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First steps into the RuneScape experience
The MMO section of Eurogamer covers most of the big titles on the market, but one that's less-focused upon by their writers is Runescape which, despite its long history, is still running strong today. Eurogamer's Jon Blyth was tasked with jumping into RuneScape and writing about his experience as a new player.Blyth walks the reader through Tutorial Island, the early quests, but laments how difficult it was to make friends. He writes: "I've never had a problem with this before. I'm a charming sod, my amiable winking could win over the most fundamentalist terrorist. But RuneScape is beyond my skills. Every 'hi' was ignored. When I did get a response, it was quick and efficient. From my limited experience, it's a brutal and lonely world for the low-level adventurer." Ultimately, Blyth was left with a conflicted view of the game. In his own words, it got under his skin and left him wanting just a bit more despite its flaws, but the game's graphical limitations and controls proved to be a limiting factor in how much he enjoyed the RuneScape experience. Do we have many RuneScape players among our readers here at Massively? If so, what is it about the game that has kept you playing over the years?
Interview reveals more juicy details on Earthrise
If you were just kinda "meh" about Masthead's Earthrise before, we have a little something for you that might change your mind. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Masthead's CEO Atanas Atanasov speaks openly about the game's unique features, storyline, class-less system, PvP endgame and potential launch date, set for later this year.While this sci-fi game will be classified as post-apocalyptic, Atanasov says that there will be more technology than your normal story set in the aftermath of civilization's collapse. "When designing the title we wanted to add more technology than typical post-apocalyptic settings because it brings more fun to the game," he said. "And we're designing a game, not writing a movie or a book. We want our players to have more fun with big weapons and blow up things, and use all kinds of special attacks."
Puzzle Quest Galactrix boldly going to PSN
As hinted by the official Puzzle Quest Galactrix flash demo, the game has been confirmed by D3Publisher (via Eurogamer) to have a planned release on the PSN. Galactrix will be similar to the original Challenge Of The Warlords in terms of gameplay, but will feature a science fiction setting, rather than a fantasy one. If you haven't played Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords yet, be sure to give it a go. You've no excuse really, it's on practically every system available.Currently price and release date info is a mystery, but Galactrix is supposed to release around March.
A look at the MMO coming attractions in 2009
Now that we're comfortably settling in to our new digs at casa de 2009, it seems like the best time to reflect on what we have to look forward to in the coming year. Eurogamer has done the dirty work for us, as they've compiled a handy article detailing the coming attractions.All Points Bulletin tops their list as the star attraction, citing enthusiasm for the GTA-style action and depth of customization. SOE's The Agency and Free Realms, along with Cryptic's Champions Online and NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution round out the remaining top spots on this list, for varying reasons. Some honorable mentions include Aion, Darkfall, EVE's Walking in Stations expansion, Earthrise, Global Agenda and many more expected to see the light of day this year or next. Will all of these games actually make it to a 2009 release, or will 2010 truly be the year of epic MMO launches?
An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online
Prolific games journalist Jim Rossignol is an avid EVE Online player, who has made regular contributions to Eurogamer focused on this particular sci-fi MMO. His latest piece, "EVE Online: Battle Reports", is a brief account of how his PvP-focused corp (EVE's version of a guild) fared in a conflict against some steep odds. His aim is to explain a bit about how the game works while telling his story, hopefully holding appeal for those who don't play the game as well as those who do. "Because of the open structure of the game world, player-versus-player battles happen in all kinds of contexts and situations, and the sheer number of variables means they can make for a great story," Rossignol writes.
Retailers say Killzone 2 hits UK on February 27th
Sometimes when Sony refuses to comment on something, there are others who will be happy to do so. In the case of release dates, retailers are the best people to turn to and, as Eurogamer have found out, tend to know when high profile games are likely to be released. Like Killzone 2 hitting the UK on February 27th, two days after certain other European territories. It's unconfirmed by SCEE, but these are the dates certain retailers have been "advised to expect" the launch.This falls in line with the American release date, which is also February 27th. A demo is also expected to hit sometime before the game launches.
Eurogamer: Europe may get pre-launch Killzone 2 demo
Eurogamer claims a source close to Sony has indicated that if the Killzone 2 demo clears QA, it'll "almost certainly" be released in Europe before the game storms store shelves. This information comes hot on the heels of Sony America's confirmation that a North American demo will not be available until after the game launches on February 27.Now, here's where wordplay makes the situation sticky. Killzone 2 doesn't currently have a clear release date in Europe. So, depending on when Europe actually gets an official date, the demo and game could very well be out in North America before Europe enters the zone of killing.
Rumor: No Lego Harry Potter in '09
A Eurogamer source claims that Traveller's Tales isn't making a Lego Harry Potter game this year. This follows rumors that a brickitized Potter title was in the works, courtesy of the folks behind Lego Star Wars and Lego Indy. Said rumor has been floating around ever since Warner Bros., which holds the wizard's movie rights, bought TT in 2007.The Eurogamer source also claims a new installment of Lego Indiana Jones is likely to arrive this year. At this point, we're willing to believe almost any franchise can be turned into a TT Lego game. Well, that Lego Rock Band rumor is still a bit weird.
Rumor: PSP-4000 in 2009, PSP2 in the works
Eurogamer reports that "publishing sources" indicate that Sony is planning to release the PSP-4000 in late '09 and will eventually launch a PSP2. This news is sure to come as a big shock to Sony Europe president David Reeves, who stated last week that there were "currently no plans for a PSP2." Eurogamer sources divulge that titles are currently in development for the unannounced handheld.Obviously, we hope the PSP-4000 fixes the current iteration's interlacing issues. Sony UK informed Eurogamer that it would not comment on the story, due to the classic tag team of "rumour" and "speculation."
NetDevil producer discusses the Jumpgate Evolution experience
Space-based massively multiplayer games are few and far between, in an industry dominated by dragons, monsters, swords, and all the other mainstays of the fantasy genre. Of course there are a few prominent examples of sci-fi MMOs on the market, most notably EVE Online which seems to be holding its own in a fantasy-fixated industry. But EVE is a particular type of game that doesn't quite meet the needs of those sci-fi fans who want a more visceral combat experience. Jumpgate Evolution, which is in development at NetDevil, may well be a title that provides that style of play gamers want in a sci-fi MMO. Indeed, Jumpgate Evolution is introducing an old favorite to the sci-fi MMO genre -- the joystick.But there's certainly a lot more to Jumpgate Evolution than its dogfighting. Jim Rossignol from Eurogamer caught up with Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of Jumpgate Evolution, and spoke with him about some of the core concepts of the title, its mission (quest) system, and objective-based PvP. Peterscheck also walks the reader through what the new player experience will be like when beginning Jumpgate Evolution. If you're interested in hearing more about Jumpgate Evolution and how its gameplay is going to differ from a title like EVE Online, head on over to Rossignol's Eurogamer interview with Hermann Peterscheck.
A tale of geek purgatory
What's it like being stuck in the Japanese equivalence of a Korean cybercafe? Apparently, it's like hell, or at least it was for one gamer who wrote an article on Eurogamer discussing his several-hours within just such a place. We began reading the article with a twinge of inner pain as the place is described in such a way that would make anyone feel claustrophobic. Not very far into it though, you'll learn about some of the oddities of Japanese MMO players and their tendancy to be really, well, obsessive compulsive.We're not gonna lie, the typical Japanese MMO game and player scares the living daylights out of us -- mostly because they seem like machines. And we all know what happens when machines start posing as humans, right? The entire world is either bombed, or the human race is enslaved and sent back into time repeatedly until a paradox destorys time itself. Bad stuff.
EVE Online's Senior Producer on expansion plans
Some new directions for EVE Online were announced at Fanfest 2008 earlier this month. Torfi Frans Olafsson is the Senior Producer for EVE Online, who presented many of these new features. Eurogamer's Oli Welsh recently spoke with Torfi Frans about the Fanfest announcements and how they'll impact the game as it moves forward. The interview focuses heavily on the Walking in Stations expansion, which -- despite no small amount of negative sentiment from some of the playerbase -- has the potential to expand the limits of gameplay in New Eden. "The expansion is about growing EVE Online as the general-purpose science fiction simulator out there... the whole idea is just to deepen the experience," Torfi Frans tells Welsh.
Chatpad coming to Europe November 28th
SCEE has confirmed to Eurogamer that the PS3 controller chatpad add-on will be making its way to European stores before its American release in "early December." Specificially, Europeans will be able to get their hands on the full qwerty keyboard controller expansion on November 28th for the price of £24.99. No price in Euros has been revealed yet. A touch pricey, but the chatpad will be very handy for those who prefer to text chat rather than using a headset. Games like LittleBigPlanet can only benefit from it, not to mention the imminent Home open beta. Might be worth grabbing just for that.
Blue Mars beta and launch dates disclosed
When it comes to virtual worlds, Massively's main focus to date has clearly been on Second Life, but we're also interested in some of the other choices that are becoming available to residents in virtual spaces. Blue Mars from Avatar Reality is one that's caught our eye -- it's a sci-fi themed virtual world, set on a terraformed Mars in the year 2177 AD. The potential is there to have some stunning visuals, as Blue Mars is built on CryEngine2, best known for giving Crysis its look. The official Avatar Reality site lists a beta release for the end of 2008, but they've told Eurogamer that Blue Mars enters beta in January 2009. "The first-time developer expects this to last for around three months, before the full game launches in April," Eurogamer's Rob Purchese reports.
Blizzard exec: I wouldn't bet against BioWare
Blizzard executive Paul Sams has a lot of things to say about BioWare and Star Wars: The Old Republic in an interview with Eurogamer. And while he starts off with, "I wouldn't bet against them, that's for sure." Sams doesn't stop there. He goes on to point out his reasons, stating that not many MMOs have both the strength in IP and development team that BioWare possess. He also points out the deep wallets of Electronic Arts, which will most certainly play an important role in getting Star Wars: The Old Republic just right via BioWare's "It's done when it's done" approach.Still, Sams is quick to point out that building, running and maintaining an MMORPG is a very difficult task and that "time will tell" if the house that built KOTOR is able to react to the various situations that can erupt. A perfect example of this would be the server issues World of Warcraft has been facing for the past couple of days. Will BioWare be up to a job of that magnitude? Well, Sams is right, only time will tell.
CCP reveals Tech 3 coming in EVE's March expansion
CCP Games revealed some details on the as-yet unnamed EVE Online expansion, slated for release in March of 2009. "The unnamed expansion will introduce 'Tech 3' modular ship designs, branching epic mission arcs, further improvements to the new player experience, and exploration of uncharted space through unstable wormholes," writes Oli Welsh, reporting from EVE Fanfest 2008 for Eurogamer.Welsh also reports that the exploration system of EVE Online will be revamped dramatically, now allowing for 'true exploration' where EVE's pilots will use "new skills and modules to travel through wormholes into all-new, unconnected space. There they will find unique stellar phenomena and the resources and artifacts that will lead to the third level of technology in the game universe, Tech 3 -- the first such update since Tech 2 was introduced back in 2004," Welsh adds.
EVE Fanfest presentation discusses graphics enhancements
EVE Online's Fanfest 2008 is now underway, and reports are already coming through on what's happening in Reykjavik. CCP Games held a press conference that discussed EVE's technical side, namely its server technology, but also touched upon EVE's impending graphic enhancements in 2009. EVE Online's Premium 'Trinity' graphics engine was a significant leap forward in the game. While some players felt that the graphics as they were prior to Trinity were still ahead of the curve in terms of what's expected of an MMO, the look of the game changed dramatically with Trinity. However, the Trinity deployment wasn't a complete revamp of EVE's look. Ships and stations benefited from Premium graphics, but other celestial objects did not, jump gates notwithstanding."EVE is in a state where, if you run the Premium graphics edition, half of it is done, you could say," said Chief Technologist Halldor Fannar of CCP Games, at Reykjavik's Fanfest 2008, as reported by Oli Welsh of Eurogamer. Future graphics updates will bring celestial objects in line with what's currently seen in Trinity, and may well arrive with the forthcoming Walking in Stations expansion which is slated to launch after the Quantum Rise expansion, just around the corner.
Rumor: Rock Band 2 in Europe this side of Xmas
Nothing's confirmed, but it seems that one of EA's external PR partners may have let slip a possible release windows for Rock Band 2 in Europe. Originally they claimed, whilst talking to Eurogamer, that the game would be out "this side of Christmas." Eurogamer followed up with EA's internal PR team to check on the information and all they were told was the usual spiel: "MTV, Harmonix and EA have not formally confirmed a UK release date for Rock Band 2."The same external PR partner sent out another email correcting their earlier "mistake." If it was indeed such a thing. If, on the other hand, this release window is accurate, we'll be very pleased. The almost year-long delay between US and European release for Rock Band 1 went beyond a joke and with Guitar Hero: World Tour releasing next week a lot of Europeans are looking for instant gratification with an, in our opinion, inferior product. If Rock Band 2 really releases this year then it's definitely worth waiting for, for the breadth of DLC alone.[Via VideoGaming247]
Turbine to launch a LotRO-focused social networking site
Eurogamer is reporting that Turbine has revealed their plans for a Facebook-like social networking site centered around Lord of the Rings Online. The website would launch sometime in Q4 and basically track everything a player does across multiple characters by being directly connected to the game. It'll also feature the kinds of things we all expect from a social networking site such as friends lists, communication tools and even the ability to upload pictures and videos. Similar websites are said to be planned for Dungeons & Dragons Online and Asheron's Call sometime soon as well. Turbine also seems to be planning on advertising on these websites, which is a pretty clever way to introduce advertising into their games without ruining the experience.Facebook and other sites like it can be a surprisingly strong tool for creating communities around just about anything. So we're admittedly excited about this announcement, because anything that can create a more tightly-knit community in an MMO is hugely important as far as we're concerned.
A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry
Every time a player in EVE Online loses a ship in a fiery explosion, along with its modules and cargo, they turn to the market or look through contracts to replace what they've lost and stock up for the next time. EVE Online's sandbox and the inevitable PvP conflict that results when players can do what they choose in that sandbox provides economic opportunities for some. Combat burns up ships, and players heavily into the manufacturing side of the game are happy to supply the endless demand for new equipment, be it an unassuming frigate or a massive dreadnaught. In EVE, items aren't supplied by NPCs, they're created by other players (or bought in quantity and resold at a markup by traders). Aside from certain items like skillbooks and blueprint originals, most of the items a player can possess in the game have been produced by other players. Thus, EVE's setting of New Eden has a true economy, providing a great amount of depth for those who are willing to learn its complexities.
