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Wurm's epic cluster coming October 28th
Onetwofree's latest news blurb features some good news for fans of the the firm's long-running Wurm Online sandbox MMO. The game's new epic cluster is officially set to debut on October 28th, and lead developer Rolf Jansson is among those psyched about the launch date. "The epic code is something I've been working on for several years, and it feels really good to finally release it," he says. Epic's aim is to "provide the players with a full circle of purpose and something really big to strive for," according to the Wurm website. The cluster features warring gods duking it out on the moon of Valrei, and players who complete missions (and multi-mission arcs called scenarios) will set dramatic events in motion. What kinds of dramatic events? The release mentions terraforming events tied to volcanoes as well as the chance for players to become demigods and possibly even full deities complete with their own religion and a stake in the celestial battle royal.
Aeria releases Eden Eternal player housing video
Eden Eternal's feature list just got a bit longer, as Aeria Games has released a new trailer showing off the game's player housing implementation. The new content is scheduled to go live sometime in early October, according to the latest Aeria press release. The video shows a good amount of customization, and player characters can be seen placing a variety of objects inside a spacious interior as well as rotating said objects. Everything from beds to bookshelves to wall hangings will be obtainable via the game's item shop and from various in-game quests. Finally, Aeria is allowing other players to visit your personal house, and doing so will reward both parties with "various status boosts." Check out the housing video after the break, and head to the official Eden Eternal website to learn more about the game. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
SG Interactive launching GameRage portal
SG Interactive is in the news today thanks to its new GameRage online portal. Who the heck is SG Interactive? Well, the company was originally called Ntreev USA and is headquartered in southern California. Its portfolio includes Trickster Online, Grand Chase, and Pangya, as well as several other free-to-play titles. GameRage will provide centralized contests and events, giving players a sort of one-stop shop for all of the happenings across SG's catalog. There's also a mission zone which allows achievement comparisons across titles, and a reward zone where in-game event winners will be immortalized. GameRage is currently live, and you can sign up at the service's official website. [Source: SG Interactive press release]
ZT Online 2 open beta attracts 435K concurrent users
For the past couple of years, EVE Online and World of Tanks have been duking it out to see which game can outfox the other in the hunt for the MMORPG peak concurrent user record. As of this week there may be a new contender for the crown if ZT Online 2's open beta period is any indication. The game is a sequel to Giant Interactive's popular ZT Online martial arts title, and the recent open beta period featured an impressive 435,000 simultaneous players online. Gamasutra has the details, culled from a Giant press release, and the company also indicates that approximately 400 developers have worked on the title over the past three years.
Dan Stahl leaving Cryptic, Star Trek Online
Cryptic executive producer Dan Stahl has vacated the Star Trek Online captain's chair, according to a brief farewell message posted on the title's official website. Details on the departure are slim, with Stahl telling fans that he has "chosen to move on in my career and pursue new challenges." The resignation is the latest development in what has been an eventful summer for STO faithful, as Cryptic Studios was acquired by Perfect World Entertainment and Star Trek Online was subsequently slated to receive the free-to-play treatment. Stahl goes on to say that he will be answering questions prior to his end-of-the-month beam out, and he indicates that STO will be in good hands thanks to the leadership of former lead programmer and current Cryptic CTO Stephen D'Angelo. Look for more insight into this move in this Thursday's Captain's Log column.
Aeria Games acquires Punch Entertainment, brags about growth
Even if you've never heard of Aeria Games, chances are you've heard of one of the company's free-to-play MMO titles. A new press release touts the California-based firm's recent growth and boasts of its desire to cater to "hardcore and medium-core players who play as much as four hours per day." Aeria's latest acquisition includes the internal development team at Punch Entertainment as well as an unnamed iOS and Android game that will soon be added to a stable of titles that numbers over 30 strong, including Shaiya and Eden Eternal. "As we move forward, we will continue to form strategic partnerships and grow our development teams while building and acquiring more engaging content to reward our dedicated power gamers," said Aeria CEO Lan Hoang. [Source: Aeria press release]
Dragonica's New Origin expansion launches today
Today's a big day for Dragonica fans, as the two-year-old title is gearing up to launch its New Origin - Rise of the Drakan expansion this afternoon. A new press release from Gala Networks Europe tells us that the patch is the biggest in the game's history and includes a new race, new dungeons, new mounts, a fellowship party system, and a level cap increase. As the title suggests, the new race is the Drakan, and it's unlocked once players reach level 20. There are two new Drakan classes, the Amazonian and the Shaman, and both of them are playable to the new level cap (80). Once you've obtained your spiffy new Drakan warrior and explored the new Drakan town of Kareuza, you'll probably want to partake of the game's new dungeon system. Parties are now able to brave the depths of Dragonica's dungeons with eight players (up from the previous four), and the expansion introduces a couple of new instances in the form of the Akia Cave and Black Claw Nest. More info is available on the game's official website. [Source: Gala Networks Europe press release]
Troy Online opens new battlefield, announces another big update
Significant changes are coming to Troy Online over the next few weeks, and a new press release from ALT1Games has the details. A "big scale update will include a balance optimization [...] and new content for higher level users on October 13th," according to the news blurb. Prior to that, a new battlefield will open up and bring with it a number of tweaks relative to the existing battlefields. First and foremost, any player of any level can participate. The victors will receive a reward buff that affects their entire faction; conquering the battlefield involves holding the capture point for five minutes if you're on the attacking team. The defenders, on the other hand, have to stand their ground for 20 minutes. ALT1 remains mum on the new October content for now, but the battlefield updates went live yesterday. We'll keep you updated with fresh information as it's released. [Source: ALT1Games press release]
Hellgate expanding to Tokyo on September 22nd
If you were wondering why HanbitSoft and T3Fun rechristened Hellgate: London as Hellgate: Global prior to resurrecting it as a free-to-play title earlier this summer, now you know. The action-horror MMO is expanding to a new burned-out husk of a metropolis, and on September 22nd, you're invited to partake in more grisly demon-slaying action in what remains of post-apocalyptic Tokyo. The city features 24 new levels as well as new monsters and boss mobs. There are also a couple of new game modes on tap, including Cow Room (which pits players against hordes of zombies) and Base Defense (which is exactly what it sounds like). Finally, Hell Mode gets an encore, and hardcore types who want better loot, more XP, and more it'll-put-hair-on-your-virtual-chest challenge are welcome to queue up and prove their e-manliness. [Source: T3Fun/HanbitSoft press release]
Voyage Century Online introduces new Crete instance
Voyage Century has been around for four years now, and the dev team is always searching for new ways to freshen up the free-to-play nautical title. To that end, the latest game update includes the isle of Crete, which IGG calls a "primary instance." Accessing Crete requires players to be sea battle level 15 and class level 15. Once these requirements are met, it's a matter of navigating to the Straight and preparing for three waves of pirate forces. The baddies include Gibraltar pirate flagships and North Sea pirate flagships, both of which will challenge high-level players as well as lower-level types who want to advance quickly by doing the daily quest and defeating the three bosses. There's a fair bit of incentive to run the instance due to its loot drops as well, and enterprising captains have a chance to snag buckshot cannon and dartling cannon drops, not to mention rare gold and high-grade forging materials. [Source: IGG press release]
Age of Conan's Savage Coast adventure pack officially live
If you didn't pony up 700 extra Funcom points for early access to Age of Conan's new Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack last week, you'll be glad to know that the content officially debuts today at its normal price. Said price is 1300 Funcom points (or approximately $15 depending on how you purchase your point packages). So what do you get for your hard-earned barbarian bucks? A bunch of new content for both mid- and high-level players, that's what. There's the Ardashir Coast playfield and its numerous quest lines that are designed to take you from 50 to 55. Players may also partake of Dead Man's Hand, a solo dungeon that scales from level 50 to level 80. Don't forget the Isle of the Iron Statues, either. It's another solo instance -- level 80 this time -- and it's taken directly from the works of Conan author Robert E. Howard. Finally, endgame grouping fans should note the new Fort Ardashir dungeon (and it's hard to miss as you zone into Ardashir City for the first time). The Savage Coast pack contains characters and locations from the recent Conan film reboot, and you can read more about the new content in Massively's weekly Anvil of Crom feature. [Source: Funcom press release]
La Tale Online prepping Sky Kingdom expansion
Side-scrolling MMORPGs are something of a niche in the American gaming market, especially in the age of realistic 3-D graphics and lavish production visuals. Quite a few of these throwbacks are still going strong, though, and La Tale Online is one that's actually expanding. OGPlanet has just issued a press release trumpeting the game's long-awaited latest patch, and Sky Kingdom looks to continue the saga of Iris by introducing the floating continent of Preios and adding a ton of new content. What kind of new content? For starters, there are nine new subclasses available for existing third class characters, and players may switch between their subclass and main class at will. Sky Kingdom also brings daily quests and new rewards to the table, as well as a reputation system and time-attack dungeons. To offset these new challenges, a new gem-crafting system has also been introduced, which OGPlanet says "will allow players to further customize and empower their characters." More info is available at the official La Tale Online website and you can also check out the Sky Kingdom trailer after the break. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
Eden Eternal announces new race, crafting system
If you're looking for something new to do in Eden Eternal aside from killing monsters and stockpiling phat lewt, look no further than the mid-September content update. Aeria Games has just put out a press release detailing the patch, and the highlights include the new Anuran race along with a brand-new crafting system. Racial special abilities will also be making an appearance in the new patch, and they're tied into the new tradeskill mechanics. Characters at level 30 and above can participate in Gemcrafting (for Humans), Engineering (for Zumi), and Alchemy (for Anurans) to create a multitude of useful items including gear, potions, and dyes. The tradeskill goodness doesn't stop there, though, as players at level 20 and above are free to set up their own personal shops in the town of Aven. Finally, two new NPCs are being added to Eden Eternal, and Professor Koss gives timed XP boosts while Assistant Teren gifts players with different fortune bags throughout the day. Learn more about Eden Eternal, and grab the client, at the game's official website. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Battlestar Galactica Online adding new ships this month, surpasses 5M registered players
Bigpoint just can't seem to stay out of the news today, and whether its the incendiary pay-to-win remarks of an executive or an update to its Battlestar Galactica browser MMO, there's a lot of interesting buzz swirling around the company of late. The devs are adding a new line of fleet recon ships to Battlestar Galactica Online, and the craft will enable both Colonial and Cylon players to jump directly to their targets while "in proximity of an erupting battle." The ships will debut in mid-September and are modeled on the Raptor and Heavy Raider craft from the beloved Syfy television series. Bigpoint's latest press release also mentions that the Brimir-class carrier will be "available this fall, though its size, complexity, and impact on game balance must be optimized before its general release." Finally, the company is trumpeting some new metrics, and the release says that BSGO has surpassed the five million registered player mark. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Runes of Magic partners with Overwolf for social media functionality
Overwolf is making its presence felt in the MMORPG marketplace of late, and the latest collaboration between the social media developer and a major game company takes place in Runes of Magic. The free-to-play fantasy title now features something called the Magic Hub, and if you're into Facebook as well as easily publishable screenshot and video captures, you'll want to check it out. The Overwolf software also integrates instant messaging functionality that players can use without leaving the Runes of Magic client, not to mention game database searching functionality and account settings access. "Our new partnership with Overwolf will bridge the gap between the fantasy world of online gaming and the accessibility of social platforms," says Frogster's Daniel Ulrich. [Source: Frogster Press Release]
DCUO's Fight for the Light pack available today
Last week we told you about Sony Online Entertainment's decision to distribute its latest DC Universe Online DLC package for free. Today's the big day for current DCUO customers and Green Lantern fans as the Fight for the Light content is officially ready for prime time. The new stuff includes the game's seventh power set (light) and the ability to join either the Green Lantern or Sinestro Corps "while helping to restore balance to the universe." If rubbing elbows with famous DC luminaries doesn't do it for you, there's also the new scenario content. Players can partake of various action-heavy excursions into locales like S.T.A.R. Labs, Coast City, and Sciencells Prison. More info is available at the official DCUO website.
CCP offering first ever bulk PLEX discount for EVE Online
If you've been searching for a way to spend more money on EVE Online, CCP has just announced a bulk discount on its PLEX currency. What is PLEX, I hear a few of you asking? It's shorthand for Pilot License Extension, and it takes the form of an in-game item that provides one month of game access. The kicker is that it may be legally bought, sold, or traded for other in-game items (or cold, hard cash). The system was originally put in place to combat third-party ISK trading, but many long-time EVE players have amassed enough wealth to enable them to buy PLEX and avoid paying the regular monthly subscription fee. For a limited time (through September 16th, to be exact), CCP is offering 13 PLEX for $199.99, and the one-line press blurb on the official EVE website encourages you to "play the market, pad your wallet, and build your empire."
Rise of Immortals MOBA launching September 12th
Ready for another MOBA title? Ready or not, there's a new one on the way, and Petroglyph has just announced that Rise of Immortals is set to launch on September 12th. The game is currently barreling through the final days of its open beta test, and as such you can still sign up and get a free preview as well as take home 1,000 Petroglyph coins and an exclusive immortal skin. Rise of Immortals is free-to-play, and the dev team is looking to expand the MOBA genre by adding features like social hubs, emotes, persistent character progression, and collectible combat and vanity pets. That's not all, either, and we'll have more details for you in next week's edition of Not So Massively!
Uncharted Waters Online adds shipbuilding
MMO shipbuilding is a time-honored tradition that's shown up in titles as wide-ranging as Wurm Online, Vanguard, and even Star Wars Galaxies (hey, spaceships count!), to name but a few. The latest game to take the plunge is Uncharted Waters Online, and the free-to-play title from CJ E&M is looking to expand both building and customization options. Players may choose materials for the hull, sails, and gunport, and how the ingredients are combined will determine how durable the ships are (and, of course, how they fare on subsequent expeditions). New mechanics like steering proficiency "give players more control while sailing," according to a new press release, and players can also work towards a high wave resistance stat that will enable a ship to power through a storm or blizzard. Check out all the details at the official UWO website.
gPotato partners with Overwolf for social media client
gPotato is partnering with Overwolf to launch a new in-game client overlay, according to a new press blurb released this morning. Who the heck is Overwolf? The company was founded in 2010 and is responsible for the Overwolf Client, a product that "adds social features and functionality to games enabling players to share, socialize and evangelize for their favorite game." The software features an integrated web browser, Facebook, Twitter, MSN, and Skype support, as well as the ability to record and share in-game videos and screenshots. gPotato's in-game client is customized and optimized for its stable of free-to-play games, and you can see the service in action via the beta that is currently attached to Aika Online.
