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E3 2014: A quick hands-on with Destiny
As much as you might want have wanted to sink your teeth into Destiny at E3 2014, the lines and waits were pretty long. Even after the wait, we were afforded but a small taste of what Bungie's upcoming shooter has to offer before the next group was shuffled through. After watching a video that touted plenty of public events, three-man strikes, dungeons, and story content, I followed the herd into a room and was subsequently not allowed to play any of that. Instead, the machines were all set up in teams for multiplayer PvP matches only. Using pre-made con characters (players will be able to take their own characters in the competitive multiplayer mode at release), we dived right in to two back-to-back capture-the-flag scenarios. On the plus side, the two maps highlighted the good graphics and sported very different landscapes; besides the very distinct themes, one had vehicles to utilize, while the other did not. On the negative side, throwing together such random teams of folks who've never touched the game before led to a less-than-ideal experience in teamwork. The brief play-test that focused only on PvP allowed for little in-depth exploration of the title. How's Destiny PvE and the rest of its sci-fi quasi-MMO experience? We'll let you know when beta opens July 17th on the PS4! Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
E3 2014: Shroud of the Avatar's Garriott and Long emphasize immersion
Touted as the spiritual successor to Ultima Online by its creators, Shroud of the Avatar aims to fill a sandbox-shaped void in the modern MMOverse. Judging by the successful crowdfunding campaign and continued support by backers, I know there are plenty of players who are eager for that to happen and believe SotA is the game to do it. Are backers getting what they paid for? One weekend every month they can jump in and experience a new release of the game and offer feedback to the development team. And thanks to E3 2014, I also got to jump in and get some hands-on time with the latest release of the game. On top of that, I spoke with Richard Garriott and Executive Producer Starr Long about everything from player economy and pay-to-win concerns to combat, immersion, and player-contributed content.
Rumor: Black Desert in 'final phase of negotiations' with NA, EU publisher
You know how Massively sometimes posts about feature-packed Korean sandbox import Black Desert? And you know how there's always that one commenter who's all "why are you writing about this? We'll never get to play it!" Well, that dude is apparently wrong. Korean website Inven says that Pearl Abyss is in the "final phase of negotiations" with a North American and European publisher. A PA rep wouldn't divulge the company or companies involved when asked at this week's E3, but he did say that the publisher in question "should be familiar when mentioned," according to MMO Culture.
E3 2014: PlanetSide 2 PS4 demo showcases visuals, performance
While PlanetSide 2 has been out since the end of 2012 on the PC, it isn't due out on PlayStation 4 until later this year. At E3 2014, we got a hands-on demo of the game with lead game designer Luke Sigmund and executive producer Clint Worley to check out how the console version of the MMOFPS is coming along. And it's definitely coming along. Sigmund said that In order to get PS2 ready for release on the PS4, the team has been focusing a lot of attention on optimization and getting the controls feeling right. Currently, the team is doing daily playtests to get feedback on the look and feel of the builds. Sigmund emphasized, "The things we are focusing on for the PS4 are usability, new player experience, and optimization. For us, it's just a matter of getting it right. We don't want to put it out there and not be happy with the way it looks." So how does it look right now? Pretty darn good!
E3 2014: Hands-on with EVE Valkyrie and a chat about Legion
Why does the guy who gets motion sickness keep getting sent out into space!? Someone on Massively's staff is really looking out for you guys and gals with weak stomachs because once again I was sent to chat with CCP about EVE universe stuff and take an Oculus Rift for a spin at this year's E3. Spoiler alert: I managed to keep down my breakfast and have fun. First up was EVE Valkyrie, the virtual reality game that this time last year was still known as EVR. While the game looked a bit familiar, there were certainly some differences. First is the addition of Rán (it sounds like "roun"). Rán is sort of the first Valkyrie and your trainer, acting as sort of your flight instructor and mission debriefer, who helped give me a sense of setting. EVR was fun before, no doubt, but it was a stripped-down flight simulator (not a bad thing). Having a narrator makes it feel more like a game. The addition of some brighter and bolder colors helps boost immersion too.
E3 2014: Hands-on with Swordsman and Dawn of the Immortals
I have a problem: I like a lot of the mechanics in Wuxia games like Age of Wushu, but I have trouble getting into them. Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman Online, while lacking some of the mechanics of AoW, might have a mixture that catches people off-guard. And while you're off-guard, PWE's Dawn of the Immortals might come in and show you how the world of mobile MMOs is starting to progress. I had a look at both Swordsman Online and Dawn of the Immortals at this year's E3. Read on!
E3 2014: EVE: Valkyrie gameplay trailer brings war to the stars
EVE: Valkyrie may still be in the pre-alpha stage, but that doesn't mean that CCP came to E3 empty-handed this year. On the contrary, the studio delivered a gameplay trailer with a couple minutes of in-game footage from the VR space dogfighting sim. In it, you can see combat between fighters as they use missiles and cannons to engage in aggressive diplomacy. The camera's constant tilting illustrates how the Oculus Rift headset will offer the player an unrestrained field of view during the experience. Check it out after the break and let us know what you think!
E3 2014: Fighting car bosses in Ubisoft's The Crew
I still can't believe racing MMOs are a thing. I know some people say they're just racing games and not proper MMOs, but once you get inside something like The Crew, you'll find a lot of interesting stuff. I demoed Ubisoft's persistent-world racer at last year's E3, and this year's hands-on revealed some changes for the better.
E3 2014: Underground and underwater with Landmark's Terry Michaels
You didn't need to be at E3 2014 to partake in Landmark's latest (literally) groundbbreaking patch. In fact, if you were at the con as I was, chances are you haven't been able to log in and experience it for yourself yet! Luckily, Senior Producer Terry Michaels was on hand to offer me a peek at the new features before I broke down in heap of deprivation-induced agony from my Landmark withdrawals. What was the big deal with this latest update? It included the first iteration of caves and the second phase of water. Players can now go spelunking deep in the earth to find large veins of minerals, explore uncharted biomes with new plants, and even find treasure chests filled with special items. On top of that, they can swim through the bright blue oceans that surround each island. As Michaels helped me get my Landmark fix, we talked about everything from the newest content to heroic movement to my pet topics: player books and theme-enforced islands. Oh, and did I mention that combat is planned to appear by SOE Live in August?
E3 2014: The Elder Scrolls Online offers small-scale PvP at cons
If you are one of the fans who has been begging for a smaller-scale PvP experience in The Elder Scrolls Online, E3 2014 offers a glimmer of hope. Instead of dishing out a large production, ESO offered attendees a a unique 3v3 experience that was made specially for the convention. The map itself, which utilizes art assets from Cyrodiil and is about the size of one fort (like Glademist), took the devs only about two weeks to put together. There are no kill counts or rankings, and players battle for control of a single flag in King of the Mountain-style gameplay. The drop-in-and-play scenario has apparently been well-received; game representatives on the floor reported that players really like the size and the fast pace of it, which is perfect for short allotments of time. If you want to try out this small-scale PvP yourself, it will be be available again at both Gamescom and QuakeCon later this summer. And if you want to see a version make it into the game itself, be sure to let the devs know on the official forums! Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
E3 2014: The Division gives you high-tech tools and upgradable bases to save NYC
Ubisoft interviewed... itself, we guess, by chatting up The Division Game Director Ryan Barnard about some of the high-tech gadgets and interesting locales that players will encounter. The team's been showing off the ECHO function, a way to gather intel by projecting a colorful holographic visual. These will be used to help further the story and allow for mystery-solving during quests. "They're in places that would have information that could be relevant or important," Barnard said. Barnard was coy about the story details but said that players will be fighting against factions like the Cleaners to save New York City. He also mentioned that players will be unlocking bases as they progress. Unlike static gameplay hubs, these bases will have upgradable modules that can be improved through various co-op activities. You can catch The Division fever by watching the E3 trailer after the break.
E3 2014: Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter details fan festival dates
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the dates for the Final Fantasy XIV festival in October, and during the most recent live letter from the producer those dates were finally revealed. The gathering will take place on October 18th and 19th at Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, October 25th at the Tobacco Dock in London, and December 20th and 21st at the Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo. Other revelations from the letter? Personal chambers are going to be priced at approximately 300,000 gil for players who want a room of their own off of their Free Company house. Patch 2.3 will be going live on July 8th. There are also more questions asked regarding the new floors of Crystal Tower, the addition of new items, and the Frontline system, but all of those answers can be found in the official translation thread. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
E3 2014: Hands-on with Black Gold's PvP
It can be hard to demo an MMO at E3. Some studios stick a bunch of journalists together and have us try an instance, which can be fun or, if the worst of us ends up taking a key position, it can be rather frustrating. Other studios let you into a questing area but, to be brutally honest, these usually feel pretty stale compared to the nearby console games that let you do more than kill 10 goblins. Snail Games broke from the mold by letting us PvP in its upcoming Black Gold Online MMO, and while there were some issues, I felt a bit more confident about the title than I did last year.
E3 2014: Hands-on with Star Citizen and a chat with Chris Roberts
Chris Roberts prefers a joystick or controller to the mouse and keyboard. This came up immediately upon meeting him for our Star Citizen demo/interview at this year's E3. As someone who's mainly watched news on the game from the sidelines, sitting in awe of what looks like a terribly complex title with tons of gameplay options, I was a bit intimidated going into this sit-down. But I came out of it feeling, well, relaxed.
E3 2014: FFXIV's Yoshida on 2.4, 3.0, new classes, and more
After the recent E3 2014 announcement that Final Fantasy XIV was getting a new class and a marriage system, fans have been understandably eager to learn more. And the best way to do that is go to the source! We sat down with producer Naoki Yoshida to discuss the content slated for upcoming patches and expansions. Before delving into the new, Yoshida spoke about the old. He noted that since last year's expo, FFXIV has enjoyed a successful relaunch, added a couple of major updates, and given millions of gamers around the world the opportunity to play. He then led into the new by saying, "We want to continue to grow the game from here. We have a lot of exciting content building up to 3.0." Part of said growing includes expanding the availability of the game by getting it into even more regions; this summer, for example, FFXIV will launch in China. Another part of the growth process is expanding the content and introducing new features, which is where patch 2.4 and the 3.0 expansion come in.
E3 2014: Destiny gameplay trailer sells you on the experience
Bungie might have your attention with its upcoming Destiny shooter, but what is it really? For those still a little unclear what this title will have to offer, the team's put together a seven-minute trailer for E3 that covers the gamut of story, features, and sweet hoverbike action. It's not just eye candy (ooh, reflective water puddles!); it's informative as well. We've got the full trailer after the break, so what are you waiting for?
E3 2014: Hands-on with World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz
If Wargaming.net is known for one thing, it's for being big. Nowhere is that more evident than E3, where displays for games like World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships typically dominate the show floor. Naturally this year's big reveal is the new Warships title. Although it's the third World of vehicles battler, gamers who haven't played the previous two won't be at a disadvantage. That said, it's the hands-on with World of Tanks iOS version that really got my attention.
E3 2014: Hands-on with Skyforge, World of Speed, and Armored Warfare
I won't lie: I went to an E3 meeting with publisher My.com thinking only of Skyforge. I'd heard about Armored Warfare and World of Speed, but I didn't expect much from either title. I'd seen tank games and racing games trying to move into the MMO sphere, and while they were sometimes interesting, I didn't pay a whole lot attention. And ultimately they weren't as interesting to me as Skyforge, but I did walk away thinking they are titles that will appreciated by a portion of the MMO audience.
E3 2014: Hands-on with H1Z1
I'm coughing. My head hurts. I'm tired, hungry, and thirsty. I'm not hearing things anymore, but when I close my eyes for too long, I feel disoriented. And this was before I got my hands on H1Z1! I'm sick at E3, but well enough to see through some spin while looking at a winner. If you're tired of hype, false promises, and pay-to-play alphas, come read between the lines with me as I recount the experience of my H1Z1 demo.
E3 2014: Hands-on with Elite: Dangerous and the Oculus Rift
Is it possible that a hands-on demo of Elite: Dangerous and a talk with Frontier Development's Adam Woods, producer, and David Braben, CEO, would make a space sim fan out of me? Yes! I liked what I'd heard about the game before, but after experiencing it for myself at E3 2014, I can definitely say I am hooked. And it isn't just because of the Oculus Rift. I got a tour of the newest playable build, a sneak peek of the upcoming system and space station, and watched a brand-new trailer on top of the VR time.
