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Hellgate: London solo players get huge patch
Hellgate: London players who've had their copy of the game sitting all alone on a shelf somewhere may want to dust off their discs, because the 1.2 patch for non-subscribers is heading their way. The big reason this matters is mostly because the last patch that single (re: non-subscribing) players got was the 0.6 patch back in December. Well, that's not the only reason, the other is that this patch will bring with it a metric ton of updates, including lots of bug fixes. We're glad to hear it, because the game looks like it could be pretty enjoyable -- if not for the amount of fun-ending issues.Flagship Studios have the patch in their final Q&A state and are readying a beta version of it for players to try out sometime this week. The patch itself contains all the content and updates that the multiplayer version of the patch had -- so essentially it's the same patch as the one released on March 17th.We sincerely hope these patches keep on coming, because with every improvement the game receives we're finding it harder to resist a summertime purchase out of sheer curiosity.
Mythos beta journal, part 2
Mythos, the Diablo II-inspired action-adventure MMO from Flagship Studios, nears open beta after months of tantalizing peeks and glimpses into the closed beta. Flagship Studios, founded by members of the original Diablo II development team, released their first game last fall, the Armageddon-themed Hellgate: London. Mythos returns them to their fast-paced fantasy roots, adding a rich game-world, crafting, innovative classes and both solo and group content to the winning Diablo II formula.Raisu writes in the second part of his Mythos Beta Journal about getting started in Mythos and the difference between the difficulty levels in the game. That's an astounding thing in itself, an MMO where you can choose the difficulty at which you play. Normal is normal; most dungeons will be a moderate challenge to you. Elite means they will be fairly tough, and you won't get as much cash for your treasure from merchants. Hardcore means you get just one life -- once you die, you're gone. Finally, Shadowlands-Only means you inhabit that strange mirror realm where you may fight other people -- and unlike visitors from the Light realms, you can never leave. If you love your Massively Multiplayer games fast, casual, with piles of loot, high individuality among characters, and free, you're likely looking forward to Mythos as much as we.
As the Worlds Turn: Our Inheritance
Ask any gamer, hardcore, softcore, nerdcore ... whatever, if they have a particular game in their gaming history that holds a special place in their heart. Their eyes might swell with tears as they wax romantic over the joys, perils, challenges and victories of their beloved game from days gone by. Then they'll stare off into space as their mind swims in fond memories. Maybe not but you get the picture. Most of us have a special game from our past. For me, and for many out there, that game was Diablo II. I could go on and write an entire piece dedicated to the grandfather of action RPGs. It was and still is that good. Wait ... still is? The game is nearly eight years old and still finds relevance in today's crowded, over-hyped, multi-billion dollar gaming industry full of failed blockbusters and strange game announcements? How can this be? I'll tell you why: Diablo II presented a game full of refined mechanics and gameplay that is still being used today and while it wasn't a true MMO, many of those conventions are used in modern-day MMO development. The mechanics were good but after eight years can some refinement and advancement be too much to ask? As much as I loved, and still love, Diablo II, I'm also anxious to move on.
Switchblade updates to version 3.0
We've covered Switchblade before (and even posted an impressions and interview about it), so odds are you've probably at least heard of the program, which allows you to play WoW and other PC games with a wired (or wireless with adapter) Xbox 360 controller. Blue Orb recently sent word that they updated the app to version 3.0, and along with the update came not only support for Guild Wars and Hellgate: London, but updates to the way WoW controls.There are now presets that come with the program for each class, so the priest preset will play different from the warrior preset, and so on. The release notes also say that there is a "key capture" feature -- just press a key to bind it -- and there is also a number of "combo" and "game actions" features. You've got to be careful when running programs that line up sets of actions for you, however; we know from experience that Blizzard sometimes walks a fine line when using inputs that allow macros.Switchblade is now available as a free download (the program itself is ad-supported) and an Xbox 360 controller (as well as downloadable software drivers from Microsoft) is required to use it.
Hellgate: London developer chat on IRC today
If you are interested in chatting with the developers of Hellgate: London and you are available at 7pm EST today, then fire up your favorite IRC client and get ready to talk to Flagship Studios. Their last developer chat was pretty candid, so if you are still playing HGL or have renewed interest since the release of Stonehenge, participating in this chat may be fun and informative.Here are the details:Server: irc.ForTheGamers.orgChannel: #FlagshipStudiosFor questions during the event, type /msg DevBot yourquestionhere where "yourquestionhere" is your actual question. There will also be a separate channel just for chatting with other attendees.I use Trillian for IRC, but mIRC is another good one. For The Gamers is also providing a web-based client for the chat. Full details on how to connect if you are having issues are provided here.Maybe I'll see you there, preschooler permitting.
Behind the Curtain: What's in a name?
How much attention do you pay to the names behind the MMOs we're playing just now? Do you dig up as much information as you can on the developers, producer and designers involved in up and coming games? Do you even pay any attention at all?I'll be honest – I picked up Star Wars Galaxies based on the licence alone. While I've been a gamer since my Uncle gave me a ZX Spectrum as a child, I didn't know anything about the people behind Galaxies. I had heard about Everquest of course – I wasn't stupid after all – but Galaxies was my first MMO, and I was a noob in every sense of the word. I didn't know anything about the designers, the developers, and I didn't even think to check up on them.I was a little more aware when I came round to World of Warcraft. I was, and still am, a big Diablo 2, fan, so I knew who Blizzard were. I hadn't picked up Warcraft 3 when it came out, due to the PC I had t the time not being to run it, but I knew that it'd been a huge commercial and critical success for Blizzard, so I knew that it was a safe bet. Plus, it was taking the world by storm already, so it was a bit of a no-brainer. Maybe I'm just older and wiser now, or maybe the information is just easier to get a hold of, but I pay more attention to the people actually making the game that I'm interested in – I thought this week, we could have a look at some of the names you should be aware of.
Stonehenge is open for business
Those of you who've been waiting for Stonehenge Chronicles -- the first major content update for Hellgate: London -- to finally be released can stop as of yesterday. The content went live for players yesterday morning after being delayed a day over some technical bugs. Aside from all of the new content featured in and around Stonehenge, all players get to taste some brand new features, game tweaks and the newly redesigned Evoker class. Among the new features are scaling interface elements -- something everyone appreciates, a streamlining of the crafting system and the addition of account-based buddy lists.We're glad to see that Flagship Studios is also addressing bugs as well as improving some player texturing. However what would really help in the future are instability updates for the game engine and maybe an improved chat window. More content is a good start, but while you're busy working on new stuff for those subscribers it would be a good idea to make sure new players have reason to pick the game up as well.
Hellgate: London balances, Stonehenge coming today
Do you still care about Hellgate: London? We don't ask out of an attempt at snarkiness, we're asking with genuine curiosity. We ask because there's a big update for subscribers dropping today and we just want to know if that describes any of you. Or maybe you're a former player and just want to keep up with changes. For example, even though out brief fling with the game ended months ago, we were still interested to hear that the game was adding Stonehenge, a large outdoor hub designed to break up some of the monotony of city living. There's also some balance tweaks to the character classes and a new Dueling Arena.But do you care? Have you played? Are you still? Do you want to know what's going on in the world of Hellgate? Does this update pique your interest? Because we get the feeling that most of you have moved on or were never that interested to begin with. We look forward to hearing if that's right or off-base.
Hellgate: London gets its first content update
Mark your calenders for January 21st, 2008 because that's the date when you can expect Flagship Studios' first content update to hit for Hellgate: London. The update -- titled Stonehenge Chronicles -- is expanding the game world beyond London itself, opening the areas around Stonehenge. Expect lots of open, outdoor wilderness as the developers wanted something different from the main game's locales. Players can expect three areas to explore, The Caste Caves (not to be confused with other caves), Moloch's Lair and The Wild. There are four dungeons within The Caste Caves and each dungeon will contain a spectral overlord to blast, slice and bludgeon into pieces.Upon completion of The Caste Caves, players gain entry to Moloch's Lair, wherein a great battle with the demon Moloch -- the great dropper of unique items -- ensues. Finally, The Wild has three mini-raid areas which progress in difficulty and eventually require players to form full-sized parties.Also, this update will add improvements to the game UI, a "large number" of skill balance alterations and a PvP dueling arena. Lastly, Hellgate: London subscribers will optionally be able to pay for their subscriptions through PayPal and PayByCash.We have to say that definitely seems like a lot of content, but we'll have to wait and see what players think after January 21st rolls around. It's barely been three months since the game launched in North America, so it seems the developers are keeping their promise. It all depends on how often these updates come out in the end. If they continue at the pace of three months between updates, Hellgate: London could become a game to watch for a future purchase.
WeGame records their way into my heart
Having to find quality Machinima for two blog posts daily can be torture. Most people won't spring for a paid copy of Fraps or gamecam, so I'm stuck looking at watermarks. That's almost an instant disqualification for consideration.Enter WeGame, which would be just like any other video sharing site if it didn't have one major difference. They offer free, easy to use recording software to their users. As a matter of fact, it's so simple that I was able to record six quick videos, review them, and choose one to upload within 30 minutes of downloading the program. I'm getting ahead of myself, though.Read on after the jump to find out more about WeGame ...
Prepare for the battle for the precious top spot
BBC News has an interesting article regarding what might be shaping up to be a battle for online supremacy in 2008.Analysts were expecting online subscription numbers to decline in 2007, but that wasn't the case. With the release of online games like Lord of the Rings Online, Tabula Rasa and Hellgate: London, there are now plenty of choices for gamers. However, analysts thought these games would steal players from the current king of the MMO - World of Warcraft. They didn't, and they're not sure why. Numbers for WoW jumped from eight million at the start of 2007 to 9.3 million by the end of summer. Experts say that the release of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning in 2008 may turn out to be serious contenders because they come with a long history of earlier works, just like WoW.In the article Rob Fahey, columnist for Gameindustry.biz, said all these new launches, along with the continued success of WoW, shows just how strong the MMO industry has become. He also notes that it's maturing as well. He points out that Vanguard, which was riddled with bugs at launch, proves that players are no longer willing to accept buggy games and won't stand to pay monthly fees to basically "test" unfinished products.But Philip Wride, head of Elysium Gaming Consultants, thinks the biggest impact on online gaming in 2008 might be from something outside the industry. For the whole scoop, check out the BBC News article.
One Shots: Meet Gargantua
Today we bring you another screenshot from the upcoming Hellgate: London Stonehenge expansionfrom reader Ghen. Here we get to meet Gargantua, one of the beasties you might encounter in Stonehenge. Though the UI hides them (and Hellgate has no option to remove its UI), Gargantua has large "mace-like" hands that he swings at you -- as if he didn't look scary enough without the threat of physical violence.Do you have any ominous images of monsters from your favorite game? Send 'em our way (and for holiday shots, don't forget our holiday postcard contest!), so we can feature your screenshot and story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. %Gallery-9798%
One Shots: Hellgate's Stonehenge
Ghen sends in One Shots' first images of Hellgate: London. This image comes from the beta servers for The Stonehenge Chronicles, Hellgate's patch 1.0, expected to go live in January. Flying overhead we see an Exospector, which Ghen describes as "a demon sky-whale." Our response? Kill it! Kill it!Do you have any good shots of holiday celebrations in your favorite game? Send 'em our way (or dress them up a bit and submit them to our holiday postcard contest!), so we can feature your screenshot and story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. %Gallery-9798%
The Stonehenge Chronicles delayed for Hellgate: London
Hellgate: London's Patch 1.0 aka Stonehenge aka The Stonehenge Chronicles has been delayed until January. This will be the first major quarterly update and, if released in January, will still be on schedule. Bill Roper, in a letter sent to registered players, said that they want to take the time to make this patch right:If there is one lesson we've learned from launching Hellgate: London, our releases should be a question of "what" and not "when".Huzzah.In other patch news, Single Player Patch 0.6 is live and available for download. Multiplayer Patch 0.7 has been live since December 14th on US servers and went live December 19th on EU server Sydonai. Subscribers who login to Patch 0.7 will find that Nemo in Holbrook Station has a goodie for them. My first try to receive it got me the much treasured Server Error, but after restarting the game I received the even more intriguing Transmogrifying Cube which, as promised previously, will look familiar to Diablo II fans.Patch 1.0 notes from the Test Center are after the jump.
More patches incoming for Hellgate: London
Patch 0.6 is on the test server and Patch 0.7 is on deck for Hellgate: London. The two most notable changes on Patch 0.6 are: The invisible group member bug has been fixed. The bug that unequips engineer pet weapons is improved, but not fixed. There's no official word as to when Patch 0.6 will be live, but they say that Patch 0.7 will be hitting the test servers next week and therefore, we can assume that Patch 0.6 will go live before then.Patch 0.7 will include: Memory usage improvements UI tweaks Subscriber items and quests for Diablo 2 fans The official patch notes for 0.6 are after the jump.
Blizzard was only expecting 1 million WoW subscribers
Former Blizzard producer Bill Roper described the early days of World of Warcraft's development to CVG, saying, "we were hoping we'd be able to sell a million copies of the game." He pointed out that at the time, EverQuest was the gold standard for MMOs, and it only had 500,000 subscribers. "It would have been impossible to predict that World of Warcraft would take off as a cultural phenomenon as it did," he said.He's right; people knew World of Warcraft would be a comparatively big deal, but how could they have predicted 9.3 million players? Throughout the history of persistent world online games, we've been surprised again and again at just how large the market for them can be. There are studios out there who think they can take it even further -- BioWare, for instance. Or maybe the industry will fragment into niche games now. The point is, you can't always predict this stuff. That's what makes it so exciting.In case you were wondering what Roper is up to now, his company Flagship Studios recently released Hellgate: London -- more of a niche title than a mainstream record-buster. Flagship is also working on Mythos, a Diablo-esque-dungeon-crawler.
Hellgate: London giveaway winners!
To continue on with this round of giveaways, we have the winners for the recent Hellgate: London giveaways! That's right, the three winners in this round have each landed their very own copy of Hellgate: London, courtesy of us here at Massively. (You can't beat free stuff.) So this round, we'd like to congratulate our three randomly-selected winners, NCteacher, Nerp and Zerodown!Again, if you haven't white-listed the domains massively.com and weblogsinc.com, please do so! We have a few last notification mails going out, and we'd hate to have anyone miss out on their prizes due to notifications getting caught in their spam filters accidentally and timing out. Enjoy a romp through the scary streets of London, NCteacher, Nerp and Zerodown!
DOMO: Broken mirror, broken dreams
Aeria Games and Entertainment, one of the regional publishers/operators of Softstar's new free-to-play MMO Dream of Mirror Online, has announced that it is reluctantly going to have to IP block European users from the service from the commencement of the upcoming open beta. Aeria Games is so reluctant, in fact, that they've started up a petition, and are encouraging DOMO players who take issue with the change to contact MMO developer Softstar. [Correction: Apparently these initiatives were started by the forum moderators who are volunteers and not employees of Aeria games]
First Impressions: Mythos
I can sum this MMO up in one sentence: If you liked Diablo, you'll like this.However, I sense that you'd like more from this than a mere summary, so I'm happy to oblige. Bear in mind that Mythos, by Flagship Studios, the guys who gave us Hellgate: London, is still in Beta, so any of what I report here can change at any time. Still, it looks great, it performs well, and it scratches that Diablo itch like nothing else. So I suppose you could say that this is a hit, rather than a myth. BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Oh, my pleasures are so few.%Gallery-10781%
IAHGames makes you elite
A side-effect of IAHGames bringing Hellgate: London out of beta code quagmire yesterday and up to patch 0.1, is that nobody who had completed the game was able to access Elite mode. A few hours ago, the service was taken down for the whole region for 3 hours, while IAHGames did some custom patching. The result is anyone with a character of level 30 or above in the Asia-Pacific region (at the time of the patch) now has access to Elite mode. Anyone with a character below level 30 who completed the game before the upgrade and wants access to Elite mode will need to submit a support ticket with the name(s) of their characters. You have until Tuesday's maintenance window to get your requests in.
