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PAX Prime 2013: Final Fantasy XIV's presentation apologizes for a 'rocky' launch
Final Fantasy XIV had a sizable presence at PAX Prime this year. Massively sat in on Square's presentation and group interview, and we also managed a separate session with producer Naoki Yoshida apart from all the hustle and bustle. In this recap, we'll walk you through the highlights from the first session, which also featured sound director Masayoshi Soken and localization lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, who handled translation duties.
PAX Prime 2013: EverQuest Landmark screens and video
EverQuest Next Landmark is a prime (get it?!) focus for Sony Online Entertainment at this weekend's PAX Prime 2013 (now you get it) and the studio has released some new videos and screenshots showing off what players can expect from the title's sandbox of world-editing tools. On display is a time-lapse of player creation in a lava-filled cave, with a closer look at EverQuest Next's dwarf race. There's also a quick look at EverQuest Next's parkour-inspired free running in action. Check out both videos after the break and hit the gallery for the latest images. %Gallery-195288%
PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash
It seems that more and more studios at PAX are electing to avoid the convention hall altogether and go for off-site venues, especially when it comes to parties and fan events (I was told that even a small booth on the exhibit floor can cost a company $100,000). So while Guild Wars 2 was notably absent from the PAX Prime exhibit hall this year, it was quite a different story a few blocks away at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle where ArenaNet set up camp for the title's anniversary bash. Players began lining up for the panels, playthroughs, and party hours in advance, all sharing the same glow of enthusiasm for the game they've enjoyed over the past year. By all accounts (I wasn't there a year ago), the launch party for Guild Wars 2 at last year's PAX was far more insane. Yet I think that this year there was a better feel to it. It wasn't about hype and anticipation for the fans but about experience and shared affection for the title they'd been enjoying since last August. So join me as I recap the anniversary bash, step by step, and perhaps we'll learn a thing or two about where this game is going in the near future.
PAX Prime 2013: The strange case for EverQuest Next Landmark
It's early on the first day of PAX Prime and I haven't had my coffee yet. The coffee is necessary to catch me up to the boundless enthusiasm of the ponytailed dev who sits across from me gesticulating wildly. With each wave of the hand a new image pops on the large monitor to the right of us, showing off another captivating snapshot of a fantasy world and its potential inhabitants. It's one thing to watch Dave Georgeson be giddy about EverQuest Next and its slightly-more-sandbox-than-thou EverQuest Next Landmark from afar. It's another thing to be close enough that his hand gestures threaten my full cup of joe. And either near or far, it's hard not to ride the wave of enthusiasm to the shores of hype, hopes, and dreams. Georgeson and company are strongly pushing EverQuest Next Landmark these days, possibly because it's coming out in a couple of months and possibly because it's a strange game to explain to players. Just what is it? Sandbox? MMO? Real estate simulator? Parkour paradise? Capitalistic haven for up-and-coming designers? According to him, it's all of the above and then some.
PAX Prime 2013: Guild Wars 2's story, boss revamps, LFG, and the next big update
Not many MMOs can say that they've done as much in their first year as Guild Wars 2. The team at ArenaNet is rightly proud of what it's accomplished over the past 365 days, but the devs also know that all of what's come before is just a drop in the bucket compared to their plans for the future. At PAX Prime yesterday, Lead Game Designer Colin Johanson brought us in for an overview on Guild Wars 2's progress and upcoming direction. It's not just living story, although there is a lot of that; the team has ambitious plans that are only beginning to be revealed to the playerbase after months of preparation and build up. We've got the full scoop on where the game's headed in both PvE and PvP (or WvW if you're nasty). You know you want to know. Go ahead. Click. Let's do this.
PAX Prime 2013: WildStar dungeon preview
WildStar's dungeons won't be for everyone. They're a bit tougher, a bit wilder, and a bit longer than the standard MMO crop today. If you're looking for a breezy PvE experience, you might not even want to consider running one. However, Carbine hopes that you'll look past the increased difficulty and run-time to be intrigued by some of the most unique encounters and locales in the game. This was the word from WildStar Design Producer Stephan Frost at PAX Prime. Frost ran us quickly through a pair of dungeons -- The Ruins of Kel Voreth and Stormtalon's Lair -- to give us the lay of the land and an idea of what we'll be in for when we timidly step over these thresholds. These dungeons might not be everyone's cup of tea, but those who appreciate a challenge will find it and the rewards to match.
PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar
Sometimes you just know that an upcoming game is going to be perfect for you. You know this because the art style sends shivers of delight down your spine, the video previews send you salivating for more, and the news that it's adopting a sub-only model doesn't quite faze you as much as you would've expected. Still, even though you know it'll be right for you, you don't really know until you get your hands on it for the first time. And even then, you don't really know until you've played it for a good, long while to see whether it sticks or not. While my total playtime with WildStar is a few sessions spread over two days at PAX Prime, I have seen nothing that makes me regret being interested in this title as both a super-professional video game press dude and as a humble player. I can recall letting out my breath in relief in the first zone once I saw and felt how it handled. WildStar may not be for everyone -- and that's fine -- but it left me happy, satisfied, and smiling. That's what the Chua said.
PAX Prime 2013: Hands-on with The Crew
I originally learned about The Crew from friends rather than from gaming hype. "Ask them if we can walk around on foot!" they hounded me. They're all anticipating The Crew, and when I showed up to Ubisoft's PAX Prime booth earlier today, I realized they aren't alone: Hordes of people were lined up to play Ubisoft's MMO racer. Naturally, I decided to try my luck. But sorry, guys -- you can't walk around on foot.
PAX Prime 2013: Dragon's Prophet adds frontier system, new zone, and mounted combat
The timer only has a few days left until Dragon's Prophet emerges from its beta cocoon and becomes a fire-breathing butterfly. Does that faze the devs? Not so much; they're quite excited to take this dragon-taming MMO to the big leagues. You might think you know everything about Dragon's Prophet from our hands-on impressions, although that's just part of the story. The team is adding a serious amount of new content and fixes for launch day that nobody's seen yet... and we've got the full scoop.
The Daily Grind: What can PAX Prime 2013 do for you?
August is always a patchwork of gaming conventions, and since August is almost over, that makes this weekend's PAX Prime the last major gaming con of the year (if you don't count BlizzCon, anyway). In fact, PAX is one of the best cons for MMO and MOBA fans. This year, Massively's sending Justin Olivetti, Patrick Mackey, and Jasmine Hruschak to PAX, and we've overloaded them with games to cover. Both Guild Wars 2 and Final Fantasy XIV are hosting massive off-site events; The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar will be out in force with hands-on demos on the show floor itself. Naturally, we'll be checking out SOE's lineup -- EverQuest Next, Dragon's Prophet, and DC Universe on the PS4 -- as well as The Crew, The Repopulation, Wander, Guns of Icarus, and Wargaming's roster. We've even booked our MOBA expert to check out Smashmuck Champions, SMITE, Strife, Infinite Crisis, and the League of Legends NA regionals. Now you know what we're hoping to see. What are you hoping to see (other than "let me in the beta!")? Which games do you wish were going? What do you want to see from the big-name MMOs, launched, relaunched, and not-yet-launched, and the little indies? What announcements weren't made at Gamescom last week that really ought to land at PAX before the last pre-holidays convention opportunity is gone? 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!
SOE publishes panel schedule for PAX and Dragon Con
Going to PAX or DragonCon this weekend? Excited for news about the EverQuest franchise or SOE's other MMORPGs? You should check out the firm's convention schedule, then, because there's a little something for everyone. Whether you're hungry for EverQuest Next tidbits, you're looking to break into the game industry, or you're wanting to brush up on your online gaming history, SOE has a developer panel with your name on it. And of course don't forget to check in with Massively through the weekend and on into next week as our on-site staffers bring you the best DragonCon and PAX scoops! Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 30th to September 2nd, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar, The Elder Scrolls Online, EverQuest Next, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
PAX Prime 2013: Wargaming plans presence and presents
If you are heading out to PAX Prime in Seattle this weekend, you'll have the opportunity to drop by the Wargaming booth and get your hands on World of Tanks on the Xbox 360 and World of Warplanes. Located at exhibit space 132 and 232, Wargaming's booth will have 30 playable gaming stations set up for attendees to play the games on. If playing the games isn't enough of an incentive to drop by, how about this one: The studio also plans hourly giveaways for the chance to win a variety of gaming hardware. [Source: Wargaming press release]
ArenaNet reveals its PAX schedule, GW2 PvP invitational teams
Going to PAX Prime or PAX Dev? Love Guild Wars 2? Well, check out ArenaNet's schedule to see if any of the studio's panels or panelists tickle your fancy. There's a little something for everyone whether you're interested in video game story, content delivery, or breaking into gaming. In other Guild Wars 2 news, the game's official website has been updated with a look at the PvP Invitational Tournament teams.
PAX 10 stars Gunpoint, Ridiculous Fishing, Towerfall, more
The PAX 10 is a decadent lineup of the year's top indie games, as chosen by a panel of 50 industry experts and primed to be featured at PAX in Seattle, Washington. This year's list reads as follows: Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche, Badland, Escape Goat 2, Gunpoint, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Owlboy, Ridiculous Fishing, Rogue Legacy, Sokobond and Towerfall. We're particularly tickled about Gunpoint, which we think "oozes creativity;" Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, which is "too cute to be depressing," and Ridiculous Fishing, which earns five stars with flying colors (and fish). The entire lineup offers a hefty hunk of indie gaming goodness, and you can find them all at PAX Prime in Seattle from August 30 to September 2.
PAX Prime 2013 registration is up and running
The time has come once again to prepare for PAX Prime! Registration for the four-day con went live earlier today. In typical PAX fashion, four-day tickets sold at a jaw-dropping rate and are now unavailable. You've still got a chance to swipe up single-day tickets for as many days as you like, though. PAX Prime 2013 will be held in Seattle's Washington State Convention center and runs from Friday, August 30th, until Monday, September 2nd. Of course, if you can't make it to PAX or the thought of spending that much time with that many folks is wearisome to you, we'll have all the juicy news right here. (We just can't attend the parties for you.)
MMO Family: The consequences of kids at conventions
As I wound down my time at PAX East recently, I couldn't help but notice how different this convention was compared to when I went a couple of years ago. Yes, the exhibition floor was bigger, and there were many more in attendance, but the overall feel was different as well, and part of that was the increased presence of children. We normally don't think of a video game convention as a family activity, and yet the fact that so many adults brought their children is telling. And whether you agree with it or not, there's something to be learned from the presence of kids at game conventions.
Leaderboard: Which convention reveal excited you the most?
So March's gaming convention madness is in our rearview mirror (although some coverage is still trickling in during the early part of this week). There were plenty of big reveals and plenty of smaller details, too, and chances are there was something that caught your eye from our GDC and PAX East coverage over the past two weeks. For today's Leaderboard, let's pit a few of the noteworthy reveals against one another to see which game excited the Massively commentariat the most. Vote after the cut. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
PAX East 2013: A second hands-on with WildStar's Draken Stalker
Everyone at the completely fictional Massively office seems to have some kind of schoolgirl crush on Carbine Studios' quirky upcoming sci-fi title WildStar, and I can understand why. The setting is fresh, melding some aspects of our favorite sci-fi properties (cough Firefly cough) with a a healthy dose of fantasy and a not insignificant amount of witty comedy, and the list of features the game boasts is rather extensive. I mean, did you even see that housing trailer? Holy wow, guys. In spite of all of that, though, I was still a little cautious about giving in to the hype. After all, I'm sure there's not an MMO fan in existence who hasn't gotten super excited about a game and become a devoted fanboy only to have his hopes and expectations shattered when the game didn't live up to the hype. So I let myself be excited, but reservedly so, until I could get my hands on the game for myself to complement Eliot's earlier PAX hands-on with the game. As it so happens, on the last day of PAX East, I got to do just that. Though it was only a short 25-minute demo (thank goodness -- otherwise the lines would have circled the convention center), I think I was able to get a pretty solid idea of what we can expect from WildStar, and let me tell you right now, we can expect some great things.
The Mog Log: PAX East wasn't for us
Last week I promised to bring you all of the hard-hitting coverage of Square-Enix's presence at PAX East 2013 as it pertained to Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. So here's that coverage: Both games still exist. We good? Great. I'll spend the next nine hundred words or so discussing cats, then. Seriously, if you've been following this site or this column, you know everything from PAX East already. Of course, all of this underscores what I see as a simple fact: PAX was not meant for fans of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. If you scan fansites and this site for coverage, you would not be blown away by any of this information, and that's fine. It's not actually for you, and I'm going to go ahead and say that it really shouldn't be for you because it would just be preaching to the converted.
PAX East 2013: Hands-on with Marvel Heroes
Gazillion Entertainment made a splash at PAX East, arriving with the big announcement that Marvel Heroes will be launching on June 4th. In addition, the team gave new details about endgame content, PvP, and special "ultimate powers" for each hero. During the convention, Massively had a chance to sit down with VP of marketing Leo Olebe and CEO David Brevik to get a look at the state of the game, including some brand-new content that the devs have just added to Marvel Heroes. What did we see during our hands-on with the game? Let's just say that rampaging dinosaurs and "Hulk Smash" were but the tip of the iceberg.%Gallery-184248%
