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Fallen Earth dev Icarus restructures, cuts staff
MMO developer Icarus Studios has been restructured in order to maintain support for its game Fallen Earth. Set in a post-apocalypse Grand Canyon, the FPS/RPG hybrid was co-developed by Fallen Earth LLC and released in September 2009. James Hettinger, CEO of Icarus Studios, shared the announcement on the game's official website, noting that "the steps were taken to maintain the growth, continued development and profitability of Fallen Earth." The two combined companies will retain core members of staff, reduced from 110 to 35 (excluding general managers and customer support). "We have a core team comprised of folks from the departments, and we're eager to push forward on our goals and milestones," marketing manager Jessica Orr told Massively. Orr also confirmed that Fallen Earth's patch development, community service and scheduled events will continue as planned. The effect on other projects -- such as the resurrection of Sam Suede -- will likely be more pronounced (dead?). We'll let you know as soon as we hear more.
Fallen Earth's Marie Croall takes on player questions
Curious about the folks behind the meticulously-assembled wastelands of Fallen Earth? Despite the recent layoffs, there are still a lot of personalities involved with the game's development, and it's always good to know as much as possible about the team behind your favorite games. This week, Senior Game Designer Marie Croall takes the opportunity to answer player questions on the forums, answering a bevvy of largely personal questions with a few game questions added to the mix. Although veteran Fallen Earth players might not find a huge amount of information on upcoming patches, there's something to be said for learning things about the designers other than when they'll give you a pony. If you're staunchly part of the "ponies only" crew, however, there's still hope. Questions will be collected and answered from the main thread all week, which means that if you have something more you want to know, you've got the chance to ask it. Head on over to the official forums and get typing!
Fallen Earth team responds to layoff concerns
Icarus dropped quite a bombshell on the gaming world late last week with the restructuring of the Fallen Earth team. Restructuring in this case led to the layoff of the vast majority of the staff, leaving the Fallen Earth community shocked and wondering what this meant for the game. The rumors flew fast and furious as some claimed to know for certain that 80% of the team had been let go, others predicted with certainty that this was simply a prelude to the end of Fallen Earth, and so on. We at Massively were just as curious as anyone, so we went straight to the source. Fallen Earth Marketing Manager Jessica "Circatrix" Orr took some time out of her busy schedule to let us know where matters stand, so follow along after the jump to see what she had to say.
One Shots: A (glitchy) public service announcement
While there are undoubtedly bugs and glitches galore out there in the MMO landscape -- and many of them are funny -- we don't often see them used as a form of public service announcement. That is, until today when we opened up the Massively One Shots mailbox and came across this image snapped in Fallen Earth by Joe H. who notes, "I took advantage of the fact that you can walk right through other players' mounts and vehicles to make this PSA screenshot." (If you can't read the text in the image above, just click the image to see the embiggened gallery version.) If you've found something funny in your world, or used a glitch to silly effect, why not grab a screenshot of it and email it in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. Also, please make sure your image is at least 1024 pixels wide and has as little visible UI as is possible. Your image could be the next one featured here on One Shots! %Gallery-85937%
Icarus announces company restructuring [updated]
Icarus Studios, developers of the post-apocalyptic science fiction MMORPG Fallen Earth, today announced an immediate reorganization of company resources and staffing. "While this is a challenging step for us, the steps were taken to maintain the growth, continued development and profitability of Fallen Earth," said Icarus Chief Executive Office James Hettinger. A press release on the official site confirms that the newly reorganized company will continue to support core staff members, customer service, and ongoing development of Fallen Earth. The release also notes that work continues on the forthcoming Blood Sports Patch, scheduled for a May 7 release.
Massively's interview with the new Fallen Earth lead developers
There have been some big changes in the wasteland lately: Fallen Earth has gotten some exciting new content, with even more on the way in the form of Blood Sports. The changes aren't just in game, though. While the departure of Lee Hammock left some sad faces behind, the current Fallen Earth team is more than enough to inspire confidence in the future of the game. The majority of the player focus at the moment is on patches 1.4 and 1.5. The addition of both new PvE and PvP content -- along with changes to game mechanics -- is keeping everyone busy checking things out and wondering what's to come. With that in mind, Massively has some answers for you. We recently spent some time talking with two of the new Fallen Earth leads -- Director of Content Development Wes Platt and Senior Game Designer Marie Croall -- about what's in store for the game. Follow along after the jump to see what they had to say.
Fallen Earth dev journals detail respecs, effects and melee animation changes
With so many rapid-fire changes coming to Fallen Earth lately, some players may feel like they'll miss something important if they so much as blink. Updates such as Blood Sports and mounts are getting plenty of attention, but there are many other things that you may be excited about while at the same time wishing they were explained as thoroughly as some of the others. The respec option, for example, is a fantastic opportunity for those of us who spent points unwisely while we were still learning how it all worked. The effects revamp is certainly going to have a significant effect on gameplay as well, but these are both potentially complicated updates. The Fallen Earth team is working to make sure that everyone understands how the updates will work and how they affect the players, starting with a pair of brand new dev journals. There are separate entries for both the respec and for the effects revamp, each detailing how they will work and offering a few hints for making the most of them. And finally, Fallen Earth's Lead Animator Gabriel Smith has given us a great advance look at the melee animation improvements that we'll see in patch 1.4. Follow along after the jump to see what Gabriel had to say, and don't forget to check out the respec and effects dev journals as well.
Fallen Earth devs planning to get their Tweet on
While The Bearded One is no longer on the Fallen Earth team, it appears that the new team in charge of continuing to make the post-apocalyptic wastes awesome are wasting no time in getting in touch with their players. How so, you wonder? Well, it appears that they are planning a mass-invasion of Twitter on Thursday at 3pm (GMT -4) to tweet it up with the playerbase. (For those who aren't following them yet, you can catch their official account over at @FallenEarth.) Anyone interested in following the chat only needs to set up a filter on their favorite Twitter client looking for the hashtag #FEchat, or pop over to Twitter's search site and search for that hashtag. Of course, it's not half as much fun if you can't participate, so the Fallen Earth developers will be soliciting questions from everyone. Sure, the 140-character restriction may make for some short answers, but there's something to be said for being able to tune in to a dev chat via text message or mobile Twitter client.
Fallen Earth's huge Blood Sports patch dated
Icarus Studios, makers of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMORPG Fallen Earth, have announced the release date for their Blood Sports content patch. The update, version 1.4 of the game client if you're keeping score, is heavily focused on player versus player conflict and includes four new PvP areas, over 500 related achievements, a Clan War system, and the updated region of Deadfall. The 1.4 update will launch on May 7 and will also feature an expanded level cap (up to 50), a one-time character respec option, and a boatload of refinements including animation tweaks, effect revamps, and of course the new Blood Sport PvP matches. These matches include Survival, Capture the Flag, Assault, and Deathmatch, and allow players to queue up for PvP action regardless of their world location. Participatory and victory points will also be awarded and can be used on end-game armor and assorted gear. Current subscribers can access the live content on May 7, while new players can purchase Fallen Earth Blood Sports from retail and digital download outlets and receive a full copy of the original game along with the content update. "We are thrilled to be able to launch all of the new content in one major patch," said Colin Dwan, Fallen Earth Project Manager. "The team has worked very hard to make this happen and we're sure players will enjoy all of the new gameplay enhancements." Check out the official site for more info, and be sure to sign up for the test server if you can't wait until May 7 to get your hands on the new content.
Fallen Earth promotes new leads to fill Hammock's shoes
With the recent departure of lead designer Lee Hammock, Icarus Studios' Fallen Earth was left with some big shoes to fill. The company announced yesterday that four veterans of the post-apocalyptic MMORPG have been promoted. Wes Platt steps into the Director of Content Development role, Marie Croall takes over as Senior Game Designer, Greg Roth is the new Senior Systems Designer, and Josh Peery steps to the plate as the Content Team Lead. Icarus also wants Fallen Earth players to interact with the developers, and will be highlighting questions and answers on the forums beginning on Monday April 26. Finally, both Wes and Marie will be featured on the team's Twitter dev chat next Thursday, April 29. Check out @FallenEarth for the details.
Massively Exclusive: Fallen Earth about to be invaded by Blight Wolves
The wastes are a hard place to survive and thrive, but for those who have managed to do so and are waiting patiently for the opening of the Deadfall area, we have a treat for you! The above image is the first-ever glimpse of the dreaded (or highly coveted, depending on which end of the jaws you're on) Fallen Earth Blight Wolf mount! With that noted, those who want this awesomely dangerous mount will have to get extremely friendly with some of the ugliest folks currently roaming the wastes -- Shiva's Favored. Apparently somewhere in their twisted history, the Favored figured out a method to tame the enormous blight wolves, turning the snarling beasts into somewhat tame mounts. But don't expect to get access to this super-awesome travel companion for rolling up in their camps and saying hi -- it's going to take some time to earn that kind of trust. For those who want to check out the first-ever look at these powerful beasts, we've managed to secure an exclusive video that we've tucked behind the break -- gotta protect people from those teeth, you know. Add in 130 new missions, new settlements, and more on top of this cool mount and you can see why we say it sounds like this is a great time to live in the post-apocalyptic lands of Fallen Earth.
Prognosticating the future of MMOs
Barring Ouija boards, magical leprechauns and time-traveling DeLoreans, it's pretty much impossible to predict the future -- but that doesn't stop people from trying, no sir. In a recent "The State of the MMO in 2010" over at Eurogamer, Jim Rossignol chats with Paul Barnett (EA Mythic), Colin Dwan (Fallen Earth) and Torfi Frans Olafsson (EVE Online) in an attempt to pin down where MMOs stand as of now, and where they're likely to go. The article begins by stating that the defining line surrounding what is and is not a MMO has become blurred, and will only become more so in the future. Whether we like it or not, different payment models, server types and even genres (such as sports MMOs) have broadened the definition of the genre. Many folks are worried that F2P titles and "quasi-MMOs" like FarmVille may trigger the end of traditional subscription-based MMOs.
Fallen Earth pushes Patch 1.4 onto the test server
It's an exciting time living in the wastelands of Fallen Earth these days. Not only have clones been graced with a new dueling system and the first stage of a town revamp, there's now the opportunity to have a mangy flea-covered slobbering creature follow you around placidly. (Which isn't all that unusual if you're friends with a CHOTA, but bear with us.) There are still bigger things on the horizon, however, and Patch 1.4 promises to bring even more PvP and other violent goodness. While it isn't live quite yet, it has gone live on the game's public test server. Aside from the PvP matchups of Blood Sport, the update promises new mounts such as the Blight Wolf, new crafting recipes, and expanded war between clans. To help facilitate testing (which is implied to be on deck for "the next couple of weeks"), the official forums are posting both specific systems to be tested and large-scale testing events. While this doesn't mean we'll certainly be seeing Fallen Earth's next major content patch in a couple weeks, it's certainly a strong argument in that direction... and if you can't wait another minute, you can hop on the test server and see it now.
Fallen Earth adds dueling, fatigue, New Gallows
Everyone's favorite apocalyptic wasteland got a little bit livelier with today's patch. Version 1.3.11 of Icarus' Fallen Earth brings several noteworthy additions to the residents of the Grand Canyon province, including a new dueling system, the first stage of the New Gallows conflict town revamp, and a new fatigue system. The update also brings a laundry list of tweaks and bug fixes, as well as the curious decision to reduce vehicle crafting XP by 50% and research book crafting XP by 80%. Massively also managed to snag the non-combat pet pictured above, but sadly the doggies have since been removed from the in-game vendors. We'll unravel the mystery of when and where you can expect to get your own post-apocalyptic pooch as soon as we confirm the details with Icarus. In the meantime, check out the update announcement and the patch notes, and don't forget about our previous coverage of the additions from the test server.
One Shots: Sleeping with the enemy
Ever just have one of those days where it doesn't matter how well you prepare, things just seem to go wrong? Worse still when you've had a rough day, jump into your favorite MMO for some stress release, facing off against a monster only to somehow die anyway. Today's Fallen Earth screenshot comes to us from occasional contributor Azzura, who tells us a tale of woe -- or joy, depending on your point of view. "A surprise attack by a nasty scorpion -- it was a fierce battle. In the end I was victorious, and was quite amazed I killed it. I knew the victory was short lived as I saw 'Poison 5', 'Poison 5', 'Poison 5' float up the middle of my screen, and we all took our final dirt nap. But, there is a happy ending -- I'm a clone with a do-over ring around my neck! I returned to drain some Weak Toxin from my kill and save my poor horsie." If you're playing an MMO, we want to see your screens! From big to small, all of them are welcome. Just drop them in an email to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post them out here and give you the credit. %Gallery-85937%
Fallen Earth state of the game expands on upcoming patches
There has been plenty of interesting news coming from Fallen Earth over the past month or so. Updates such as the iPhone app, news on the upcoming patches, and the recent departure of Lee Hammock have kept players nearly as busy outside of the game as inside. The latest state of the game address is no exception, addressing current events of interest and giving us even more to anticipate in the coming months. The address primarily covers plans for patches 1.4 and 1.5, giving an exciting overview of what's in store for players in both the PvP and PvE arenas. A fair amount of content was planned for release between patches 1.4 and 1.5. Changes were made, however, and the majority of the upcoming content will be released with patch 1.4. Several small details are mentioned in the address in addition to what we already know. This new information also included mention of plans for Sector 4. Yes, it's real, and yes, it's on the way. Take a look at the full address for all of the details on what's in store for Fallen Earth, as well as a couple pieces of concept art for Sector 4.
Lead Game Designer Lee Hammock leaving Fallen Earth
Fans of Fallen Earth found a startling announcement on the game's site this afternoon, revealing the news that Lead Game Designer Lee Hammock will be leaving the Fallen Earth team: "Though we will miss Lee, this is an exciting opportunity for him to work on a new property that is near and dear to his heart and we are thrilled and blessed to have worked with him over the past four years in shaping the story of Fallen Earth." The (ex) Beard Man is leaving Icarus to join Gargantuan Studios as their Story Designer, and don't be surprised if the Gargantuan name sounds a bit familiar. They're the ones behind the upcoming Marvel Universe Online MMO, scheduled for release in 2012. (Editor's Note: Gazillion Entertainment's community director, Stephen Reid, would like us to clarify that the Marvel Universe MMO currently has no set release date at this time.) The Fallen Earth team will continue their push toward Sector Four in Lee's absence, and we join everyone at Icarus in wishing him the best in his new venture. You can read the full announcement on the official site.
Wasteland Diaries: Fallen Earth's first six months
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a new clone emerging from the LifeNet Pod in Zanesville; it was early access launch day: 9/9/09. I have never, and likely will never again, see Zanesville so crowded. Fallen Earth had been live for only a few hours, so I opened the social window to see how far behind the power curve I was. Someone was already level 8. Egad! Better get moving. My first goal was to get rid of my LifeNet garb, so I didn't look like such a noob -- not that I didn't fit right in. My second goal was to craft myself a horse bridle, as walking everywhere can be tedious. Back in those days we didn't get an Old Nag, we had to earn our first horse -- uphill, both ways. Fallen Earth, while not an entirely different game, plays out a bit differently than it did then. These days, new players are brought up to speed in a more instructive manner. They have a new expanded tutorial and new missions in each starter town to get the players acquainted with crafting and other gameplay subtleties. The game has a steep learning curve, so more instruction for new players was a step in the right direction. But some people just aren't cut out for the grim reality of post-apocalyptic life, no matter how easy you try to make it for them. Being a new player in Fallen Earth used to be pretty rough. Now, starting with a Crude Slugthrower, which is essentially a zipgun rifle that shares ammo with your zipgun pistols, makes things a bit simpler. Couple that with a 200% damage bonus for headshots (with a floating text feedback message) and life isn't as rough as it once was. How different is it today?
PAX East 2010: A closer look at the Fallen Earth iPhone app
Just a few short weeks ago, the Massively staff descended on GDC in San Francisco, sending back all sorts of new information from MMO-land. One of the most exciting things we came across that week was from Icarus Studios. The minds behind Fallen Earth have been working in every direction on their game: joining Facebook, planning for a Mac client, and joining the ever-growing list of games that will be adding an iPhone app. We brought you a detailed overview of the app from GDC back then, and we were lucky enough to spend some more time with Dave Haydysch, Fallen Earth's Project Manager, at PAX last week. We got a look at the upcoming content for Fallen Earth as well as a closer peek at the iPhone app. We've got some brand new images of the app, and the guys over at Lagwar got something even better: video! Check out the gallery below, and follow along after the jump for the video. We think you'll agree with us that this app can't get here fast enough! %Gallery-89297%
PAX East 2010: Fallen Earth patch 1.4 preview
Fallen Earth has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past six months, with the game's population growing even faster than the game itself as word-of-mouth does its thing. One of the highlights of PAX East this past week was the opportunity to sit down with Dave Haydysch of Fallen Earth and take a sneak peek at the upcoming patch 1.4. This is going to be another huge patch -- the fine folks at Icarus don't seem to do anything by halves -- scheduled for release sometime in Q2 of this year. (We will, of course, be watching for an exact date.) There was quite a bit to see and hear, so follow along after the jump to take a look at what is on the way to the Wasteland.
