launches
Latest
Massively's Neverwinter early access launch diary: Day one
Neverwinter's launch isn't so much a launch as a gradual roll-out that's happening in several phases and operating under the code-name of "open beta." While the doors won't be open for the general public until April 30th, purchasers of the founder's packs are able to get in a few days early. Cryptic's invited the media to join the day one festivities alongside of those who've plunked down $200 for a Hero of the North package, which is how I'm able to bring to you a day-by-day account of the first week of Neverwinter live. While I've participated in two of the beta weekend events and have been following Neverwinter for a few months now as part of my column coverage, much of the game is virgin territory to me. I like going into a launch relatively unspoiled (or as unspoiled as a writer who covers MMOs can be), so this launch diary isn't going to be the voice of great experience. It's going to be the voice of experiences. See what I did there? Noon on April 25th finally arrived... and we were off to the D&D races!
Massively Exclusive: Neverwinter pre-launch interview, part two
We're back with Cryptic Lead Producer Andy Velasquez to continue our discussion of Neverwinter's beta lessons, launch preparations, and post-launch plans. We also touch on some of the comments and concerns that players had for the title and how Cryptic is addressing them. If you missed the first part of this interview, make sure you check it out before continuing!
EverQuest's Shadow of Fear lets you hear the voice of Luclin
EverQuest's Shadow of Fear just launched; it's the update and second part to the Rain of Fear expansion that released in November. Yes, you read that right: This is the old-school MMO's 19th expansion. If that's not impressive enough for, the list of content that comes with the patch should hold over vets for a long time. If you're level 100, you'll be able to enjoy new zones and content and brand-new mechanics. The essence of fear is literally raining down in the form of crystalline shards. While players fight to restore balance, an ancient city has been resurrected with no explanation. Mysteries? New content? New spells, items, missions, raids quests, and storylines to discover? Yeah, we wanted in on that. We hung out with producer Thom Terrazas, lead designer Jonathan Caraker, assistant lead designer Julie Burness, and assistant lead game designer and Douglas Cronkhite for a video tour of the new update. Read on to hear what we thought and catch the brand-new trailer too. %Gallery-186007%
Massively's Darkfall launch week diary: Day one
Darkfall Unholy Wars' April 2013 launch was quite a bit like Darkfall's February 2009 launch. For me, at any rate. One crucial difference was that this time I was actually able to purchase Aventurine's fantasy sandbox title even though I wasn't able to log into it. Four years ago, finding a digital copy of Darkfall was damn near impossible. Fast forward to the present and AV has improved its billing apparatus but certainly not its delivery mechanism. After nearly three hours, DFUW's patcher managed to pull down 90 MB out of 6487. I switched to the torrent download, and while it was faster, I still had to leave it overnight. So technically this is day two impressions even though it's day one for yours truly.
First Impressions: SWTOR's Rise of the Hutt Cartel
How much of an expansion can you really get from one new planet and five new levels? I've been subscribing to Star Wars: The Old Republic since launch day, so buying Rise of the Hutt Cartel wasn't exactly a difficult decision. I like the game, I'm pleased with it, and I'm going to pick up the expansion. But the pre-launch marketing for the expansion looked pretty sparse. A new planet was nice, and a level cap raise was great, but it seemed very low-key even for the price point. Ten bucks for one new area and more leveling felt thin. After a week on Makeb, I can comfortably say that it was worth the price of entry. There have been a lot of changes made to the game with the expansion and its connected patch, and with only a handful of exceptions, those improvements make the game universally better. And it all starts with a reversal of the game's status quo.
The Art of Wushu: Launching into Age of Wushu
Age of Wushu just launched publicly today, and as you read this, thousands of players are getting into the game for the very first time. For a lot of you first-time readers, you might be wondering what the heck is this game, why should you play it, and what are some of the community resources for the game? Age of Wushu is an open-world PvP sandbox set in a fictional Ming Dynasty China where traditional MMO elements like sorcery and character levels are eschewed for martial arts and proficiency in a wide variety of different skills. I'm fond of saying that Wushu is "like EVE in China." Many of AoW's features are similar to EVE's systems, including an emphasis on leveling breadth versus depth, a true player economy, and social maneuvering and backstabbing. At the same time, Wushu is a fundamentally different creature, with skill-based gameplay and a much clunkier interface. It's also a bit simpler than EVE, but the barrier of entry is still pretty high. The Art of Wushu column is about lowering that bar a bit, and I'm simultaneously proud and sad to say that the English fan-made wiki still currently provides much less in-depth information than this column does. If you're already playing the game, check out some of the previous articles as they are pretty useful things that I link people to regularly. If you're not a new player yet, well... this one's for you.
Massively's Defiance launch week diary: Day three
You know what? Defiance's PvP is pretty enjoyable. Most of that enjoyment stems from my ability to actually kill people, contrary to typical MMO themeparks where I stand no chance against gear grinders and theorycrafters who have bested me before I even manage to tab target them. Here you have to aim, dodge, roll, reload, and do all that crazy skill-based stuff that shooters make you do, and while my K/D ratio is reminding me of the fact that I'm getting old and slow, it's still been a blast. Last night I dipped my toes into something called Shadow War, which is Defiance's answer to open world PvP.
Massively's Defiance launch week diary: Day two
Welcome to day two of Massively's Defiance launch week diary. I've put a little over seven hours into Trion's MMO shooter thus far, so that zomg-it's-a-new-game! glow has worn off and I'm able to see things more objectively (i.e., find things to criticize). That said, I'm still having a good bit of fun, so join me after the cut to find out why.
Massively's Defiance launch week diary: Day one
I'm an ark hunter, or so they tell me. They being the ruggedly handsome NPCs on display in Defiance's opening cutscene. There's a gruff military man, a captain I think, and some balding suit with trendy eyewear named Von Bach. There's a bunch of frenzied activity on board the stratocarrier New Freedom, and I pass by a familiar roughneck and a red-haired alien girl that I've seen before in Defiance's ubiquitous television commercials. I'm a human male because I'm one of those weirdos who plays to real-world type in video games. I've got corn-rows here, though, blonde ones, and a face that only a mother could love. Much like my real face, I didn't have a lot of say in the matter because Defiance's character customization is rather bare bones. There's Human or Irathient, male or female. After that there's a choice of four origins: Veteran, Survivalist, Outlaw, and Machinist. I have a hard time with this because if the earth really were on the edge of sci-fi post-apocalyptic alien invasion extinction, I would no doubt be some sort of grizzled Survivalist/Outlaw/Machinist hybrid. Though this isn't a class-based game from what I hear, for now I have to choose. It's Survivalist.
The Daily Grind: Do you set aside evenings for special game events?
Sometimes something special happens in a game. A new expansion launches. A major patch drops. A beta starts. Whatever the case, whether it's in Final Fantasy XIV or Ultima Online, it seems to be the sort of thing that calls for a little celebration. You take some time off from your usual activities. You get takeout. You try to make sure that whatever's starting tonight, you're there on the front row to enjoy it. Or maybe you don't. Maybe you just make a point of popping in whenever and you don't worry about deviating from your normal routines for something as silly as an in-game moment. Let us know either way! Do you set aside evenings for special game events? Or do you think the very idea is ridiculous? If you've set aside evenings in the past, either alone or with friends, what did you do to celebrate? 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!
Path of Exile developers discuss open beta success
Open betas are stressful for developers. Not just because it's the moment that the game is suddenly available for public discussion and evaluation, but also because it's time to see how well the infrastructure holds up under an onslaught of new players. Path of Exile's development team recently went through that stress, and in a new letter to the community, players and onlookers alike can see how the game weathered the transition. Here's the quick summary: Very well. At the time of the letter, the game's peak concurrency was at 56,700 players, more than had been expected but very close to what the servers could handle. The game struggled a bit with patch downloads due to the CDN system immediately after launch, and there have been some crashes with various realms, but by and large the team seems happy with how the game is going and with overall sales figures. If you want more of the hard details on what a 30-hour open beta launch day looks like, read the full letter. And then get back to clicking things for money and loot. [Thanks to tandarighttanon for the tip!]
The Firing Line: Arctic Combat hands-on
Poor Arctic Combat. It's not that there's anything majorly wrong with Webzen's new 8v8 shooter. It's actually a fun little diversion. Unfortunately, it went into open beta close to PlanetSide 2's launch, which means that a lot of PC shooter fans are probably still embedded on Auraxis and unaware of AC's existence. I first saw the title at last summer's E3, where the PR folks at Webzen and the devs at Battery Studio were kind enough to let me get some hands-on time with a pre-beta build. Fast forward six months and I found myself messing around with the open beta and launch client this week. I also found that my opinion of the game is largely unchanged.
Feast your eyes on the Ace of Spades launch trailer
Happy Ace of Spades day! Jagex's newest title, a "creative shooter," launches today, and that means just one thing: It's time for a launch trailer. Skip below the cut to get introduced to the game. The game launches with a variety of game modes and objectives like demolition, occupation, team deathmatch, and zombie mode. Players can choose between four different classes: the heavy-hitting Commando class, the stealthy Marksman, the high-flyin' Rocketeer, and the tunneling Miner. Stealth, strength, and good ol'-fashioned slaughter all play their part in Ace of Spades. Ace of Spades is $9.99 on Steam. [Source: Jagex press release]
Guardians of Middle-Earth brings competitive MOBA gaming to consoles
It seems as if the world has gone MOBA-mad in recent years, with Dota 2 launching the first ever million-dollar competitive tournament and League of Legends becoming the most played game in the world. While there are plenty of PC games following in the competitive footsteps of classic DotA, the console market has remained largely untested. Today that changed with the launch of Guardians of Middle-Earth, the first 3-D console MOBA to be designed for classic DotA-style competitive matches. Guardians of Middle-Earth gives players control of iconic characters from the Lord of the Rings lore, like Gandalf and Gollum. Each character has an array of special abilities, and teams of five players battle against each other in short competitive matches. A streamlined item system and directional attacks adapt the game for the controls and faster pace of gameplay console gamers expect, but it remains to be seen whether the console audience will form a hardcore competitive tournament scene. The game went live on the Playstation Network today and goes live on XBox Live Arcade tomorrow.
Massively Exclusive: Matt Higby reveals account-wide SC unlocks coming to PlanetSide 2
Back at SOE Live, Creative Director Matt Higby spoke about PlanetSide 2's goal to appeal to a broader audience than just the shooter fanbase. It might just have worked: It's been just a little over a week since launch, and PS2 seems to be pulling in players ranging from die-hard veterans of the original PlanetSide to first-time or non-FPS gamers (like yours truly). In fact, as Higby tells it, the number of folks flocking to the new free-to-play MMOFPS has exceeded Sony Online Entertainment's expectations. Of course, this is only the beginning of PS2's life. With launch now under the developers' belts, the question becomes what's up their sleeves? I cornered Matt Higby to talk about the first week of live servers, how many soldiers have joined in the war, and what's next for the game.
PlanetSide 2's launch trailer is packed with firepower
You've prepared for this moment, PlanetSide 2 fans, and now the moment is here. From the ground and the air and in vehicles and on foot, battle is about to begin on a massive scale. Are you ready to jump in and fight for your faction's rightful control of the land? Or maybe just die a whole bunch? Oh, you're stuck at work like a regular person. Well then, how about a video? In honor of its new MMOFPS title's launch, Sony Online Entertainment has released an action-packed new trailer, chock-full of combat and explosions. Experience all the firepower in the video ofter the break, and then, if you just can't get enough PlanetSide 2, check out our launch day roundup and watch Massively cover the game tonight via livestream at 6:00 p.m. EST on our Twitch channel. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
RaiderZ launch day roundup
Sometimes, launch day seems like a mythical beast, taunting adventurers with promises of glory and treasure, but whose very existence is in doubt. Today, RaiderZ fans will face and slay that beast -- along with a slew of other fantastical bosses -- as the free-to-play fantasy game opens its doors to everyone. Want to get a feel for the landscape and prepare for your battles ahead? Scout out the goblin village of Rengot, tour Hero's Lane and Mt. Eda, and learn valuable tricks and tip to assist you in your adventures with the many videos, galleries, and hands-on experiences after the break.
Free for All: Arcane Legends is more than Pocket Legends 2.0
Spacetime Studios' newest title, Arcane Legends, which just launched officially yesterday, didn't quite excite me at first. This was before I had played the game or really caught a glimpse of any in-game artwork, but after three titles, I'd been wondering whether Spacetime could change its tune a bit. The last three titles have been basically the same game, albeit set in different genres and universes. First we were given Pocket Legends, a fantasy dungeon-crawler that surprised us with how much content and fun was to be had inside. Then we got Star Legends, a sci-fi version with a few tweaks. Next up came Dark Legends, a vampire-themed modern adventure that introduced us to action-based combat with a more "adult" tone. It's not that all of the previous titles were no fun to play. Instead, each one offers a smooth experience that's easy to jump into and sometimes hard to put down. But each one felt a bit more like a variant on a previous model, a build-up to something more finalized and slick. Is Arcane Legends that better product? Did it take three tries to finally get things right in the Legends line? %Gallery-170781%
EverQuest II: Chains of Eternity launch day roundup
EverQuest II's ninth expansion launches today (we know, it seems like there have been at least 127 expansions, but that's EverQuest). Chains of Eternity introduces several of what SOE is calling "must-have" features to its long-running fantasy sequel. Chief among these are new prestige abilities, a level-cap bump (to 95), and adornments that become more powerful alongside your character. In terms of content, Chains of Eternity focuses on EQII's afterlife via the realm of Ethernere and expansive new zones like the Obol Plains and the Eidolon Jungle. The update also boasts nine new dungeons as well as the ability for players to skip part of the game's alternate advancement grind. SOE is gifting two of your level 90 characters with 280 free AA (which is the minimum threshold for beginning the journey to max level). Head past the cut for a roundup of all our Chains of Eternity coverage.
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.
