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Free for All: Why MMOs are still the greatest value in gaming
If you are the type of gamer who has access to a number of ways to game, then you probably do not need me to remind you that the hobby can be an expensive one. Consoles are becoming slicker, and the games they run are sure to go up in price, maybe someday soon close to $100 for a single game. A good gaming PC can still be an expensive thing to build and maintain especially as newer and better graphics cards and processors are introduced at a higher rate than we've ever seen before. Luckily, we have outlets like Steam that offer staggering sales and indie titles that can be bought for close to nothing. There's also the mobile market with its tens of thousands of games that can be played essentially for free. So while the prices at the highest end of technology go up, there are still plenty of places to get a cheap yet fulfilling gaming fix. Even with all of the deals out there, however, there is no better value than a modern MMO.
Ragnarok Online comes to Steam as F2P game
Gravity Interactive's long-running MMORPG Ragnarok Online is now available via Steam as a free download supported by in-game microtransactions. Released in North America in 2003, Ragnarok Online pairs 3D backgrounds with 2D character sprites for a distinct fantasy-themed adventure that preceded World of Warcraft and other genre standouts. Gameplay is defined by its wide array of skill and class customization options, and players can either team up to take on the game's many quests or compete in several available PVP modes. Ragnarok Online has introduced new content weekly since its inception, and new quests and events are added each month.
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn has 1.5 million registered accounts
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, the re-launched version of the original FF14, has found new life in the form of 1.5 million accounts being registered to explore its new world, Famitsu reports. That doesn't mean that 1.5 million people are actively playing the game, of course. Still, considering the initial launch prompted Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada to suggest the game had "greatly damaged" the Final Fantasy brand, it's a decent victory for the title's rebirth to draw such attention. With the PS4's beta version planned to launch on the same day as the Japanese PS4, the game's player base stands a chance to continue growing significantly in the coming months.
City of Titans seeks to reunite displaced City of Heroes fans
Missing Worlds Media is ramping up development of City of Titans, a fan-made successor to Paragon Studios' shuttered superhero MMORPG City of Heroes. The studio launched a Kickstarter campaign this week to fund software licenses and server upkeep. Announced earlier this year, City of Titans aims to recreate much of the City of Heroes experience using the Unreal Engine as a framework. While Missing Worlds Media has not secured the rights or permission to develop an official City of Heroes follow-up, City of Titans will offer similar features, along with in-depth character customization options. Since its launch on Tuesday, the project has earned over $180,000 toward its funding goal of $320,000. City of Titans is scheduled to premiere in 2015 as a paid download with an optional monthly subscription, giving members access to exclusive in-game perks.
Ghosts'n Goblins Online resurfaces at Steam Greenlight
Capcom's twice-canceled MMO Ghosts'n Goblins Online may soon rise from the dead as a free-to-play online action game, pending community approval after its recent appearance at Steam Greenlight. Ghosts'n Goblins Online was originally slated as a multiplatform release in 2003, though development ceased prior to its completion. A second attempt, originally titled Magyechon Online, was seemingly canned as well. Seed 9, creator of the canceled Magyechon Online, is also behind the newly-launched Steam Greenlight campaign. Seed 9 announced that the revitalized Ghosts'n Goblins Online will feature co-op platforming, PVP combat, and frequent updates that introduce new items and upgrades. Ghosts'n Goblins set a new standard for platformer difficulty back in 1985, taunting players with its cruel enemy patterns both in arcades and on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. The series continued with 1988's arcade and Sega Genesis sequel Ghouls'n Ghosts, then reached its apex with 1991's Super NES release Super Ghouls'n Ghosts. Seed 9 notes that series veterans will want to try Ghosts'n Goblins Online's "Demonic Dimension" mode, which retains the series' traditional two-hit-death mechanic. Capcom-licensed MMOs have faced difficulty in making it to market, as the Neowiz-developed Mega Man Online was canceled last year. If Ghosts'n Goblins Online proves successful, Steam Greenlight might be the Blue Bomber's next destination.
The Soapbox: Maybe it's time to admit that you don't like MMOs
I've learned a lot from my time at Massively. I've learned that a team of writers can work together without being in the same office; I've learned that the MMO genre is one of the most interesting in all of video games, despite the negative stigma sometimes attached; and I've learned that people love to read and comment about MMOs even when they don't play them. This last point has always fascinated me the most. I have several hobbies and interests, and I don't read forums or websites about every one of them. But one thing I certainly don't do is spend time reading about topics that hold no interest for me.
Square Enix apologizes for Final Fantasy 14 headaches with week of free play
Square Enix will make amends to Final Fantasy loyalists who experienced difficulty logging in to its relaunched PC and PS3 MMO Final Fantasy 14 Online: A Realm Reborn with a free week of playtime, GameSpot reports. In an announcement on Final Fantasy 14's community website The Lodestone, Square Enix explained that player demand for A Realm Reborn "significantly exceeded our initial estimates," pushing server load beyond maximum capacity. Login and character creation restrictions were introduced afterward, leaving many players unable to log in for days after the game's launch. The free week of play will begin after a ten-hour maintenance period beginning at 5 PM (PDT) on September 3. During the downtime, Square Enix notes that it will increase the number of available worlds and concurrent server logins, while reducing stress on the Duty Finder servers. "Because login and character creation restrictions have hindered our ability to provide quality service, all Final Fantasy 14 service accounts will receive an additional seven days of free play time," Square Enix said. "Furthermore, users who have yet to enter their registration codes will receive an additional seven-day trial should they register before 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on September 9, 2013."
The Soapbox: Actually, that really isn't an MMO
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster argued that online gaming has evolved over the past few years and that the term MMO should be expanded to cover other online games like MOBAs. He examined the blurred dividing line between new online games and the classic MMOs of yesteryear, and he made the controversial argument that Call of Duty and League of Legends should now fall under the MMO umbrella. I found myself disagreeing with many of Mike's arguments and wanting to make additional points of my own, so this week I'd like to offer a few counter-points on the same topic for debate. The MMO market has certainly evolved since Massively was founded, with some pretty big innovations in gameplay and new ideas like the free-to-play business model taking hold. As much as people like to complain about a lack of innovation in the games industry, the same level of experimentation and evolution has hit industry-wide. Call of Duty has borrowed unlock and XP systems from the world of orcs and dragons, and League of Legends came from nowhere to be at the forefront of a global MOBA revolution, but neither of them is an MMO by any stretch of the imagination. In this in-depth opinion piece, I break down the definition arguments surrounding the term MMO, offer a reasoned view of where the line can and should be drawn, and look at why Massively covers games other than MMOs.
The Daily Grind: How would you define 'massive'?
In our editorial Soapbox this week, a Massively writer suggested that MMO players have a difficult time agreeing on what constitutes an MMO at least in part because of fundamental confusion over the term "massive." I've always thought the word too relative to be useful; I like the idea of playing alongside thousands of fellow geeks, but very few of the MMOs and MMORPGs I've played since the dawn of the genre ever actually put more than a few dozen people on my screen at a time, and those that tried anyway usually lacked the tech to pull it off without extreme lag. Most MMOs, even single-shard EVE Online, are divided in some way, be it over shards or server boundaries or layered zone instancing or dungeon instances or phasing or even lobbies, and it just doesn't make much difference unless the economy is tanked as a result. A game that isn't massive but feels massive is more an MMO to me than one that's technically massive but plays like a single-player title -- "massive" seems a happy illusion at best and a double-standardish proxy for "old-school" at worst. But many gamers are convinced they know exactly where the line in the sand must be drawn between the massives and the nots. So today, let's assume you, the readers, get to decide for the genre what "massive" means. How many people does it entail -- and how and where and in what numbers precisely must they interact -- for a game to be "massive" enough to merit the term MMO? And how many old school MMORPGs would fit that definition? 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!
The Soapbox: That's not an MMO
You may not be aware of this, but Massively is a website focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games. It's kind of what we do. However, the world of MMOs in 2013 is far different from the world of MMOs in 2007, when the site was founded. The niche has changed and the games industry has evolved. There was a time when "online" told you everything you needed to know about a game because there was really only one type of online game. You knew in picking up an online game that you and some friends would be leveling, looting gear, and slaying dragons. It took a while for developers to notice that online play was actually a thing that could work in more than one particular format. Nowadays, online games range from traditional MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 and RIFT to MOBAs like SMITE and League of Legends. There's no clear definition for what an MMO is or isn't because so many games are massive, multiplayer, and online. Maybe it's time to embrace MMO as a broader term than previously thought.
Details of Civilization-based MMORPG emerge, you may not get to play it
Sure, you've controlled minions and vast armies in the Civilization games, but here's your chance to actually be one of those underlings -- at least if you live in South Korea. Civilization Online, announced late last year, is an in-development MMORPG title set in the Civ universe, and Massively has learned some of its finer details from the folks at XL Games and 2K Games (the companies crafting it in CryEngine 3). At the start, players will join one of four societies, and all will have to work together to expand across the sandbox environment and progress through the ages. Unlike most MMOs, there will come a time when one civilization achieves certain goals and effectively "wins," at which point the world will reset. Although combat is a part of the game, societies will also need to research, build and do various other things to become number one, much like the traditional strategy titles. Head to the source link for more info on the specifics, but don't get too excited -- Civilization Online will be launching first in Korea, and there are currently "no plans for a North American release." Not used to things being out of your control, are you?
EverQuest roundup: The next steps for the landmark series
Our friends at Massively launched a stream of updates this week on all things EverQuest from Sony Online Entertainment's SOE Live 2013 event in Las Vegas. We're breaking down the news from the week to get you caught up on all that's in store for the popular MMORPG series. The next game in the series, EverQuest Next, features destructible environments built with voxels. The world isn't entirely a sandbox-like playground, though, as SOE will enforce some restrictions on what can and cannot be destroyed in the game, and the crumbling world will respawn after some time. The game's AI will include "likes and dislikes," and NPCs will remember player choices made during quests, such as instances where players side with either humans or orcs. Public quests known as "Rallying Calls" will also unfold over the course of multiple months and see permanent effects in the game's world, Norrath. Player locomotion will expand in EverQuest Next as well, as players can move along terrain in more ways than the typical run, walk and jump animations offer. Registration for the game's beta program is available now. SOE also unveiled another game at the event, EverQuest Next Landmark. Landmark offers players tools to construct any (appropriate) structure on a plot of land they claim in the world, then sell in the Player Studio's marketplace, possibly for use in EverQuest Next. The toolset offered to players in Landmark is the same that developers use for EverQuest Next, so the build-and-explore facets of the game should feel genuine. Lastly, for on-the-go players that need their questin' fix, SOE is offering an iOS and Android app called EverQuest Worlds. Worlds delivers quests and mini-games "that reveal lore, content, and rewards from the EverQuest franchise." The app is free and available now on the App Store and Google Play store.
Blizzard says Titan unlikely to be subscription-based
No, Blizzard still hasn't made an official announcement about what we can expect from their upcoming Titan project -- which we've heard little about since its development was reset back in May. We still don't know much, but in an investor call today Mike Morhaime did say that Titan was "unlikely to be a subscription-based MMORPG." Of course, that still leaves plenty of room to speculate about what Titan actually will be. Will it be a free-to-play MMO or has Titan become something new entirely? With no official release date, only time will tell what Blizzard has in mind.
Razer revamps Naga MMO mouse with mechanical switches, left-handed model
If you spend hours immersed in MMO raids, you likely value anything that helps you click faster. It's a good thing that Razer has just overhauled its Naga mouse, then. The 2014 model year now uses mechanical switches for its signature 12 side buttons, offering clearer feedback with each press. There's also a new tilting scroll wheel, in-game customization software and a tweaked grip that should fit a wider selection of hands. That includes left hands, we'd add -- Razer is shipping its promised left-handed Naga alongside the regular model. No matter your input preferences, you can buy the new RPG-friendly mouse today for $80.
World of Warcraft lost 600,000 subscribers over Q2 2013
Activision Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft's subscriber base has shrunk to 7.7 million users, down from the 8.3 million subscribers it reported three months ago. Last quarter's report revealed that World of Warcraft lost 14 percent of its players between January and March, as 1.3 million users either canceled their subscriptions or declined renewal. Users who have recently purchased the game and are within its initial 30-day trial period are counted among World of Warcraft's current subscribers. Despite its shrinking subscriber base, Activision Blizzard notes that World of Warcraft "remained the world's #1 subscription-based MMORPG" heading into the third quarter of 2013.
The Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster reminded us that the grim specter of death comes to us all and asserted that when your time comes, "you will not wish you had spent more time gaming." Mike took the stance that gaming provides temporary joys that can't replace real-life experiences and that it's our inherent responsibility as human beings with finite lifespans to seek out those experiences. He argued that "gaming is a hobby and not a replacement for a life well-lived" and that it's not our gaming achievements but our real life ones that we'll proudly tell our grandchildren. I think we can all agree that it's important to have offline hobbies and interests that help you keep active, but I take exception to the notion that we might regret time spent gaming on our deathbeds. Published data on the top five regrets of the dying actually seems to directly refute this idea, and my life experiences have shown the exact opposite of some of the points Mike makes. MMOs have given me some experiences that I'll probably treasure for a lifetime, and gaming as a hobby has provided me with much more than just temporary joys and escapism; it's helped me discover talents I didn't know I possessed, given me the push I needed to get a good education, led me to employment, and put me in contact with lifelong friends. On my deathbed, I'll probably wish I'd spent more time gaming rather than less. In this opinion piece, I look at evidence that suggests we won't regret gaming on our deathbeds and make the case that gaming can be just as worthwhile as offline pursuits.
Former WoW developer Mark Kern wonders if WoW is too easy
Mark Kern, who left Blizzard way back in 2005 to found Red 5 Studios, is working on a new free to play, sci-fi MMO called Firefall -- and has some less than flattering things to say about the game WoW has become. His top complaint: that MMOs are now too easy. "When was the last time you died in a starter zone?" Kern muses. "Sometimes I look at WoW and think 'what have we done?' I think I know. I think we killed a genre." The easier content, he argues, means both developers and players focus less on the content in the middle of the game and more on racing to get to the end game -- and by rushing through the game from level 1 to level 90, you miss out on a lot of the game itself. Of course Kern notes that his upcoming MMO has the mix just right -- and that by focusing on the journey instead of the destination, Firefall is a lot more fun. While we are fans of new games -- and love the art style Firefall has going -- we're less convinced about dying in newbie zones as a gameplay necessity. Time will tell if Kern has the right of things -- Firefall's open beta is starting soon.
Elder Scrolls Online coming to the PS4 in the spring
In case you haven't already lost enough sleep (and probably a few girlfriends) to the Elder Scrolls Saga, Bethesda is turning the world into a next-gen MMO. The title appears to have many of the same, non-traditional (for an RPG) elements that made titles like Skyrim so successful but brings them to a massively multiplayer world in the vein of WoW. And, if any franchise has the ability to unseat the current king on online RPGs, it's the Elder Scrolls. There will be a beta period kicking off, starting with the PS4, before the title will officially hit shelves in the Spring of 2014. It's probably best to start stocking up on Red Bull and Cliff Bars now. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Has Blizzard left an opening for the next generation of WoW killers?
As Blizzard has faltered with its recent loss of WoW subscribers and the reset of its yet to be announced next MMO, other developers, hungry to make inroads in the MMO market, have looked on this as an opportunity. So, after countless games have tried to claim the title, are we really about to see a WoW killer come to market? Stephan Frost, Game Design Producer at NCsoft's Carbine Studios, thinks that it gives his game Wildstar a better chance to succeed. "We're coming out at a time when WoW is losing subscribers and we can fill the void for people who want an MMO that's deep, hardcore but also accessible to people." In the meanwhile, Take-Two Interactive has taken the opposing angle, saying that no one -- not even Blizzard -- can succeed because the North American market is a poor one for MMOs. Analysts agree that Blizzard's delay can only be an opportunity for others, though with WoW's current patch frenzy, it's clear that Blizzard isn't planning on relinquishing its title as top MMO any time soon. So is scifi MMO Wildstar going to be the next big thing? Or will Take-Two's Asian-market MMOs be a smashing success? Only time will tell.
Ask Massively: You can't cover WoW because of reasons
When I took over Massively last fall, I made myself a little digital post-it note in Gmail Notes that read, "Remember: You work for Joystiq, not studios." Today, I've amended that to also read, "And not commenters." I love commenters, even the trolls sometimes when you make me laugh. You guys provide instant feedback and adoration but also entertainment and skepticism of our ideas. You're the much-maligned vocal minority of readers, and interacting with you guys and being enlightened by your mad and witty and insane posts is a highlight of my work day. But it has to be said that the most bizarre feature of working at Massively is that legions of commenters have deemed themselves better-equipped than we are to decide what we can cover.
