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Blade Hunter beta gets big content update
The side-scroller Blade Hunter, which started beta a little over a month ago, just received a large content update that brought UI improvements, new game systems, mounts, quest lines, cosmetic options, and a raised level cap to the action MMO. Players can boost their stats with elemental companions called sprites starting at level 39, and higher level characters can equip more sprites. Additionally, players at any level can nab a pair of wings through either in-game challenges, crafting item recipes, or Diamond recharge bonuses; however, only level 80s can upgrade and personalize wings beyond the standard buff. If faster travel is more your speed, combat mounts are now available in a variety of types, from horses to dragons. You can ride that mount to the Citadel, a new instance unlocked at level 79 that promises a challenge that puts even Nightmare Mode to shame. [Source: R2Games press release]
SOE shuttering Vanguard, Clone Wars, Free Realms, and Wizardry [Updated]
SOE is closing down four of its MMOs. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms will close on March 31st. Vanguard and Wizardry Online will bow out on July 31st. "At Sony Online Entertainment, we are always evaluating our portfolio to ensure we're providing players with the best gameplay experiences," the company said via press release. "At times, as part of this commitment, we have to make the difficult decision to sunset a game so we can refocus our resources on other areas in the best interest of our company and player community." SOE CEO John Smedley will be fielding questions on Reddit at 6:00 p.m. EST. We'll update you with the link when it's live. [Update]: Smedley's Reddit AMA
Choose My Adventure: Back in the saddle again edition
Yeeehaw! Now that Mike has finished his ride, they're lettin' me back in the saddle for another round of rootin' tootin' Choose My Adventure fun! And the opportunity has come not a moment too soon: I've had my spurs on and been raring to go for weeks now. As you know, this ain't my first CMA rodeo, and I'm sure as shootin' excited for this next wild romp through a new world. Of course, I won't be doing this alone. This ain't a one-woman show, and you ain't just spectators. I'm the rider all right, but y'all actually have a hold of the reins and will be leading me through the adventures. I'll wrangle up some options each week, and y'all will make the choices for what we do, where we go, and how we get there. Our first choice: which game we're going to tame! I've corralled a herd of titles that ain't seen their time in the spotlight yet (or at least, not for a long, long time). We've got an assortment of breeds to choose from -- some I've the barest hint of experience with; with others, I've none at all. Look 'em over, size 'em up, and then tag the one you want us to spend our next six weeks in. Y'all have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 25th, to make your selection. Then we rope the winner and get this ride started.
MMObility: Innogames' Fabio Lo Zito details Tribal Wars 2
Tribal Wars 2 is the successor to Innogames' oldest title, Tribal Wars. The original is (to put it gently) ugly as sin, but that has never stopped it from being one of the most popular titles the German publisher produced. As a matter of fact, 2013 was the biggest year for the original game... after a decade in existence! You might have heard of some of the other titles in the Innogames lineup or watched an advertisement for two of its largest games, Grepolis and Forge of Empires. So how does Tribal Wars 2 compare to these other games? First of all, it offers much of the same intense gameplay as the publisher's other, larger titles. Grepolis is sort of the spiritual successor to Tribal Wars and features water-based gameplay that makes ships and deities an integral part of play. Grepolis also offers a more wide-ranging playerbase, thanks to television advertising that helped to pull in more casual players. Tribal Wars is much more hardcore, and Tribal Wars 2 will be no different. It will look a heck of a lot prettier than its earlier sibling, though! I sat down with Fabio Lo Zito of Innogames to talk about the changes.
Doctor Who: Worlds in Time shutting down
It's a day that ends in 'Y,' which means that somewhere someone is shepherding a free-to-play pseudo-MMO through its death rattle. Today that title is Doctor Who: Worlds in Time, a browser-based thing from developer Three Rings that's been operating since March of 2012. According to the official website, the game will shut down on February 28th. Microtransaction services have already been suspended.
First RuneScape poll invites players to choose big update
In a move to ensure that RuneScape's continued direction is shaped at a grassroots level by its players, Jagex has introduced an in-game polling system and launched the first question: Invention skill vs. Elf City –- which do you want first? If you have a preference as to which content releases first, you have until January 31st to log in and vote. The series of polls -- part of the company's Power to the Players strategy for this next year -- will involve monthly Dragonstone questions on major topics like the one presented as well as more frequent Diamond and Ruby polls, which focus on mid- to low-tier topics like what dragon to add to the game and themes of holiday festivals. [Source: Jagex press release]
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MMObility: CES highlights for mobile gaming enthusiasts
Most years, I am unimpressed by CES, the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. Sure, I watch the feeds and keep an eye on the latest bits of technical glitter that pop out of the event, but generally I find 4K televisions that cost thousands of dollars to be about as exciting as a bag of dead hamsters. I don't care about the next wave of supercomputers, and I certainly have no interest in technically advanced cars that mostly innovate on ways to make people spend money. What excites me about almost any trade show is the stuff you find in the corners of the show room: the smaller booths, the indie developers or the hints of up-and-coming tech that will eventually make our lives easier and more fun. And of course, I'm always excited to see tech that might bring mobile MMOs to the place they deserve to be, a place in our everyday lives. CES is exciting to me because it shows the potential and possibly inexpensive future of tech. Thanks to Engadget, one of our sister sites, I was able to get more than an eyeful of neat mobile tech!
RuneScape expands player-owned ports
RuneScape's player-owned ports have added a new layer of intrigue and adventure today with the game's first patch of the year. Player-owned ports can now launch 300 additional voyages to two new regions. There are also three new adventurers available for recruitment: the Trapper, the Architect, and the Chef. A shady trader has also set up shop in these ports to offer goods at a questionable exchange rate. This high-level minigame sees players operating their own sea ports and equipping ships to go on real-time adventures around the virtual world. Player-owned ports launched in late 2012.
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MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry
In the increasingly competitive MMO genre, games have to do all they can to keep you as a customer. MMOs have traditionally been quite difficult games to really get into since they typically require a considerable time and money investment and we tend to play them for stretches of several months to years at a time. The gameplay in MMOs is inherently social by nature, forcing you to relate to others, and there are some even more fundamental barriers that get in the way of new players signing up. I'm sure we've all enthused and rambled to our friends in the hope that they might check out our most recent gaming crush, only to see a repulsed look on their faces when they realise it's an MMO. The classic subscription model is a substantial paywall for the average gamer, and this is what has traditionally kept MMOs niche. The early game can be daunting to those who aren't familiar with the genre, and developers pour a lot of effort into easing newcomers into that gameplay. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I'm going to look at how some MMOs manage to break down these barriers through the use of clever mechanics in order to open up MMO gaming to more people than ever before.
MMObility: Mobile and browser face off in School of Dragons
I was excited to learn about a mobile version of School of Dragons, a browser-based, kid-friendly MMO based on the fantastic movie How to Train Your Dragon. I pictured soaring through the skies and interacting with characters from the movie, all while sitting down with my favorite tablet. Unfortunately, I am not able to play on my favorite tablet yet (my Android), but I was able to download it on my wife's iPad Air. I didn't have much experience with the browser-based version, so I read up on Karen's MMO Family article, made an account, and logged in. I was impressed by the game's visuals even though they are fairly primitive, as they do a good job of giving a sense of scale and accurately recreate many of the movie's characters. The game is very active, even during odd times of the day, and the chat is filled with players discussing the finer points of being a viking. Unfortunately, the game lacks in polish. Is it be good enough to satisfy younger, less picky fans? Possibly, but after playing the browser-based version, I hoped that the mobile version would somehow feel smoother and more natural.
RuneScape ushers in 13th anniversary with player-led development
Saying that he was proud of Jagex's efforts in 2013 but admitting that the team fell short of accomplishing all of its goals, RuneScape Lead Developer Mod Mark promised that 2014 would give more power to the players. "This year, we want the focus on the things that make us special," he said in an annoucement video, "and to find new ways to use our best asset of all and the thing that we're most proud of: you, the community." As such, Mod Mark said that the community will be the guiding force behind the game's 2014 development with weekly in-game content polls addressing quests, suggestions, and high-level development. The first poll in January will be on whether the invention system or the Elf city should get priority development. Unfortunately a poll option to fire an orbital cannon at said Elf city once construction is completed will not exist. RuneScape turns 13 years old tomorrow, but you can get the advance scoop for the year's activities in the video after the break.
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
Jukebox Heroes: Reader request 3
Since it's our very last Jukebox Heroes column of the year on the very last day of the year, I thought it would be most appropriate to open up the reader request lines once again and feature MMO tunes that are your favorites. If you'd like to put in your own request for the next time I run one of these columns, please list your favorite MMO music track in the comments along with an explanation as to what you love about it! So check out what your fellow soundtrackophiles appreciate and stay tuned for a totally rockin' 2014!
Internet Archive uploads retro games to play online for free
The Internet Archive has launched a beta version of the Console Living Room, a new initiative that makes hundreds of classic video games available for free, in-browser play. Part of the Internet Archive's preservation-focused Historical Software Collection, the Console Living Room uses the JSMESS emulator to reproduce games for the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, the Magnavox Odyssey 2, the Colecovision, and the Bally Astrocade. The collection features many cartridges that defined the golden age of gaming, including Atari 2600 classics like Yars' Revenge, H.E.R.O. and River Raid. The Colecovision sees its share of representation with standouts like BC's Quest for Tires and a prototype port of the arcade hit Burgertime, while history buffs can judge for themselves if the Odyssey 2's K.C. Munchkin rightfully earned a 1982 lawsuit over its similarities to Pac-Man.
EVE Evolved: Designing EVE Onland, part 1
When I'm not playing or writing about EVE Online, I can usually be found huddled over my computer typing lines of code into a compiler and chipping away at bugs that make varying degrees of sense. Designing my own hardcore space game is a really fun challenge and very fulfilling work, but I have a dirty little game dev secret: I've actually always wanted to make a fantasy game. While the budget and personnel required to take on a project the scale of an MMO remain quite far outside my grasp for the moment, it's still fun to think about how I might design such a game if the opportunity arose. The MMO genre seems to be heading for a sandbox revolution this year, and there's no bigger sandbox than EVE Online, but could all of EVE's gameplay translate to a fantasy game? EVE is probably the most atypical MMO out there, maintaining a subscription-based single-shard PvP sandbox in a genre that's typically headed in the exact opposite direction. There are several new sci-fi sandboxes on the way that may or may not qualify as massively multiplayer titles, but the vast majority of MMO gamers still prefer to keep their feet on the ground in fantasy lands. I often find myself wondering how much of EVE Online's core gameplay is possible only because of its setting -- and how much could actually be applied to a fantasy MMO. Not only should it be possible to adapt most of what makes EVE great to a modern land-based game, but many of the mechanics sandbox gamers now attribute almost solely to EVE actually started life in classic fantasy MMOs like Ultima Online. In this week's unusual EVE Evolved, I'd like to start a game design thought experiment as I delve into the hypothetical world of EVE Onland.
RuneScape launches companion app
RuneScape's got a new way to stay in touch your with friends who are outside of the game: the Companion app. RuneScape Companion is a versatile web app that can be accessed by just about any mobile device, tablet, or PC via the companion web page. The app currently functions as a chat interface between you and your friends, clan, or private conversation partners. Jagex is looking to expand the app's functionality in the coming year. While the companion app works great on many devices, there are a few that have yet to be invited into the club, such as the iPad Air and all Windows phones.
Massively's winter holidays MMO roundup
The holidays are here! That means the hustle and bustle of the season is in full swing, with gifts to get, treats to taste, deals to nab, and plenty of festivities to partake in -- and that's just in the MMOverse! Yes folks, there's a plethora of holiday celebrations out there -- so many, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track of them all, let alone participate to them! If you're trying to catch everything in your favorite games, we're here to help. We've got a round up of the various winter celebrations across the gaming sphere all bundled together right here for you. If something catches your eye, hop in and join in the festivities!
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MMObility: Rail Nation is perfect for armchair engineers
Travian Games' Rail Nation, a new browser-based, non-combat MMORPG, is intriguing, especially if you are a fan of trains, sim management, and friendly player competition. Admittedly, much of the competition in the game is just as cutthroat as I have seen in more "hardcore" games, but at least there is no blood involved. Players start off with a very basic train and route, and a friendly NPC called William L. Smith explains things nicely to get things moving. The idea is to connect your trains to goods, open new routes, and upgrade your fleet of trains to help level your city (a group of players) as you pass through six different eras of technology. Each era lasts two weeks, and the last era is a competition between the 10 highest ranking cities in the game. As you grow you'll also need to open more routes by adding new tracks, which require more goods. Many industries are not even visible on the map until the player unlocks them, giving the game a real feel of moving forward in time. Travian Games likes to put a time limit on gameplay, meaning that there is a true "win" scenario for players to pursue. While I'm not a big fan of a time limitation on an MMO, and I'm definitely not very skilled at micromanagement, Rail Nation is a lovely game that is relaxing to play. It does take time to grow on you, and its beta access means that the game still has a few issues that need to be ironed out.
Blade Hunter transitioning to beta tomorrow
Blade Hunter is preparing to transition from its alpha test to beta tomorrow, December 19th, and is inviting players to check out the beat-em-up MMO. The game had an extremely short alpha period that started just a week ago. The new beta test begins at 9:00 am EST and could be considered a soft launch for Blade Hunter as characters will be permanent from here on out. Blade Hunter features three classes that engage in side-scrolling action and the option to play solo or with parties. There are also time-limited events that players can engage in to strive for top rankings and special rewards. [Source: R2 Games press release]
Star Wars: Attack Squadrons now accepting beta applicants
Disney is now accepting player applications for a closed beta version of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons, a free-to-play online game that recreates iconic space combat scenes from the original Star Wars film trilogy. Attack Squadrons features a variety of PVP modes in which players battle factions of customizable X-wings, TIE fighters, and other familiar spacecraft in browser-based skirmishes. The game allows up to 16 players to fight it out in a free-for-all Deathmatch mode, while Team Dogfight and Base Defense modes encourage cooperation among your fellow pilots. If you experience issues signing up for the beta, Disney is working on a fix, and signups should be available again shortly. A release date for Star Wars: Attack Squadrons has not been announced.
