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Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online
After a long drought in the industry, the tide of the sandbox gaming is finally coming in. This year can definitely be called the year of the sandbox. While not all of them are out yet, many more games promising those features we love are in development now than ever before. In fact, there are so many titles floating about now that it can be hard to keep them straight! One of the latest upcoming titles to be announced is the stylized, medieval sandbox Albion Online. With such offerings as territory control, housing, a player-driven economy, and full looting, this game certainly fits the sandbox bill. Heck, the development company is even named Sandbox Interactive! But what makes Albion Online stand out from the pack is that it will be a cross-platform experience; players will be accessing the game via both tablets and PCs. Of course, as promising as it may sound, just a terse feature list doesn't give players the kind of details we want. So to get the scoop, I had a chat with Sandbox Interactive CEO Stefan Wiezorek, who shared more information about the economy, housing,the skill system, PvP, and territory control.
Funcom's Joel Bylos on the centralized TSW, AoC, and AO team
By now, most MMO gamers are pretty familiar with the fact that Funcom underwent restructuring. But what does that mean; what exactly did it entail? The term "restructuring" in itself signifies changes but does nothing to actually enlighten folks on what the changes are. Other than the fact that Joel Bylos was named creative director for all three of Funcom's titles -- Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and The Secret World -- and that the team will be in one centralized in location, we know little of the details. How many developers survived the restructuring and relocated to remain on the team? Is this move foreshadowing one or more games slipping into maintenance mode? How will the coveted dev attention be divvied up? What does the future hold? Devoid of facts, players are left left wondering about how these changes will impact their favorite games. While chatting with Joel Bylos in an exclusive interview, I was able to ask some of these very questions.
Exclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon
It's no secret that The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos has been deeply affected by the most recent end-of-the-world predictions. He even started a video log to share his new-found convictions. In that first log, he advocated for the removal of subscriptions so that everyone would have the chance to enjoy TSW before the end came. Shortly after, the game indeed adopted the buy-to-play model. Then Bylos took off to begin preparing his survival bunker. But that video is over a week old. How has Bylos been coping with the impending Armageddon since then? I took a break from my Issue #5 adventures and caught up with the self-proclaimed end-of-days prophet to see how he's been faring, find out what he has learned about the apocalypse, and maybe get a hint on when the next video log will release!
Massively Exclusive: Elsword trailer introduces Sheath Knight class
This past fall, Kill3rCombo released phase two of Elsword's Awakened update, bringing with it the new Velder's Hallucination dungeon filled with gigantic mobs to slaughter. Now, you can dive into that dungeon and commence with said slaughter as a new class! Introducing the Sheath Knight: a dual-wielding swordsman who slices and dices his way through mobs and players alike. The Sheath Knight, so named for his magical sheath that enables him to use two swords simultaneously, focuses on melee combat and speed. How does the Sheath Knight compare to the other five already established classes? The Elsword team sat down with us and answered a few questions about this new playable character. You can also check out some of the SK's moves in the video after the break.
SOE Live 2012: To City of Brass and beyond for Vanguard
Though off the radar for a long while, at least where updates were involved, Vanguard has enjoyed a resurgence of late. Inspired by the recently rebuilt (and still growing) development team and increased support from Sony Online Entertainment, excitement has burgeoned for the rebirth of the five-year-old game. So while Vanguard may not have presented the as many panels or pulled in as many fans as the bigger titles at SOE Live, player and developer dedication and enthusiasm was abundant. Besides attending the "The Future of Vanguard!" panel, I sat down with Producer Harvey Burgess to get his thoughts on how the game has performed since the move to free-to-play and to learn both what's around the corner (City of Brass, finally!) and what's on the horizon for the fantasy MMO.
SOE Live 2012: EverQuest II interviews highlight focus on crafting, player stories
It is undeniable: Between panels, keynote addresses, and interviews, SOE Live offered fans a smorgasbord of information this year. Even as we reported on some information, more came our way. Such is the case with EverQuest II and its upcoming Chains of Eternity expansion; no sooner had I shared the new tradeskill AA and prestige lines than I was able to sit down developers to gain more insights into the new features. And of course, another panel came along offering even more tidbits about the expansion and beyond! Did previous announcements leave you wondering whether crafters will be required to grind their own AA tree up from 0? How many crafted items can actually be mass produced at one time? And what's in store for the Dungeon Maker and SOEmote? These questions and more were answered as I sat down with Brain Ferguson (PvP and tradeskill game designer), Holly Longdale, (Producer), and Dave Georgeson (Director of the EQ franchise).
SOE Live 2012: PlanetSide 2 interviews emphasize universal appeal and focus on fun
Watching Creative Director Matt Higby in a failed trailer attempt or with Senior Art Director Tramell Isaac on Command Center videos, you get the idea that PlanetSide 2 developers are having fun. And talking to them in-person in an unscripted environment, you know they do. Whether listening to a panel at SOE Live or catching them randomly in a hall, their passion and enthusiasm for the game is unmistakable... and contagious. But fun wasn't the only theme present. In fact, the focus throughout the weekend convention can be described in three F words. (And no, not a one of them is the one you are thinking!) If you wanted to sum up the PlanetSide 2 message, its fun, friends, and the future. I was able to catch both Higby and Isaac over the weekend to talk with them about the emphasis on players telling their own stories, plans for bringing new players into the game, and the future of PS2. Keep reading to see what they have to say, and enjoy some Amerish concept art along with the continent's reveal trailer.
SOE Live 2012: A deeper look at DCUO's housing lairs
Thursday's announcement of the addition of player lairs to DC Universe Online set this little housing-lover's heart all aflutter! While there were more bits of news about the new Home Turf DLC coming next year, my focus was understandably on the lairs. And I was very happy to sit down at SOE Live and talk shop with Jens Andersen. As creative director for DCUO, Jens shared many juicy tidbits about the new system for this special edition of Some Assembly Required. So what's in store for denizens of Gotham and Metropolis? Let's start with personal instances that are accessed from realistic points within the cities, functions that stretch to accommodate different levels of creativity and decorating savvy, and a unique dueling system that will be unlike anything players (or their furniture!) have seen before. Players can even get rewards and achievements for collecting items and decorating their homes. Sounds intriguing, no?
SOE Live 2012: Smedley assuages ProSiebenSat.1 concerns
When announcing that European players can keep their accounts with Sony Online Entertainment during the move to ProSiebenSat.1, SOE President John Smedley specifically mentioned three games, concerning the players of other SOE titles. However, during an exclusive interview with Massively today, Smedley clarified that those three are not the only games involved. As he explained, those games were just the most topical, not the sole selections on an exclusive list. Players of other SOE games such as Vanguard can rest assured that they have the same opportunity to choose to stay with SOE. That answer covers all current titles that are already published, but what about future SOE titles? And how does the ProSieben partnership affect Station Access? And when will these changes be taking place for the different games? Continue reading for Smedley's insights on these matters.
Massively Exclusive: DK Online shows off the Shadowmage
Last time, we gazed upon the Paladin and we saw the light. Now, we delve into the darkness and shadows with an exclusive look at DK Online's Shadowmage. The final class highlighted in Aeria Games' spotlight videos, the Shadowmage proves that not all heroes are pure and innocent. By embracing shadow magic, this class is able to support comrades by debuffing opponents while simultaneously buffing allies. Like any good dark mage, some of the available skills are poison, paralyze, and bleed. However, while Shadowmages use a more sinister and subversive method of magical combat, they aren't above smashing heads with their staffs as well. If this class sounds more your style than the Warrior, Paladin, or Sorceress, jump past the cut for a more in-depth look, including a dev blog, exclusive interview, and video.
Massively Exclusive: DK Online Paladin revealed
Magic and meatshields are practically a staple in the fantasy genre. In this way, the upcoming free-to-play MMO DK Online is no different; Aeria Games recently revealed its take on these roles with the Sorceress and the Warrior classes. Today, the company introduces a righteous avenger to the mix, the Paladin. Massively brings you an exclusive look at this new class with a dev blog, an interview, and a trailer showing off some of the holy fighter's moves.
Exclusive: Grimlands dev talks post-apocalyptic PvP, item decay, and more
During last month's E3 and earlier this year at GDC, we got a chance to lay our hands on Grimlands, a new sandbox-shooter hybrid from gamigo. Given the game's post-apocalyptic setting and our fondness for open-world, off-the-rails titles, we were quite excited to take it for a spin. We also had plenty of questions for the devs, and fortunately product manager Bjoern Cahnbley was able to answer a few of them. Head past the cut to find out about PvP flagging, item decay, vehicles, and a lot more.
Some Assembly Required: Revisiting Origins of Malu
Many moons ago when the air just started to cool from summer's heat (aka, last September), Some Assembly Required had the opportunity to talk shop with a new outfit that is developing a promising new sandbox MMORPG, Origins of Malu. And you know me: Sandbox is the magic word! As skeptical as I knew I should be, I still came away from that interview with renewed hope that a game with some of the features for player-generated content could exist again. Back then, Burning Dog Media made the bold statement that it would absolutely release its flagship game in 2012, with a target of early 2012 to boot. But as the first quarter of the year quickly drew to a close with scant information available, it became pretty clear the game is still a ways off. In the realm of games, no news is not necessarily good news... and we definitely hit a drought in news. Now that drought has ended. In our second exclusive interview, we spoke with Michael Dunham, Producer, Jason Mitchell, Senior Developer, and Dave Cruikshank, Art Director, to learn what's been going on behind the scenes and get the scoop on more details about those very features that have sandbox lovers salivating.
Some Assembly Required: Diving into details of Origins of Malu with an exclusive interview
"This will be the world's best game ever ever ever!" -Michael Dunham. You tell 'em! Honestly, we have heard it before: MMORPG feature lists that promise what our sandbox-loving hearts desire. Try as we might, we cannot escape those sneaky tendrils of hope that find the chinks in our +10 jaded armor of cynicism as we read about the return of a true virtual where actions have consequences, personal choices dictate gameplay, and individuality is a matter of principle. Sadly, time and time again those hopes are dashed by titles that either cannot deliver on their promises or never even survive until launch. The same is true for the developers at Burning Dog Media; they too have ridden the roller coaster of sandbox dreams and harbored in their hearts a vision of their ultimate game if only they had the wherewithal to produce it. The difference between them and us is... they do! Welcome to issue #6 of Some Assembly Required -- an exclusive interview with Michael Dunham and Dave Cruikshank -- Lead Developer and Art Director of Burning Dog Media, respectively -- who are in the midst of developing the new sci-fi/fantasy MMORPG Origins of Malu. Originally called just Origins (the change was to help avoid confusion with other projects that were cropping up with similar titles), this game previously teased sandbox aficionados with a glimpse at some hope-stirring features. Today, we have the privilege of expounding on "coming soon" and revealing more features that not only are planned but are for the most part implemented. So why should we check out Origins of Malu? And what tantalizing tidbits of sandboxy goodness can we expect? Grab onto that hope and dive past the cut -- if you dare -- to see what Michael and Dave have to share.%Gallery-134056%
Massively Exclusive: Dilov & Hristov on the systems of Earthrise
With an open PvP model, a rich crafting system, and a sumptuous art style, Masthead Studios' upcoming sci-fi post-apocalyptic game, Earthrise, has been gaining more and more interest from our readers. From everything we've seen of the game to date, this title will offer some interesting options in terms of how one chooses to play through the world. That's why, when we were given the chance to ask some questions of Momchil Dilov, Lead Writer and Plamen Hristov, Senior Game Designer on Earthrise, we were happy to do so. For those not familiar with the game, you'll want to check out the interview noted yesterday, then join us behind the break as we ask about different systems such as crafting, PvP sieges, the importance of guilds, customization, character penalties, and more!
E3 2010: Erez Goren talks to Massively about Global Agenda's future, part 2
It seems some people are worried that Global Agenda has low player activity and may be on its last legs. When asked about that, Erez gave some useful statistics from the deployment of Sandstorm Phase 1 that suggest they're definitely on the right track. "We're only starting our marketing now," Erez told us, adding that "It was better to start early, work through with our user base about what people want to see and how and then market it and push it out." Not deterred by doom-sayers, he suggested that "as long as there's enough people to play with, it's OK" and affirmed his belief that Global Agenda couldn't drop below that level.
E3 2010: Erez Goren talks to Massively about Global Agenda's future
Sci-fi MMOFPS Global Agenda took last year's E3 Expo by storm, securing awards and impressing attendees. Launching earlier this year, the game has been rapidly updated and evolved based on player feedback. The Sandstorm Phase 1 patch recently overhauled huge areas of gameplay and delivered a lot of new content. The Global Agenda team are back at E3 this year, hoping to impress with a look at their up-coming Sandstorm Phase 2 patch. We sent our very own E3 reporter Sera Brennan to get the details from Erez Goren, founder and CEO of Hi-Rez Studios. In this bumper two-part feature, we get to grips with Global Agenda's new open zones, warzones and game-mode updates. We tackle the issues you asked for as we quiz Erez Goren on whether the game may be on its last legs, the game's shift in focus to PvE and what new game mechanics the team have up their sleeves.
Massively Exclusive Interview: MindFuse's Isa Anne Stamos on Gatheryn
With the oversaturation of fantasy in the MMO genre, we've been patiently waiting to get our hands on the steampunk victorian coolness of Gatheryn. An indie title currently under development by Mindfuse, Gatheryn seems to be part virtual world and part mini-game laden MMO, much like Free Realms. Considering how wildly popular Free Realms has become in a short period, many eyes are now turning to Gatheryn to see if the combination of casual minigames in a fun, unique MMO/VW setting can strike gold again. Massively's very own Managing Editor, Shawn Schuster sat down recently with Isa Anne Stamos, Game Studio Director for MindFuse, to find out some more about the future of this retro-feel title.Massively: We first took a look at Gatheryn at GDC earlier this year, and liked what we saw so far. Can you describe some of the major feature changes or updates to the game since then? Isa Anne Stamos, MindFuse: Generally, we've been focusing on building out the early stages of the Gatheryn experience – adjusting the layout of the city, adding variations to character customization, and creating a deep casual gaming experience that players can enjoy the minute they enter Gatheryn. Specifically, we just added a Player Health feature that measures your avatar's fatigue and gives us some creative options for healing items and quests. We're also filling in a lot of the quests and minigames – we've probably added a few since you saw us at GDC. We're also working hard to build up the community tools because we rely heavily on them to communicate with our beta users - they're crucial to getting player feedback in these early stages of development.
