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Pre-orders for Marvel Heroes' Winter Soldier are now open
After years of being mostly notable for being supposedly dead, Bucky Barnes turns out to have actually been kept alive as an elite assassin known as the Winter Soldier. You know, as comics do. The important things to note about the character for our purposes are the fact that he's coming to Marvel Heroes and you can pre-order him right now. You can also hear David Hayter voicing him as a closely related cousin of Solid Snake in the video past the cut, but that probably shouldn't influence your purchase. The hero pack is at a 10% discount before the character is released and includes the character himself, two costumes for Bucky (comic and MCU incarnations), an extra hero-specific inventory, six Fortune cards, and a retcon token. With the discount, it's just a hair over $16; if that sounds like a bargain for playing a mildly psychotic unfrozen Hydra assassin, you can pick it up now.
Fourth Evolve monster granted with pre-orders or separate purchase
Turtle Rock Studios' four-versus-one multiplayer shooter Evolve will receive a number of add-ons following the game's launch in February. For $25, the game's Hunting Season Pass will introduce four new playable hunters this spring, one for each class in the game. Each hunter will also be available for purchase for $7.49 each. Season pass holders will also get exclusive access to three monster skins at Evolve's launch: Magma Goliath, Magma Kraken and Magma Wraith. Turtle Rock Studios also revealed the Behemoth, a fourth playable "tank of a monster" that transforms into a rolling boulder, available this spring for $15. The Behemoth will also be part of the Monster Expansion Pack, a bonus for those that pre-order or pre-purchase Evolve. That expansion pack itself features a free Savage Goliath skin at the game's launch. Additionally, the developer revealed two special edition versions of the game today, each available for pre-purchase. Evolve's Digital Deluxe Edition features the monster-slaying game, its season pass and the Monster Expansion Pack for $80, available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. PC players get a special collector's edition to themselves as well: Evolve's $100 PC Monster Race Edition features the same goodies as the Digital Deluxe Edition as well as a fifth monster, two hunters and four monster skins that will be exclusive to PC Monster Race Edition players for 30 days. Evolve will launch on February 10 and is available to pre-download starting today on Xbox One. While you can find a new trailer for the game to showcase the Behemoth after the break, stay tuned to Joystiq Streams at 4:00 p.m. ET today for a livestream of Evolve in action. [Image: 2K Games]
Albion Online founder's packs available for purchase
Let's cut to the chase: You want to know how much it'll cost you to get into Albion Online alpha program in September? Fifty bucks. Thirty dollars if you're willing to wait for next year's beta. Now that your curiosity is sated, let's talk about the trio of founder's packs that Albion Online has just made available to buy. The least expensive tier is the veteran pack at $29.95, which comes with beta access in Q1 2015, in-game currency, and 30 days of premium access. The epic and legendary packs are $49.95 and $99.95 respectively, and include (among other goodies) access to the summer and winter alpha program, special nametags, cosmetic outfits, and even (in the case of the lgendary pack) mounts. Various questions about the founder's packs have been answered on a separate FAQ page. [Thanks to Laurence for the tip!]
Swordsman opens up sales of its Hero's Pack
Swordsman is currently in closed beta, but it's moving into open beta soon, and as is now the tradition, that means it's time to offer players a chance to buy the game. Sort of. The game is free-to-play, but if you feel like dropping $60 on the game before it launches, you can pick up the Hero's Pack, filled with all sorts of nice little prizes for your future martial artist characters. Purchasing the Hero's Pack nets you a special mount, costume, and apprentice. You also nab 10 Mithril (which can be sold for a mountain of in-game currency), 600 East Sector Treasures (used for summoning a boss), and a ring (used for wearing a ring and getting a stat boost). Players who purchase now will get early access to the open beta as well. If you're enjoying the closed test or just like the idea and really want to buy into the game now, the option is open. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99; closed beta to start in June
While Trion Worlds is still being coy about a release date for ArcheAge (the official line is still "2014"), the studio announced today during its livestream the details behind a trio of founder's packs for the upcoming fantasy sandbox. Here's what each of the packs contains: Silver ($49.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Founder title (with stats), 30-day patron pass, experimental hang glider, and 2,500 credits. Gold ($99.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Traveler title (with stats), 60-day patron pass, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, and 7,500 credits. Archeum ($149.99): Alpha access, beta access, four-day head start, Trailblazer title (with stats), 90-day patron pass, Daru Chests, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, Founder's cloak with customizable logo, personalizable crest, 10 pet healing potions, and 11,250 credits. We spoke to Trion earlier this week about these founder's packs and upcoming closed beta test expected to begin in June -- read on!
World of Warcraft to award instant level 90 characters with Warlords of Draenor pre-purchase
It's easy to kind of get stuck in the pre-expansion doldrums in World of Warcraft right now. Yes, you really want to have one more character up at the level cap, but you can't bear the thought of leveling any more. So what are you going to do? Well... you could just pre-purchase the expansion and get your instant level 90 character immediately, thereby saving you any more work leveling through the expansion and letting you just catch up a bit before its launch. All right, you can't do all of that right now, but the development team has confirmed that digitally pre-purchasing the expansion will give you your instant 90... instantly. No word yet on launch dates, but players can opt in for the beta testing right now via the Battle.net account management page. The company is also testing the idea of adding in the level 90 boost to the game's store, allowing you to bring as many characters as you want up to the cap without any fuss.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls coming March 25th, 2014
Get out your checkbooks (are those still used?) if you're a Diablo III fan because Blizzard has put a street date on Reaper of Souls: March 25th, 2014. This release date is for the PC and Mac only, with the PlayStation 4 release date to be announced later. Even though you won't be able to play the expansion for three months, you can pay for it today. That's so considerate of the studio, isn't it? Those who pre-purchase Reaper of Souls have the choice of three editions. The standard edition is $39.99 and the digital deluxe version (with extra goodies like a spectral hound minion) is $59.99. Alternatively, you can try to snag one of the collector's editions (with extra extra goodies) for $79.99 at select retail stores. The expansion includes a new act, the Crusader character, the Loot 2.0 system, more class skills, new modes, and more.
Pre-order Destiny and get beta early access
Bungie is not-so-subtly nudging players in the direction of the Destiny pre-order by offering one tantalizing morsel: early access to the game's beta. By pre-ordering Destiny, players will get a code that will get them into the beta when it starts up in early 2014. Previous pre-orders will automatically receive beta codes as well. There's a bunch of fine print to this one, so keep on reading. First of all, you'll need to pre-order at a participating retailer: Amazon (US and UK), Best Buy (US), Gamestop (US), Walmart (US), Smyths (UK), Tesco (UK), or Blockbuster (UK). The studio further requires that you have either a PS4, PS3, Xbox One, or Xbox 360 as well as a bungie.net account.
Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition back on track for PC, Mac
Overhaul Games' rejuvenated Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition will be available for PC and Macs on November 15, the company announced today on its official forums. Android tablet and iPad versions "will follow soon afterwards." Meanwhile, the Mac and PC versions are already available for pre-purchase at $24.95 through Beamdog. Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition includes recreations of the original Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn and its expansion pack, Throne of Bhaal. Additionally, four new characters (and their associated quests) are included in the PC/Mac releases, but iOS/Android users will need to download this content as DLC. Whether this DLC comes at a price, however, was not specified, but we're checking. Update: Beamdog's Trent Oster has informed us that these four characters will be paid DLC on the mobile versions, but that the iOS/Android releases of the game will have a lower cost of entry as a result.
Infinite Crisis announces the new Founders program
Some people aren't necessarily instantly on board with the idea of a MOBA featuring DC Comics characters. But if Infinite Crisis had you hooked right from the premise, you can go ahead and put your money where your mouth is as of today. The game has just launched its Founders program, a chance for future players to buy now and enjoy the benefits later... like many other free-to-play titles have done recently. Three packages are available for purchase now, with all three unlocking immediate beta access, early access to Coast City, and an exclusive icon for use in-game and on the forums. The $20 package also includes 800 Crisis Coins (in-game microtransaction money) and 3 Champion unlocks. $50 gets you 3200 Crisis Coins, 6 unlocks, and an exclusive Gaslight Batman costume. And $100 gets you 8600 Crisis Coins, 12 unlocks, an exclusive costume for both Gaslight Batman and regular Batman, and early access to the next map addition. To help up the hype, the game has also released a trailer detailing the Coast City map, which is embedded just past the break.
A tale of Forgotten Realms: DDO's Update 18 and the Shadowfell Conspiracy
Dungeons and Dragons Online's second expansion will not be like the first. In fact, Shadowfell Conspiracy might even be seen as a pseudo-sequel to DDO, a game-within-a-game that's offering players a fresh start in a favorite land. When the expansion hits on August 19th, players will be able to ignore all of DDO's Eberron content to start a new character at level 15 in the Forgotten Realms. Between the Forgotten Realms content that Turbine's added to the game in the past year and the new missions coming with Shadowfell Conspiracy, players could conceivably level solely in this setting. It's obvious that Turbine's a little Forgotten-Realms-mad right now, although that's not a bad thing. The setting is a favorite among D&D fans, and while Eberron has its supporters, the studio obviously sees the Forgotten Realms as the future of this long-running MMO. While the expansion is still a couple of months away, today's Update 18: Disciples of Shadow update will serve as a prologue so that players can get started on their journey through this fresh land. We sat down with DDO's team to talk about Update 18, the new races coming with Shadowfell Conspiracy, and the pre-purchase program that promises to give you head start. Read on, or else the wrath of the owl bear will be upon thee!
Combine your consoles and get new ships in Star Trek Online's expansion
If you've already purchased the very expensive Legacy Pack for Star Trek Online's first expansion, there's good news to be had -- you just got more for your $125 investment. For one thing, you've got access to a new ship, the Haakona Advanced Warbird, an assault craft capable of separating into two units for maximum versatility. For another, you've got a set of uniforms based off of the Romulan outfits from the original series, if you want to really hit that "legacy" button as hard as you can. Whether or not this entices you to drop some additional money, the latest development blog on the official site details the bonuses for slotting Romulan refit consoles together in Legacy of Romulus. These include buffs to turn rate, energy weapons, and defensive systems based on speed. The net result is that owners of both refit and retrofit versions of these vessels can access a new playstyle for the class, a new trick to surprise opponents of the Romulans. Which is apropos. %Gallery-28615%
Age of Wushu removes Elite benefits unexpectedly
So, enjoying Age of Wushu? Enough to purchase the game's Elite package with all its attendant benefits before launch? That's great, but if you bought it on the premise of having a permanent mount, you're going to be sadly disappointed. Snail Games USA has announced that the unlimited mount previously announced for purchasers has been removed, replaced by an increased quantity of gold and a few temporary mounts. While it's an understandable balance concern, it's also somewhat upsetting for players who have already purchased the package partly on this basis. This comes in the wake of another announcement by the company clarifying that Elite/Deluxe edition rewards are only given to the first character you create. Deleting and remaking your character will not result in your rewards being resent. This has further angered several players, as this statement was not made until after many players had begun recreating characters without prior knowledge of this policy. The post announcing that these items are one-time-only explains the philosophy behind it, and encourages all players to do ample research before creating a first character for this exact reason. [Thanks to Adam for the tip!]
Age of Wushu beta and launch announced
Folks who were anticipating the global release of the English version of Age of Wushu in October will have to wait a bit longer; Snail Games has announced that the free-to-play martial arts MMORPG will release on May 3, 2013. However, fans eager to get in and experience the upcoming sandbox game can look forward to two closed beta sessions, one in November and one in December. Players can gain access to the November closed beta by purchasing the limited-time Elite pre-sale package for $9.99 USD. The package includes a full version of the game as well as exclusive in-game items. After the November beta closes on the 25th, players can purchase one of three Age of Wushu gift sets -- filled with in-game and real world items -- to get access to the next beta starting December 20th. The gift sets have the additional perk of allowing players into an exclusive access period starting February 1st, giving them 90 days of play before the official launch. [Source: Snail Games press release]
The Daily Grind: How will you spend this GW2 pre-purchase headstart weekend?
Despite the fact that we like to cover the bejeezus out of MMO launch days, not everyone is feeling Guild Wars 2. And that's fair -- we're all different people with different preferences. Regardless of your opinion of the ArenaNet game, Guild Wars 2 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated MMO launches in years. We have over five years of build-up to thank for that, including plenty of hands-on time during beta weekends, stress testing, trailers, guides, etc. But we want to hear from you, the Massively readers. One of the top reasons we love you so much is that you're such a diverse crowd. Some of you love obscure indie MMOs, some of you love the next big-budget triple-A MMO, and most of you like everything in between. So how will you spend this headstart weekend for the (arguably) most anticipated MMO of the year? Have you pre-purchased, and you have a little notebook sitting by your keyboard with manic scribbles detailing the races, classes, genders, and names of each character (not that we know anyone like that...)? Will you be starting one day early, as part of the pre-order? Or will it be just another weekend where you'll be playing your favorite MMO without a worry in the world about anything containing the initials G and W? Speak up and let your voices be heard! 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!
Guild Wars 2 starts up the final countdown to launch [Updated]
It's the final countdown for the Guild Wars 2 launch, and that means that time is becoming very important. If you're desperately trying to get a specific name on launch or just aiming to be ahead of the curve when you play, the exact times that the servers come online will be very relevant, which is why there's a new official post explaining exactly when everything is happening on the road to a full launch on August 28th. Pre-purchasers with access to the headstart will be able to start playing on August 25th at 3:00 a.m. EDT, with the caveat that servers may be brought up three hours early to check stability one last time. Those who pre-ordered the game but didn't fully purchase a copy will have access to a one-day headstart beginning on August 27th at 3:00 a.m. EDT. If you're in either camp and want to get patched up ahead of time, you can download the client now and ensure that your computer is ready to catch every moment of the last two weeks before launch. [Thanks to miattavich for the tip!] [Update: The team has also posted the full server list for launch.]
Amazon offers Guild Wars 2 with $5 Amazon games credit
Amazon has been reaching its fingers into a bunch of MMO pots lately. First there was that one time when a bunch of games including RIFT and TERA were put on mad sale, then there were the chronoscrolls and olive masks for TERA, and now it's Guild Wars 2's turn. According to an Amazon press release today, the company has launched Guild Wars 2 pre-purchases. Users who buy the Standard or Digital Deluxe editions via Amazon will receive a digital download and pre-order key, beta access, pre-purchase perks, and $5 credit for Amazon video games. Some of the details are a little hazy, as ArenaNet has made a distinction between pre-ordering (which is exactly what you're used to it being) and pre-purchasing (which is when you pay the full cost up-front) but Amazon appears to be using the terms interchangeably on the product page. Additionally, Amazon has not been added to the official list of pre-purchase retailers for North America (for that matter, Amazon has also not been listed on the official page as being able to distribute the Collector's Edition, but apparently it has physical boxes for sale as well). Anyway, if you haven't bought Guild Wars 2 but would like to, and if the thought of $5 Amazon credit and some in-game perks is appealing, this may be A Thing for you. [Source: Amazon press release]
Colin Johanson talks about Guild Wars 2 betas and more
In an interview posted this week, Colin Johanson, Lead Content Designer for Guild Wars 2, took the time to talk with Guild Wars 2 Hub about the importance of beta weekend events, ArenaNet's design process, and the company's attitude as launch gets ever closer. Johanson talked about how "incredibly nerve-wracking" taking the first demo to Gamescom two years ago was and how those nerves have transitioned steadily into "excitement as the game edges closer to release with each beta weekend." He also described how the beta events invigorate the team and get everybody champing at the bit to get back into making the game better. "Pride and hubris are dangerous things in this industry, though," he added, saying that the team members work diligently to listen to and incorporate feedback and remember who it is they are making the game for.
The Daily Grind: Will you be playing Guild Wars 2?
By now I'm sure you've heard the announcement that Guild Wars 2 will launch on August 28th, 2012. With pre-purchase incentives already in place, many of the franchise's most hardcore fans have been participating in the beta weekends and are anxiously awaiting the headstart that will begin on August 25th. But not every MMO fan is 100% convinced that this will be the second coming. We've heard from several of you who will be either skipping the game entirely or simply waiting a few months until the newness wears off and the bugs are squashed. So how about you? Will you be playing Guild Wars 2 from day one? From the pre-purchase headstart? Maybe four months later? Let us know in the comments! 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!
Turbine sweetens Riders of Rohan's editions, includes instance cluster
Frustration and confusion have been the name of the Lord of the Rings Online pre-purchase game these past couple of weeks, with some players feeling that the editions were overpriced and others bewildered over whether or not this fall's instance cluster would be included in the cost. Turbine announced today that all three of Riders of Rohan's editions will be boosted with Turbine Points and that the instance cluster will be given to all who buy one. In a forum post, CM Sapience said that the studio is dishing out bonus Turbine Points for all of the editions. Base and heroic edition holders will receive 1,000 TP, while legendary edition purchasers get 2,000. This applies to both players who have already bought the expansion and those who will in the future. He also addressed the confusion over the instance cluster: "While we are still not ready to talk about the details of the cluster, we did want to confirm that we will be releasing a new instance cluster in an update after Rohan launches, and that the cluster will be free to all players who have purchased the Riders of Rohan expansion."
