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Global Agenda gifting AP to booster account holders
Hi-Rez Studios is throwing a bone to Global Agenda veterans who raised concerns about the limitations on the title's Agenda Points. Agenda Points are Global Agenda's item shop currency and were introduced with the Free Agent patch as a way for players to spend real-life money on optional character items. Agenda Points will now be distributed for free to active Booster supporters on a daily basis (to the tune of five AP per day plus an additional five for each level 50 character on an account). Theoretically players could walk away with 1,350 AP per month if they have eight max-level toons. In other Global Agenda news, Hi-Rez's month-long player appreciation promotion is in full swing, and each successive week brings a 50% AP discount on all store items for one of the game's classes. Head to the official GA website to learn more, and don't forget to download the game!
Black Prophecy launch-day interview
Reakktor Media's space-faring MMO Black Prophecy saw its North American launch today, as well as its first major content update. We've already provided you lovely readers with a launch-day roundup for your perusal. To commemorate the game going live, we have a launch-day interview with gamigo's Executive Board Member Patrick Streppel. So strap yourselves in, kick your thrusters into overdrive, and jump past the cut for the full interview.
The Anvil of Crom: Unchained, free at last, and some initial observations
Timing, as they say, is everything, and so I'd like to take a brief moment to thank Funcom for fouling up my carefully laid column plans this week. Also, it's a rare day that I'm not prowling the interwebs in search of news for our fair website, so of course, the second day out of the last six months that saw me take some time off was naturally the very same day that Funcom decided to launch Age of Conan: Unchained. And yeah, I said Unchained, not Unrated, and if you think you're going to have trouble referring to the game as such after cozying up to the former moniker for the last month, console yourself with the fact that you now have David Lee Roth careening around inside your head for the foreseeable future. You're welcome. In all seriousness, though, Age of Conan is free at last, free at last, thank God almighty it's free-to-play at last (even if it was a little sudden).
Realms Online celebrates the 4th of July in style with zombies and unicorns
The British are coming! The British are coming! And they want to... eat your brains? In perhaps the oddest holiday event we've ever heard of, Realms Online is featuring a Redcoat zombie invasion that starts today. Redcoat zombies are swarming over the warzone, and it's up to you to fight for independence from brain-noshing. Participating in the event will give players the chance to earn special Independence Day costumes until July 15th. Zombie invasions aren't the only things going on during the Dawn of Freedom event -- GMs will be throwing firework shows, banners will be playing the American national anthem, and other fun activities will be available. Realms Online is also selling 4th of July-themed items in its item shop for those with particularly strong patriotic persuasions. And what 4th of July event would be complete without... unicorns? Unicorns? OK, we'll roll with that. GameSamba is going to post a code on the Realms Online Facebook page that will let players use a unicorn for free for a week before it goes on sale in the store.
Age of Conan: Unchained is here, as is F2P and a lot of new content
Cue the vintage Van Halen (not to mention your Age of Conan launcher), as it's a big day for everyone's favorite barbarian-flavored MMO. Why's that? Well, there's the small matter of free-to-play, and oh yeah, 2.6 is the most significant patch since the Rise of the Godslayer expansion in May of 2010. What's the big deal? Well, you've got your item shop as well as your free and premium membership tiers. You've also got new appearance tab functionality (or vanity armor, as Funcom's patch notes are fond of calling it). Still want more? How about relaxed difficulty and more frequent rewards on normal-mode 6-man Khitai dungeon content as well a significant price cut on factional armor pieces (epic chest-piece purples are now a mere 16 gold, for example). More still? By Crom, you are one needy barbarian. You're also in luck, as Funcom has added a new queue function to minigame PvP which resurrects the late, great pre-made vs. pre-made option. Oh, and before we forget, here are a couple of new level-scaling solo dungeons (The Breach and Forgotten City), the better to see your character from his 40s all the way up to 80 should you desire. Finally, there's a laundry list of combat- and quest-related tweaks, all of which are viewable via the patch notes on the o-boards.
DC Universe Online launches in-game market
DC Universe Online is jumping aboard the microtransaction train with an announcement from Sony Online Entertainment stating that the DCUO Marketplace is now live. Right now, the marketplace is fairly barren, with only three items for players to choose from. These items are Proto Repair-Bots, which are exactly what they sound like, as they provide players with the convenient ability to repair on the go. Also included are Vault Tickets, which are sold either in singles or in stacks of five. These tickets allow players extra access to the Vault instance, where they can earn unique rewards. We don't have any other information about what will be available for sale in the future, but keep an eye out and we'll be sure to update you as soon as we know more.
Do the shopping cart: Prius Online opens item shop
Prius Online has taken another step toward full-fledged release, as gPotato opened the doors to an in-game item shop today. As with many free-to-play titles, Prius Online will chug along under the power of microtransactions from shop purchases. The item shop will hold an attractive array of fun and useful goods, ranging from costumes to mounts to all manner of helpful trinkets. To celebrate the shop's opening, Prius Online is handing out a free Leaf of Oblivion to players who log in between June 15th and 19th. The Leaf is capable of resetting your skill points, including your initial job choice, so that you can respec into a better build. Prius Online went into open beta earlier this month, and any interested parties can check the game out by visiting the website and signing up!
The Road to Mordor: Shopping at the LotRO Depot
About 99% of the time I'm in Lord of the Rings Online I never think about the LotRO Store. Ever since the store came online last year, it's been adventure as usual in the Olivetti household. Sure, I mock the "You got 5 Turbine Points! Now you can retire in the Caymans!" popups like everyone else, but I've always felt that Turbine does a good job balancing the store presence between the polar extremes of obnoxious and invisible. That isn't to say I haven't used the store at all; on the contrary, I've been a sporadic if loyal customer of sorts, trundling my shopping cart through the aisles of Shire-Mart looking for a good deal. Thus far I haven't dropped any additional cash into the game, choosing to subsist on my monthly allotment of TP with whatever I earn through deeds. Every once in a while I'll boot up the store and see what niceties I can give to my character as a reward for slaughtering his 5,000th Neeker-beeker. The LotRO Store has two categories of customers: the free-to-players and the upper class. Does that sound snooty? It's not intentional -- all I mean is that some folks use the store to provide basic necessities for gameplay (like quest packs, riding skills, class unlocks) while others are already well-off in the game and shop for luxury items. I'm in awe of the F2P gamers who can get a good chunk of their content by methodically knocking deeds out so they can purchase the next zone, but I'm fortunate enough not to have to do that. So today I wanted to give myself an audit of what I've spent in the store so far and analyze whether they were wise purchases, wasteful frivolities, or overpriced insanity.
Mythos Europe launches!
Like a digital phoenix rising from the ashes of a failed company, Mythos has come back from the dead to finally launch. Under the care of HanbitSoft and Frogster, Flagship's former Diablo-style MMO has been retooled and finally pushed out of the doors in Europe. Mythos Europe's Arne Freund is understandably excited: "We are very pleased with our rapidly growing community, whose support shows us that they, like us, have become really invested in the world of Mythos. We will continue to put all of our effort into supporting the game after release and to provide players with enough monsters to hack and slash their way through in the years to come. Talking of which, I've got a grudge to settle..." Mythos is free-to-play with optional item shop purchases and is available in five languages: English, German, French, Polish and Turkish. In addition to the digital download, there's a retail box version that includes an item voucher for a variety of exclusive goodies. Get into the action by downloading it from the official site, but before you do that, make sure to hit the jump and watch the launch trailer -- it'll get you pumped up for sure!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Is ArenaNet approaching the pay-to-win line?
The addition of Guild Wars Mercenary Hero Packs to the NCsoft store is the latest step in ArenaNet's effort to highlight Guild Wars "microtransactions." (I am ambivalent about using the word microtransactions in this context -- "micro" in my eyes says under 10 dollars.) The mercenary heroes are probably the most controversial addition to the current store to date, and the ongoing debate fascinated me. I can see both sides of the argument, so I thought I'd take today and explore this new addition to the store and what it means. Follow along after the jump and let's look at the perceived pros and cons of the newest not-very-micro-transaction in the NCsoft store!
PAX East 2011: Free Realms coming to the PS3 on March 29th
Apparently 17 million registered PC and Mac users are the tip of the iceberg for Sony Online Entertainment. The company's family-friendly Free Realms MMORPG is heading to the Playstation 3 on March 29th in an attempt to bring massively multiplayer enlightenment to the unwashed console masses (and reel in a few million new users in the process). Free Realms originally took a bow in 2009 on Windows PCs and has since seen its pirates, ninjas, pets, and genre-bending gameplay appear on Apple's OS X operating system as well. The title is initially free-to-play, with premium account options available to gamers who want to access an additional 400 quests and level all their jobs up to 20. Free Realms also features a cash shop that will be available via the Playstation Store. "Free Realms continues to break new ground in the gaming industry -– it will be the first free-to-play MMO to hit any console, the first family-friendly MMO to hit any console, and the second MMO, after our recent release of DC Universe Online, to hit the PlayStation3 to date," says SOE president John Smedley. Head past the break for an exclusive interview with Free Realms lead designer Stephen Bokkes and producer Nick Parkinson. %Gallery-118920%
GDC 2011: Nexon's future is so bright, it's gotta wear shades
Not only are Nexon's revenues on the way up with no sign of slowing, but the company's famed "Nexon iNitiative" is already producing hearty results. Unlike the Dharma Initiative, the Nexon iNitiative is a force for good, as the company is funding promising indie developers and their pet projects. Last year, Antic Entertainment and one2tribe both received a chunk of the $1 million funding to make games that would be published worldwide by Nexon, and a similar program is underway for 2011. At GDC we sat down with Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim to talk about the future direction of the company. Nexon's in its 17th year and considers itself the most accomplished global provider of online games. Whether or not you agree with that statement, the fact that the company has over 30 titles under its belt in over 71 countries is impressive, and that's not even looking at the way Nexon casually drops how many hundreds of millions of players check out its titles daily. Interesting Nexon tidbit: The name comes from the company's philosophy, to look for the "next online" trend. Now you have something to say during awkward silences at dinner parties. Hit the jump to hear about some of the future projects and developments of this online pioneer, including MapleStory and Dragon Nest!
GDC 2011: Spacetime pontificates on pocket MMOs
Although portable MMOs seem like the next logical step in enabling our online gaming addiction, remarkably few titles have graced the field as yet. Of the select few, Spacetime Studio's Pocket Legends heads the pack in style and popularity. It appeals to a wide range of players because the basic game is free; the developer charges players only for expansions and other item shop goodies. Cinco Barnes took the opportunity to speak at GDC about how Spacetime sorted out the complex issues surrounding portable MMOs, how the studio came up with the payment structure, and what the team learned as it goes forward with its next MMO, Blackstar. Pocket Legends' roots go back to 2005 when Spacetime Studios took some seed money from NCsoft and began work on a large-space sci-fi MMO for PCs. While the project went bust and NCsoft pulled funding, Spacetime came away with the technology it developed if not the deep pockets to compete in the field. By 2009, the company became enamoured with the iPhone as a gaming device and decided to take the tools it had developed to create a unique game for that platform.
Age of Conan adding more RMT items
More microtransactions are making their way to Hyboria, and while Funcom doesn't have a full-blown item shop as of yet, the Age of Conan account page is starting to come pretty close. The game launcher features an introductory paragraph explaining the new items, which include both social pets and limited use consumable packs, and Funcom is looking to provide newer players with access to some of the exclusives previously available only via special subscription offers. New item packs feature various XP buff potions, temporary and permanent teleportation abilities, and social pets like the owlet, loyal crocodile, and fearless crab. All items and item packs are purchased with Funcom points, which are available in various bundles starting at $10.00 (1200 points) and going up to $50.00 (6000 points).
Frogster sends Save the Children 82,000€ check
While Frogster Interactive, as a company, has been dealing with some rough times of late, the players of both Runes of Magic and Bounty Bay Online have opened up their hearts -- and their wallets -- to do some good. Recently, players in both games have had the option to pick up certain special mounts and ship covers to help fund the Save the Children initiative in Bhutan. Frogster kept a small portion of proceeds from the item sales to cover VAT and basic administration costs, while Runewaker waived its share of all profits from those items. While previous fundraising in Frogster's free-to-play games has always been met with great success, this year players more than doubled last year's 40,000€ raised for Save the Children by raising 82,000€! This year's initiative was to assist the families in Bhutan, a small landlocked country in the Himalayas sandwiched between India and China that is home to a burgeoning Democratic government. Due to the major cultural shifts occurring in the country, children are inundated with information via internet and cable TV while their parents are unable to read and write -- let alone navigate the newfound technological morass they find themselves thrust into. Save the Children seeks to build schools for the children as well as help Bhutani families navigate the influx of new technology, all while preserving the country's cultural heritage for future generations. According to a press release, Kathrin Wieland, Executive Director of Save the Children Germany e.V., was surprised and delighted at the great generosity of the gamers: "I am very happy about the engagement of Frogster and its players, which allows us to clear a path for these children to a positive future." We certainly wish Save the Children the very best of luck with the hard work ahead and applaud Frogster and Runewaker as well as the giving players of Runes of Magic and Bounty Bay Online who have made that work possible.
Community Detective Issue #17: Runes of Magic
Welcome to issue 17 of Community Detective (wow, 17, has it been that many already?). Anyhow, this week I figured I'd broaden my horizons a little bit. While I've delved into the free-to-play genre before with Global Agenda, Hi-Rez Studios' MMO shooter is not your average F2P title (there's no item shop, for example, and the game is one of a recent spate of MMOs to start off with a subscription and subsequently switch to F2P). This time around, I'm well and truly submerging myself in a "real" (i.e., from the ground up) F2P game, and the subject of this week's study is Runes of Magic. Runewaker's fantasy world is nearing its second birthday, and the first year and change hasn't been without controversy. The game is published by Frogster in both America and Europe, and the German-based giant is often called onto the carpet by fans upset with its zealous forum moderation and alleged poor customer service. How bad is it really? Well the community portion of the equation was quite good. On the other hand, the support experience wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination. As with all Community Detective pieces though, that comes with the disclaimer that this report stems from a very specific set of circumstances (i.e., your mileage may vary).
The Daily Grind: What's the most ridiculous microtransaction you've seen?
With in-game item shops rapidly becoming the norm -- whether you rail against them, enjoy them or sit somewhere in the middle -- one gets the feeling that these companies are still trying to figure out just how much these virtual items and services are worth. From Blizzard's $25 sparkle pony to SOE's $55 guild namechange service, it seems that these companies are pushing as far as they can go to see what we'll cough up for our games. So what's the most ridiculous microtransaction you've seen in an MMO? What was so ridiculously overpriced or horribly mis-priced that you couldn't stop shaking your head and wondering out loud, "Who would pay for such a thing?" Mind you, this could even be something small, such as an item in the cash shop that you could easily get for free in the game itself. Today, be a consumer crusader and call out bad MMO microtransaction pricing! 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!
Irreverent confession: An interview with Faxion Online's UTV True Games
You're dead -- so sorry, chap! Fortunately, that doesn't mean your gaming adventures are over. On the contrary, according to Faxion Online, they've just begun. In the world of Limbo, players are pulled between the forces of heaven and hell as they fight each other through the physical manifestations of the seven deadly sins. Curious about Faxion Online, we sat down with UTV True Games to discuss the deep issues of beta, religion and epeens. Massively: How's the progress toward closed beta coming along? UTV True Games: It's coming along at an insane pace. The team is focused and beating away at the long list of tasks that loom before us all prior to launching beta as well as the game. We are working on zones, abilities and items, along with wrapping up features and tightening the nuts and bolts of various aspects of the game. The team was able to catch their breath over the holidays a bit, so it's going to allow us to have a good strong kick to the finish.
Anarchy Online preparing to launch an item shop
An interesting effect of older games like Anarchy Online is that it gets progressively harder to hook new players -- eventually, the established power level of existing players makes it all but impossible for novices to catch up. Funcom is taking an interesting approach to both addressing that and teaching an old dog new tricks in the venerable game with the addition of an item shop. Players can purchase a variety of items, including endgame tokens and experience-accelerating stims. While these items will certainly accelerate progress for new characters, the development team is quick to point out that none of these additions will affect existing top-end characters. There's no need for people already in the endgame to shell out cash to stay competitive, but players who need a little boost will be well-served by the update. Anarchy Online is testing most of the additions now, so players should prepare themselves for what's coming next -- and possibly start shelling out a little extra for anything they're missing.
Waging WAR: Warhammer's new online store
This week's Waging WAR catches a whiff of recent happenings on the internet and with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Greg dives in face-first, grabs a fist-full of the news, and delivers a fast-ball rant on the issue. Well, apparently the RMT has hit the fan, and the resulting spackle is starting to plaster the proverbial walls of the blogosphere and beyond. Recently, some information was released about what players can expect to buy at EA-Mythic's new store. Although only a few items are actually available now, there's a pretty extensive FAQ on the server transfer service, and we'll have to wait a little longer for the Progression and Personality packs, as they're set to be released along with patch 1.4. Naturally, the drama is building up some nice momentum, and it will be interesting to see how the whine will affect this particular cheese over at the Mythic official forum. For now, you can read past the break and enjoy my rant.
