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Next SOE Live hits Vegas August 14 - 17, 2014
If you're still kicking yourself for missing the big reveals of SOE Live 2013, you've got plenty of time to make preparations for next year's convention. Mark your 2014 calendars for August 14th through the 17th; that's when fans from the whole arsenal of SOE games will descend upon Las Vegas to mingle with devs, participate in contests and tournaments, attend player and dev panels, and catch reveals of upcoming content in their favorite games. SOE Live 2014 will also features access to beta programs as well as plenty of in-game and real world swag. The annual fan convention will return to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, and tickets will be available for purchase in early 2014. Additional information will be forthcoming later, but you can catch the reveal trailer below. [Source: SOE press release]
Choose My Adventure: The weather outside is frightful
December is here, which means it's about time to throw some logs on the fire, grab every blanket in the house, and collapse under the mantle in a freezing, sobbing heap. This week's arctic blast has left the United States feeling a lot like Northrend, but for those of us in certain parts of the country it's just the beginning of what's sure to be a long, hellish winter. However cold it may be outside, there's always a warm, toasty inn waiting in our favorite games. MMOs also provide sunny vistas, hot deserts, and steamy swamps, all of which make great places to escape nasty real-life weather. Even when it's cold in an MMO, it's still warm at our desks. In this edition of Choose My Adventure, I'm depending on you to help me hide from the snow that's piling up outside of my window. You don't have to send me somewhere warm, but I'd appreciate it if you send me somewhere fun.
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PlanetSide vs. PlanetSide 2: The key differences
If you're a PlanetSide player who has been around since the beginning, I don't need to explain the differences between the original and its follow-up, PlanetSide 2. But if you're an old-school player who has never touched the second version, a new-school player who's never played the original, or a player who's brand-new to the universe completely, then this article about the PlanetSide duo and what sets the two games apart is for you. The first and most important difference is each game's population. I am not exaggerating when I say that the original PlanetSide is today merely a shell of its former self. I tried on several occasions to find a fight to join and was only once able to locate a tiny battle in one small corner of the world. That's something to keep in mind if you give the elder game a deeper look.
SOE planning 'additional personal progression systems' for PlanetSide 2
You probably knew that PlanetSide 2 recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. You may not have known that SOE devs took to Reddit earlier today for an Ask Me Anything session. Several PS2 luminaries participated, but one of the most interesting answers was given by creative director Matt Higby. The question focused on PS2's progression system and whether or not SOE plans to augment it. "At a certain point people will run out of things to unlock, we're not trying to run a non-stop gear treadmill game," Higby explained. "One thing we're working on is adding additional personal progression systems that aren't tied to gear or player power -- this will allow us to provide those long term reach goals without having to either price new players out of important gear, make a punishingly steep grind for advanced upgrades, or continuously inflate the number of upgrades at the end of the treadmill like most MMO games do."
Free for All: MMORPGs for your new console
Consoles and MMOs do not have the stand-offish relationship that they used to have. In fact, there are so many different MMOs to choose from on consoles that it's seriously tempting to pick up one of the new ones -- the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 -- even though I wasn't planning on it for a long, long time. I enjoy using a controller with MMOs so much that I plan on covering the subject more in the future. So let's get to the list of MMOs that are currently on consoles or that will be coming out on consoles in the near(ish) future. Massively's own Mike Foster put together a fantastic list last summer, but I thought I would update and pass it on. After all, the new consoles are officially here... so be sure to reference the list when you need a new MMO to play on your shiny new console!
PlanetSide 2 anniversary contest will turn EU player stories into graphic novels
War has been raging on Auraxis for a year now, and ProSiebenSat.1 is celebrating PlanetSide 2's first birthday with a special contest and an exclusive anniversary bundle. The contest will transform European players' stories of their PS2 adventures into graphic novels, drawn by artist Colin M. Winkler. Players who feel they have compelling "WarStories" can submit them for consideration between now and December 17th, 2013. Three first-place winners (one for each Empire) will have their stories transformed into graphic novels and will earn various other prizes. All finalists, along with six second- and third-place winners, get some goodies. EU players can also purchase a special anniversary bundle that contains camo, decals, weapons, and boosts. Additionally, all PlanetSide 2 players who joined the beta phase, played on the launch day, or played the game anytime in the last year will snag exclusive anniversary decals automatically. [Source: ProSiebenSat.1 Games press release]
SOE president 'can't wait' to see EverQuest Next on PS4
In an interview with GamerHubTV, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley hinted at a PlayStation 4 release for the studio's next big MMO, EverQuest Next. Smedley was coy on the details, explaining, "We haven't announced technically that we're putting it on the PlayStation 4, but it's fair to say that we're a Sony company, so I say that with a smile on my face. Can't wait to see it on PS4." Smedley cited the PS4's eight gigs of ram and connection to the PlayStation Network as major strengths for the SOE development team, claiming that developing for PS4 is like "developing on a really super high-end PC." SOE is no stranger to console MMOs; the studio brought both DC Universe Online and Free Realms to PlayStation 3 and is porting both DCUO and PlanetSide 2 to PS4 with the former already live.
OMFG: It's a PlanetSide 2 optimization patch
Now that that's out of my system, let's see. SOE has released phase one of Operation: Make Faster Game for PlanetSide 2. The firm's press release bills today's push as the "first major optimization patch" in the MMOFPS title's short history. OMFG includes "optimized UI, physics, sound, player processing, rendering code, and more." Put another way, you should experience significantly improved performance while you're fragging it up all over Auraxis. In fact, SOE says that frame rate gains will top 30 percent in some cases. [Source: SOE press release]
PlanetSide 2 coming to South Korea
PlanetSide 2 is forging in-roads with South Korea as SOE has announced a partnership with Daum Communications to bring the free-to-play MMOFPS to the country. Daum will be handling all of the operations of the title with exclusive publishing rights. Daum Leader of Game Division Sean Hong anticipates a strong response from the country's gamers: "PlanetSide 2 is a groundbreaking MMOFPS, and its competitive nature is a perfect fit for the South Korean audience." The date of the South Korean launch is unknown, but the two companies will be showing PlanetSide 2 off at G-STAR from November 14th through 16th. [Source: SOE press release]
EVE Evolved: What DUST 514 should have been
It's now been almost six months since DUST 514's official release, and I think it's safe to say it hasn't quite lived up to expectations. The game was lauded for its revolutionary realtime link with the EVE Online universe, but so far there's very little back-and-forth between the two titles. Originally intended as an MMO in its own right but also as an integral part of EVE's territorial endgame, DUST now exists largely as a lobby-based first-person shooter with the twist that equipment is lost on death. Even the planetary conquest portion of DUST that could be considered its most MMO-esque element has been abstracted into a series of instanced and scheduled 24v24 battles. DUST's main rival during development was the PC-based PlanetSide 2, and had the two games released on the same platform, I'm sure that rivalry would still be in the media spotlight. I've been playing PlanetSide 2 for just a few days, and I can already see elements that would make it a far better fit for the EVE universe than the current version of DUST. So what could DUST learn from its non-console-only counterpart? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how PlanetSide 2 handles issues of persistence, planetary conquest, and vehicle spawning, and why I think DUST 514 should be borrowing a few tricks from its game design.
PlanetSide 2's release on PS4 delayed to 2014, DCUO still set for launch
Although PlanetSide 2 is still coming to the PlayStation 4, the release has been delayed until early 2014. PS2 was noticeably absent from a list of launch games on the PS4's newly released FAQ, and SOE CEO John Smedley confirmed the delay in an interview on Bloomberg TV. According to the FAQ, DC Universe Online is still slated to release as a launch title in North America and also the UK (where the PS4 will launch nearly two weeks later than in NA). As free-to-play titles, neither PS2 nor DCUO will require a PlayStation Plus membership when it does launch on the PS4.
An interview with 2013 SOE G.I.R.L. Scholarship winner Esther Wu
Sony Online Entertainment's G.I.R.L. (short for Gamers in Real Life) scholarship was developed to encourage women to pursue careers in game development and design. The winners are selected via an annual competition and receive a $10,000 scholarship in addition to a valuable in-studio internship working on one of SOE's many games. The submissions, which this year consisted of art design pieces and essays on the topic of women in gaming, are reviewed by a panel of judges from SOE. This year's winner, Esther Wu, spent 10 weeks working with the PlanetSide 2 art team at SOE's San Diego headquarters. We sat down with her to learn more about the G.I.R.L. Scholarship, her internship, and where she hopes to go next.
A look at the PlanetSide 2 World Domination Series
PlanetSide 2 players have been asking for something that gives their favorite game a bit more persistence. Conquering territories is a lot of fun, but it can sometimes become repetitive and less satisfying when those territories simply turn over to the next empire that decides to take it. This is where the World Domination Series has stepped in to give the game and its loyal fanbase even more reason to log in and fight. The World Domination Series hands out points to factions that hold on to an area for longer periods of time and will eventually give out points to individual players. Even though it just finished a first wave of in-game testing Sunday night, it will soon be accessible through a handy scorecard in-game and lists the daily, weekly, and seasonal scores as well as each empire's server- and game-wide performance. Each territory is worth a certain number of points, but holding a territory for longer periods of time is worth even more points. At the end of each week, rewards will be handed out. During the testing, the rewards consisted of experience boosts, but it'll be expanded later. How does this new system affect the rest of the playerbase, and what's in store for it in the future? We asked Matt Higby, Creative Director for PlanetSide 2, to answer some these questions.
PlanetSide 2 is heading to Brazil
PlanetSide 2 is adding another stamp in its passport: It's heading to Brazil! If you happen to live in that neck of the woods, you'll soon be able to jump into the explosive action on local servers thanks to a new partnership announced by SOE today. Brazil's largest game publisher, Gamerica, will bring the free-to-play MMOFPS to the country and another company, UOL BoaCompra, will handle local payment methods. Under this agreement, Gamerica will have exclusive publishing rights for the PC in Brazil and will provide dedicated servers, local customer support, and payment gateways (through UOL BoaCompra). PS2 remains free-to-play and players can make purchases in-game using their preferred payment methods in their country. [Source: SOE press release]
Choose My Adventure: Indecision 2013
My goodness, it's been a long time since I've done Choose My Adventure. I cannot wait to dive into it again. But first, I should probably break down the rules and let you know how my Choose My Adventure will likely differ from those who have come before me. Besides the weekly column that comes out on Wednesday, I will also run a livestream whenever I play the game. Of course, Massively's livestream sessions are abbreviated, so I cannot stream on that channel for the number of hours that it will take me to accurately get a taste of what the game is like. So I will run the regular livestream on my channel, then take over Massively's stream when I can. That also means that some of the choices made during the course of this adventure will be made on the livestream and not in this column. However, I will attempt to let the readers of this column make the major choices. So let's decide what game I'll be playing for you. After the break, I've listed five games that I am interested in revisiting or visiting for the first time. Read the descriptions, then at the end, vote on the game you'd like to see me play. I will have to close the voting on Fridays, so that I will have the weekend to actually implement the choices you make. Happy adventuring!
PlanetSide 2 players hosting 24-hour play-a-thon to raise money for breast cancer research
As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, folks are probably seeing pink crop up all over the place in their daily lives. And now that color has landed in the gritty world of PlanetSide 2. A group of outfits on the Connery server has banded together to organize a 24-hour play-a-thon to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to aid in its search for a cure. On October 26th, Genocidal Rampage (CASH), 666th Devil Dogs (666), TRG, and OP4 will be hosting this 24-hour livestream event where players from all factions can unite against "the real Fourth Faction" and donate to the cause. Using the event's GoFundMe site, players can show their support by pledging to support favorite streamers or even placing bets on competitive events during the stream. Of course, just being a part and showing support and solidarity is also welcome! Those wishing to participate in the play-a-thon as streamers should contact MagnmStallion (CASH), LadyShade (666), Oblivion (TRG), orTheLostLenore (OP4).
The Stream Team: Decisionally challenged weather edition, October 7 - 13, 2013
I don't know about you, but in my neck of the woods Mother Nature is suffering some kind of identity crisis. In the span of a single day we have had bone-chilling cold and frost, sun-scorching heat, and monsoon-inspired rainstorms. Every time we have a season-appropriate cold snap, the second I go to remove my air-conditioner, we have a blistering heat wave. People were pumpkin harvesting in shorts for heaven's sakes! Is it fall? Or is it summer? If the weather is any indication, we need to institute a new season. We could call it Summall. Or maybe Falmer. Then people can just expect to employ heavy coats and shorts within hours. Like they do in Colorado! Like the weather of late, I'll admit to being decisionally challenged at times (especially when trying to pick what to do in a game with so many options!). Luckily, for any who suffer that same affliction, your favorite Stream Team hosts will never conflict on the Massively TV schedule. So who's playing what when this week? Check out the schedule and see!
PlanetSide 2 hosts pre-season territory control event
The competition in PlanetSide 2 is all in good fun, assuming that you consider crushing your opponents in a bid for global dominance to be "good fun." But starting today the game is being ramped up a notch with the World Domination Series pre-season event. It's a contest to see who can actually control the most territory for the longest period, running a weekly competition from now until October 21st. And to the winners go prizes. You might think domination of the world is the prize, but no, the prizes are experience boosters and special decals. How do you win them? You earn more points than the other empires. Fight on the side of the winning empire in a given week to help earn points. A captured small outpost is worth 1 point, a captured large outpost is worth 2 points, a facility is worth 5 points, and a full territory is worth 3 points per hour that it remains under the empire's control. At the end of the week, values will be tallied, and the next week will give everyone a chance to fight it out again.
PlanetSide 2 launches Operation: Make Faster Game
It's easy for most players not to think about optimization. Games run the way they run, and you turn down options until you strike a balance between graphical prettiness and acceptable framerates. But developers spend a lot of time thinking about these things, and that thinking is precisely what's informing the new major development project for PlanetSide 2. Tech director Ryan Elam explains what this means in a letter to the community about what the team is planning to do with the game. Elam explains that at this point the team feels that the core game mechanics are where they need to be. What the game does need is to trim out bits of visual fluff and effects that force the game to run more slowly than it should. So the developers are working on simple ways to do that, like slowing the rate of updates on adjacent players to speed up large battles and simplifying the physics engine to not render changes that players cannot see or interact with. For a full list of the optimization projects, take a look at the letter. [Thanks to Gustavo for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced?
We've talked about the definition of the term MMO in this column on numerous occasions, and while it's completely subjective, most people generally take the number of concurrent players into account when having the discussion. I was having the discussion -- again -- with some friends the other day, and I kept thinking about the biggest MMO battles I've seen since I started playing way back when. I don't have exact numbers, but I do remember some engagements in both Battleground Europe and PlanetSide that involved several hundred people at a minimum. What about you, Massively readers? What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced? 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!
