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Turbine makes 'biggest announcement since free-to-play' for Dungeons and Dragons Online
The Dungeons and Dragons Online developers have been enjoying the game's success, and things are running smoothly, but fans know that doesn't mean the team's been kicking back and relaxing. We've had content updates regularly, and not just little token patches but rather new adventure packs, new races and classes, the addition of crafting, and much more. Have you enjoyed the past year or so in DDO? Well, hang on to your hats because we spent some time chatting with Eric Boyer and Fernando Paiz and... well, those updates aren't the only thing the developers have been working on. Click past the break to see what's about to take DDO by storm.
Dungeons & Dragons Online to launch Update 12 on November 9th
Do you feel as if there's a hole in your Dungeons & Dragons Online experience, a hole that could only be filled by the launch of Update 12? Well, then, you're in luck. It looks like Update 12 will be going live on November 9th, just over a week from today, ushering in a new round of changes for players to enjoy. And not just changes -- the game is actually ushering in an entirely new class, the Artificer, unlocked as a favor reward by playing through content of this update and its predecessor. Not your speed? That's all right; there are plenty of other features listed on the official update page, including the new Challenges system, armor appearance kits, and new hirelings that outclass your character's raw level. It should bring quite a bit of entertainment to both subscribers and free players alike, so if you've been awaiting this patch with bated breath, best mark your calendar.
Turbine's Fernando Paiz to keynote PAX East IGDA conference
PAX East is less than half a month away, promising to be a good time for fans and developers alike. Considering that it's one of the only major gaming conventions in the northeast, we're not surprised that the International Game Developer's Association would have a presence, hosting both a series of panels on breaking into game design and a developer summit. It's the latter that's of the greatest interest to MMO fans, as the summit's keynote speaker is Fernando Paiz of Dungeons and Dragons Online fame. Taking place on Saturday, March 12th at 10:00 a.m. EST, Paiz's keynote speech is titled "The Game Monetization Revolution: Embracing new business models that are good for both players and developers." While the content of the speech is not known, odds are good that it will cover the successful Dungeons and Dragons Online free-to-play switch as well as what it means for the future of games in general. It's an interesting kickoff to the summit, and it shows just how much impact MMOs are having on the larger game industry.
Dungeons and Dragons Online looks back to the beginning for its fifth anniversary
It seems hard to believe that Dungeons and Dragons Online has been running for five years now, but there you have it. The game has become a darling of the free-to-play business model and attracted a great deal of attention since the conversion, but for the fifth anniversary, the game is looking backward. Specifically, it's looking to Smuggler's Rest, once the starter area for new travelers to Stormreach. Though long forgotten, it's not abandoned, and players of all levels will be sent back to help Euphonia Teles try to beat some rapacious scavengers from obtaining the map to Crystal Cove. Euphonia's Challenge: Treasure of Crystal Cove, which our own Rubi Bayer previewed just a few weeks ago, will be available from 10:00 a.m. EST on February 24th to the same time on March 2nd. In addition to participating in the event, players will be awarded a gift for characters created before February 22nd, with older characters getting more impressive hats to don as a show of age. There are also new items in the game's cash shop as well as a special experience and renown bonus for all characters from February 24th through March 1st, plus a Marketplace Egg-Hunt from now until March 6th. Dungeons and Dragons Online has been through a lot of changes over the years, but it's time to go back and celebrate the game's roots. %Gallery-65663%
Dungeons and Dragons Online previews new Update 7 screenshots
Update 7 is coming for Dungeons and Dragons Online, and while the title of the update is Half-bloods, the patch promises to be anything but half-baked. Introducing two new races, a new raid, free quests, UI improvements, and more besides, the update promises to be one of the largest for the game since its switch to free-to-play last year. Turbine has shared a few new screenshots from the Droaam adventure pack, highlighting both the adventure and some of the coming UI improvements. The UI improvements previewed offer several streamlined and clarified interfaces, while the Droaam screenshots show off a wide-ranging adventure that spans a number of different adversaries and settings. If the gallery sparks your interest, you can take a look at our recent tour through some of the content coming in Update 7 and get a bit more context. Dungeons and Dragons Online players can look forward to the patch later this month, which seems like a fine reason to assume that the cup is half-full. %Gallery-105016%
Turbine on renting vs. owning in the MMO market
While we had the opportunity to chat with Turbine Entertainment about the upcoming plans and changes for Dungeons & Dragons Online, our sister site WoW.com was at PAX East as well. Since Turbine doesn't run World of Warcraft (however often Lord of the Rings Online might get compared to it), the discussion there went in a different direction. Much of the numbers side is well-known to the larger MMO community, but the interesting part is the discussion of renting content versus owning it. Subscription MMOs fall into the former category, while Dungeons & Dragons Online is the latter. As design director Ian Currie put it, while DDO has an option to subscribe, you can stop doing so at any time and retain everything you bought. You can enjoy the full leveling game without paying anything. Your character is undeniably yous, no matter how much or little you pay. By contrast, in a subscription game -- such as Turbine's own Lord of the Rings Online -- your character is yours only so long as you continue to pay the monthly fee. As digital goods and the culture of MMOs becomes more and more ingrained in the popular mind, expect to see more discussion on this topic. After all, people see their characters in MMOs as their property -- even if that's not technically true.
New screens for DDO Unlimited Update 4
Ever since the recent DDO Unlimited "State of the Game" last week the fourth update really can't come soon enough. Lucky for us, Turbine has released some more screens that showcase some new content, which includes lots of fantasy sword swinging and some particularly nasty looking baddies to fight, as well. Now that we think on it, perhaps the images aren't as lucky as we thought, because now we just want patch day to be today. Well, at least April -- the scheduled month for Update 4 -- is just around the corner. And if that's not good enough for you, we'll be demoing the update this Friday during PAX East. So expect to find heaps of new images and information in short order. Until then, please enjoy the new DDO Unlimited update 4 gallery.%Gallery-88911%
DDO Update 3 goes live, Turbine releases new screenshots
Dungeons and Dragons Online released Update 3 earlier today, something we at Massively have been anxiously awaiting since our tour last week. Fans of the game have been anxious too, reading through the patch notes and checking out the buzz on the Lamannia forums while they waited for update day to arrive. Well, that day is here, and Stormreach Harbor is frozen over and crowded with players sliding and falling on the ice, while others farm Ice Tokens, check out casual mode, and gather groups for the new quests. If you haven't patched yet, Turbine has given us a little something to pass the time while you wait for your game to update: a series of new screenshots from the Delirium quest. Take a look at the gallery, and check out our developer tour for some insider hints while you wait. Have fun, and have a drink at the Sleeping Spell in on us! %Gallery-84604%
Massively's tour through DDO Update 3
Recently, we posted information about the current release notes for Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 3, the latest in a series of updates from Turbine since Dungeons and Dragons Online went free-to-play last summer. The update is scheduled to go live on February 3rd, and is only the tip of the iceberg for Turbine's plans, including six content updates for 2010, with a new one added every two months. For now though, Update 3 offers more than enough to keep players very busy exploring all of the new surprises that it brings. The team at Turbine was kind enough to take us on another extensive tour of the new content, and since we are kind as well, we decided to share it all with you! Follow along after the cut to see all that Turbine has in store for DDO.
