vacation destination -- but it certainly looks pretty anyway. Have you found a lovely vista in your travels around your favorite game world? Perhaps you just want to see your own screenshots here on Massively so you can show your friends. Whatever your reason, toss those screenshots into an email and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively.com along with a quick blurb about what we're seeing. And be sure to check back with us all next week as we bring the news from E3 to you! %Gallery-9798%
Back to the Future: A guide to GW's Hall of Monuments
Who doesn't love to brag about their accomplishments and show off their stuff? Luckily for Guild Wars players, the addition of the Hall of Monuments with last year's Eye of the North expansion allows a new way to show off what you've achieved in game and the very best high-end items you've obtained. However, the Hall of Monuments is so much more. It's also a way to transfer these items into the future for all of your descendants in Guild Wars 2 to enjoy.It really is a fascinating idea, when you think about it. Accomplishments are meant to be displayed; that's the easy part. Creating the HoM as a portal from the GW1 storyline into the GW2 storyline is where it gets good. Also, with the HoM, ArenaNet has solved that problem where the original GW1 characters won't be transferable between games (because of the complete revamp of the game engine), but their historical items will. Kind of like inheriting granny's favorite doily collection, except with swords and axes.
Interview with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain reveals more GW2 info
In a recent interview with the German PC Games magazine, ArenaNet co-founder Jeff Strain gives us a few more tidbits of info involving what we can expect with Guild Wars 2. The interview is completely in German, and the existing English translations are questionable, but the main theme revolves around ten facts about Guild Wars 2 from the mouth of Strain himself. Most of these facts we've heard before in other interviews, but some we haven't.For instance, we get an example of a tremendous world event in the new persistent world. This involves the scenario of a dragon destroying an important town bridge, and it's up to you to defeat the dragon and defend the town NPCs as they rebuild. Items will have more importance in GW2 and it's said that there will no longer be characters made strictly for PvP. Be sure to read more on the English-translated version, the original German version and an important forum thread for more player reaction.
