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SWTOR's Hutt Cartel expansion launching April 14
Many Bothans died to bring you this information: The first expansion for Star Wars: The Republic, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, will launch on April 14th, 2013. Our spy network tells us that Makeb continues the player's personal story where it left off at the end of the base game. Whether you're a Jedi Knight who just finished an epic battle on the Imperial homeworld of Dromund Kaas or a Sith Lord who has taken her seat with the Dark Council, the next step is the Hutt-controlled planet of Makeb. For the longest time, the Hutts have remained neutral during the whole galactic conflict, yet recently, they have found new boldness. Besides Makeb, RotHC brings with it a new level cap (up to 55), at least one brand-new ability for each class, multiple new questlines (on and off Makeb), new level-55 flashpoints, a new level-55 operation, and new gear. Additionally, if you pre-order before 7:00 p.m. EDT on April 13th, you will receive three exclusive in-game items: the title Scourge of the Hutts, a Makrin Seedling mini-pet, a Dr. Oggurobb Hutt holostatue. We've also obtained a short video with Lead Writer Hall Hood and Lead Concept Artist Ryan Dening that you can view after the break. %Gallery-183727%
Age of Wushu to launch on April 10th
If the launch delay of Age of Wushu caused you to sad-emoticon all over the internet, then it's time to break out the colon-and-capital-D keys: Snail Games announced that it is releasing the martial arts MMO on April 10th in North America. Content Generation Lead Tyler Rawlins says that the extra beta testing has done a world of good for the game: "The beta has been a great way to connect with the player community and introduce a real world of Wushu to the Western audience. We received and incorporated an abundance of player feedback during beta and can now announce an official launch date for Age of Wushu." Age of Wushu was originally slated for a February 1st release in North America. It currently boasts over 10 million player registrations in China alone. You can watch the high-flying launch announcement after the jump.
Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed
Trion has announced that the MMO third-person shooter half of its two-headed Defiance monster is set to be released on April 2nd. The other half is of course the upcoming television show which ties in to the game via some sort of mysterious transmedia secret sauce. The company has also released a full five-minute live action trailer, the teaser for which debuted last week alongside a meaty pre-order FAQ. Defiance players take on the role of Ark Hunters adventuring through the alien-infested ruins of a post-apocalyptic San Francisco and surrounding environments. Defiance features co-op PvE and PvP, and it's coming to PC, PlayStation 3, and XBox 360 platforms. Trion has been working on the game and the IP for over five years. The Syfy television series is set to debut on April 15th. Click past the cut for a look at the live-action preview. [Source: Trion press release]
Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin releasing in late March
The long silence over Final Fantasy XI's newest expansion has been broken, as Square Enix has finally announced that Seekers of Adoulin will be coming out in late March of next year. The game's fifth expansion will go live on March 26th for North American players and on March 27th for European fans. In addition to the release date news, the studio unveiled an updated website full of Seekers of Adoulin information. The expansion will include a virgin continent, additional enemy types, and two new classes: the Rune Fencer and Geomancer. Seekers of Adoulin will be sold on both PC and XBox 360. Fans will pay $29.99 for Seekers of Adoulin alone or $39.99 for the core game and every expansion and content pack to date. There's also a two-minute trailer for the expansion; consume it after the jump!
Wizardry Online launching January 16th
Don't have enough vitamin hardcore in your diet? Then make a new year resolution to try out Wizardry Online. SOE announced that the permadeath-happy fantasy title will release on January 16th. Wizardry Online is the latest in the long-running Wizardry series and features many mechanics not typically seen in modern MMOs, such as the aforementioned permadeath and friendly fire. Massively previewed the title at SOE Live and more recently got to take it for a more extensive test drive. SOE will be talking about Wizardry Online's release date and other launch details in its webcast at 7:00 p.m. EST this evening. You can catch the webcast on Twitch.tv. [Source: SOE press release]
New video and 2-for-1 deal announce Forge's launch
A few weeks ago, Massively dived into the Forge beta for a hands-on experience of the unique PvP fantasy game. And soon, all players will be able to forge their own experiences: Dark Vale Games has just released a new gameplay video and announced that the arena-style game will launch on December 4th, 2012. Available via digital distribution for $19.99 USD, each purchase of Forge comes with the added bonus of a second free copy to give to a friend. Tim Alvis, COO/CTO of Dark Vale Games, explained the 2-for-1 deal for what he calls "an incredible AAA-quality multiplayer fantasy game at an amazing indie price." "We understand that these titles are all about the community. That's why we're offering the best of both worlds – a great price point and a free copy that purchasers can give to their guild- or clan-mate or anyone else they would like to have fighting by their side. The more people we have playing FORGE, the more fun it will be. We truly believe that and we're putting our money where our mouth is to prove it." Forge is rated T for teen due to violence and blood. Curious about the in-game action? Watch the new video after the break! [Source: Dark Vale games press release]
SOE Live 2012: PlanetSide 2 launching November 20th, 2012
Already alerted to the fact that tonight would be the night, PlanetSide 2 fans have been waiting with bated breath for the official launch date announcement at SOE Live. And now, the magic words have been uttered: PS2 will go live on November 20th, 2012. The beta, which began in July, is held up by devs as a real and honest beta in which systems are tested, rather than a soft launch. But some players wondered whether it'd be finished in time. During a press conference before the announcement, Creative Director Matt Higby addressed this concern by reminding players that an MMO will never be "finished" as in completed or done. As he put it, the game is "not finished because it's finished; it's finished when it's at a level [SOE] think[s] it should be." He further outlined the state of beta now, saying that the development team has turned the corner, moving from just implementing mechanics that were planned to reacting to beta players' feedback to improve and adjust the game. He emphasized, "Now we know what works better and what doesn't." Stay tuned as Massively brings you more details about PS2's beta, launch, and upcoming plans. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, at least where SOE Live is concerned! Massively sent intrepid reporters MJ Guthrie and Karen Bryan to this year's SOE Live, from which they'll be transmitting all the best fan news on PlanetSide 2, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, and the other MMOs on SOE's world-class roster.
PlanetSide 2 release date to be announced this Thursday
Sci-fi MMOFPS PlanetSide 2 has impressed beta testers with the sheer scale of the game's warzones and its rewarding cooperative gameplay, but there are still a few problems to iron out before launch. In this week's State of the Game development update, SOE announced the main areas developers are currently working on and promised to give the game a final release date this week. The release date announcement is scheduled during the SOE Live keynote at 10 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. PDT) on Thursday, October 18th. SOE has promised to have PlanetSide 2 out in 2012, and that leaves some fans skeptical as to whether the beta is far enough along to be released in the next few months. Developers are pressing ahead with plans to fix the performance issues some players are having, and the studio aims to release with a complex metagame involving three continents. Remaining development time will be spent on issues ranging from weapon balance to a tutorial that gets players into the action as quickly as possible.
Age of Wushu beta and launch announced
Folks who were anticipating the global release of the English version of Age of Wushu in October will have to wait a bit longer; Snail Games has announced that the free-to-play martial arts MMORPG will release on May 3, 2013. However, fans eager to get in and experience the upcoming sandbox game can look forward to two closed beta sessions, one in November and one in December. Players can gain access to the November closed beta by purchasing the limited-time Elite pre-sale package for $9.99 USD. The package includes a full version of the game as well as exclusive in-game items. After the November beta closes on the 25th, players can purchase one of three Age of Wushu gift sets -- filled with in-game and real world items -- to get access to the next beta starting December 20th. The gift sets have the additional perk of allowing players into an exclusive access period starting February 1st, giving them 90 days of play before the official launch. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Ubuntu 13.04's final release slated for April, alpha to arrive in December
Quantal Quetzal won't properly launch until October 18th, but a tentative timeline for Ubuntu 13.04 has already appeared on the horizon. Come December 1st, the as-of-yet unnamed version will hit its first alpha and transition into its second testing stage on February 7th. After touching the beta milestone on March 7th, the release is just a small stretch away from its proposed April 25th launch. If the wait feels entirely too long, you can spend time perusing potential pseudonyms for the OS at the more coverage link below.
Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.5 comes alive this October!
I'd promised a continuation of my report on the goodies headed our way in the upcoming Aion 3.5 patch, but fortunately, I've got something even better! Instead of just delving into the new features today, I get to inform you all that 3.5 will go live in October! That's right: The next Aion update is coming to North America a lot sooner than anyone had thought. Not only that, but I was able to sit down with Associate Producer Sean Orlikowski to talk about some of these great new features, like housing changes, legion quests, and Dimensional Vortexes. We discussed the epic conclusion of the Dragon Lord's saga, the underlying story that has been playing out since the game launched. Then he shared some details about the Anniversary events starting on September 19th. Trust me -- a lot of stuff is coming our way. So what do Daevas have to look forward to next month? Where to begin...%Gallery-165495%
The Road to Mordor: Delay, delay, delay
Earlier this week, I was working on this column with the title "Preparing for Riders of Rohan." What a change a day or two makes because the body of that article quickly got changed to "Sit on your thumbs." Yes, the LotRO community got thrown for a loop this week, as Turbine announced that Riders of Rohan has been shoved back a month and a half for additional work. So we've gone from a mere two-week countdown to nearly two months, and that takes a bit of mental adjustment. On top of all that, the studio demolished the NDA wall, which sort of seems like a risky move when you've just disappointed players with news of a delay. I think we should talk about it, don't you? I'll say this up front: It's actually a very good thing.
Age of Wushu launch announced for October 18th
Get ready to get your kung-fu on: Age of Wushu, the English version, will release globally on October 18th, 2012. Elite pre-orders will get access to the free-to-play fantasy game a week early on the 11th. Although the initial announcement was short on details and left many folks wondering whether an open beta is in store between then and now, further developer posts clarify that there will not be any character wipes between the early elite and the general releases. More information is promised soon, and we'll keep you posted as it becomes available. [Thanks to SWGbesteva for the tip!]
RadioShack No Contract Wireless may be getting ready to launch September 5th
Evidence of a RadioShack-branded wireless carrier popped up just a few days ago, and now we have word from another tipster that reveals when it may launch. As seen above, the screen reveals a planned launch date of September 5th (a suddenly crowded day on the mobile calendar with the Nokia / Microsoft and Motorola / Verizon events, among others) to debut the Cricket Wireless-powered service, dubbed RadioShack No Contract Wireless. It has, as you may assume from the name, no contracts and claims an exclusive over other Cricket services by sliding an 8GB SD card in along with all Muve Music phones. If the information in the image holds true, we should have all of the details confirmed just three Wednesdays from now. [Thanks, anonymous]
Ask Massively: There are better things to complain about than pandas edition
I'm going to go right ahead and say that I really don't like the Pandaren in World of Warcraft at all. But it's not because they're pandas. It's because they're the definition of an in-joke taken to ridiculous levels, like an entire race dedicated to Steve Carrell saying, "I love lamp." If you want to be upset about Mists of Pandaria, please, do so about the things that are actually worth being upset over. The existence of ailuropoda melanoleuca is not on that list. You want a list of what is worth being upset over? Sorry, but this week's installment of Ask Massively isn't about that; it's about the onrushing specter of the Guild Wars 2 launch and the continual scourge of the comment system bugs. If you've got a question you'd like to see in a future installment of the column, send it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Microsoft launching Windows 8 on October 26th for new and upgrade customers
The title says it all, folks -- Microsoft's newest operating system will hit the masses starting on October 26th, nearly three years to the day after the launch of Windows 7. Just days after the company previewed Office 2013, we're now told that Steven Sinofsky has affirmed the date at MS's annual sales meeting, but it's not clear if that's a global date or one reserved for the US market. Customers will be able to grab Win8 as an upgrade or in new, unmolested form on that date, and you can bet we'll have a review out to coincide. For now, our in-depth look of the Release Preview will have to tide you over. [Thanks, Jignesh]
Guild Wars 2 announces launch date of August 28, 2012
It's official: Guild Wars 2 is almost ready. And that means ArenaNet has finally announced a release date for real and for true: August 28th, 2012. And this one's officially official, according to a new video released moments ago (which you can watch after the cut). So you can stop refreshing Amazon, you can stop moping in the comments every time we post about Guild Wars 2, and you can stop trying to budget your summer play schedule around your best guesstimates for when you'll need to stock your fridge and call in sick to work. Sit back and enjoy the remaining beta weekends and the hype because (most) games launch only once! [Edit: There's also a blog post up from Mike O'Brien announcing the final beta test as July 20th through 22nd.]
Guild Wars 2 could launch before Thanksgiving, release date announcement 'imminent'
Yes, Guild Wars 2 fans, we know that ArenaNet can't put the game out quickly enough. Believe us, we know. Thankfully, some new information uncovered through a bit of detective work on behalf of Gamebreaker's Jason Winter indicates that we may not have to wait too much longer. Financial reports issued by Korean Development Bank's securities firm, which is one of the largest brokerage firms in Korea, have included a number of documents involving the much-hyped title, in which predictions are made for a Guild Wars 2 release date in Q3/Q4 2012 (likely before Thanksgiving) and an "imminent" release date announcement. Keep in mind that this isn't just some random guy on the internet; these predictions come from people who report on these things for one of the largest brokerage firms in Korea, which means a lot of money (and probably some jobs) are on the line. To get the full details straight from Winter himself, go check out the full video on Gamebreaker, but take it all with a grain of salt. As ArenaNet is fond of reminding us, nothing is official until Anet says it is, and the game will be out when it's ready.
Guild Wars 2 devs answer anything, including launch date speculation
ArenaNet President Mike O'Brien and his motley crew of pirates, flibbertigibbets, and developers just stormed the seas of Reddit and fought valiantly through a dynamic event of Q&As concerning Guild Wars 2. No topic was off-limits, although the team didn't necessarily address all of the hundreds of queries put forth. Some of the questions answered included confirmation that there will be a way for guilds to raise their membership cap, word on bug fixes, a detailed explanation of the new trait system, and excitement for the upcoming beta weekend event. For those hoping to hear word on playable Asura or Sylvari, however, the rote response throughout the Q&A was, "Watch this space." What bug will the team actually miss? "Sit jumping," Mike Ferguson replied. "I don't know why, but it seems like everybody loves it (except the guy that introduced it). I'll actually be sad to see it go." O'Brien did directly address the rampant curiosity surrounding the game's launch date: "The fundamental issue here is that we just don't have a release date right now. We're using beta testing in the traditional sense. When beta testing shows that the game is where we want it to be, we'll lock in a release date. We're not that far off. We're obviously going to release in 2012, and any statements to the contrary are absurd."
Samsung Galaxy S III coming to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular this month
Official is as official does... right? In a bid to one-up the Galaxy S II's launch here in the States, Samsung has just announced that five carriers will soon have their own customized versions of the Galaxy S III. And by "soon," we mean "beginning in June." AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular are all in line to take part, with exact pricing and availability to be announced by each of the five carriers in the coming weeks. We are, however, told to expect on-contract prices as low as $199, and it sounds as if all five variants will keep the same 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display. Naturally, S-Beam, S-Voice, Smart Stay and Android 4.0 (with TouchWiz) will be onboard, with Qualcomm's 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 at the heart of each matter. We're told to expect 2GB of RAM across the board, with Gorilla Glass 2.0 guarding against your clumsiness. Moreover, we're reminded of the mythical Pebble Blue hue (which will be available alongside Marble White), with a removable 2,100mAh battery and 16GB / 32GB capacity options. Looking to learn more? There's a bit left just beyond the break, but the real deets will be pouring out in the weeks ahead from the carriers themselves. Update: AT&T has added a preview page; check the more coverage link for details.
