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Marvel Heroes plans for a more awesome team-up system
While it's all groovy to have a sidekick to run around with your superhero in Marvel Heroes, apparently the team and the community felt as though the team-up system needed more work. That's why Gazillion has a major revamp of team-ups planned for Q1 2015. According to a new dev diary on the subject, the revamp will cover a range of improvements to the system. Team-up characters will see more customization, expanded power trees, a level cap of 60, increased survivability, synergy bonuses, and new powers on top of improvements to old powers. Players will also gain more control over what their team-up companions do on the battlefield. In addition to the developer diary, there's also a forum FAQ to deliver even more information on the planned revamp.
Marvel Heroes hands out free cows and plans team-up revamp
The Cow King is on the move in Marvel Heroes, and a call is going out for all supers to join the most ridiculous battle in the universe. During the weekend Cowtastrophe event, players will get an 40% XP bonus and a portal to the game's bovine levels, where they can slaughter beef for better loot. Marvel Heroes is even giving out a free mini-cow pet for any players who log in on Saturday. In other Marvel Heroes news, one of the next big projects for Gazillion is a revamp of the team-up system. While all of the details of this revamp are not clear as of yet, we do know that the revamp will allow players to customize team-up's power pools much like main characters.
Pre-orders for Marvel Heroes' Winter Soldier are now open
After years of being mostly notable for being supposedly dead, Bucky Barnes turns out to have actually been kept alive as an elite assassin known as the Winter Soldier. You know, as comics do. The important things to note about the character for our purposes are the fact that he's coming to Marvel Heroes and you can pre-order him right now. You can also hear David Hayter voicing him as a closely related cousin of Solid Snake in the video past the cut, but that probably shouldn't influence your purchase. The hero pack is at a 10% discount before the character is released and includes the character himself, two costumes for Bucky (comic and MCU incarnations), an extra hero-specific inventory, six Fortune cards, and a retcon token. With the discount, it's just a hair over $16; if that sounds like a bargain for playing a mildly psychotic unfrozen Hydra assassin, you can pick it up now.
Marvel Heroes gets Omega event, level 52 Hulk review
Another weekend, another event in Marvel Heroes! This time it's Operation Omega, back for its first appearance of 2015. You'll get a 24% boost to XP, SIF, and RIF, as well as login rewards, harder enemies, and a faster leveling experience. Gazillion has also published Hulk's level 52 review as well as a new ultimate costume for the green monster.
The Daily Grind: What is your favorite Marvel Heroes character?
I have to say, Marvel Heroes preys relentlessly upon the weaknesses of an altoholic like myself. I want to collect and play all of the title's (currently) 43 characters, even though I could spend countless hours working on just one superhero to get him or her up to spec. Squirrel Girl is my current favorite toon because what is better than ordering a horde of rampaging squirrels to overrun your enemy? Plus, she's very peppy and has all sorts of upbeat quips, unlike certain dour heroes that I could name. But I'm starting to branch out by playing other characters such as Rogue and Cable, so I am a long way away from declaring a winner. If you play Marvel Heroes, what is your favorite character and why? 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!
Get the full scoop on Marvel Heroes' Venom
The most recent addition to Marvel Heroes' roster, Venom, isn't merely a Spider-Man reskin. Gazillion put some thought into making this 43rd playable character unique as it uses its symbiote power to do nasty things to nasty people. Gazillion said that it wanted to go "all out" on Venom's looks and animations. Venom also has an interesting resource builder. "Unique to Venom, ichor serves as his primary resource, replacing spirit entirely, and accumulates as Venom uses powers that drain his own health – representing the host's constant battle with the symbiote," said Systems Designer Michael May. You can check Venom's trailer out after the break! [Source: Gazillion press release]
The Daily Grind: Do you log into games you're not currently playing?
I haven't played Marvel Heroes in about two months. Blame Elite: Dangerous, ArcheAge, and a pile of single-player games, I guess, but I just haven't been able to fit it into my rotation here lately. That said, I've logged into the game for 122 straight days, entirely because of Gazillion's penchant for giving away nifty login prizes like an Ultron pet and dozens of others. What about you, Massively readers? Do you log into MMOs or MMO-lites for prizes even though you're not currently playing? 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!
Marvel Heroes adds Venom, throws 50% off sale
'Tis the season for deep discounts and disturbing heroes, as has come to pass in the merry lands of Marvel Heroes. The jolly figure known as Venom has come to distribute pain, suffering, and alternative dental plans for those who pick this new playable figure. The Marvel Heroes team is also offering a half-off sale on most -- but not all -- of the in-game store. This includes many of the title's heroes, costumes, team-ups, and pets. And even if you don't want to spend money, you'll still be getting treats all month with the game's Winter Wonderland & Season's Givings event. Presents and buffs will be available all over the game, in addition to new daily log-in rewards.
The Daily Grind: What MMO do you wish you hadn't waited to try?
Marvel Heroes is one of those MMOs (OK, pseudo-MMOs) that I reaaaaallly should have given a try a long time ago. Diablo-clone? Check! Superheroes? Check! Picking cars up and slamming them into the pavement? Check! Loot falling outta the sky? Check! When I finally gave it a spin earlier this month, I felt silly for having waited so long, but I kept telling myself it wasn't different enough from the OARPGs I already had to make it worth the download. Plus, lookit how pretty this part of the UI is. I mean, that is color wheel gamer nirvana right there. I can't even explain how much I want to hug this tab. Happy Christmas to me; now I have a new game with a ton of content stocked up and just waiting for me. What about you, Massively readers? What MMO are you kicking yourself for not having tried sooner? 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!
Marvel Heroes now features a female Wolverine
Fancy a female version of Wolverine? Marvel Heroes now has one in the form of X-23. Laura Kinney was cloned from Wolverine's DNA and raised in a lab, according to developer Gazillion's website. She was "trained from birth to use her claws, enhanced senses, and innocent appearance to become the perfect assassin."
Massively Interview: Marvel Heroes' Magneto makes his mark
Heroes are all well and good, but there is plenty of fan love for the villains. There's just something about those bad boys and girls redeeming themselves that makes those characters so interesting. Gazillion knows this and has responded by releasing Magneto, the latest of the playable villains, to the Marvel Heroes lineup. Fans of Professor Xavier's long-time nemesis/friend can now jump in and command the forces of magnetism to defeat foes and destroy the environment. We chatted with Creative Designer and Community Manager Ryan Collins about this latest addition. We even gleaned a few snippets about the upcoming Axis One-Shots and got a release time-frame for the Spider Girl enhanced costume. For those who want to see Magneto in action, we've also included his official trailer. You can also tune in to Massively TV on Monday, December 8th, at 9:00 p.m. EST to watch him live.
Magneto now playable in Marvel Heroes
Marvel Heroes got a new playable character today, its 41st overall but just its second playable villain. That villain is Magneto, X-nemesis and master of magnetism who can "wield the power of electromagnetism to levitate and crush enemies with debris, cars, and even Sentinels with his ultimate power." Renowned voice actor James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ratchet, Final Fantasy X's Tidus) is the man behind the mask, and Gazillion creative designer Ryan Collins says that Magneto boasts "some of the most intense visual effects in the game." [Source: Gazillion press release]
Massively's Black Friday MMO sales and deals roundup
Happy Black Friday, everyone! We've been keeping an eye on MMO-related sales and promotional events just for you. Here are a few of the bigguns that might be worth taking advantage of today and through the weekend: Guild Wars 2's digital versions are 50% off through the official website until December 7th. World of Warcraft -- well, the bundle with everything but Warlords of Draenor -- is 75% off through December 2nd. WildStar is on sale for 50% off, so $19.99, for a "limited time" on the official site and at other retailers. ArcheAge has a bunch of marketplace items on sale, along with two new mounts. Today only, SOE is offering double Station Cash, spendable in most of its MMOs. Star Wars: The Old Republic has hinted that a large (possibly hourly) Cartel Market sale is on the way today. All of Perfect World's MMOs have sales running over the next few days; of note to us are sales in Neverwinter, Champions Online, Swordsman, and Star Trek Online, the last of which is offering not just a cash shop sale but a sale on lifetime subs. Lord of the Rings Online is offering double bonus points in its cash shop and bonus XP in-game. Wargaming has festivities and sales planned for World of Tanks and World of Warplanes. Dungeons and Dragons Online is offering +20% XP through Sunday. RIFT is not only selling the classic collector's editions, character slots, and bag slots at 50% off but making the newest expansion available to buy via credits for the first time. TERA has a slew of cash shop item goodies on sale, including bundles with mounts and character slots. Marvel Heroes' multiple sales extend to Cyber Monday. (Update: MJ tells us that logging in Saturday will grant you a free remote-controlled Blackbird jet pet!) And don't forget all the MMOs and MMO bundles/DLC on sale on Steam for the fall sale, as well. Elder Scrolls Online and The Secret World are among them! If you know of others -- and we're sure there are several -- sound off in the comments!
Marvel Heroes publishes Thor's level 52 review
Gazillion has published one of its Marvel Heroes level 52 reviews, which is basically a dev blog focused on endgame goals and designs for a particular hero. In this case, that hero is Thor. Thor's Odinforce is a big part of his current review. It functions as his secondary resource and allows players to unlock upgraded versions of his powers by building Odinforce and managing its decay over time. And don't forget about God Blast, his new ultimate that unleashes "the full might of the mighty Mjolnir in a terrifying, concentrated blast of white-hot divine intervention."
Marvel Heroes adds new game mode
Gazillion has added a new game mode to its Marvel Heroes online action RPG. It's called Industry City Patrol and it features new bosses, artifacts, medallions, and "uniques found nowhere else," according to the game's website. Gazillion says that it has also added "improved spawning technology to reduce lag," as well as multi-phase events that encourage players to cooperate and progress together.
Marvel Heroes' Juggernaut, multi-speccing, and upcoming story content
After a bit of a delay, Marvel Heroes fans saw the release of Juggernaut as a playable hero over the weekend. A new hero alone is enough for many players to dive in and try things out, but Juggernaut also comes with a power system unlike that of any other on the game's roster. To learn a little bit more about this villainous hero, we talked with Ryan Collins, Creative Designer and Community Manager of Gazillion, who also dished some details on the much anticipated multi-spec feature a well as upcoming story content.
The Daily Grind: Do you like beefcake avatars?
Marvel Heroes' new Juggernaut character sounded intriguing. Then I got a look at him and he went from probable purchase to lol-no-way! Despite the intriguing momentum mechanic and the appeal of smashing everything in sight, I really can't stand beefcake character models. It's not just an MMO thing either. I find Gears of War unintentionally funny due to how absurd its cast looks, and Batvillain Bane is one of the silliest comic book baddies I've ever seen. What about you, Massively readers? Do you like beefcake avatars, or do you laugh and steer clear like I do? 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!
Juggernaut is Marvel Heroes' 40th playable character
Marvel Heroes' 40th(!) playable character is Juggernaut, which Gazillion says will give gamers a chance to feel the power of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak while using Cain Marko -- aka, Professor Xavier's stepbrother -- to smash everything in sight. The new baddie's powers aren't limited by a resource, according to Gazillion designer and community manager Ryan Collins. "We wanted you to feel unstoppable and I believe that we've captured that essence with his powers, visual effects, movement speed, and even running animations changing as you build Momentum," Collins says.
Marvel Heroes adds Nova to its roster
Marvel Heroes has a new superpowered crimefighter in its lineup. Nova is the latest addition to Gazillion's free-to-play online action RPG, and players can choose to play him in his Richard Rider/Nova Prime costume or in his new Nova/Sam Alexander duds. Mechanically, Nova is something of a hybrid who is able to use both ranged and melee powers to "defeat enemies quickly." You can see him in action via the trailer just past the break.
Leaderboard: Which Marvel Heroes character should I play?
I'm going to borrow a bit from Massively's Choose My Adventure series in today's Leaderboard. My Marvel Heroes dabbling continues, but I'm having some decisional paralysis regarding my next hero. That's where you -- and today's poll -- come in. I'm going to restrict the choices to X-men (excepting Storm and Nightcrawler) because, well, I like X-men and it also keeps the poll manageable. Help me out after the cut, please and thank you in advance! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
