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PAX East 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online, round two
Last October, I paid a visit to the ZeniMax Online studios in Maryland in order to get some hands-on time with the studio's upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online. Well, today at PAX East I got to pay the lands of Tamriel a second visit to see how far the team has come since my first look at the game. Honestly, I was initially dreading writing this because I was sure that I wouldn't have anything to say that I hadn't said in my previous review, but thankfully, I was worried for nothing. The game was hardly recognizable to me because of the sheer amount of attention that's been given to it since I first played it in its alpha stage last fall. Gone was the functional-but-barebones UI with which I was familiar; it's been replaced with a sleek, polished interface leaps and bounds above the (notoriously awful) interfaces seen in the single-player entries of the series. On top of that, I got my grubby paws on a different faction, swapping my Dunmer of the Ebonheart Pact for a Breton of the Daggerfall Covenant. After character creation (which, by the way, is insanely detailed with dozens of appearance sliders and customization options), I was dropped into Stros M'Kai, the starting zone for members of the Daggerfall Covenant. From there I was let loose to roam, explore, quest, and fight for a solid two hours.
PAX East 2013: Marvel Heroes releases June 4th, will have PvP on launch
The news from PAX East 2013 keeps on flowing. Gazillion Entertainment has announced that Marvel Heroes will officially launch on June 4th, with early access early access starting May 28th for owners of the Founders pack. For those of you who just can't wait until the early access or launch, closed beta is still ongoing and has been expanded to include owners of the Premium pack. At the PAX East panel, Gazillion also confirmed that PvP will be available at launch and talked about endgame content in the form of boss runs and "ultimate powers." Massively's intrepid PAX East team will be meeting with Gazillion to talk about Marvel Heroes, so stay tuned for more information. [Update: We've updated this post with the new villain trainer after the break!]
PAX East 2013: Diablo III console video sizzles, Blizzard hints at other platforms
Diablo III's console edition is the cornerstone of Blizzard's booth at PAX East this weekend (but by no means the only product on display), so it stands to reason that the team would have cut together a new trailer to promote the coming console conquest. As we mull over the prospect of Blizzard winning over large swaths of the current console market, the PA Report discovered that Diablo III might not stop at just the PlayStation 3 and 4. In an interview, Blizzard did not want to make any official announcements but did state that the Diablo III console edition was "not necessarily a Sony exclusive." You can watch the "sizzle reel" of Diablo III with the adjusted UI after the jump! Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22nd to 24th, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar, DUST 514, or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
PAX East 2013: Hi-Rez Studios' Todd Harris talks SMITE, Global Agenda 2
SMITE just recently celebrated the release of its 32nd playable deity, Aphrodite, but she's far from the last thing in the wings for Hi-Rez Studios' borderline blasphemous MOBA. We got the chance to catch up with Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris at PAX East to find out what awaits in the studio's future. Obviously the studio's immediate focus is on its new golden child, SMITE, for which Hi-Rez (partnered with Twitch.tv) is holding a $10,000 tournament at PAX East over the weekend. Harris also mentioned that SMITE is looking to officially release once its roster reaches about 40 deities, which he says will likely be sometime this summer. And for those of you with itchy trigger-fingers, Harris also mentioned that Global Agenda 2 is, in fact, still alive and kicking, though right now further details are scant. What we do know is that the team is focusing on the game's PvP for launch, which may be somewhat disappointing to fans of the original Global Agenda's co-op PvE, but Harris says that the studio wants to put forth the most polished PvP experience possible before looking into expanding the game into PvE territory. Unfortunately, that's about all we know right now, so we'll just have to content ourselves with knowing that it hasn't been relegated to the realm of development hell. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22nd to 24th, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar, DUST 514, or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
PAX East 2013: A first look at WildStar's housing and new zones
If you've been keeping up with activity here on Massively over the past couple of years, you know that I'm pretty excited about WildStar. So I was pretty happy to sit down and get a look at the game's high and low areas, not to mention the game's housing system. I was a bit less happy that said look didn't include a chance to play the whole thing myself, but if I had that opportunity I probably never would have let go of the demo station. While the demo was hands-off, it did give plenty of opportunity to see a sample of the game's starting areas, what the high-level regions look like, and what players can expect when they sit down to start building their homes. So let's start out at a region that's both high in level and high above the rest of the game... because it's in high orbit. (And don't forget the housing video past the break!)%Gallery-183604%
PAX East 2013: Blizzard announces Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft CCG
What's the "something new" that Blizzard promised at PAX East? Is it Titan? A Diablo III expansion? The Lost Vikings Online? Nay, it's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a digital collectable card game. Blizzard announced Hearthstone in the opening minutes of the convention. The game is being developed by a new, smaller team at the studio that wanted more freedom to experiment and create quicker titles. Hearthstone is a free-to-play title that will pit players against each other over an animated 3-D table with nine classes from World of Warcraft. It will use Battle.net matchmaking to pair up users. Packs of five cards (with varying degrees of rarity) can be either earned through playing the game or purchased separately. The team wanted to make the game intuitive and simple to play, as well as dynamic and exciting to watch. Duplicate cards can be disenchanted to create new cards as well. You can watch the trailer after the jump. [Update: To be clear, the cards are earned through Hearthstone play, not WoW play.]
PAX East 2013: Say hello to MechWarrior Online's new trailer
There's nothing quite like convention season for bringing out a bumper crop of new videos and trailers. Today we're bringing you MechWarrior Online's new PAX East 2013 trailer, which shows off some new gameplay and highlights the title's newest features and perks. MechWarrior Online went into open beta late in 2012 and has had six major content patches since then. New testing grounds, cockpit items and consumables, a whole passel of UI and user control updates, and new 'mechs and maps have been added to the game since the open beta launch. March will also see several in-game events going on, which folks are invited to sign up to enjoy. Skip below the cut to check out the newest trailer.
PAX East 2013: Blizzard showing off console Diablo III, 'something new' at PAX East
We're still getting over the shock that Blizzard is coming off the mount to attend PAX East this weekend, but we'll work through that to bring you some of the new details about the studio's appearance at the show. Blizzard will be planting roots at booth #1036 in the Expo Hall and has promised to show "something new" in the Naga theater at 10:00 a.m. EDT tomorrow morning. If you're not there, don't worry; Blizzard is streaming the event on Twitch.tv as well. The PlayStation 3 version of Diablo III will be available to check out via demo stations. This edition has been tailored to the console with a "reimagined" interface, new monsters, and different character controls. The team is also giving away lots of swag to those who pop by during the day. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22nd to 24th, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar, DUST 514, or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
The Daily Grind: What do you want to learn from PAX East?
Silly season is upon us folks, and no I'm not talking about NASCAR. I'm talking about gaming conventions that stretch seemingly from Easter to Christmas, and first out of the gate is this weekend's PAX East 2013 shindig in Boston. Massively is sending a trio of reporters (Eliot Lefebvre, Karen Bryan, and Matt Daniel) to bring you all the news that's fit to print about The Elder Scrolls Online, WildStar, Firefall, EVE Online, The Repopulation, and more. We'll also be kidnapping luminaries from SOE and Hi-Rez and getting them drunk enough to tell us their deepest, darkest secrets. We'll be sitting in on a number of industry- and game-specific panels, too. My point is that there's Massively's PAX East coverage, and then there's everyone else's. So if you've got burning questions on the games above or others you might have seen on the convention schedule, post them below and we'll see about wrustling up some answers. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22-24, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar or DUST 514 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
Touring the Art of Blizzard at Gallery Nucleus
Earlier this month, Blizzard celebrated the release of its newly published book The Art of Blizzard by opening the doors to a new art exhibition in Alhambra, California. The exhibit, hosted by the local Gallery Nucleus, kicked off with a well-attended Saturday night reception that drew in visitors more accustomed to Fel Reavers than fine art. Attendees covered the full range of demographics, wearing anything from Horde hoodies to shiny stilettos (since people in costume were let in for free, it's important to note that we're referring to the shoes, not the daggers). Massively and our sister site WoW Insider were on hand to take in the spectacle. So what did we see?%Gallery-176765%
Hands-on with DUST 514 on the cusp of open beta
Less than a week before DUST 514's January 22nd open beta launch, CCP invited Massively and other publications to attend an orbital bombardment event in San Francisco. We've been regularly reporting on the progress of the orbital bombardment system, but this time we witnessed the process in action. We also got a preview of the larger implications and long-term expectations of metagame elements that will exist between DUST and its sibling sandbox, EVE Online.
Piles of dead demons: A hands-on with Path of Exile
Path of Exile makes me smile. It isn't because of the gritty, dark setting or how a swing of my mace scatters disembodied monster pieces in every direction. It isn't the interesting design of the passive skill tree or the inclusion of PvP. What makes me smile is knowing that the kid inside me has finally found a worthy successor to the action RPG Diablo II. Oh, and it's free-to-play. Grinding Gear Games begins the PoE open beta on January 23rd, 2013. This week I massacred hordes of various dark abominations with Lead Programmer Jonathan Rogers and Producer Chris Wilson in the brand-new Act III content. And after my demo was finished, I almost felt bad for Diablo III.%Gallery-170186%
'Gearing' up for Path of Exile's launch with a demo and interview
Grinding Gear Games is finally gearing up (pun intended) for the launch of Path of Exile, an MMO dungeon-crawler that hopes to satisfy fanatics and casual gamers alike. The new title has been in closed beta for just the last few months of its six-year development cycle, and on January 23rd, it will hit open beta -- surely a relief for players eyeing the closed beta wistfully. Unfortunately for those who have been grinding away (yep, pun intended again) at hordes of monsters during the beta, there will be a character wipe, one that sets all characters, levels, items, experience, passive skills, active skills, and everything else back to zero. I recently attended a live demo and got to chat about the game with reps from Grinding Gear in Los Angeles. Read on for my take!
Click-click-click: Massively's double-dose of Path of Exile impressions
New Zealand-based Grinding Gear Games has a challenge ahead of it: to convince a jaded gaming audience that its online action RPG Path of Exile can be more than just another Diablo III clone. Our Not So Massively crew has been following the game with great interest, zeroing in on its generously sprawling skill tree and item-customization systems in particular. And this Wednesday will see the launch of open beta, leaving only one question left to answer: click-click-click? Well, maybe a few other questions too, like how does it play and is it worth my time? To get some first-hand experience with the latest edition of the game, Massively sent two freelancers -- Gavin Townsley and Jeffery Wright -- to two different Path of Exile developer events last week, one in San Francisco and the other in Los Angeles. Which city won in the quest for the coolest demo? You'll just have to read both to find out.
The Summoner's Guidebook: IPL's League of Legends a paragon of tournaments
I feel a bit tuckered out from League of Legends tournaments. I love the game, and I love the pro scene, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood to watch hours and hours of gameplay and then try to digest it all. As a columnist, I have to watch tournaments with a different eye than a normal spectator, which can be exhausting, so I wasn't really looking forward to IPL 5. My favorite team (Dignitas) wasn't playing, and all my tournament hype was spent watching the Season 2 finals. However, IPL did a lot to keep my interest. Normally, I'm not really into IGN's LoL coverage, as it's heavy on entertainment and presentation value and low on information. This time, not only were the matches interesting, but the format was excellent, the commentary was good, and the space between matches was filled with tons of informative content. I really couldn't have asked for a better LoL tournament to end the year. Every other tournament this year paled in comparison.
Hyperspace Beacon: One step forward...
You might notice that the Hyperspace Beacon changed its face a bit. That's because I'm reporting from the Guild Summit in Austin, Texas -- BioWare's headquarters. Over 250 guilds and fan sites were invited to not only see the team's plans for Star Wars: The Old Republic but also voice their ideas for what they want from the game. Of course, a game carrying the Star Wars name appeals to a large diverse group of people, and not just because of the Star Wars IP; BioWare has created a name for itself with incredible story-driven games like Mass Effect 3, which released this morning. Among the pre-summit discussion was the question of whether and how much BioWare leans on the Star Wars IP for the success of the game. The consensus among the guild leaders I spoke to was an interesting and surprising one: Although BioWare certainly leaned on Star Wars for the story elements of the game, the lack of huge success for the most recent LucasArts games suggests that the Star Wars IP actually leaned on BioWare's reputation. When I jumped into Q&A with the guild leaders, I half-expected a bunch of over-enthusiastic fanboys. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, although they were fans, those invited to this summit were very level-headed and oftentimes critical of the game's development. Thankfully, during the course of the summit, the developers were equally willing to address these concerns.
Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview
The 2011 Grand Masquerade in New Orleans is over, and the monsters have all gone home. In their wake, we're left with a series of exciting revelations relating to the upcoming World of Darkness by CCP Games. While it's only in pre-production, it has already sent fans of the World of Darkness setting into a frenzy of anticipation. The new details only give rise to more questions, however, and speculation has run rampant, especially given how radically CCP's new game departs from the standard MMO model. Thankfully, Massively has some answers. Shane Defreest, the Community Developer for CCP North America and White Wolf Publishing, was kind enough to take the time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few of our questions relating to the game. He sheds a bit of light on World of Darkness, discussing the choice of setting, player factions and playable clans, the business model, and how he views the experience of the game. Enjoy!
Conspiracy unleashed: Funcom reveals The Secret World plans for Gamescom
The mass global conspiracy to hide the insidious secrets from the public cracked wide open as Funcom revealed that The Secret World is set to reveal the truth at Gamescom. If you're 16 years or older and attending the convention, head over to Hall 6 to check out Funcom's closed theater where a 20-minute live demo of one of the game's dungeons, The Polaris, will take place. Developers will also be on hand to talk about dungeon crawling, combat, progression, the skill wheel, and boss fights during the presentation. All players, regardless of age, can take an "initiation test" to see what secret society they should join -- sort of like a much more sinister sorting hat or guidance counselor. The studio will also be talking to the press about large-scale PvP, so hopefully we'll be learning more details about this aspect of the game next week!
EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3
The third and final day of festivities at the massive EVE Online Fanfest has come to an end, and it was definitely worth waiting for. There were several round-table discussions and events going on today, but the event everyone was looking forward to was definitely the "CCP Presents" talk in the afternoon. With yesterday's keynote speech wrapping up all the awesome plans CCP has for EVE this year, it wasn't certain exactly what had been saved for today's show. Yesterday we heard details of the Incarna captain's quarters, server upgrades, new turret effects, new nebulae and more. Highlights of today included a round-table discussion on how CCP would be linking EVE with DUST 514, the hilarious finals of the Fanfest PvP tournament and the CCP Presents feature. This was followed by the CCP panel, in which developers answered questions from the audience. Having spent three days watching developers talk about the future of EVE, I get the distinct impression that many of them have as much passion for EVE as even the most fanatical EVE players. Read on for a roundup of what happened today at the EVE Fanfest, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today and the Fanfest in general.
EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 2
It's day two of CCP's enormous party at the top of the world, and Massively is right here to find out what the future holds for EVE Online. In yesterday's day 1 roundup, we covered a fantastic presentation on Incursion by CCP Soundwave, an enlightening question-and-answer session with EVE's Council of Stellar Management, and the hilarious (but absolutely not work-safe) alliance leader panel. Today has been similarly packed with activity. We've seen some great presentations on what's to come in the summer expansion, and the keynote speech discussed some very exciting developments due to hit EVE in the near future. Highlights of today included a video of Incarna's "captain's quarters" that we'll be getting as part of the summer expansion, details of massive server upgrades heading to Tranquility, and details of some awesome quality-of-life changes coming soon thanks to Team Best Friends Forever. There was so much awesome information to share that we unfortunately had to miss the chessboxing match to get it out in a timely manner. We missed Icelandic game developers punching each other in the face to write this up, so I hope you find it interesting! Read on for a roundup of what happened today at the EVE Fanfest, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today's festivities and what we can expect to come later.
