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Requiem: Momento Mori now streaming to your browser
Earlier this week we told you about Runes of Magic and its new client-free play option. Gravity Interactive's Requiem: Momento Mori title is following suit, as it's coming to a web browser near you. Like RoM, Requiem is making use of Kalydo's streaming service, which gives users full access to the same servers used by the traditional client application. Requiem originally launched in 2008 and is best known for its mature setting and a monster-spawning mechanic that varies the challenge level based on the in-game time of day. The game also makes use of the Havok Physics Engine to power its "action-packed" 3-D combat. More info on the streaming service and the game proper can be found on the Requiem website. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
Aeria Games launches Crystal Saga and Roll n Rock in North America
Aeria Games has been a busy little bee. The free-to-play company has just announced the release of not one but two new browser-based MMOs to the North American market. Crystal Saga is an open-world game built for competitive PvP. There are five different PvP modes plus an array of traditional fantasy classes like the Rogue, Priest, and Mage. The game also allows players to tame a variety of pets, unlock special soul abilities, and "equip their character with elaborate wings." For an in-depth look at Crystal Saga, check out our impressions in Rise and Shiny. Roll n Rock is an altogether different experience. For one thing, the title features a huge number of clothing and customization options. In fact, Aeria says that no two characters will ever look alike. For another, "players will find a fully-realized world of weddings, malls, game halls, and more," according to a company press release. Roll n Rock also boasts multiplayer puzzles, quests, guilds, crafting, and combat. More info on both titles is available via the links below. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Dark Legends goes live for Android and Chrome
So you like vampires? It's kind of a thing these days. Maybe you like vampires so much that you really want to play around with some vampiric content on your mobile device. That's for the best, as Spacetime Studios has released Dark Legends today. Building off the success of the studio's previous mobile/browser titles (Pocket Legends and Star Legends), the newest game allows players to take on the role of a bloodsucking monster of the night. The game is currently available in the the Google Play Store and the Chrome app store; it won't be available in the iOS app store for a few more weeks. Like previous offerings, it's free-to-play, and you can log in from separate devices to play both on the road and at home. Unlike previous games, this one is definitely not aiming for the family market, being a fair bit more overtly violent and bloody. Still, if you feel the urge to rampage through dark alleys while you are walking through said alleys in real life, Dark Legends has you covered. [Update: We've clarified that the game is not yet available for Apple users. Sorry for the confusion!]
Rise and Shiny: Remanum
This week I was lucky enough to come across a pretty cool browser-based MMORTS that offers no combat whatsoever. That's right -- this game is all about trading, conquering your neighbors with prices, and building a reputation that is better than everybody else's. Remanum is brought to us by the makers of the famous Travian set of games. Slowly, but surely, the developers are trying out different styles of gameplay that all offer an art style that is obviously their own. I was thrilled to see them again try out something different with Remanum. So how boring is a game that offers nothing but trade wars? Well, that all depends on how much you care for scratching your chin, sitting back, and plotting. It's a game of patience and working with others. I never pretend that most MMORTS titles are supposed to move at the same pace as Vindictus or Guild Wars; games just have different styles. Remanum is a great game to enjoy any place and any time, from a few minutes to a few hours a day. I had a few issues with the game, so let's cover those as well.
Command & Conquer browser MMO enters open beta
Another beloved IP, another browser-based MMO. This time it's not the gritty fantasy of George R.R. Martin but the sci-fi battlefield of Command & Conquer that is receiving the MMO-lite treatment. Gamasutra reports that Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances "is not a Facebook game" like previous Electronic Arts browser titles, which include Lord of Ultima and Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. Command & Conquer is "hosted on a stand-alone site," marking the first time the storied franchise has tried its hand at the free-to-play model. The game has been in closed beta since December and is now available to a global audience via its public open beta.
Gaikai: Delivering instant MMOs to your browser
Imagine that you're reading up on an MMO on a site such as Massively (far-fetched, but stay with us on this). The words intrigue you and you think it might be worth checking out. You make a mental note to do so in the future -- to head over to the game's site, see if there's a trial, download it, set up an account, and give it a whirl -- but time gets away from you and none of that actually happens. Now imagine that right after you read that article there was a single button or link. Clicking on it, a Java window opens up on top of your screen and tells you that you're now playing a trial of the game. There's no wait, no download, no lengthy form to fill out -- just click and play, right away. You go from interested to inside the game within mere seconds, your computer specs (mostly) aren't an issue, and your curiosity is immediately sated. This isn't a far-fetched dream but the here-and-now reality. This is cloud-streaming MMOs brought to you by Gaikai. And it just might be the future of MMOs as we know it.
Winners chosen in Star Supremacy ship design contest
Designing your own spaceship is probably pretty high up on the list of things to do for most sci-fi geeks. If you're a sci-fi geek and a free-to-play browser-based MMORTS fan, Star Supremacy is a title that might be of interest. The devs recently held a design-your-own-starship contest, and according to a post on the game's official boards, the results are in. Barbily Games is also open to player suggestions for similar events in the future, and the company is actively soliciting related feedback on the forums. Star Supremacy is set in the far future and it features three human factions locked in a struggle for expansion and conquest in the wake of a resource shortage on the planet Earth.
First Impressions: Jagged Alliance Online
A short time ago, I posted my thoughts on UFO Online, one of the most exciting titles I found while at E3 this year. While I was there, I was given a tour of Jagged Alliance Online during the same sitting. Both games were thrilling in a "tiny army" sort of way, and both seemed to finally get what makes tabletop gaming and strategy games fun. UFO Online was more complex in some ways, and I found the beta to be further along than Jagged Alliance Online's, but I have had fun in both so far. I'm hoping that gamigo, the publisher of both titles, keeps getting them both right. I still had some issues with Jagged Alliance Online, but it's hard to say whether these will be corrected during one of the following betas. So while it is my duty to report to you these issues, I want you to bear in mind the state of the current game. Fortunately the title seems far enough along that I got a real feel for what is coming. War is coming. Click past the cut and I'll give you the details.
The Galactic Overlord Corps wants YOU: Star Supremacy puts it all on the line with new arena
Star Supremacy, which is currently in the Open Beta Nebula, is growing bigger by the day -- so big, in fact, that it's opening the doors for self-appointed Overlords to make themselves at home. Barbily Games is prepping an update with a pair of features for the space MMORTS that should please the PvP crowd in particular. The first feature in the upcoming update is a PvP arena titled Galaxy Overlord. In it, players will compete to rise up in the ranks and earn honor points for glory (and more importantly, rewards). Also arriving with the update is something called Defender's Battle Control, which apparently allows the titular defenders to jump right into defensive skirmishes and attempt to affect the outcome. According to Barbily's PR Manager Thomas Watson, these features come straight from players' wishlists: "We do a lot of research and players aren't aware how much we put in to make sure we want to provide a game that they want to play. We read feedback about our game and see what players like and don't like. Players within the community and outside the community expect a lot and we want to meet expectations on a high level. The battle system and PvP arena update are just the beginning."
Bigpoint says game publishers should sell in-game advantages
In case you were wondering where browser MMO specialist Bigpoint stands on the issue of selling in-game advantages, a new interview with the company's chief games officer leaves little to the imagination. "The crucial part of the design is not having to invest, but wanting to. Most people in the Bigpoint universe don't ever pay," says Philip Reisberger. "But if they want to pay, don't just offer hats -- offer them something that will help them." Reisberger doesn't stop there, though. He goes on to dismiss the retail business model and also chastises Electronic Arts for its decision to avoid giving Battlefield 3 pre-order players a competitive advantage. "It wouldn't ruin the game. If selling an advantage ruins the game, you haven't done the balancing right," he said.
Jagex CEO hints at why RuneScape hasn't come to consoles
Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard is one of the more quotable head honchos in the gaming business, and he didn't disappoint at the recent Edinburgh Interactive conference. Gerhard spoke in no uncertain terms about the difficulties inherent in bringing Jagex's long-running RuneScape browser MMO to game consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The problem according to Gerhard? Microsoft and Sony. "They said 'we cannot let the Microsoft community play with the Sony community,''' he explained, before offering his response and an explanation as to why RuneScape has yet to appear on a console. "We're not going to frame our community into boxes just for a few million more customers. Of course I'd love a few million more customers, but I just wouldn't do it [...] you almost become the disease you're trying to solve."
Drakensang Online open beta coming in June
It wasn't too long ago that we announced the impending arrival of Drakensang Online, an MMO iteration on Radon Labs' quirky Drakensang single-player RPG. Today, Bigpoint has confirmed that the title is even closer to release than we thought and that the open beta will be kicking off next month (in five different languages, no less). Bigpoint's Bernd Beyreuther is enthusiastic about the browser MMO's chances. "The closed beta's smooth progress has enabled us to take the next step in June and open the game up to everybody. The switch from classic PC game to browser game was a huge leap forward for us filled with many new possibilities," he explained. Drakensang Online will initially offer two playable classes, the Dragonknight and the Spellweaver, as well as over 100 hours of content including quests, dungeons, and exploration around the Anderworld.
RuneScape readying Holly and Hawthorn event
Spring has officially sprung, and aside from going outside and enjoying the greenery, it's also time to savor the springtime events in your favorite MMOs. RuneScape is throwing an Easter bash called Holly and Hawthorn, and the event is based around the annual baton pass between the Queen of Snow and the Queen of Sunrise. Unfortunately, someone has stolen this year's baton, and players will need to commune with the elements in order to avoid becoming trapped in an eternal winter. There's also a bit of tree-chopping to be done, and all participants will receive exclusive holiday items. Finally, RuneScape community managers will be running competitive events from April 22nd through April 25th, and the player who chops down the most holly and hawthorn trees will win a prize pack full of RuneScape swag. Head to the official website for all the details.
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.
Earth Eternal facing the prospect of shutdown
There's incredibly bad news today about Earth Eternal, the free-to-play browser-based MMO from Sparkplay Media. Or we should say formerly from Sparkplay Media, as it appears that hard times have hit the company with resounding force. In an extremely sad letter, CEO Matt Mihaly has informed players that Sparkplay Media has been all but shut down, with only two remaining employees (including himself) taking care of closing down the company and trying to sell the game to another service provider. Although the game is not currently being shut down, Mihaly is frank about its prospects: it entirely depends on whether or not another company will pick up the hosting costs of running Earth Eternal. For the time being, the game has made all of its microtransaction items free for all players, in hopes that whatever the game's ultimate fate, players can enjoy it for a little while longer. Our consolations go out to the team behind the game, and we offer our sympathies for what has no doubt been a painful process for the entire staff.
GDC10: Welcome to Poisonville
Fast stolen cars, brutal gang warfare and a large city to explore and conquer -- sounds like Grand Theft Auto, does it not? Actually, it's Poisonville, a new browser-based 3D MMO where you'll jump into a gangster's shoes (it's okay, the former owner totally didn't need them) and join one of four gangs struggling to control the titular city. After a gang indoctrination ceremony, Massively was allowed in Bigpoint's hideout to talk about Poisonville with CTO Jan Wergin and media consultant Erik Reynolds. Bigpoint, the same developer that recently announced their upcoming Battlestar Galactica MMO, claims that Poisonville is the most expensive browser MMO built to date, with a budget of over $2 million. While browser MMOs sometimes get a bum rap, this one looks to be fairly impressive, allowing up to 4,000 players to experience fast-paced twitch battles in the same instance of a city. %Gallery-87929%
Jagex lets out a small bit of information on their upcoming title, Mechscape
Getting Jagex to even speak the name Mechscape is hard enough in itself, but Kieron Gillen was able to glean some facts from the Jagex staff at the recent DEVELOP conference in Brighton.While Gillen's Rock, Paper, Shotgun piece centered mostly on Jagex's newest website, FunOrb, and their dedication to retro gaming, he was able to sneak in a few questions and learn a few key facts about Jagex's next browser-based MMO. Mechscape is not Runescape in space, but more of an evolution of "How can we avoid past mistakes?" One of the mistakes that many developers make is putting fantasy MMO mechanics into a sci-fi setting according to Henrique Olifiers, the head of Mechscape."The reason why many Sci-fi MMOs haven't worked is because they're fantasy games dressed up to look like Sci-fi games," said Olifiers to Gillen.To this end, Mechscape has turned to sci-fi titles such as Ascendancy and Masters of Orion for inspiration in regards to their game mechanics. In addition, Mechscape will not be featuring experience points or levels, much like another game we just talked about.Olifiers has stated that Mechscape is in the final polishing phases of development, but he will not put a date down on the game just yet, citing the age-old, "It will be done when it's done."
