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Mark Kern starts new studio, raises $1M for VR MMO
Ex-Red 5 CEO Mark Kern has been a busy little bee since his departure from Firefall. Kern established a new studio called MEK Entertainment with associates from Red 5 and Blizzard, raising $1 million in seed funding for his next project. While it doesn't have a name, this project is reportedly an MMO designed for the Oculus Rift. It will use retro-style pixel art and depend heavily on "creative contributions" from the game's community. "We can't build it alone," Kern said. "I've been looking for a way to let more gamers and modders realize their own virtual worlds, and I think we found it." Kern cited inspiration from other titles such as the SNES, Terraria, Starbound, and (of course) Minecraft. You can watch a teaser for the MMO after the break.
Isaac Asimov-inspired Seldon Crisis debuts
Fans of both Isaac Asimov's Foundation series and sandbox science-fiction MMOs will find something to appreciate in the newly announced Seldon Crisis. This "completely player-driven MMO" is loosely inspired by Asimov's writing and will be starting a Kickstarter campaign next month to fund its development. Developer Chaos Interactive is eschewing linear progression for Seldon Crisis, leaving it to players to run the economy and galactic politics. There will be "thousands" of systems to explore, a wide variety of missions for player captains, and work for various factions. Lead Game Designer Mirko Campochiari said that it will be a game for the players: "We are taking MMO gaming back to its roots with an uncompromising game that truly rewards player ability and a return to old-school game mechanics, such as a full loot system, to create a challenging and more involved gameplay environment." We've got your first look at Seldon Crisis, with concept art, screenshots, and a model video below. [Source: Crisis Interactive press release]
Threshold spiritual successor Stash seeks to 're-imagine the genre'
The team behind the classic MUD Threshold is back with Stash, a new MMO in the making that claims to "re-imagine the genre" with a growable base of operations, turn-based combat, and wide character customization. The inspiration for Stash comes from tabletop D&D, miniature gaming, D&D computer RPGs and Planescape: Torment. "We put a large emphasis on rewarding player skill in addition to character skill," the devs posted. "Your character's abilities and gear are very important, but the tactics and strategy of the actual players is equally important." Developer Frog Dice claims that this is a full-fledged MMO, although it remains to be seen how much of Stash is actually massively multiplayer (the site mentions clans, co-op play, and PvP). The team is looking to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter to fund development on the title. You can check out Stash's early development trailer after the break! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Ninja Theory reveals Razer, a prematurely cancelled MMO
Ninja Theory, the makers of the upcoming Hellblade, revealed today that it previously worked on an MMO called Razer that has since been canned. Razer was "an epic massively co-op sci-fi adventure" for Xbox One, PS4, and the PC that would have pitted players against a gigantic alien that enveloped Earth. Three months of concept design and previsualizations were performed on Razer before Ninja Theory decided to pull the plug on the project. According to the studio, Razer "was a game we designed in conjunction with a publisher to satisfy their desirable feature list." To enlighten the community and fellow developers about the complex and involved process of creating a game, Ninja Theory released concept art, previsualization videos, and documents from Razer. You can check out the gameplay experience trailer after the jump.
BioWare announces Shadow Realms, a D&D-inspired co-op dungeon crawler
BioWare has just announced a brand-new IP for the studio: Shadow Realms, a "4v1 story-driven online action RPG" that was inspired by the team's love of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. Shadow Realms isn't a full-fledged MMO, but will put players in the shoes of contemporary Earth heroes who will jump between our world of technology and another of magic. The twist for the game is that a team of four heroes will be opposed by one player who will assume the role of a dungeon master-like Shadowlord. "With Shadow Realms, we decided that the Shadowlord should interact with and see the gameplay world in a similar way to the hero players –- albeit with better tactical knowledge," BioWare wrote. "Their objective is to stop the group of heroes by haunting them, setting traps, casting spells, summoning monsters, and controlling any monster in the level." The game will grow with episodic storytelling, offer "deep combat customization," and feature six classes. Shadow Realms is set to go into closed beta this fall.
Royal Quest begins early access... for a price
Royal Quest, an MMO "full of magic, technology, and alchemy," opened the doors to its early access test yesterday. While the game promotes itself as being free-to-play, this only applies starting the second week in August. Before then, anyone interested in checking it out needs to purchase one of the DLC packs. Players who hop into the game will be assigned a regional server (out of three available) based on their location. To access the website's comments and forum, players have to level up a character to 5. Royal Quest is being developed by Katauri Interactive (King's Bounty) and is only being offered through Steam for English users. Among other options in the game, players can own pets, eventually move into their own castle, and engage in special PvPvE zones in the game. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
Oort Online strives to create a 'universe-sized' sandbox
Why should your sandbox MMO be confined to one measly world? That's the premise of Oort Online, an upcoming sandbox title that involves several worlds that can be explored, conquered, and molded by players. In this voxel-based game, players will exist on the same server and can choose to fight a nasty galaxy-spanning race called the Protectors or carve out a slice of land on which to build a masterpiece. "We think fans of procedural games are going to love Oort Online! We're making a universe-sized sandbox and giving players control over what happens," developer Wonderstruck said. Oort Online has been in development for six months and is available right now as an early access prototype for funders who spend $95 or more. The crowdfunded project also has cheaper tiers for alpha and beta access and promises a package of goodies (including a chance to win instant access) for those who send out a tweet promoting the game. Get a sneak peek of Oort Online in a dev video after the break!
Battleborn melds the MOBA with a first-person perspective
Challenging the notion that all MOBAs must be played from an omniscient isometric viewpoint, Gearbox revealed its own MOBA, Battleborn, that takes place from a first-person perspective. Battleborn promises a wide array of character variety as heroes battle on an alien planet, including Elvish archers, steampunk riflemen, and minigun-toting heavies. The lore hook is pretty solid, too, with the good guys fighting to protect the very last star in the universe against a faction called the Varelsi. The MOBA will feature both a co-op campaign and multiplayer PvP mode, and will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC next year. You can check out the reveal trailer after the break.
SOE trademarks The Darkened Sea and Altar of Malice
Two names sit on an onyx altar. You tip-toe up to them and gaze upon their majesty. There is no explanation, no revelation, just words sitting in a void. This is both tantalizing in the possibilities and maddening in the silence, causing you to clutch your fists and whisper, "What do they mean?" These words are "The Darkened Sea" and "Altar of Malice," and they are names trademarked by SOE this past week. Past the titles themselves and a description as "downloadable RPGs," we know nothing else, although they sound very much like expansion names for MMOs in SOE's library. The names were trademarked on July 2nd in California.
Knight's Fable launching on Wednesday
"The world needs a hero," the Knight's Fable website proclaims. "You be the one." Well, I guess that's it. You're the one. This means that you need to load up on Hot Pockets and Mountain Dew because you're going to need the fuel to save the world come Wednesday, June 18th. That's when Knight's Fable releases and the world gets that one hero it's always craved. This new browser MMO comes courtesy of iMiGAME. It features trainable pets, a battle party system, a PvP arena located in Hell (seriously), and four classes. Knight's Fable also says that it uses "fast-paced turn-based combat," so take that as you will. [Source: iMiGAME press release]
Meet Durango, Nexon's dino survival MMO
Pop quiz, hotshot! Which of these things do not go together: dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, hot air balloons, chainsaws, survival gameplay. It's actually a trick question, because in Durango, Nexon's newest MMO, they all do. Nexon recently revealed the survival-based dino-tastic MMO with a teaser site. From the looks of it, players will be put into a mish-mash prehistoric isometric setting and challenged to survive by making tools, constructing traps, fighting dinos, and building up a safe home. The title is being made by the folks who did Vindictus. In an interesting twist, Durango will be heading primarily (from the looks of it) to mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Nvidia Shield. You can check out the teaser trailer after the jump.
Space Faction opens up a huge galaxy for you to explore and exploit
Is intergalactic multiplayer the new hotness on the MMO scene? It seems as though outer space has finally opened up for business, and we have another title that's eager to get in on the spaceship and ray gun fun. This new game is Space Faction, a PvP MMO that features ground and space exploration and combat. The factions part of the name comes into play because, according to the official site, "to conquer the unknown, these newcomers must learn to hone their abilities and create factions with others, because as large as the galaxy is, it isn't nearly large enough for everyone." Space Faction purports to feature a wide variety of classes and activities, from treasure hunting to collecting bounties to surveying planets. And also fighting. Lots and lots of fighting. The game looks to be in early development and is currently working on setting up a Steam Greenlight campaign. [Thanks to Thomas for the tip!]
EVE Fanfest 2014: CCP responds to DUST 514 fans' rage over Project Legion
When this year's DUST 514 keynote presentation rolled around two days ago at EVE Fanfest 2014, fans of the PlayStation 3 shooter were understandably bewildered. Many tuned into the livestream of the talk or even attended Fanfest in person, expecting to hear an hourlong breakdown of the year's DUST 514 updates and some plans for the game's future. Viewers were instead met with a 30-minute presentation on something called Project Legion, a proposed plan to bring DUST's style of shooter gameplay to the PC in an entirely new MMO. In the absence of any information to the contrary, DUST players have understandably concluded that their game is being quietly closed down in favour of Legion. Earlier today at the CCP Presents keynote presentation, CCP took the opportunity to respond to fears and complaints that have surfaced on the DUST 514 community forum. The official word is that DUST 514 isn't being shuttered and that development will continue, but CCP admitted that it will have less development time going forward. A promise was also made that if Legion goes ahead, the names and assets of every DUST player will be copied over to the new title. That won't be much consolation for the people who bought a PS3 just to play DUST 514 or those who game only on consoles, as Legion is currently being developed only for PC. Another caveat is that Legion has not even been confirmed yet; It was presented in much the same style as EVE: Valkyrie last year, as an experiment that CCP could put significant resources into if players like it. Whether you're a die-hard fan of internet spaceships or just a gawker on the sidelines, EVE Fanfest is the EVE Online event of the year (and the key source of new EVE Valkyrie scoops!). Follow Massively's Brendan Drain as he reports back on this year's Fanfest starpower, scheming, and spoilers from exotic Reykjavik, Iceland.
Record of Lodoss War Online revealed
Record of Lodoss War, the long-running D&D-inspired franchise, will now get its own MMO, 2P.com reports. Record of Lodoss War Online is a Japanese MMO based on the anime, manga, and computer game series that spans back to the mid-'80s. The main storyline is based on the novel Record of Lodoss War: Grey Witch. The MMO was shown to have at least three classes so far: Esquire, Oracle, and Magic User. Combat will incorporate a reaction system that allows users to set skills in advance that will be triggered by different thresholds. Players will be able to build relationships with NPCs through questing, although the nature and depth of these relationships remains to be seen. Developer GameOn said that the MMO will go into alpha testing this summer. You can check out a trailer for Record of Lodoss War Online after the break. [Thanks to Naomi for the tip!]
Harry Potter Online in limited production
With a hot IP, a devoted fan-base, and a fantastical world begging to be explored further, a Harry Potter MMO has been on many gamers' "most wanted" lists for years now. We just got word that Harry Potter Online is indeed in production, although this comes with a serious caveat. The production website for Harry Potter Online is up and running with forums, a gallery, and some basic information about the game. However, it looks as though developer Bio-Hazard Entertainment has yet to receive the full go-ahead from Warner Bros.: "Seeing that it could be a really great business plan, a license was given that would allow the company to begin production on the MMO up until beta. Once beta was hit it would then be decided [by Warner Bros.] if the production would be a good investment or not." The proposed Harry Potter Online would allow players to choose to attend one of three schools of magic, take on roles like Aurors and Lamorians, and become masters of various professions such as potions and herbalism. And yes, if you were wondering, there will be Quidditch. The developers said that a promotional video, trailer, and live interview will be coming soon. You can see some of the game's concept art and hear the devs talking about the game in a video after the break. [Thanks to Cherie for the tip!]
New Albion Online dev video details classless system
In Albion Online, you are what you wear, and a new developer video delves into exactly how that works. The multi-platform fantasy game touts a classless system in which players' equipped gear determines their role, putting the power to create traditional roles or experiment with new ones in the hands of the players themselves. And the number of possible armor and weapon combinations is limited only by the number of items in the game. The type of equipment is not the only form of customization in this system, either. Player-crafted spells are added to each piece of gear, further personalizing the individual items that make up each player-concocted set. Check out an early demonstration of the spellcrafting and hear more about the classless system in the video below. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
Transform yourself in Eclipse War Online's closed beta February 25th
A game that lets players transform into the mobs they kill? If you've got to see it to believe it, Eclipse War Online is opening its closed beta doors from February 25th to March 11th. All interested players have to do to get access to the beta is become a member of Playrohan.com, then watch the official Facebook page and Twitter for the exact times the servers open. Besides collecting transformation cards from monsters, players can also participate in PvP in arena mode or in the three-lane AOS mode (complete with minions and towers). If you just want just a bit more challenge to your PvE instead, know that time of day, geographic location, and predator/prey status affect gameplay in Eclipse War Online. [Source: Playwith Interactive press release]
Introducing Terrayn, a persistent world sandbox
Another day, another hopeful sandbox MMO takes its first fledgling steps onto the Kickstarter scene looking for those who believe in it (and will back up that belief with a financial committment). Today's new title is Terrayn (pronounced "terrain"), a game that promises a fully modifiable persistent world for players to manipulate. Terrayn will be divided up into four kingdoms, each of which can be customized by the playerbase. The developers promise that players can "drown villages and build up empires" if they so choose. The MMO will take place on a single server with a single population. Players can also wield the power of API to fully script events and structures on the landscape for others to discover. CodeMushroom is asking for $300,000 to create a closed beta within 18 months. We've got the introductory video for Terrayn after the break, so check it out and see if it's worthy of your investment dollars. [Thanks to Todd for the tip!]
Nether adds crafting, creature mode, and tribes
The mean streets of Nether are easing up a bit on players, as Phosphor Games has patched in a slew of helpful systems for its February update. The trio of new features includes crafting, a creature mode, and tribes. Crafting encourages players to scavenge from their adventures and fashion gear and weapons to use and trade. If being a bad guy is your thing, then the new creature mode allows users to step into the twisted role of a nether to stalk victims. And tribes, Nether's version of guilds, are now in the game with bases, a skill tree, and special objectives to be patched in later in the month. Players who join a tribe from now through February 15th will earn special bonuses including currency and a free uniform. We've got a video showing some of the February update features after the jump, so get a move on, little doggy! [Source: Phosphor Games press release]
Nether's January update introduces dirt bikes and group options
The survival horror world of Nether continues to take form and shape as the devs are introducing the year's first update this week. The big addition that will come in this patch is the dirt bike, which gives players a faster means of navigating the post-apocalyptic landscape. Of course, when you do so you'll be making an awful racket and since the enemies are very sensitive to all sound, any riders will probably enjoy a few breezy minutes of transportation followed by a few painful minutes of being disembowled. The patch is also including group features such as group chat, invites, nametags, and locations on the map. There are also some new cosmetic items to check out (Russian hat, anyone?) and plenty of fixes for various bugs. We've got the video of the dirt bike in action after the break.
