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MMO Roundup: PAX, SWTOR beta, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Massively's PAX Prime coverage PAX Prime took place in Seattle, Washington, this past weekend, and the Massively crew had their feet on the ground uncovering all the biggest and best MMO news in the industry. Head over to Massively to see it all. Former World of Warcraft addict talks about the dangers of habitual gaming When one thinks of a player who's addicted to video games, usually the image of a teen or college student with too much time on his hands comes to mind. Not so with Ryan Van Cleave, who's a college professor with a Ph.D., marriage and kids -- and who admits to a crippling former addiction to World of Warcraft. SWTOR beta test weekends to begin Sept. 2 Starting Sept. 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic will begin its beta test weekends for a select few who registered on the game's website. This news was announced at PAX Prime, including the fact that even those who didn't preorder can have an equal chance to participate. Star Wars Galaxies puts the end of the saga in the hands of the players This is how the galaxy ends: not with a whimper, but with a mighty bang. At least, that's what SOE hopes as Star Wars Galaxies' devs map out the final few months for this sunsetting MMO. Instead of weeping into a glass of strange blue milk, the team is issuing a challenge to the Imperials or Rebels. The stakes? The fate of the galaxy, once and for all. Massively Speaking Episode 162 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week to bring you all the latest MMO news with your hosts Shawn and Rubi. This week your hosts discuss the newest info on the NASA MMO, APB Reloaded's retail launch info, The Secret World's large-scale PVP, the Guild Wars 2 crafting system demo, and more! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Gamescom, Gamescom, and more Gamescom
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Massively's Gamescom coverage Gamescom is one of Europe's largest gaming events of the year. More news comes out of that event than we could ever hope to sum up in MMO Roundup, but Massively has it all. Head over to Massively's Gamescom hub for all of the event's MMO news. NCsoft announces new MMO: WildStar Developed by Carbine studios, WildStar is a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid MMO of "high adventure" in which players "lay claim to a mysterious planet on the edge of known space" by playing as explorers, soldiers, scientists, or settlers. Hit Massively for concept art and the game's cinematic trailer. Blizzard quashes speculation about a potential World of StarCraft Just in case all of Blizzard's previous indications of a StarCraft MMO not being in our future wasn't enough, here's another verification from Blizzard senior VP Frank Pearce: Blizzard currently has no plans to adapt the StarCraft setting to an MMO. Guild Wars 2 shows off 40 minutes of gameplay On the Gamescom floor, ArenaNet's Chris Lye took time to walk Wartower.de through the full Guild Wars 2 demo for the event. During the tour, he shows us character customization, the Asura, and the Charr starting experience, capping it off with a giant dragon boss encounter. Massively Speaking Episode 161 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week to bring you all the latest MMO news with your hosts Shawn and Rubi. This time around, the focus is Gamescom 2011, which exploded with new game announcements, video trailers, and screenshots. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Ponzi scheme in EVE, LEGO Universe F2P, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Biggest EVE Online scam ever recorded nets over a trillion ISK Of all the stories that come out of EVE Online's colossal sandbox, it's the tales of criminality and dirty dealings that grab our attention the most. Thefts and scams would be cause for account closure in most MMOs, but they form a legitimate and dark part of the EVE universe. The latest scam, a simple Ponzi scheme, managed to net the equivalent of $51,677.50 in EVE's virtual currency. LEGO Universe goes F2P Free-to-play conversions have been in the news a lot lately, with games as diverse as Age of Conan and Champions Online throwing open their doors with various flavors of free access. LEGO Universe is the latest freemium convert, and yesterday was the official kickoff for the brick-building MMORPG's new membership tier. Nintendo patents "massively single-player" term According to an article at Gamespot, the 121-year-old Japanese console company has patented the term "massively single-player" to define a new genre of games that it hopes to create. The basic idea is that you would play a single-player game, and (through an internet connection) what you do in that game would influence the environment or economy of the same game on someone else's console. The latest in MOBA news Not So Massively is your weekly guide to the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre and other significant non-MMO multiplayer games. This week, League of Legends reveals more about new game mode Dominion, DotA 2's million-dollar tournament takes place at Gamescom, and more. Massively Speaking Episode 160 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, arrives this week as Shawn and Rubi are joined by Beau Hindman to discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include Guild Wars 2's Sylvari Week, documentary The Raid's world premiere, North Korea's gold farming budget, and more. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Gamescom, SWTOR breaks EA records, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. EA proclaims SWTOR preorder breaks records Star Wars: The Old Republic has set the new bar for EA's preorder sales, according to the notes for EA's Q1 Fiscal Earnings Release. The previous bar was set by Battlefield 3, but according to President Frank Gibeau during an investor's conference call, SWTOR far exceed BF3's preorder sales. In fact, according to Gibeau, the sales exceeded the company's expected sales curve, therefore breaking records no one at the game developing company could have expected. NCsoft's Carbine Studios to reveal new MMO at Gamescom NCsoft announced that Jeremy Gaffney, executive producer of NCsoft's Carbine Studios, has confirmed that the studio's latest project is to be revealed next month at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Gaffney has many game titles to his name, having worked on Asheron's Call, City of Heroes/Villains, and a number of other online titles. Top 10 MMO mascots Weekly top 10 list The Perfect Ten tackles MMO mascots this week, lining up the best the genre has to offer. Who is World of Warcraft's mascot? Is whoever it is on the list? HoN goes free to play and Diablo 3 meets eBay Not So Massively is your weekly guide to the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre and other significant non-MMO multiplayer games. This week, Heroes of Newerth has gone free-to-play, Blizzard announced Diablo 3's real-money auctions, and League of Legends hit 15 million registered accounts. Massively Speaking episode 158 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi being joined by Justin Olivetti for some laughs, innuendo, and the occasional bit of MMO news. Topics include RuneScape's new Clan Citadels, APB's second open beta, and of course, SWTOR's record-breaking preorder. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Selling children for gaming
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. BioWare hopes SWTOR lasts for decades Those of you worried about The Old Republic's longevity (all three of you) can rest easy, according to BioWare. Game director James Ohlen told Comic-Con attendees that the company hopes the game will stand the test of time. "And our goal -- this being an online game that we're hoping is going to last for decades -- we're going to be, obviously, adding more to the galaxy map as the game progresses," Ohlen said. Chinese couple sells their kids to pay for online gaming According to ABC News, a Chinese couple has been apprehended for selling three children to bankroll their online gaming activities. Li Lin and Li Juan sold their baby daughter for approximately $500, as well as two sons for $4,600 each. The Sanxiang City News reported that the couple were turned over to authorities by Li Lin's mother. The newspaper also stated that the couple was unaware that they were breaking any laws. Beta test weekends set for Star Wars: The Old Republic in September An investor report from Electronic Arts shows that the game will be opening up special beta weekend events for players to get a glimpse of the game starting in September. While the report doesn't say if these tests will be open or closed, they certainly bring to mind the beta weekends that RIFT popularized, with a limited number of players but a great deal of freedom in access. Scott Hartsman says gold farming hurts our games more than we know Trion Worlds General Manager Scott Hartsman shared a glimpse of just how hard gold buying activities hit games and how concerned he and other studio execs are about the proliferation of credit card fraud that results. Your favorite game studio's paying out fraud fees to MasterCard and Visa has more of an impact than you think. Massively Speaking Episode 157 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and four very special guests from the Massively team: Eliot Lefebvre, Brandon Felczer, Larry Everett, and Matt Daniel. Topics include Allods Online's newest patch, Star Trek Online's Season Four launch and the latest Engineering Report, SWTOR's collector's edition contents, and much more! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: StarCraft Universe, SWTOR cinematics, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. StarCraft MMO mod gameplay video released What if the year's most noteworthy MMO release wasn't a mega-budget corporate theme park but a crazy-detailed mod produced by a tiny team of fans? A lot of gamers out there would love to see a StarCraft-flavored MMORPG, and modder Ryan Winzen is in the process of making that dream a reality with StarCraft Universe. RIFT's first State of the Game address Trion Worlds has never been shy in talking about RIFT's upcoming content, especially considering how fast and furious said content's been flying down the pipe. However, the studio may have topped itself as it gave its first State of the Game address, opening up about the title's history to date and both the near and far future of the team's plans. SWTOR Studio Insider dives into opening cinematics About once every four weeks, BioWare gives us a backstage look at what it takes to put together the monumental MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. These articles are simply called Studio Insider. This week, Senior Video Editor Brian Arndt tells us all about putting together the unique cinematics every player will see the first time he or she logs into SWTOR. LucasArts releases an official statement to Star Wars Galaxies fans For a majority of MMO players, the announcement that Star Wars Galaxies was shutting down came as no surprise. However, many SWG loyalists have been extremely upset by the turn of events, blaming everything from the hacks on Sony earlier this year to the impending release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. A statement from LucasArts puts all of that to rest. Massively Speaking Episode 156 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi covering the week's MMO news, including Black Prophecy's North American launch, DCUO's newest DLC, Darkfall 2.0, CCP's partnership with Nexon, The Secret World's info explosion, and this little game called Planetside 2. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer, in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: RIFT sale, Planetside 2, and more
Sometimes, you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. RIFT offers limited-time subscription discounts Getting into the RIFT groove and certain you'll be sticking it out for a while to come? Then there's a way you could be saving some money, as well, by signing up for one of Trion Worlds' new subscription plans during the "Summer of Savings" period that began this month. SOE reveals screenshots and trailer for Planetside 2 SOE Fan Faire 2011 played host to an official announcement for the highly anticipated Planetside 2. Players looking for a new entry in the sci-fi MMO genre should head over to Massively to check out screenshots and a trailer. Guild Wars: Winds of Change It's time for another major event in Guild Wars, one that's been heavily anticipated by the players -- the next installment in Guild Wars Beyond, centering around the lands of Cantha. There are changes afoot for the land, as evidenced by the title of the new multi-part event, Winds of Change. And if you want to start taking part in the history that will shape Guild Wars 2, now is a fine time to see what those winds are bringing. CCP partners with Nexon to release EVE Online in Japan The Japanese games market can be difficult for western companies to break into, with accurate client localization and translation acting as a huge potential roadblock. In an unexpected press release late last week, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced a strategic partnership with Japan-based MMO publisher Nexon to bring EVE Online to the Japanese market. DUST 514 may go true F2P in the future While we've known that DUST 514 won't be as free as originally thought, there's still hope for a true free-to-play version to come. CCP's Hilmar Veigar Pétursson told GamesIndustry.biz that while PlayStation 3 owners will have to contend with a "cover charge" -- estimated to be between $10 and $20 -- before accessing the game for the first time, the company may drop it entirely in time. Massively Speaking Episode 155 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi discussing the week's MMO news. Topics include Planetside 2's announcement at Fan Faire, Global Agenda's success with F2P, EVE Online's CSM results, and Age of Conan's Unchained update.
MMO Roundup: Farewell, Star Wars Galaxies
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. The sunsetting of Star Wars Galaxies Star Wars Galaxies players recently received the notice that no MMO player wants to see: Their game was shutting down. At the end of 2011, Star Wars Galaxies will be closing permanently. Massively recently sat down with SOE President John Smedley to discuss the closure of the game and SOE's future. Controversy brewing over EVE Online microtransactions EVE Online sparked a veritable media frenzy late last week with the launch of its Incarna expansion and an in-game item shop. An event being dubbed "monoclegate" began when players discovered the lofty price of a cosmetic monocle -- and the flames only grew from there. Leaked document shows CCP's microtransaction plans And here's where it gets worse. An internal CCP document that outlined the potential directions the company could take with microtransactions was leaked to the public. Here's a phrase you never want to hear: "Greed is good." Mike "Gabe" Krahulik speaks his mind about SWTOR Sometimes being a celebrity in the gaming world has its perks. Take Mike Krahulik from Penny Arcade, for example. People instantly recognize him, they want his opinion on everything, and he can get in on any beta he wants. All right, that last bit was a stretch, but he did get into game testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic. And after much begging, the marketing team at BioWare gave "Gabe" the chance to publicly sound off about TOR. Guess what? He loved it. Guild Wars 2 takes us down into the dungeons Although Guild Wars 2 is taking steps to advance the MMO scene, there's one standby that isn't going anywhere, and that's dungeons. Author and developer Jeff Grubb recently discussed the details of a few of Guild Wars 2's dungeons. Check it out! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Family Guy, Harry Potter, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Fox unveils Family Guy Online ... really Yeah. You're seeing that right. Family Guy Online. It may be a bit early to say, but we can probably add this one to the list of worst MMOs ever in advance. Details are scarce at the moment, but Fox has already set up a social media presence and a pre-beta website. Is Pottermore the upcoming Harry Potter MMO? The Harry Potter fanbase was abuzz yesterday as a mysterious new website was launched. The site itself is rather bare, merely sporting the words "Pottermore: Coming Soon" and J.K. Rowling's signature underneath, but there's reason to believe that this may be connected to an online game ... or just a social hub for Potter fans. The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters Enjoy playing a druid in WoW? Wondering what other MMOs feature shapeshifting classes or effects? From RIFT to Guild Wars to City of Heroes, this week's Perfect Ten has what you need. Is Turbine working on a console MMO? Internet scuttlebutt has it that Turbine is cooking up a console MMO codenamed Project Hendrix. A posting at GameSpot cites a Turbine job listing that seeks an engineer for an "unannounced online console project." Turbine's console aspirations are nothing new, as studio VP Craig Alexander hinted at such desires as early as 2009. Massively Speaking episode 153 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi reminiscing on E3 through this year's awards. Other topics include the LulzSec DDOS attacks and Fallen Earth's acquisition by GamersFirst. They also read through a listener email and clarify their annoyance at kill-10 quests. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: E3, DUST 514, RIFT, and other capital letters
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Massively's E3 Coverage E3 wrapped at the end of last week, and the MMO news that came out of the convention was substantial. Make sure you didn't miss any major highlights from any of the up-and-coming MMOs in the industry. Check out Massively's extensive coverage of the event! Hands-on impressions of Star Wars: The Old Republic Members of the Massively staff and WoW Insider's very own Editor-in-Chief Dan O'Halloran had an opportunity to play The Old Republic at E3. Did they like it? Did they hate it? Find out! DUST 514's realtime integration with EVE Online At E3, EVE Online developer CCP Games made an appearance to announce that the company's upcoming MMOFPS DUST 514 will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3. The ambitious title aims to link the world of ground troops fighting over planets to EVE Online's universe of spaceborne conflict. EVE players will be able to hire DUST mercenaries as part of an ongoing territorial war. Head over to Massively for the full details. Trion Worlds takes players on a tour of RIFT's upcoming Hammerknell raid Trion Worlds, the developer behind the polarizing MMO RIFT, recently gave fans a hands-on tour of their upcoming raid zone, Hammerknell. It's an abandoned dwarven stronghold which has jailed one of the great dragons for ... well, a really long time! Massively Speaking episode 152 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week to wrap up E3 2011 by recording another unedited show just for you. The Massively team discusses RIFT's patch 1.3, Cryptic's Neverwinter and Rubi's impressions of SWTOR. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Zelda MMO, Fallout Online's apocalyptic future, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Is Zelda about to hit the MMO space? Nintendo, creator of the console hit Legend of Zelda, has just registered for an ESRB rating for a game called Zelda Universe. According to the ESRB website, this mysterious game has received an "E" rating with "violence" as the only descriptive text, but the game is listed as "online." Although all other Nintendo games have a console listed along with the rating, this particular title does not. Fallout Online's future in jeopardy as Interplay's finances suffer Fallout Online, the in-development MMO from Interplay, has been through some rough waters already, but it looks like the situation may be about to go from bad to -- pardon the pun -- apocalyptic. A recent SEC filing by Interplay indicates that the company is going through some rough financial times, which doesn't bode well for Fallout Online's future. Men outspend women on mobile social games Ladies (or gentlemen), is your man a gamer? If so, you may finally have a worthwhile retort for the next time he scoffs and rolls his eyes at that $10 non-combat pet you just had to have. A recent study by MocoSpace surveyed 1,500 "mobile social gamers" about their spending practices within social games. The results? "While 53 percent were male, and 47 percent female, 69 percent of men were buying virtual goods, while only 31 percent of females did." SWTOR trooper progression video lays on the hurt Even with E3 just around the corner, BioWare is still churning out the regular previews for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Most recently, the developers at BioWare released a trailer showing off the progression of the trooper class. Massively Speaking episode 149 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week with Shawn and Rubi discussing the week's best MMO news. This week, they talk about RIFT's free character transfer program, Guild Wars 2's engineer class, Age of Conan's new hybrid business model and more! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: RIFT's free character transfers, Sony's fiscal losses, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. RIFT offering free character transfers with patch 1.3 Trion Worlds has announced that with the advent of patch 1.3, RIFT will allow players to move to select servers once per week -- for free. These free character transfers include a wholesale move of all of the character's items, achievements and titles. Also, Trion has stated that initially, there will be no limit to the number of times your character can hop to a different server. Sony loses $3.2B, spends $170M in response to hacker attacks Sony's bad year is getting a smidge worse. The company, which had previously predicted a healthy profit for the past fiscal year, is now expecting a loss of $3.2 billion for the period of April 2010 through March 2011. The reverse in fortunes is mostly due to writing off a $4.4 billion tax credit, although the company has been struggling with both the recent earthquake and hacker attack that disrupted operations of both its physical operations and online services. Funcom prepping new Age of Conan adventure pack inspired by film reboot Recent rumors of new film-related content for Age of Conan proved to be accurate. According to a new press release, the pack "includes but is not limited to" content from the forthcoming Conan the Barbarian film reboot and will see players traveling to the lands of Turan some 20 years after the events of the movie. Guild Wars 2's explosive seventh class: The engineer ArenaNet has announced the seventh Guild Wars 2 profession: the engineer. Rifles, dual pistols, pistols with shields, explosives, flamethrowers, and automated turrets -- come on, do I really need to say any more than that? Massively Speaking episode 148 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the latest MMO news, including some more details on ArcheAge and Guild Wars 2, a better explanation of the DCUO MegaServers (formerly Super Servers), and the return of SOE! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Blizzard on RIFT, SOE outage compensation, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Activision Blizzard: RIFT players will come back to WoW During Activision Blizzard's recent investor conference call, the question of how RIFT's launch in early March had affected WoW's playerbase inevitably came up. Morhaime was quick to point out that while a percentage of players have historically left WoW to try out each new game released in the MMO market, a healthy proportion of them tend to return. Blizzard expects the same to occur with RIFT. SOE reveals compensation plan for outage After the long silence during SOE's recent downtime, Sony has finally revealed its compensation plan of action. All current SOE players will receive 30 days of game time added to their accounts plus one day for every day the system's been down. Depending on the game to which players are subscribed, SOE has a list of specific in-game items, currency, Station Cash, events and bonuses ready as well. The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online The Matrix Online (otherwise known as MxO) may have been shut down a few years ago, but it still holds many fond memories for its former players. The Matrix had the potential to be this generation's Star Wars, but the franchise ultimately petered out, eventually taking MxO with it. Gaming with Game of Thrones Sorry to disappoint -- this isn't a Game of Thrones MMO announcement. However, if you enjoy Game of Thrones, there are a number of free-to-play MMOs that may offer you some of the same things you like from the novels or television series. Political intrigue in an MMO? It's true! Massively Speaking episode 147 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week as Shawn is joined by Leala and Dana from the Game Dames blog and podcast. Topics include more on Sony's downtime, The Old Republic's confirmed launch window, the power of a possible Mass Effect MMO, the revenue growth of Nexon and Activision Blizzard, and the fact that World of Warcraft is dying! Wait, what? No. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: RIFT referral program, The Old Republic launch confirmed, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Activision Blizzard posts record profits, WoW subs declining Activision Blizzard hasn't just been surviving but thriving, posting a record profit for the first quarter of 2011 -- $503 million in net income, more than $100 million over the year before. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Blizzard Entertainment was responsible for a large portion of that profit, bringing in $170 million all by its lonesome. You may have already read about this on WoW Insider, but it's always worth checking out the perspective of the larger MMO scene. Star Wars: The Old Republic launch window confirmed EA's financial results report was released to the public last week, and alongside the various bits of fiscal information is one important tidbit for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. On page 17 of the document, you'll find "The Packaged Goods title release schedule excludes Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is expected to launch in either Q2 FY12 or Q3 FY12," where Q2 FY12 and Q3 FY12 correspond to July through September and October through December, respectively, of this year. RIFT begins Ascend-a-Friend referral promotion Beginning today with the advent of patch 1.2, RIFT subscribers will be able to Ascend-a-Friend into the ranks of the Defiant or Guardians, providing the newly Ascended with a seven-day free trial as well as linking the two players' accounts together. Referral bonuses include an adorable, corgi-like non-combat pet and a badass flaming horse mount. Analyst predicts a Mass Effect MMO could top The Old Republic Still having geek dreams about a Mass Effect MMO? Your flights of fancy have another advocate, as an analyst thinks it could be not only feasible but extremely profitable to boot. In a recent investor's note, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey predicted that a hypothetical Mass Effect MMO could make more money for Electronic Arts than Star Wars: The Old Republic will. Massively Speaking episode 146 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include APB's open beta date, DCUO's "super servers," more Marvel Online details, SOE's hacker problems, and more! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: More Sony downtime, 8 years of EVE, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. SOE takes services offline due to serious issue Sony has not been having a good couple of weeks, and it just keeps getting worse. This Monday morning, Sony Online Entertainment customers woke up to discover that all of their games' services were down. Apparently, the company has discovered a serious issue while following up with the previous weeks' hacker intrusion and is taking steps to rectify it. SOE releases further breach details; 24.6 million accounts compromised And things just get worse for Sony from there. The San Diego-based MMORPG publisher has announced that approximately 24.6 million accounts may have been stolen, in addition to the 12,700 credit or debit card thefts reported earlier. 8 years of EVE Online EVE Online is coming up on on its eighth anniversary. EVE has grown from a fledgling niche game with under 40,000 launch subscriptions to a global melting pot of over 360,000 actively subscribed accounts. The company itself has seem similar expansion, starting from humble beginnings as a small independent studio in Iceland and growing into a multinational monster with offices in China, Iceland, North America, and the United Kingdom. Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis Move over, DC Universe Online -- it's Marvel's time to shine. After a few false starts, Marvel's finally poised to become the next big MMO superhero thing. Marvel Universe Online recently announced its head writer: Brian Michael Bendis. Comic nerds, assemble! Blade and Soul videos feature PvP, gliding Blade & Soul, the upcoming Korean beat-'em-up MMO, has just seen the conclusion of its first closed beta phase. It appears that beta phased marked the beginning of the game's media frenzy, because numerous gameplay videos have started to surface. Check it out! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: SOE's downtime, SWTOR subscribers, and RIFT's latest
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Ethnologist researches the development of social skills in World of Warcraft A lot of players probably think that World of Warcraft breeds social skills, to the extent that contempt for one's fellow human beings can be considered a social skill. But according to Peter Stenberg of Umea University in Sweden, there are some actual developments taking place when you play. SOE acknowledges "external intrusion" responsible for downtime Sony Online Entertainment has acknowledged an issue that has caused its MMORPGs and game-related websites to be sporadically unavailable since Thursday, April 21. SOE's Linda "Brasse" Carlson posted on the EverQuest II forums, attributing the trouble to "an external intrusion." Massively's Easter event roundup World of Warcraft isn't the only game celebrating Easter this week. Noblegarden is fine and dandy, but check out what the other MMOs have to offer, from EverQuest to Runescape and Vindictus. Everybody is celebrating! Analyst says 1 million subscribers attainable for SWTOR Gaming business website Gamasutra quoted Hickey as saying that Janco "suspect[s] a willingness from investors to believe [500,000] to 1 million Star Wars MMO subscribers is an attainable target." Hickey has been focused on games and the gaming industry for some time now, specifically on EA, so the rise and fall of EA-published Warhammer Online cannot be off his radar when he makes his predictions about SWTOR. An exclusive look at RIFT's Update 1.2 and beyond With almost two months on the post-launch clock at Trion Worlds, RIFT appears to be holding its own in the wild and woolly field of MMORPGs. With a major update and the first world event under its belt, RIFT is sailing into the future with the wind at its back and a hull full of subscribers below. Top 10 MMO forum terms beaten to death We're all familiar with the MMO forum culture. Everybody has favorite complaints, buzzwords, and acronyms. This week, Massively takes a look at the top 10 forum terms that really should be sent to retirement. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: RIFT world event, The Old Republic polish, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. RIFT world event fizzles, Trion reevaluates approach Much like World of Warcraft's early attempts at world events, RIFT's first major world event ... didn't go so well. Server queues and intermittent server outages plagued the event, but Trion Worlds has already issued a statement indicating that it is aware of the issues and will use the lessons it learned to forge future events. Battlestar Galactica Online passes 1 million player milestone Bigpoint's browser-based Battlestar Galactica Online is a certifiable hit, according to a new press release touting the fact that the title recently surpassed 1 million registered players. The milestone comes a scant six weeks after the launch of BSGO's open beta period and dovetails nicely with the news that the game is getting an engine upgrade as well as new ship content. BioWare tackles The Old Republic environment polish, class questions Ever wondered what "polish" entails when it comes to an MMORPG? The word is tossed about on forums often enough, and just as often, newly released titles are lambasted by gamers who feel that polish is severely lacking in some form or fashion. The latest Star Wars: The Old Republic update goes behind the scenes at the Jedi dream factory to give readers an inside scoop on how the developers at BioWare define polish. Guild Wars 2's Johanson: MMO class trinity is "tired" ArenaNet is a company with one game to its credit, yet the firm still has the courage to openly challenge Blizzard as well as the rest of the crowded MMO market. In a recent interview, lead content designer Colin Johanson says ANet's success and confidence largely stem from a culture of creative fearlessness. LFM: Massively is hiring! Are you passionate about every single MMO you can get your hands on? Do you have a particular skill with the written word? We're looking to expand our ranks with a fresh MMO-loving writer, so if you answered yes to both of those questions, Massively wants to hear from you. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Mass Effect MMO, MOBAs, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Mass Effect the MMO? Could Mass Effect be an MMO? In a recent interview with Game Informer, Executive Producer Casey Hudson of BioWare says that the intellectual property makes sense for an MMO. The Old Republic dev blog talks advanced classes Ready for more Star Wars: The Old Republic information? BioWare's Georg Zoeller is happy to oblige via his new dev blog that focuses on TOR's advanced classes. His previous entry laid the groundwork, whereas the most recent blog is all about the details. CNN looks at RIFT's server technology MMORPGs don't get much virtual ink on the world's top news sites, and when they do, it's usually because someone's died during a grind session. RIFT recently bucked that trend with a lengthy spread on CNN.com and, somewhat predictably, the initial focus is on the "battle" between Trion's upstart and Blizzard's World of Warcraft behemoth. Exploring the lands of MOBA It's sometimes hard to believe that MMOs and online gaming in its current form are both relatively new. In a single generation, online gaming has gone from a technical infeasibility to a global industry worth billions. The list of MMOs is constantly growing, and the line between MMOs and other online games blurs more every year. Head over to Massively to learn about MOBAs, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas. Massively Speaking episode 143 Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, returns to your regularly scheduled programming this week as Shawn and Rubi discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include fixing Earthrise, expanding Mortal Online and DC Universe Online, and SOE's mass layoffs. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: April Fools' Day, EVE Online fundraiser, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Massively's April Fools' Day roundup World of Warcraft players spent April Fools' Day hanging out with Crabby, but what happened with the other major MMOs? How would you like to play as broccoli in Dungeons and Dragons Online? A Commando in Guild Wars? A barber in Firefall? EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund EVE Online's developer, CCP Games, has encouraged donations through its unique PLEX system. Players who couldn't afford to donate cash were encouraged to buy PLEX using in-game currency and donate them to the relief fund. CCP would then scrap the PLEX items and donate their full real-money purchase value to charity. Total donations have amounted to more than $40,000. DC Universe Online Update 2 is on its way! Community Manager Tony "RadarX" Jones told DCUO fans that the update will be coming next week. The Penguin and Two-Face are the villains of choice this time around, and we'll even see a special appearance from Mister Mxyzptlk. If you want to know more, Massively has an exclusive interview about it, too. RIFT updates River of Souls world event RIFT's worldwide River of Souls event, starring the charismatic Alsbeth the Discordant, has been trucking in game for a few days now, but Trion Worlds didn't want to rest on its laurels even so. After evaluating how the event was progressing, the team added a patch yesterday to make a number of improvements and adjustments -- fixing this major, temporary event while it was still in progress. Massively Speaking episode 142: EVE Fanfest 2011 Massively Speaking is back this week "live-ish" from EVE Fanfest 2011. EVE Evolved columnist Brendan Drain joins Shawn to record on location from Reykjavik, Iceland, where they cover interviews with CCP Manifest, CCP Shadow, a glacier and a few volcanoes. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
MMO Roundup: Rogers throttling WoW, Jedi armor sets, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Rogers throttles World of Warcraft across Canada If you play World of Warcraft in Canada and were wondering why your connection seems a bit slow, it turns out there may be a good explanation: Rogers Communications has been deliberately throttling the game across the country. One month after launch, how is RIFT holding up? It's been a month since RIFT went retail. How is the game holding up? Has the launch day hype faded, or is it still going strong? What's still working? What isn't? BioWare releases Jedi armor progression video Due to what could be considered a lack of hard info on everyone's favorite Star Wars archetype, BioWare has had many fans crying out in terror. Today, said fans were suddenly silenced, though not because something terrible has happened. On the contrary, the traditional Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday update brings us a breathless look at glowstick-powered combat footage courtesy of the new Jedi Knight armor progression trailer. Banned WoW player offers $1,000 for reactivation If you lost an MMO account through hacking, banning, or any other method, what would you pay to get it back? One California World of Warcraft player didn't hesitate to put a hefty price tag on that possibility. The anonymous player posted via Craigslist last week, offering any form of payment the recipient might ask for -- including "an envelope under a tree." Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online coming to Xbox Live Arcade The MMO console lineup just got a bit bigger thanks to the folks at Nexon and Softmax. The latter is porting the former's Dungeon Fighter Online beat-'em-up to the Xbox Live Arcade delivery platform, where the title will boast a freemium business model (meaning you download the client for free and pay for items and upgrades). Massively's Week in Review: Hobbits in space Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
