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DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC now available
It's launch day for DC Universe Online's eighth DLC pack! Sons of Trigon is out now, and it features a new power, new zones, new alerts and duos, new Legends PvP toons, and plenty of new gear. The new power set is called Celestial and it's made for healing. New zones include the Gotham Wasteland and its daily solo quests as well as the Mausoleum alert that boasts a battle royale with Trigon. Cheetah and Donna Troy are your new Legends PvP avatars, and SOE has also included a bunch of additional feats and collections. Legendary DCUO members get Sons of Trigon for free, while Premium and Free members can purchase it for $9.99 via the in-game market, the official website, or the PlayStation Network. Don't forget the launch trailer after the break! [Source: SOE press release]
The Stream Team: Labor Day edition, September 2 - 8, 2013
To the youngsters, Labor Day has always always seemed misnomer since folks actually get to take time off from school and work. So a more appropriate moniker would be Play Day, amirite? But the older crowd knows that the day was meant to honor the hard work and contributions of workers. So in the spirit of honoring hard work, we pay homage to those who tireless toil to entertain us -- The Stream Team! Hats of to you, and a three-BBQ-rib salute to boot! Want to join us in this week-long celebration for our streamers? Then tune in to Massively TV and watch a live show or two and catch a few reruns as well. We've got all you need to know right here. (For the snacks, however, you're on your own.)
SOE suffers a 'reduction in workforce' [Updated]
SOE has just announced layoffs to an undetermined number of presumably MMO-related staff. Head of community management Brasse confirmed earlier rumors on the EverQuest II official forums: Today we announced a reduction in our workforce at SOE. As a company, our goal is to focus on our core expertise of MMO games and as part of these efforts, we had to make the difficult decision to eliminate positions to help reduce costs, streamline our employee base and strategically align resources towards our current portfolio of games and upcoming slate of MMOs, including EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next. We deeply value our employees and are grateful for all they've contributed to our company and games. They will be missed by colleagues and friends, and we wish them well in the future. We have contacted SOE for clarification on which MMOs are impacted by these layoffs and will update when we know more. [Thanks to Jeremy for the tip.] [Update: While SOE has declined to officially comment further, an unnamed Gamasutra source claims "the layoffs affect both its San Diego and Austin offices." SOE president John Smedley tweeted his condolences, posting, "Sorry to say that we did have layoffs. We're still moving forward with all our current games and games in development including EverQuest Next and other unannounced titles. The people who got laid off are very good people. Very sorry this happened. Layoffs suck. These are really, really good people who don't deserve this."]
DUST 514 1.4 update to bring usability changes, taxes
On September 3rd, CCP will deliver its biggest update yet to EVE Online-linked, PS3-exclusive shooter DUST 514. Among the changes are performance tweaks, bug fixes, and controller/mouse control improvements, along with the introduction of a hub for collecting player data. And because this is CCP we're talking about, DUST 514 players can also look forward to the addition of corporation taxes. Simply put, player corporations can set their tax rates to whatever they please, and members of those corporations will see the proper amount of ISK deducted from end-of-battle rewards. As in EVE, corporations are free to spend tax revenue in whatever manner they see fit; corps that exist in both DUST and EVE will have one tax rate for both games. It's worth noting that tax rates will be publicly available to players searching for a corp, only rewards greater than 100,000 ISK will be subject to taxation, and NPC corps will have 0% tax rates.
Touring DCUO's Sons of Trigon with SOE's Andersen and Scott [Updated]
It's been only a few weeks since DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC was first announced, but it's already appeared on the test server, and the date it goes live is just around the corner is [Updated!] the week of August 26th for early access players and September 3rd for everyone else. Yesterday, DCUO Creative Director Jens Andersen and Systems Designer Jesse Scott sat down with press to lead a livestream tour highlighting the new zone, new bounty missions, two Legends characters, and new Celestial powers. Read on for a look at what the heroes and villains of the DC Universe can anticipate!%Gallery-196440%
PS3 thriller Beyond: Two Souls lets players use the iPhone as a controller
Drawing casual players into an intense sci-fi storyline on the PlayStation 3 isn't easy, but Beyond: Two Souls developer Quantic Dream thinks it may have found a solution. The upcoming thriller will allow players to use their smartphones and tablets to control the characters, adding a decidedly laid-back twist for players who might not be comfortable grabbing an actual controller. This rather interesting tidbit was unveiled by the company's founder David Cage at the Gamescom conference, Joystiq reports. If you have an iOS or Android device you'll be able to control your on-screen character simply by touching various parts of your device's screen. There are no virtual buttons when using this controller option, and the game defaults to the easiest difficulty level as soon as you choose to navigate using your touchscreen.
CCP Games reveals EVE Valkyrie
There's another game on its way to share space with EVE Online and DUST 514. EVE: Valkyrie is the official name for what had been referred to before now as EVE-VR, what was described as a tech demo assembled with the Oculus Rift and a few fighter craft. Yes, that high-speed dogfighting sim in a virtual reality headset turned out to not just be a brief bit of playable speculation but a peek at the next game from CCP Games. CEO Hilmar Petursson stated that as soon as players got their hands on the demo, they wanted to know when the whole thing could be purchased -- and that was when it was just a concept demo developed by a handful of people during some spare moments. No official statements have been issued on what format the game will take or whether or not there will be components other than multiplayer dogfights. But there will be spaceships zooming around and shooting one another, and that's what attracted people in the first place.
gdgt's best deals for August 19: PlayStation Vita, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
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SOE Live 2013 recapped in just two minutes
SOE Live 2013 was a blur of tournaments, panels, announcements, and keynotes. It brought news for games like PlanetSide 2, Vanguard, Free Realms, Dragon's Prophet, and DC Universe Online, along with the industry-shaking reveal of EverQuest Next. In other words, it was kind of a big deal. And you can see what it was like to be there in person by watching the two-minute recap video just released by SOE. Check it out after the break, and feel free to browse back through our coverage for in-depth looks at everything that was on display.
12GB flash-based PlayStation 3 on sale in North America, despite Sony's prior claims
In September of last year, Sony threw in an interesting nugget when it shipped the third-generation PS3: there'd be a unique, more affordable 12GB flash-based unit exclusively for Europe and Hong Kong. Sure, it doesn't do much good for those who boast huge game libraries or prefer to store odds and ends locally, but Sony clearly determined that there'd be a real market for such a product. Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller sat down with us following the launches, and made a point to tell us the following: "The smaller Flash drive isn't coming to North America, and a lot of that reason is the digital consumer. We really want to make sure, out of the box, that there is an option for them to be able to download that content. That is really critical for us, very very important." 180s happen quite frequently in the technology world, and it seems that we're peering at another here. Canada's own Future Shop has the 12GB PS3 listed right now as "In Stock" for $199.99, and a number of stock trackers are confirming that units are trickling into brick and mortar locations across various provinces. This all jibes nicely with a recent PlayStation Lifestyle rumor that suggests the system is coming to both Canada and the United States on August 18th, leaving us to assume that this particular store simply managed to get a jump on the competition. All that said, you can get a new 500GB PS3 with Grand Theft Auto V for just $70 more (or another, more sizable unit for even less on the secondhand market) -- but hey, options! Update: We've received an image (shown after the break) of the 12GB PlayStation 3 in a Kmart stockroom here in the United States. The "do not sell until" date is predictably labeled as August 18th, which means that Yanks should be able to get their hands on one of these without an impromptu road trip up north in just a few days. [Thanks, Jean-Philippe]
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Superheroic news for July
So how's everybody been? You all doing well? Because I'm super, and thanks for asking. For some reason, July was one of the first months since its announcement that seemed to be fairly quiet for Infinite Crisis; I can only guess that most of the staff was too busy playing to make announcements, which would be the ideal situation. But the other superheroic games on the market certainly didn't quiet down, with Marvel Heroes and Champions Online both making plenty of noise. Even DC Universe Online got in on the action, or tried to until SOE Live wound up being all about one game. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You want a rundown on the super scene from last month? It's all here behind the cut, so come on down and take a look. It's the third month since we moved over to the new format, and I can't help but hope that I'm starting to get into the cadence.
MMO Family: Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures at SOE Live
While we've heard lots of news this past weekend about SOE's lineup of titles for the adult audience, there's an ever growing presence of children at the convention thanks to the popularity of Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures. They might not have as many years of experience gaming as the "grown-up" crowd, but they still had lots of questions and insight to share with the developers of both games. To meet that demand, there were two panels for SOE's kid-friendly MMOs; one focused on the art of the games, while the other talked about some of the ways that the team designs their games around a younger audience. And there was some exciting news about what's planned for the future as well. Read on for the highlights!
SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond
Just before the events of SOE Live actually got rolling, DC Universe Online's next DLC was announced. But that little bit of foreknowledge certainly didn't mean that folks had heard everything; it was, in fact, quite the opposite. Attendees were treated to an eye-ful and earful of Sons of Trigon goodness as well as some other non-DLC 8 related tidbits. We were on the scene to catch these announcements in the various panels for you, and we also got to speak with Design Director Jesse Benjamin, Producer Larry Liberty, and Creative Director Jens Andersen to hear their thoughts on DCL 8, see a preview of the new areas, and get a hint of what's coming in the future.
SOE Live 2013: DCUO changing its loot mechanics
Even though the focus of DC Universe Online's presence at SOE Live was the upcoming DLC Sons of Trigon, SOE had some other superheroic news to deliver as well. The devs are rebooting the game's loot system, so now when groups and raids kill a boss, every single person will get items of their very own. The items will be random as far as piece and class, so no one is assured to get something they can actually use. Although no exact date was given, Creative Director Jens Andersen stated that the change would be rolled out in stages instead of waiting for the entire system to be overhauled. He added that the newer tiers would see the change first, then the lower levels. Keep an eye out for our upcoming DCUO panel impressions for more info. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, at least where SOE Live is concerned! Massively sent intrepid reporters MJ Guthrie and Karen Bryan to this year's SOE Live, from which they'll be transmitting all the best fan news on EverQuest Next, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, and the other MMOs on SOE's roster.
SOE announces DC Universe Online Sons of Trigon DLC
Are you craving more superheroic content in DC Universe Online? SOE has some good news for you in the form of DCUO's latest DLC release. It's called Sons of Trigon, and it will feature new high-level multiplayer and solo stuff as well as the game's 11th power set (Celestial). SOE hasn't announced an official release date beyond fall 2013, but the firm's new press release does detail what looks to be a pretty meaty update. New legends PvP characters Cheetah and Donna Troy are in the works, as is a new shared zone (Gotham City wasteland) featuring daily solo quests. A new alert and three new duo instances are also coming along with new gear and the requisite feats and collections. Sons of Trigon will be free for Legendary members. Premium and F2P players can purchase it via the in-game marketplace, the PlayStation Network, or the DCUO website. [Source: SOE press release]
SOE Live prepares for record attendance, debut of EverQuest Next
Sony Online Entertainment's SOE Live event is promising to be bigger than ever this year, as the company is reporting that advance passes are sold out and that walk-up tickets are expected to do the same, and quickly. SOE Live 2013, which takes place August 1st through 4th at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, is surrounded by hype thanks largely to the long-awaited debut of EverQuest Next. SOE will also host five tournaments, a silent auction, a pool party, and talent and costume contests. Fans of DC Universe Online, PlanetSide 2, and EverQuest may want to check out the official event lineup for details as to when their games will be featured. We have two Massively staffers on deck in Vegas: MJ Guthrie and Karen Bryan will be covering news as it happens, and Karen is set to host a player panel dedicated to helping guild leaders find better ways to run their guilds at 7:00 p.m. EDT (4:00 p.m. PDT). Stay tuned: SOE Live starts tomorrow Thursday with a keynote address at 10 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. PDT). You can watch it live on SOE's EQ Next and main Twitch channels. [Source: SOE press release]
Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs
Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry. One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch. The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.
gdgt's best deals for July 24: 47-inch LG LED 3D HDTV, HP Officejet Pro All-in-one
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gdgt's best deals for July 22: Nintendo 3DS, RCA HDTV
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EVE Evolved: Is DUST 514 a pay-to-win game?
I've been following DUST 514's development with a cautious optimism for the past few years and have been trying to convince my console gamer friends to give it a try since it launched back in May. Last week I finally sat down to play the game myself and was thoroughly disappointed with both its 2005-era graphics and fundamentally broken gameplay. DUST 514 will likely stay in development for the forseeable future and may end up becoming a polished and integral part of the EVE Online universe, but right now it's a buggy and mediocre FPS that has very little impact on New Eden. DUST 514 launched to mixed impressions from the gaming media, catching a lot of flack from reviewers for its microtransactions options. Some have argued that selling skill point boosters and destructible Aurum tanks and equipment directly for cash makes it a pay-to-win game, while others maintain that it doesn't give you an advantage that free players can't buy for ISK. The definition of pay-to-win isn't always clear, and the console FPS audience may not be as tolerant of microtransactions PC users have long since accepted. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the arguments for and against it being a pay-to-win game and ask what went wrong with the game's launch.