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MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review
When it comes to MMO news and special features, Joystiq sister site Massively.com has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new MMO, or you're just curious about an old favorite, you'll find it at Massively. Check out our biggest features of the week: Final Fantasy XIV not due for the Xbox 360 according to Hiromichi Tanaka Final Fantasy XI isn't just one of the only console MMOs in existence, it's also the most successful of the lot, due in part to the wide spread of available platforms. Since the game has long been playable on the Xbox, there were several Final Fantasy XIV fans (or Xbox 360 owners) hoping it would eventually come out on that console as well. But it's not happening, and according to a recently translated interview from 4players.de, the reason rests squarely with Microsoft. ArenaNet unveils the Guild Wars 2 ranger Speculation was all over the map: necromancer was a popular choice thanks to the recent sneak peek of Ghosts of Ascalon. Mesmers and some sort of paladin class were suggested, as well as rangers. Things got even more interesting on Monday, when ArenaNet teased the upcoming reveal of a new class. Well, it looks like rangers won out -- ArenaNet announced the ranger class for Guild Wars 2 today. Massively Speaking Podcast Episode 107: A chat with Felicia Day Massively Speaking Episode 107 is a very special episode in which Rubi and Shawn are joined by Felicia Day, creator and star of the hit web series, The Guild. Topics include her work on Guild Wars 2's trailer, her MMO inspirations and much more. Plus, we also tackle the week's news, including the possibility of STO going free-to-play and the whole Real ID fiasco.
MMO Roundup: Massively's week (and year) in review
When it comes to MMO news and special features, Joystiq sister site Massively.com has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new MMO, or you're just curious about an old favorite, you'll find it at Massively. Check out our biggest features of the week: Massively's predictions for 2010 With 2009 wrapping up today and 2010 lurking creepily around the corner, we're eager to release our predictions on what the next year may bring to the MMO scene. Even though we try to keep our news relatively neutral, it's the editorials and opinion pieces that garner the most reaction from the readers. Positive or negative, we appreciate that. So for this last day of 2009, we honor it by giving our own opinions (both positive and negative) about how 2010 looks to us. Massively's top 5 news stories of 2009 It's that time again! Time when we look backwards and try to identify the top 5 big news stories that we covered here at Massively. 2009 was a pretty turbulent year when it comes to the MMO industry, as we were involved in lawsuits, game closures, multiple major releases, a rising set of indie studios, and more news than you could handle. Hands-on with Klingons and PvP in Star Trek Online If there's one thing that's almost more synonymous with Star Trek than classic catch phrases, it's the Klingons. They are the Captain Hook to the Federation's Peter Pan and thus it's important to several potential players that Star Trek Online do them justice. Understandably, when Cryptic made the announcement that Klingons would be primarily a PvP focused faction, people were concerned. Players don't want their beloved gruff 'n tough warrior race to become a second-tier faction.
Massively week in review
When it comes to MMO news and special features, Joystiq sister site, Massively.com, has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new MMO, or you're just curious about an old favorite, you'll find it at Massively. Check out our biggest news of the week: Join Massively for new exclusive Star Trek Online screenshots every MondayWe've got five new screens from Cryptic Studio's upcoming Star Trek Online to share with you today. Of particular note is the above shot of a Borg drone about to vaporize someone or something into stardust. However, there are also plenty of tantalizing new space images in this batch. For instance, this aft shot of what appears to be a Prometheus variant has an interesting hull design. Choose my Adventure: There and Back AgainAt this end of our second trip through the Choose my Adventure series, it's time to say goodbye to Lord of the Rings Online, reflect on what we've accomplished and of course, vote for the next game. With last week's vote, I had you comment on what my final step should be, instead of leaving it up to a poll of choices by me. After reading a comment by Gamer52, I decided that was a wonderfully fitting end, and proceeded to plan Gibbi's retirement.
Massively Week in Review: E3 edition
As the Massively crew has been at E3 along with the Joystiq crew, our update this week comes a little late. (Those of you who were at last night's meetup can understand the epicBut for those of you who are curious as to what's going on in the wide world of MMOGs both at E3 and in general, here's a quick and dirty overview of the week's events! News How to beat game piracy according to David Perry Pre-orders now available for The Guild DVD Exclusive first look at Star Wars Galaxies TCG loot cards Blizzard victorious in WoW Glider case Mythic offers FAQs for Warhammer's loss of cities, classes E308: Jagex teases sci-fi successor to Runescape, Mechscape E308: Disney Interactive Studios shows off Club Penguin on the DS E308: Erling Ellingsen talks patch timeframes for Age of Conan E308: DC Universe Online already 'released' inside SOE KOTOR MMO confirmed by Electronic Arts Discussion Ask Massively: You make the call The Digital Continuum: Diet WAR MMOGology: Will mobile MMOGs evolve genre expectations? Nitpicking WoW to death The tyranny of skill training Behind the Curtain: Gone for good?
Massively Week in Review: June 24-July 1, 2008
This week was again a mixed bag from around the MMOGscape. Running neck and neck with continued news (and problems) from Age of Conan, was the news from Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational in Paris about Wrath of the Lich King and the new encrypted keychains. Join us as we run down the week's hot news and views from Massively! News Age of Conan tradeskills getting badly needed attention Unlockable Nictus Sword sneaks into CoX World of Warcraft originally planned as free-to-play EVE Online patch restores dual boxing alt play Huxley in-game footage reminds us of something Warhammer Online takes us to epic places Blizzard Authenticator adds new layer of security, for a price Vanguard offers free time to past subscribers Blizzard responds to amicus brief in MDY bot suit Discussion AoC is to WoW as steak is to McDonalds, says AoC director A Star Wars Galaxies history lesson: From launch to the NGE A Star Wars Galaxies history lesson: The post-NGE era The Daily Grind: Has AoC earned your money for another month? Anti-Aliased: Keep crying, sportsmanship is dead Which WAR faction favors more mature players? Comparing the expansion philosophies of World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online
Massively Week in Review: May 6-12, 2008
This week has seen news across the MMOGosphere -- Age of Conan information, lots of City of Heroes and City of Villains information on upcoming Issue 12, the skinny on APB, and exclusives in Vanguard. Of course, added to this was the not-so-small media blitz by Blizzard with both Wrath of the Lich King information as well as the news that there will indeed be a Blizzcon '08 in October. If you missed any of it, don't worry; Massively has got you covered! News Exclusive Vanguard Game Update 5 mounts video Blizzard unleashes a storm of Lich King information Exclusive Vanguard Game Update 5 interview with Lenny "Tiraslee" Gullo CoX Issue 12: Journey to Cimerora The top five subscription MMOs in the US Massive PvP battle to end the Age of Conan Open Beta Funcom addresses Age of Conan beta concerns BlizzCon 2008 announced Discussion Anti-Aliased: Don't worry, no one will read it anyway... EVE Evolved: EVE's skill system demystified Ask Massively: The Alpha and the...um... Beta? of MMORPGs Have Clone, Will Travel: Ambulation in the EVE tutorial Player vs. Everything: Pointless mini-zones Behind the Curtain: Are you frightened? MMO MMOnkey: MMOs as conditioned learning engines Player vs. Everything: Putting raiding on your resume
Massively Week in Review: March 18-24, 2008
It was a mixed bag in the MMO world this last week. We saw drama break out as the admin of EQ2Flames leveled a series of accusations at SOE, and then we heard even more rumblings about it later in the week. Elsewhere on Planet Earth, we picked up an awesome video tour of Blizzard's swank new digs. With Holidays and bad guys and even a player council in EVE, there's a little something for everyone this time. News Losing influence with SOE: EQ2 Flames admin "LFG" tells all Online shooters have discovered MMOs' secret formula Blizzard studio tour makes jaws detach from faces Elections for EVE's player council begin in May Preview WAR's Elven starting areas Smedley: PS3 has "massive advantage over PC" for MMOs German WAR box confirms CE and preorder info Jack Emmert emphasizes story in Champions Online Massively surveys MMO Easter events Discussion The Daily Grind: Devs behaving badly TurpsterVision: Battle of the Beards More games that shouldn't be MMOs: Classic Edition Behind the Curtain: How nice are you? How EQ3 could change Norrath forever The Digital Continuum: MMO features in the year 2013 Interesting idea: Your very own crafting supplies NPC WAR's must-have expansion races: Lizardmen
Massively Week in Review: March 11-17, 2008
This week not only did we get to welcome back an old-school blogger to the fold (the awesome Jennie Lees) but we immediately set her to work covering all the great news at Connect08. While there, she landed one hot piece of news right after the other, starting with the big announcement that Turbine will be publishing their first paid expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, and continuing on to land excellent news on Jumpgate Evolution and a preview on some of the new things coming to Dungeons & Dragons Online. Of course, the rest of the team has also been tearing up the coverage on the home-front with lots of great news from PMOGs to Blizzard's Invitational. Check it out! News Connect 08: LotRO expansion announced: "Mines of Moria" Connect 08: Kate Paiz discusses DDO's Module 7; Monk demo at Connect 08 Connect 08: First LotRO: Mines of Moria images unveiled Connect 08: More on Moria: Massively interviews Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel Connect 08: Jumpgate revelations: Massively interviews NetDevil's Scott Brown Connect08: LotRO Q&A with Jeffrey Steefel PMOG beta opens up for passively multiplayer fun Philip Rosedale stepping down as Linden Lab CEO Blizzard Invitational tickets on sale this week! Gaia Online costs $25 million a year to run Discussion Connect 08: First Impressions: Jumpgate Evolution TurpsterVision: Don't tell Adam but I've been fooling around with EVE How many times do you have to prove it? The top ten features of MMOs Under The Hood: The Depths of Space MMOG Podcast Roundup: Feb. 15th - Mar. 14th MMOGology: A touch of class Should MMO developers try not to get us hooked?
Massively Week in Review: March 4-10, 2008
This week saw a glut of news on Funcom's upcoming title Age of Conan. Meanwhile from the EA/Mythic side of the house, we heard that their Q2 release, Warhammer Online has a release date that is "set in mud." (We wonder if aliens haven't taken over EA. It doesn't sound like them.) For those who have been wondering which would reign supreme, this certainly makes the race a bit more interesting. From there, we touched on everything from the legality of actions in Virtual Worlds to the potentiality of a Grand Theft Auto MMO. (Have they not seen the sexiness above that is APB?) News NTU study on MMO gender selection to be published SXSW08: How gamers are adopting the wiki way RUMOR: Some Age of Conan pre-orders to get early access WAR's Q2 release date "set in mud" Activision exec discusses Call of Duty MMO Second Life tool suspended, author blames Linden Lab's DMCA procedures, mentor piracy Age of Conan trailer is up, and it's bloody Rockstar founder calls GTA MMO "the Holy Grail" Age of Conan FAQ reveals system requirements Blizzard takes third in comprehensive best developer of 2007 list Discussion The Daily Grind: Which game has the best admins? TurpsterVision: An Episode of Great Impotence Ask Massively: A column by any other name... Under The Hood: Strategy on a Massive Scale Behind the Curtain: Rehashing an old argument? Tabula Rasa + Vista SP1 = what exactly? The Digital Continuum: A fork in the road for WAR What do you want play more: The Agency or Warhammer Online? The Sky News debate: Do real world rules apply in virtual worlds? MMOGology: Identity crisis
Massively Week in Review: Feb 26 - Mar 3, 2008
This week saw some fairly interesting developments in the clash between current and upcoming free-to play titles -- especially those aimed at the tween/teen generations. We've seen updates on Disney's plans to release a series of youth-targeted MMOs, Cartoon Network gave Massively's own Akela Talamasca the scoop on their upcoming title Fusion Fall, and we saw some other primarily Asian MMOs branching into the Western market. (More cel-shaded games than you can shake a stick at, really!) We also landed a hot Legends of Norrath scoop, dug up even more Champions Online news, and got the word on several upcoming events. Check it out! News The Sims Online closes, relaunches as EA-Land GDC08: Cartoon Network's FusionFall 38 Studios using BigWorld to make its big world Exclusive look at LoN: Inquisitor's loot cards The future of Disney Online: An interview with SVP Steve Parkis Warrior Epic now in closed beta; accepting applications Pong creator Nolan Bushnell to enter MMO space NCsoft Europe's Ultimate Heroic Weekend! Come back to DDO for the price of free Champions Online developer post roundup Discussion Practical Marketing: The new media, the old messages and you TurpsterVision: Lord of the Dings Microtransactions, an Asian perspective Ask Massively: And now for something completely different... The Digital Continuum: Cops & robbers Investment of $1 billion+ wouldn't dethrone WoW, exec says Games that shouldn't be MMOs Choosing your race in Middle-earth: Dwarf and Hobbit Behind the Curtain: Should raiders get special treatment? The Daily Grind: Does WoW really need to be 'beaten'?
Massively Week in Review: Feb 19 - 25, 2008
What a crazy week it was! As you already know, last week was the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, where Massively landed their share of fantastic stories as well. If you're hungry for more GDC goodness beyond all the great things you saw here on Joystiq this week, be sure to check out the full Massively GDC 08 coverage for even more news and views. And who can forget the mid-week bombshell about Cryptic's new title, Champions Online, based on the Champions tabletop RPG! News GDC 08: Entertainment content convergence in online worlds LOTS more LotRO to come; Turbine extends LotR license Molyneux laments the state of PC gaming, blames WoW and The Sims GDC08: EVE Online's space stations Champions Online and Cryptic Studios information bonanza Peter Moore talks smack about Activision-Blizzard Criminal profiling is coming to a MMOG near you GDC08: The how, what, and why of LEGO Universe The PC Gaming Alliance is here to save the day GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video) Discussion Lessons in online gaming circa 1997 hold true today The top 5 free MMOs TurpsterVision: London is HELL! The war of words for Sony's PlayStation Home and Second Life users begins The Digital Continuum: Superhero standoff The Daily Grind: When will you be done with WoW? Outdoing WoW at its own game Behind the Curtain: How far is too far? Movies that could make good MMOs: Highlander Marvel Universe Online: how would it have worked?
Massively Week in Review: Feb 12-18, 2008
It's been a somewhat quiet week in the MMO world with many companies and devs ramping up for GDC. What news there was, we found it -- even when it involved seeing some things we really don't think were meant for most eyes. We've heard conflicting reports on NCsoft's take on Tabula Rasa and the Austin offices, we've gotten the scoop on the new Legends of Norrath online crack TCG too. And for those of you who enjoyed pen & paper RPGs, we even got word that Cryptic is creating a superhero MMO based on the Champions system! Add in all the great new exclusive Massively features like TurpsterVision, and we'd say it wasn't bad for a quiet week! This week we've got several people on the ground at GDC along with the Joystiq crew, so be sure to check in with us at Massively! News Twofish to make microtransaction economies easier with middleware Upbeat Age of Conan state of the game letter notes cut features NCsoft's first console game to be announced this year Second Life on an iPhone Blizzard founder talks about WoW mobile PS3 vs. PC action unlikely for The Agency Cryptic announces Champions Online, their new superhero MMO Hello Kitty Online: I have no mouth, and I must scream Blizz announces WoW arena tourney with $75,000 grand prize TR guilds say game over to the endgame Sony Online Entertainment is looking for interns Did you give the gift of a hacked account this Christmas? Metaverse U conversation: Raph Koster, Cory Ondrejka, Howard Rheingold Tabula Rasa down in the dumps? with follow-up Tabula Rasa not in the dumps after all? GDC08: Leigh Alexander introduces us to Worlds in Motion GDC08: Age of Conan Preview GDC08: Exercise - the MMO? GDC08: What if your mana bar was green? Discussion TurpsterVision : Dancing in the Endless Forest The intersection of Spore and MMOs Getting around in LotRO: a transportation guide First Impressions: Sword of the New World Jumpgate's evolution(ary) inspiration Lawyers representing gold farmers threaten Lum the Mad Under The Hood: Player Economics 101 David Perry posits 70 Million player massive game Practical Marketing: Keeping your PR out of the trash MMOGology: Control yourself! Wrath of the Lich King could be very very sneaky
Massively Week in Review: Feb 5 - 11, 2008
This week was a mixed bag of news from the MMO front. We finally were notified of some forward movement on the Warhammer 40K MMO (not to be confused with Warhammer Online) and there was a rumor that filtered out that Bioware's new MMO is not a Star Wars MMO. And in even more awesome news, we're looking for MMOre to join in the fun of being a blogger for Massively! On the bad news side, Marvel Universe Online is definitely vaporware. Sorry Spidey, looks like it's back to the comic books with you -- but hey, at least they ret-conned your world back to normal! News Massively is Looking for More Rumor: Age of Conan in bad shape Age of Conan ratings for all territories revealed EQ2 GU42 goes live today with extra video goodness Collision detection in WAR's PvP Rumor: New Star Wars MMO isn't from BioWare? Second Life: Money for lies. Again. IBM disses virtual worlds WAR designer says they could ship without all classes Marvel MMO officially put to rest WoW: The Burning Crusade wins MMO of the year from the AIAS Crafter epic cloaks obtained, screenshotted and guides written Promotion code grants 20% off ticket price for Connect '08 Update on the Warhammer 40k MMO Comic Watch: Full Frontal Nerdity rings in the LotRO references Discussion Are MMOs killing the single-player game? Star Wars the only IP that can challenge World of Warcraft? Grimwell gives one reason fantasy pwns sci-fi, we go "Huh?" Behind the Curtain: A new take on quests? Ask Massively: Putting the "emo" in em-em-o The Daily Grind: How many MMO subscriptions do you have? WRUP: Find the logos edition The Digital Continuum: Statistical Anxiety Separation First Impressions of Dragonrealms Why mainstream media hates the Internet, games, MMOs and you There and back again... A writer's return to Lord of the Rings Online
Massively Week in Review: January 28 - Feb 4, 2008
Looks like a fairly standard news-week for us at Massively. We had a bit of rumor, some good (and bad) news, and covered a few events. We also threw our two cents in on pretty well everything -- but that's the fun part of the job! If you missed out on anything good, click on through for the top news and views from Massively. News PC titles only 14% of game sales in 2007, WoW leading the way WHA tellz you grots bout da' WAAAGH! The Secret World inspired by 'The Ring' Mabinogi hacked by a 16-year-old for $325K of virtual currency CES 2008: What the heck is Free Realms? Shadowbane resets with Patch 22, on test servers today Rumor: Warhammer Online collector's edition details leaked? Second Life: BBC documentary about virtual adultery IGE founders in legal battle Rumor: New Blizzard MMO to be Starcraft Online? Ladies and gentlemen: Flexiboobs Dungeon Runners releases characters in XML Liveblogged: Metaplace live developer chat today Blizzard defeats Peons4Hire gold farmers in court Sid Meier mentions possibility of a Civilization MMO Myst Online: Uru Live Tap-ped out again Discussion MMOGology: Group dynamics Penny Arcade digs on DDO, encapsulates modern MMO industry Building a better MMOusetrap: The age old debate 8 things NASA needs to get right Ask Massively: No really, ask us! Behind the Curtain: Something Unexpected Games that could be MMOs: Spore The Digital Continuum: Comparing core concepts of WAR and WoW Space for a new style of MMO? Dragonlance: A property ripe for the pillaging
