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The Secret World creative director releases second End of Days video log
Tomorrow is that fateful day -- the one that has whipped The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos into a frenzy. Will the apocalypse really be ushered in? Bylos certainly thinks so. And according to the video log, it's a good thing we caught up with Bylos yesterday to check up on him because he has now taken up residence in his bunker. In this latest End of Days chronicle and director's letter, Bylos issues goodbyes and an open invitation to his refuge from Armageddon before heading out for some last-minute preparations. Does anyone join him? To find out, watch the video after the break. And be sure to join Massively in a special End of Days livestream broadcast of The Secret World on Friday, December 21st @ 6:00 p.m. EST (assuming the world doesn't end before that, of course!). [Source: Funcom press release]
Where Guild Wars 2 goes wrong
I'm not going to lie to you, people: Guild Wars 2 is a darn good game. Hard-hitting truths, I know. The game won our 2012 Game of the Year award for good reason. There's a lot to praise within that package, from the art direction to the game mechanics to the flexibility. Many parts of it push the design paradigm in interesting ways and could lead to a much better understanding of what can be done with online games. And then there are places where the paradigm pushes back. I come here not to praise Guild Wars 2 but to look at the game after the honeymoon has ended and we've all had a chance to settle down. It deserves its status as the best game released this year, but man there are some places where the game is an irritating piece of work. And there are lessons to be found here both for future development on the game and for anyone thinking that it's a gold standard.
Exclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon
It's no secret that The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos has been deeply affected by the most recent end-of-the-world predictions. He even started a video log to share his new-found convictions. In that first log, he advocated for the removal of subscriptions so that everyone would have the chance to enjoy TSW before the end came. Shortly after, the game indeed adopted the buy-to-play model. Then Bylos took off to begin preparing his survival bunker. But that video is over a week old. How has Bylos been coping with the impending Armageddon since then? I took a break from my Issue #5 adventures and caught up with the self-proclaimed end-of-days prophet to see how he's been faring, find out what he has learned about the apocalypse, and maybe get a hint on when the next video log will release!
The Secret World Issue #5 is live
With the end of the world hitting the planet on Friday, The Secret World's fifth monthly update could obviously only be enjoyed if it hit servers before then, right? So good news -- Issue #5 is live right now! So you can right hop in and help one of Solomon Island's denizens avoid meeting her end with bad hair and find out what really happened to Tyler Freeborn. Along with the usual assortment of new missions and investigations, this update adds a third auxiliary weapon (the quantum bracers), allows players to assign inventory items to hotkeys, opens a new nightclub in London, and makes all investigation missions repeatable. Want to see what's in store come Friday when the End of Days special event starts? Get a glimpse of the Harbingers themselves in the Issue #5 preview video after the cut.
The War Z launches on Steam
While it might not be fully cooked, The War Z is now available on Steam for any and all to enjoy the delights of surviving in a zombie age. The title is currently on sale at 10% off for $13.49, with additional packages if you're looking to pick up some in-game currency. If you previously purchased the title through The War Z's website, the developers said that there will be a method to link that game to your Steam account. The War Z's devs also promised that other key features will be added to the game shortly, including leaderboards and private server rentals. You can watch the Steam launch trailer after the break for some rip-roaring zombie slaughter! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Flameseeker Chronicles: The Guild Wars 2 end-of-the-year awards
The end of the year seems to be a good time for awards -- all the cool kids are doing it, and Massively is nothing if not cool. Guild Wars 2 has been around long enough for me to have made some favorites. I've talked about features and things I loathe and love before, but now it's time to call out specific NPCs and instances, rather than general features. Before we get any further with this: These awards are purely my own opinion. Disagree with me? Great; write your own end-of-the-year awards. The more, the merrier.
The Secret World releases Issue #5 teaser, announces End of Days events [Updated]
When Funcom announced that The Secret World was abolishing subscriptions and converting to a "pay once, play forever" model, the studio also noted that Issue #5 would be included free for everyone who had the game by the end of December. So now that the free-to-play question is answered, inquiring minds want to know what the next monthly update includes! Well, folks, we'll have to wait a bit longer on the full answer to that, but we do have a hint of the upcoming story; the cover art lets us know it deals with The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn. We also have a special comic to start the story off after the break. Of course, the world is supposed to be ending, so what does that mean for TSW? Senior designer Tanya Short has jumped on the end-of-days bandwagon. In the latest dev blog, she details the special events that will begin on Friday the 21st, including special dynamic events and limited-time currency to spend on potions, unique weapon skins, and even a pet. As expected in any horror apocalypse, zombie attacks escalate everywhere and three giant nigh-invulnerable Harbingers will be roaming the lands. Will players find the single weakness of each that will bring down the behemoths before the world crashes? There is also a contest for the top player throughout the apocalypse with a title and pet reward, so hop on in and play a part in the end! [Updated with second version of comic. So tell us, which do you prefer?]%Poll-79645%
One Shots: The hills have eyes
Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched? It's because you are, fool. Everything has its eyes on you, even the mountains themselves. Case in point: this screenshot from reader Chris, who found himself amazed at the artistry of Guild Wars 2 and the slight creepiness of mountains with facial features. "In a quest during Guild Wars 2 around level 60," Chris writes, "you are asked to go up a big hill into the face of the mountain (literally) and shutdown the machine. I took the screenshot at the start of the quest because the world is so beautiful." If our games are going to look at us, we might as well return the favor! Hit the jump for more excellent screenshot submissions.
Unwrapping the mystery of GW2's Wintersday boxes
You've heard plenty about it, from the history behind the holiday to the schedule of festivities. And now it is upon us! Yes folks, Wintersday in Guild Wars 2 is finally here with its assortment of seasonal activities and holiday-themed goodies. And among those goodies are special mystery gift boxes available in the gem store. What exactly comes in a mystery box? That's what Massively's Richie Procopio, aka Bog Otter, aimed to find out in his latest video. Richie understands that folks may be wary of spending their gems on the unknown. The boxes are said to contain up to five personalized Wintersday gifts plus an additional themed item as well as a chance to contain new minipets and rare, themed weapon skin tickets. But is it worth the risk? To give you a better idea of what random loot awaits fans in the mystery boxes, Richie -- rechristening himself Bog Guinea Pig -- took the risk upon himself and unwrapped a number of boxes for you in his video. Check out what gifts he received after the break.
Amazon puts The Secret World on half-off sale
There has literally (literally!) never been a better time to pick up The Secret World if you're kind of on the fence about it. The game went subscriptionless a few days ago, making it a one-time investment of $29.99 for total access to existing content. To top that, Amazon just put the game on sale for $15.00. You'll still have the choice to upgrade to a renewing membership or to deal out some cash at a later point for future DLC, but you can get the game in its entirety for $15 right now. Not sure if TSW is really your thing? You can check out our regular column devoted to the game (especially the most recent installment) and see if you can get a feel for it. If different perspectives are kind of your thing, you could play compare and contrast with the reasons why Justin, Matt, and MJ all play TSW.
Guild Wars 2 trailer spotted in The Hobbit previews [Updated]
If you are just now crawling out of bed to check on your favorite MMO news, chances are you attended a midnight showing of the newly released The Hobbit movie (I know I did!). And if so, then you might remember a slightly surprising trailer mixed among all the other movie previews: an MMORPG! However, it isn't the Tolkein tie-in you might expect (i.e., Lord of the Rings Online); instead, moviegoers packing the theaters to immerse themselves in more Middle-earth will see a massive advertisement for none other than Guild Wars 2 splashed across the screen. Talk about reaching a wide audience! While some Massively staff noted that the trailer was not available before their non-3-D version of the film, others (including yours truly) can confirm it was definitely shown. Could the trailer be region-based, or is it perhaps only shown in 3-D? All you Hobbit watchers out there, let us know if you saw the trailer in the poll below. And for those who didn't have the chance to see it, you can catch it after the break!%Poll-79532%[Updated with official theatrical trailer]
The Secret World officially abolishes subscriptions [Updated]
Joel Bylos' first End of Days video log hinted at it (if you call busting into a conference room hinting!), and now it is official: The Secret World is permanently removing subscriptions from the equation. Some of you are undoubtedly exclaiming, "I knew it!" but all of you may be wondering what that means for you. Here's the scoop. Funcom's new payment model for TSW is buy-to-play with three membership tiers: free, member, and grand master. After purchasing the game itself, folks can play indefinitely without any additional fees, or they can opt to purchase monthly memberships that provide special bonuses. Players who already have or purchase the grandmaster package maintain their lifetime membership and receive additional bonuses. Gamers will be glad to know that the conversion will not introduce any restrictions to the game's current content; free players will have full access to every aspect of issues #1 - 4, including weapons, dungeons, and missions. But what of future content? TSW will continue to receive regular patches of free content, just not at the volume of previous issues. More content will be also available periodically through downloadable content packs (DLCs) in the in-game store. Issue #5 DLC, coming soon, will be free to all accounts registered as of the end of December. Players opting to maintain a membership will get an XP bonus item, 1,200 bonus points monthly, a special monthly gift, and a 10% discount in the in-game store. Grand masters will receive all that plus another 10% off store purchases. Both members and grand masters can use their free monthly bonus points to purchase DLC. Folks who purchased the initiate pack previously will be reimbursed 1800 bonus points, and all remaining subscription time will be converted to membership time. For more information, you can check out the official FAQ. And catch the new trailer after the break! [Updated with Pay Once, Play Forever trailer] [Source: Funcom press release]
The War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent
Zombie MMO The War Z has officially shed its alpha tag. The buy-to-play horror shooter has purportedly cultivated a community of more than 500,000 players, according to its latest press release, and those players can now enjoy the full game map, new playable characters, and a host of additional features as the title transitions into beta. Hammerpoint Interactive has opened up the final sections of its "Colorado" map, which has in turn increased the size of the game world by 50 percent. The firm has also added new clan support features (tags, chat, and visual markers) as well as new marketplace items. [Source: Hammerpoint press release]
Free for All: What I learned from the Guild Wars 2 free weekend
Before this free trial weekend for Guild Wars 2, I had spent a total of around an hour and a half in the game. I also spent more time watching my wife play the game during beta. Our PCs, at the time, were in the same office, if that helps you picture just how much exposure I had. At first, neither one of us was impressed; it felt like RIFT 2.0. That's not entirely a negative; while RIFT is not my favorite game and while I have not played beyond something like level 17, I do respect the game and think it is a high-quality game. Both games are wonderfully crafted. So when Massively's Elisabeth Cardy shared a buddy key with me last week, I knew I'd be able to finally clear up some of the fog surrounding the title for me. I'd spend a good part of the weekend playing the game -- plenty of time for a fresh first impressions. Here's what I thought.
Star Citizen crowdsourcing moves to Kickstarter
Are you excited about Chris Roberts' Star Citizen project? Get in line, space jockey: Roberts said that "overwhelming response" to the proposed space sim ended up crashing the game's site. As a result, he launched a Kickstarter campaign to continue raising funds for the game. The good news for interested parties is that the game is already halfway to its fundraising goal, as one out of two million dollars has been raised through pledges. The Star Citizen Kickstarter is attempting to pull in $500,000 by November 19th. For his part, Roberts is bowled over: "It's a testament to the will power of our amazing fans. At a time when most would have given up, some dedicated fans kept trying to log on and eventually were able to get through and make a pledge. We appreciate all those efforts, and now with Kickstarter, we believe we have an answer for everyone." [Source: Cloud Imperium press release]
Ask Massively: Rules, sources, and buy-to-play MMOs
There are 4,001 words in the Massively style guide. The abbreviated version of the style guide. And that's without counting a few hundred emails detailing other rules that our writers must follow, plus English grammar and syntax, plus hand-me-downs from Captain Joystiq and peevish precepts imposed by a mean ol' editor-in-chief. Rules help us deliver a consistent product to you, the readership, and when we don't, you notice. Gamers follow a set of rules, too, when it comes to judging games. Indie games are judged less harshly than blockbuster developers. Overhyped games are held to a higher standard. Games with subs are cut less slack than freemium titles. You might not have codified all these little rules into a 4,001-word document, but they're rattling around your brain making decisions for you all the same. So let's talk about rules and how they apply to Massively's sources and buy-to-play MMOs like Guild Wars 2.
Star Citizen FAQ outlines modding, micropayments, hardware requirements
If you're looking forward to Chris Roberts' new Star Citizen title, you'd best be saving your pennies for a PC upgrade. Much like Roberts' 1990s-era Wing Commander series, the new game will push the limits of your hardware, this time courtesy of the CryEngine 3. The space combat sim's website has updated with a new FAQ that outlines the game's projected system requirements (it recommends an i7 CPU and a GTX 670 or better graphics card, but keep in mind that launch day is two years away). The FAQ also mentions Star Citizen's modding philosophy and its payment model. Modding is encouraged, as Roberts says that players are free to tweak the game however they wish on private servers. The devs also "hope to institute a mod approval process that will allow the best of the best player-created ships and other additions to be integrated into the central persistent world as well," according to the FAQ. In terms of payments, you'll need to buy the game initially and that's basically it. There will be no monthly fee, though "some in-game items may be available as microtransactions." Unlike most free-to-play titles, Star Citizen's cash shop "will never sell anything that can't be acquired through honest (and fun!) gameplay."
Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future
In an interview with Chinese site 17173.com, SOE's John Smedley shared some revealing details about PlanetSide 2, including the fact that the upcoming MMO shooter will be free. MMOsite carried the English version of the story early this morning, but there were a few points that were lost in translation. So we contacted Smedley for clarification, and he said that while he had previously mentioned that the game will be "some form of free-to-play," SOE is not prepared to announce specifics just yet, but we should "expect something that will be very player friendly." He mentioned that a Blizzard-style auction house won't be a part of that plan but that he was fond of what League of Legends had done with its system. It's also his opinion that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the last large-scale MMO with a subscription fee. "The game looks great," Smedley commented, "and I will be playing myself. BioWare is doing an awesome job." Smedley also made mention of PlanetSide 2's beta schedule. SOE is aiming to begin wider testing of the title later this year or early next year in North America, but the company doesn't know for sure just yet. PlanetSide 2 is aiming to be bigger and better than the original, with battlefields holding up to 2,000 players at the same time, a flexible skill system that allows players to fine-tune their troops and engage in crafting, and a struggle to control territory between three factions. Interestingly enough, Smedley said that the factions might not always be at each other's throats; the PlanetSide 2 team has plans to launch PvE world events such as alien invasions where all players will put aside their differences to combat a shared threat.
The Daily Grind: Would you be as excited for Guild Wars 2 if it were a subscription game?
At the risk of sounding like a heretic, I've never gotten into Guild Wars (or the hype surrounding its forthcoming sequel). That's not to say they're bad games at all; on the contrary, I've always been intrigued by some of the things they bring to the genre. In looking over the feature set for Guild Wars 2 and reading Massively's extensive coverage, I see a few interesting nuggets as well as some other stuff that sounds familiar. This doesn't jibe with the unabashed optimism and explosions of fan joy that accompany just about every ArenaNet reveal, though, and I'm left wondering what I'm missing. The elephant in the room would appear to be the game's business model, and the pay-once/play-forever system is appealing. Is it the main appeal, though, or is it a combination of the game's depth coupled with this business model? Put another way, would you be as excited for GW2 if you had to pay a monthly sub to play it? 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!
The Anvil of Crom: Would F2P solve the population problem?
Howdy folks, and welcome back to another installment of The Anvil of Crom. This week I'll be taking a short break from reporting on my CMA activities. I took a bit of an impromptu vacation last week and as a result didn't get to play Oakarm much at all. He's still hanging out in his mid-30s, looking for dungeon groups, and training me on those pesky melee combos, so look for more on that tangent in the weeks to come. Today I'd like to indulge in some speculation regarding a potentially free-to-play Age of Conan. I know, I know, I've talked about this on multiple occasions before, but a recent conversation I had with a buddy (and former AoC subscriber) got me to thinking seriously about the pros and cons. Hi-Rez Studios' recent announcement of its Global Agenda F2P re-configuration also factored into my choice of column topics this week since I made extensive use of GA as an example last time. Anyhow, hop over the cut and let's chat about it.
