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DDO Eberron Unlimited rolls high initiative, gets early head-start release
According to a recent Turbine press release, the developer's free-to-play, D20-rolling MMO, Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited will be granting early access to ... well, to people who've already had their fair share of early access. Though the game launches on September 9, anyone who is a former or current subscriber to DDO, or those who participated in Unlimited's closed beta, can log onto the game right this hot second.The game offers all the DDO action you (might) know and (may) love, albeit with a higher level cap and lower price. Sure, you'll still need to dish out a few bucks for access to the game's full catalog of zones, classes, races and items -- but even without this premium content, there's plenty of game available for the Gygax enthusiast on a budget.%Gallery-71416%
DDO Unlimited begins head start today
With Dungeons and Dragons Online's upcoming venture into the world of free-to-play, we're all pretty excited to get into the game and see what it has to offer, without the worries of a monthly sub. Not only that, but the devs at Turbine are adding so much to the game, it really did its own relaunch for the event.The official launch of DDO Unlimited will take place on September 9th, but today actually marks a head start for all current beta players and previous subscription holders. This means you can reserve new character names, check out the new content and even make some purchases on the DDO store before everyone else. Active or former subscribers can simply patch their current clients, but beta players will need to head on over to this link to download the game.
DDO Unlimited's final patch notes released
If you're one of those types of people who loves reading patch notes, then do we have a patch note novel for you! In anticipation of the Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited release later this week, the DDO devs have dropped the final patch notes in our collective laps today. These patch notes are certainly epic. Never before has a developer attempted to defeat the Iliad with the power of bug fixes and game improvements. The patch notes for DDO go over everything from the new class, to the new level cap of 20, to the UI enhancements, feat changes, class specific patch notes, adventure areas, and much, much more.If you're interested in checking out what's in store for you at the launch of DDO, look no further than Turbine's patch notes. Enjoy your scrolling!
September is a crazy month for MMOs!
September 2009 really is quite a month for new MMO releases, as Syp points out. Players will be able to dive into the worlds of Aion, Champions Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited (barring any unfortunate legal wrangling), and Fallen Earth. While we're at it, we might as well include CrimeCraft, which launched a couple days ago too. Remember the days when you might see 1-2 new MMOs per year, staggered six months apart from each other? As the genre grows, it seems unlikely that we'll see those days again. Since we're huge MMO fans at Massively, we think that's quite awesome!We're curious to know how you think the month of September will play out. Will this month be full of cut-throat competition with only one or two strong titles coming out on top? Are these MMOs even targeted to the same crowds? We actually feel each title is going after a slightly different audience, which may result in everyone being a winner. Do you plan on trying one of them? Two? All? None!? What's your gaming strategy coming up to September? Taking a quick look at Betawatch tells us that there may be a couple more MMOs launching in 2009 as well.
DDO Unlimited's Favored Soul and Reaver's Reach screens
Turbine has been a busy bee lately when it comes to DDO Unlimited (launching September 9th) but we're pretty okay with that since the game is a whole lot of fun. Likewise, these new screens featuring the new Favored Soul class and add-on adventure pack, Reaver's Reach, are pretty entertaining. Screens from this particular developer have always been pretty great, and yet Turbine has stepped up their game here.So even if you don't plan on playing DDO Unlimited too much, we highly recommend that you check these babies out. If you're looking to kill some time, especially, because they're oh-so shiny and pretty. It's so distracting that you could almost forget what you were, uh... what were we saying again?%Gallery-66255%
Breaking: Turbine sues Atari over Dungeons and Dragons Online
Turbine has filed a lawsuit against publishing partner Atari in New York courts for a breach of licensing agreement all centered around Dungeons and Dragons Online. The two companies are locked in a legal battle regarding accusations including failing contractual obligations and wrongful termination of agreements.The court documents filed on Monday paint the picture of a long chain of grievances against Atari made by Turbine, starting with lackluster support all the way back when Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach launched in 2006. Turbine asserts that Atari has failed to maintain their obligations as the publisher of the game while still holding onto the licensing for Dungeons and Dragons. These obligations mostly include the marketing aspects of the game, such as commercials, advertising, retail box creation, retail promotion, and cross-promotion with other Atari products. (Fans of the game will remember the very lackluster marketing campaign at the game's launch, especially when compared with Champions Online's marketing, another Atari-backed game.) Because of these failures, Turbine has had to step in and become the publisher of the game in North America, costing the company millions of dollars.
DDO Unlimited solidifies its Sept. 9th launch
It looks like Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited won't be seeing another delay, as Turbine has announced that the revamped version of the game has gone gold. Of course, while such a concept doesn't really have the same meaning in the digital world, it's a good way of saying they're completely ready for prime time.Current subscribers will be getting an early start with the game on Sept. 1st, instead of having to wait for the official North America launch on Sept. 9th. Turbine has always been exceedingly gracious towards their subscribers, so we wouldn't have expected anything less from the company.If you're wondering what all this is about, you can check out Massively's previous coverage of the new additions through our features and image gallery.%Gallery-66994%
The Daily Grind: Is a fall release really such a good idea?
As many of our summer releases get pushed back to September and October, we can't help but wonder if this is such a good idea. MMO players are already notoriously picky when it comes to grabbing their attention in the long-term, but for school-age players, September and October are a time to concentrate on the new school year and new studies. Theoretically.This is one of the main points in a recent blog post by Inktomi over at MMOCrunch. In addition to explaining dissatisfaction with both Aion and Champions Online for grinding or business decisions, Inktomi brings up a good point that may hurt these upcoming games in the long run. If you had to make the decision to only play one game this fall -- due to time constraints from school or otherwise -- would any of the projected releases (Aion, CrimeCraft, Champions Online, Fallen Earth, DDO Unlimited, CitiesXL) interest you enough to be your one game?
DDO Unlimited launch pushed back to September
Back in June, we first got word that the new free-to-play version of Dungeons and Dragons Online was going to launch on August 4th. But the folks at Turbine recently pushed that date back another month to throw on another coat of polish. Executive Producer Fernando Paiz made an official statement on the subject: "While we are very pleased with the performance of the game and are excited about the response from the players, we are committed to delivering a high-quality experience. We feel that more time is needed to deliver on this commitment."What exactly does this mean? We have no idea, but if waiting another month means a better game, we're all for it! Look for DDO: Eberron Unlimited to launch on September 9th of this year.
New DDO screenshots showcase older areas
We've had quite a number of new screenshots thrown our way from the Dungeons and Dragons Online universe as of late, mostly to do with the fact that DDO Unlimited is almost here. For this latest batch of images, Turbine didn't want to show off a new unreleased area from the impending launch; instead, they've opted to display other parts of the world to the players that have never tried the game but are considering entering the fray when it becomes free.The screenshots, which feature the Catacombs and Three-Barrel Cove areas, certainly do a good job of proving that the older content can still look pretty darn nice. We've added the ten shots to their own gallery -- check it out below.%Gallery-68733%
The Daily Grind: Will you be giving DDO Unlimited a try?
Dungeons and Dragons Online is very close to a monumental event in its lifetime. On the 6th of August it will change from a subscription-based business model to free-to-play with an in-game store and VIP membership option. Along with the change will come some brand new content, further sweetening the deal. If dropping the monthly fee alone wasn't enough to bring back previous players, new content might just do it. On the flip side, for those that have never tried the game, the idea of a free-to-play title that is getting solid updates should put DDO on their radar at the very least.We previously analyzed the switch over to the new version in depth, listing some pros and cons. A quick summary is that free players are limited in some ways, but they don't have to be. You can become a VIP, pay for the individual extras you want, or simply enjoy the things that don't cost anything. If you've been following the news you've probably made up your own mind about the big question by now: will you be giving DDO Unlimited a try when it launches? If you are, are you an old player that is giving the game another shot? Or are you a total DDO newbie keen to see what the world has to offer?
DDO Eberron Unlimited beta now available to all active subscribers
It's beta madness in the MMO industry all of a sudden! Both Global Agenda and Champions Online are running some major beta events this weekend, and we've gotten word that Dungeons and Dragons Online has some news on the beta front as well with Eberron Unlimited (often simply referred to as "DDO Unlimited"). The beta for Turbine's free-to-play version of DDO is now open to all active subscribers. Turbine Senior Community Manager, Patience, writes: "We're pleased to announce that the DDO Unlimited Beta is now open to all players with active DDO subscriptions. If you have a paid DDO account in good standing you're no longer required to have a VIP key to access the Lamannia server or post on the beta forums! Your account will convert to VIP when DDO Unlimited launches."%Gallery-66994%
Dragons and undead monstrosities in new DDO Unlimited screens
With Turbine gearing up for the launch of Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited on August 4th, new screens are becoming increasingly more common. This time around, we've been given images of the Deleras Tomb and Vault of Night modules. We don't mind at all, because well, dragons and undead liches are really quite awesome. The very screen above most certainly made us want to play the game the moment we set eyes upon it.Something tells us you can expect to see more screens in the coming weeks. Although, maybe next time we'll get to see some other monsters of Eberron -- perhaps some new demons? You can never really go wrong with intimidating demons -- just ask Tim Curry if you don't believe us on that one.%Gallery-65663%
Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour
Love can sometimes be a fickle thing, but I'm pretty sure that I love what Turbine has done with the DDO Store in Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited. I'll admit that initially I was a little concerned with the concept of an in-game store, but after playing with it at bit and asking some questions my fears have pretty much melted away.I was lucky enough to be given a developer tour of the Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited beta last Friday, and had a thoroughly good time. The DDO Store is a streamlined and snappy experience. The store doesn't simply attempt to shove its wares onto the unsuspecting player. Instead, it attempts -- and largely succeeds -- in being a helpful, generally friendly addition to the game.%Gallery-66994%
