freemium
Latest
The Daily Grind: Who's your favorite Marvel Heroes hero?
I'm having a hard time picking a main character in Marvel Heroes. I started out with Storm, then F2P guilt intervened so I ponied up for Nightcrawler. Then I got a free Spider-man as a result of Gazillion's 10-month anniversary promotional shindig which only added to my indecision. It's a good problem to have, though, and I guess for now I'll go with Nightcrawler because, well, teleporting. What about you, Marvel Heroes players? Who's your favorite and why? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Villagers and Heroes announces April 17th Steam launch and new expansion
Free Realms refugees, if you're looking for a new home with cute graphics and quests and housing and crafting, then indie F2P MMO Villagers and Heroes might just be it. The game itself isn't new, but with its new expansion, Fury of the Stone Lord, it's receiving a major graphical upgrade and content patch revolving around gargoyles. Expect 30 new adventure maps (bringing the count to 110), new quests and monsters, new spells and heroic feats, and 15 extra skill levels to boot. Developer Mad Otter Games says the sandbox MMO will launch on Steam on April 17th. We previewed the upgrades and new client back in February. Check out the trailer below! [Source: Mad Otter Games press release]
Free for All: Will there ever be another setting like Ryzom's Atys?
Ah, Ryzom. To this day it remains one of my favorite MMORPGs for several reasons. I was reminded just how much I still enjoy the game when I logged in to witness a storm rolling through the land, lightning sizzling from the sky, rain falling straight down on my character's head. The planet that Ryzom players find themselves on is called Atys, and it's no ordinary planet. In fact, it's not a planet at all. Instead, it's a giant rootball that floats in space. Yes, a rootball. I'm no scientist, but I'm pretty sure that a massive rootball is an impossible thing, but it doesn't matter. The game's original designers were French, and if you follow French MMOs, you know they always seem to come up with something completely unique. In this case, Atys is literally made up of a wad of giant roots and bark. I have to wonder: Why aren't there more unique settings like Atys in gaming today?
Report: Freemium leads the charge among mobile devs, in-app ads on the rise
The "freemium" revenue model is currently the top monetization strategy for mobile developers, but in-app advertising is expected to grow in prominence over the next several years, according to a new report from mobile revenue analytics company App Annie (via VentureBeat). App Annie found that over 83 percent of the top 1,000 apps in the iTunes App Store and Google Play currently take the freemium approach to monetization. The survey additionally found that 92 percent of all revenue earned among its 2,000 surveyed developers arrived via in-app purchases in free-to-play games. A majority of users in free-to-play games will never make a single in-app purchase, however. 80 percent of App Annie's surveyed developers stated that less than five percent of users spent money within their freemium apps, corroborating earlier reports of low spending rates among players. While 58 percent of surveyed developers do not use advertising in their apps, App Annie predicts that in-app advertising revenue will surpass web-based ad earnings by 2017. Currently, only the top 75th to 90th percentile of developers earn more than $10,000 monthly from ad revenue, though outliers like the recent hit Flappy Bird have the potential to rake in more than $100,000 every month. [Image: App Annie]
Amazon will reportedly launch a free video streaming service (update: Amazon says no)
All signs point to Amazon revealing its set-top box in New York City next week, but that's just one part of its massive media onslaught. According to a fresh report from the Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce giant will eventually launch a free, ad-supported service that'll allow its customers to stream television shows and music videos for the low, low price of $0. The caveat? It's all ad-supported, so be prepared to let your eyes glaze over from time to time. The big question here is how much content will be available gratis. Sources told the Journal that customers can likely access Amazon's original series (think "Betas"), with other licensed content possibly coming down the road. Don't expect too much crossover between whatever this is and Amazon's existing Prime video service, though. It's in the company's best interest to save the good stuff for the folks who shell out $99 a year, since they wind up buying more than double what non-Prime customers do. Still, Amazon may have a killer combination on its hands. If it can nab a decent selection of licensed series and flicks and make it available on an aggressively priced streaming gewgaw, the company has a solid shot at taking the country's living rooms by storm. Update: Amazon spokeswoman Shelly Fouts tells Variety and the Associate Press that the company has "no plans to offer a free streaming-media service." Definitive enough for you?
The Collectables assaults iOS, mixes eye candy and cards
I've been looking forward to The Collectables for a while now. When I got my first look at the game several months ago the gorgeous visuals grabbed my attention immediately, and being able to micromanage a team of military renegades seemed like a perfect fit for the iPad. Now that the game is officially available on the App Store, I can safely say that I was right to be excited about both of those things, but there's much more to The Collectables than that -- for better and worse. You command a team of up to four unique soldiers as they wage war on enemy troops in a variety of lush environments. The back story is offered in small chunks but you never really get a solid grasp on the overarching motivations of your group -- not that it really matters, you never need a reason to wipe out "bad guys," right? Easily the most impressive thing about the game is its graphical flair. Coming from Crytek, the folks responsible for some of the most gorgeous console and PC games of all time, The Collectables is very easy on the eyes. Trees sway in the wind, blades of tall grass spin and lean as your soldiers run through them, and explosions produce impressive fire effects, all without the slightest hint of slowdown. The top-down camera offers a view of the battlefield and allows you to position your soldiers by dragging their paths and tapping on various areas of the environment. Your soldiers automatically attack enemy forces within range, but you can also command them to use specific weapons like grenades at specific times. The core mechanic of the game, and the reason for its title, is your ability to collect cards that allow you to use specific soldiers, items, and power-ups. You gain cards by completing missions or by outright purchasing card packs via a microtransaction store. Just about everything in the game has its own card, and opening packs that may contain rare or "epic" cards is actually pretty addictive. Your squad is only as badass as the cards you have available, so wasting powerful cards on one battle might leave you a bit underpowered during your next mission. Thankfully, you're given the option to replay already finished missions and earn extra gear and bonuses. It's a risk and reward system that benefits those with the patience to replay missions, as well as players who don't mind buying card packs to flesh out their crew. Like many titles that rely on in-app purchases, The Collectables is free to play. The impressive graphics and easy-to-grasp gameplay are enough of a reason to give it a shot, and as usual, those willing to toss a few bucks in will have more fun, more quickly than those determined to grind their way through. Either way, you should give it a spin.
Meet Civilization Online's four civs
XLGAMES announced its four civilizations from Civilization Online today, although sadly the Mole People were absent from this list. The four civilizations are China (led by Qin Shi Huang), Rome (led by Julius Caesar), Egypt (led by Hatshepsut), and Azteca (let by Montezuma). Civilization Online will be going into closed beta testing within the next few months and is slated to launch in Asia in 2014.
.png.cf.jpg)
Free for All: How a smaller workload affects my MMO playstyle
As I'm sure you have all heard, we recently went through some budget and workflow changes here at Massively. For me, the revamp meant that I went from three columns, several livestreams, and the occasional news post down to a single column and an occasional stream or feature. A strange thing has happened, but I can't say that it's uncommon in the industry: Once my workload decreased, my gaming MMO habits changed. I have been sort of reset to the position I was in before I worked so much for this site, back to when I was a silly blogger who wrote and played just for fun. Allow me to explain.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Free for All: Why developers need to stop apologizing
Remember the old saying "confidence is attractive"? Well, it is. It's possible that we've all been the victim of a confident person at one time or another, whether we're buying that extra add-on for our cable package or "investing" money into a Kickstarter. This is exactly why an MMO developer needs to be confident and keep the apologizing to a minimum. Apologies come in many different forms. Over the course of our lives, we spend a lot of time giving and receiving apologies. It's not as sinister as it sounds; saying "sorry" helps cut down on confrontation and can even help to form new relationships. Unfortunately it's also very easy to apologize too much. In this age of indie development and crowd-funding, developers need to be aware of when they are saying sorry too much, and players need to watch out for overly apologetic people.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Free for All: Five reasons to continue loving MMORPGs
It's been all gloomy around here lately, hasn't it? Well there's a good reason for that, as you might know. Luckily I have survived the cuts that affected much of the AOL Tech network, although that means that Rise and Shiny and MMObility, my two other regular columns, will be consolidated into this one. While it might seem like less work for me, in actuality it means that I have less room to tell you, fair reader, about all of the fantastic MMOs that continue to come out. Yes, I said continue to come out. It's easy to become a Seymour ("I hate my interests!") in these days of non-stop hype, but the truth is that the MMO genre has continuously pumped out content for many, many years and will keep doing so for some time. So to celebrate the fact that three of my columns are now coming to you in one megacolumn, I thought it'd be fun to remind ourselves just why we enjoy this hobby.
Doctor Who Worlds in Time shutting down today
In case you forgot, there was a Doctor Who pseudo-MMO. We say was because as of today Worlds in Time is shutting down. If this is the first you've heard of it, well, we're sorry.
Report: Less than 1 percent of mobile gamers responsible for half of all in-app purchases
With the runaway success of Candy Crush Saga, it's perfectly natural to wonder just how many people are dropping coin in freemium mobile games. One firm's answer, however, might surprise you. A very small number -- 0.15 percent, to be exact -- of total mobile payers contribute half of monthly in-game revenue, according to in-app marketing company Swrve. The outfit also says that over 60 percent of the money made within the first two weeks of a player's life is made on the first day. Meaning, if most people install a game and don't make any purchases almost immediately, they likely won't at all. The report comes from a limited sample, but designers hoping to build the next fragile confection-like phenomenon are probably studying it for secrets right now. We've embedded the provided infographic after the break should you want a peek at a whole lot of graphs for yourself.
Entropia Universe adds Arabian planet
According to scientists, Entropia Universe continues to expand, not contract. The MMO had added a new planet to its galaxy, Toulan. Planet Toulan draws from Arabian mythology and culture for its makeup, boasting deserts, swamps, mountains, and a post-apocalyptic setting. Players can land on Toulan (which means "extremely mystical and captivating" in Arabic) to colonize and rebuild the ravage landscape. Toulan was designed by Jordan's Beladcom in cooperation with Entropia Unvierse AB. Beldacom's General Manager Talal Asfoura lauded the virtual planet's launch: "Created by a Jordanian team, Planet Toulan marks a milestone of achievement in the emerging Arabic gaming industry. We've taken the mythology we grew up, mixed in new ideas from science fiction, and can now share it with the world." [Source: Entropia Universe AB press release]
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Free for All: Villagers and Heroes adds bells, whistles, and more sand
Villagers and Heroes is a favorite of mine, but let's be honest: The game looks old. When talking to Damon Slye, President of Mad Otter Games, I found that many people agree. According to Slye, it's one of the most frequent concerns he hears from potential new players. The engine that the game currently uses is old and needs to be upgraded big time. And that's just what the developers are doing with this large patch and expansion that should be due in early March. I sat down with Slye, Associate Designer Cameron England, Head Writer Sarah Skibinski, and Head Artist Adam Alexander to discuss just how different the game will be once the patch goes live. I was given access to a test account loaded up on gear, cash, and other goodies. Even though I found my backpacks full, I mainly wanted to look around the game and explore. Fortunately, the difference between the original client and the new one is literally night and day.
Aura Kingdom hacked and emails stolen... or maybe not [Updated]
Recent hacking of Aura Kingdom apparently resulted in stolen email addresses that are being used to pester users players are reporting that they're getting invitations sent to their Aeria Games email address from an individual asking them to join an Aura Kingdom private server. Fortunately Aeria Games does not store credit card information, so it seems as though that information is safe. An Aeria Games GM responded to the claims by saying that the company is investigating the issue: "Thanks for reporting this. We'll look closely into this reports. We will let you know if we need more information. Also note, we do not process any payments, this is done through the service you utilize to buy AP. So this is not something we store." [Thanks to Thomas for the tip!] [Update: Aeria has contacted us to update us about the situation and provide an official statement: "We have investigated this issue and would like to confirm that we have found no evidence of our servers or players' account information being compromised. This includes the email addresses that were reported to have been affected in this article. We have, however, found potential security vulnerabilities through third parties unaffiliated with Aeria Games. We caution against providing contact information to these unaffiliated entities and encourage all players to change their passwords on a regular basis to maintain account security."]
.png.cf.jpg)
Free for All: What my Raptr stats say about my gaming style
I've had a love/hate relationship with Raptr, the free game tracking service and social network. I used it much of the time when it first came out but then fell out of love with it when it stopped detecting many of the indie and browser-based MMOs that I played. I picked it up again recently and have been attempting to keep it going any time I game. I like being able to communicate with people through the network, but I mainly enjoy looking over my stats as a gamer to see just how flighty I can be. The system isn't perfect, of course. Either I need to set the app to start when my PC does, or I just need to get better at remembering to start it when I begin a gaming session. And even though I play many, many different types of games and MMOs, the network still doesn't automatically recognize many of the smaller titles I like to play. So even though there are some gaps in my wall, I thought it'd be interesting to look at the info there to see just how much gaming I am doing.
The Soapbox: My hypersexualization conundrum
Every now and then here at Massively, we receive an email that isn't super nice. I know this may come as a shock to many of you -- the internet is, after all, a place of tolerance and constructive debate -- but sometimes the Massively inbox is no place any sane person would want to be. One reader recently took the opportunity to offer some choice thoughts on Massively staffers. And amidst the jumble of insults and generalizations, the reader levied the ever-powerful "hypocrisy" charge at us for claiming to care about hypersexualized designs of female characters in MMOs while simultaneously playing as those very hypersexualized characters. How could we possibly purport to care about the presentation of women in games if we're all running around in chainmail bikinis? Generally speaking, I prefer to not have my habits and behavior challenged via ad hominem attacks and false comparisons. But I have to admit that this one particular charge piqued my curiosity. Why is it that the majority of my characters are female? Am I, as a person who looks down on hypersexualized designs in games, committing an act of hypocrisy every time I create a female character? Let's sort it out. And before we begin, remember that the Soapbox, like most of our editorials, is just one person's opinion and doesn't represent the thoughts of Massively as a whole.
League of Angels introduces two new angels for official full release
Forget cupids, League of Angels has added two other heavenly beings to its angelic arsenal. Amora and Nyssa join the list of angels players can select to take on their adventures. R2Games also announced that the game is now officially official, noting that all previous releases of the game were still beta. This full release also includes a marriage system and new ranking tables. R2Games also revealed the four cosplayers who will be representing some of the free-to-play game's angels in a live action shots: Maridah, Ginny McQueen, HezaChan, and Riki LeCotey, who plays Riddle in Heroes of Cosplay. Fans who sign up for the official LoA newsletter will see these exclusive shots as well as get further game news and updates. [Source: R2Games press release]
European Warfare commences as Stronghold Kingdoms hits 200,000 monthly users
With the newly launched European Warfare update, Stronghold Kingdoms players can now make war not love across the entire European continent. Firefly Studios also revealed that Georgia has been added to this world's map, bringing the total of countries to conquer to 33; that means that instead of a single king ruling over a map, there will be 33 (with a whole slew of sheriffs and governors besides!). And just how many players will be storming across all these countries vying for control? The studio has announced that the MMORTS has more than 200,000 monthly active users and nearly 3 million registered players total from over 100 different countries. [Source: Firefly Studios press release]
Free for All: Can roleplay rise above the sexy stuff?
Recently I logged some time in Velvet Sundown, a new pseudo-MMO that places players into small, instanced roleplay groups of 11 characters aboard a ship in order to solve a mystery or to otherwise "win" a roleplay session. It sounds strange, but it really is a very interesting idea. Each character has a different angle on the game, and depending on how that character interacts with the others, he or she also has many different ways of achieving goals. The game also offer a decent text-to-speech tool that gives more life to the characters. I logged in and was assigned to play the character Malik, who was something of a wise man. My apparent goal was to find a spy, hire a thief to steal secrets, and look for other players who were from the same background. I was also assigned the task of blessing people in the hopes of gaining new disciples. Excited, I logged in and approached a group of players. Almost as soon as I did, I was disappointed. Within minutes several players were talking non-stop about women's underwear. At first I thought it was part of the story, but then I realized it was simply another great roleplay opportunity taken down by a few jerks.
