producers-letter
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EverQuest II holiday producer's letter focuses on dungeon finding and making
Before all of Sony Online Entertainment's developers fly out to see family and spend the holidays away from EverQuest II, the team decided to give players one last Frostfell present. Today's producer's letter takes a look at a number of new features coming to Norrath. The dungeon finder will see a couple of updates, such as the addition of contested dungeons to the dungeon finder and increased rewards for using the dungeon finder system. Dungeon-makers, meanwhile, will be granted a number of new treats. New effect objects will be available in the marketplace, and many items such as spawners, decorations, and maps will be purchasable with Station Cash as well as in-game currency. A number of general improvements have been made as well, including a revamped rating system for houses and dungeons and a couple of smaller tweaks. For the full details, click on over to the full letter below.
TERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress
A new holiday edition producer's letter has been published on the official TERA site, and in it Chris Hager announces that he is currently using the studio's new launcher to log in to the game. Why is this such a big deal? Hager explains that it "represents a huge leap for us here at En Masse." He goes on to tell how, over the past year, the team has worked "directly and intimately with the Bluehole development team to... add features that appeal to western gamers." But why is the new launcher so important? Because it's one of the features that the studio built from the ground up. Hager also notes that the game has been in alpha for "about 4 months" and that this week is the last week of alpha testing. He says the team is also looking forward to "the next step in TERA's journey toward launch next spring." Here's to hoping that next step is a beta test. For the full letter, just click on over to the official TERA site.
Final SWG producer's letter thanks community
Community was one of many things that set Star Wars: Galaxies apart from your average MMO, and Sony Online Entertainment's Tony "Teesquared" Tyson took a moment to thank the game's faithful in what serves as the final producer's letter for the shuttered sandbox title. Tyson touches on several highlights including housing, crafting, entertaining, and space-sim mechanics that were unique to SWG, and he ultimately concludes that the game "was, and will always be, a meaningful and memorable part of my life, an experience I'll treasure and share with anyone who wants to hear a good story." SOE launched SWG on June 26, 2003 and powered down the servers one final time early this morning.
City of Heroes producer letter details Freedom transition, Fall Player Summit
City of Heroes Freedom has been going strong for some time now, and Paragon Studios seems understandably pleased with the game's F2P transition. In the latest producer's letter on the official City of Heroes site, executive producer Brian Clayton states that "the Freedom initiative and Issue 21: Convergence have significantly increased our active player base and our revenues, and have invigorated our game with amazing new content including monthly Signature Stories, weekly items in the Paragon Market, Paragon Rewards, a kickin' Halloween event, and plenty more!" Clayton also speaks about the Fall Player Summit the studio held on November 19th. During the gathering, the team took the time to listen to players about what they liked and disliked about Freedom so far. In addition, artist extraordinaire David Nakayama hosted a Create a Costume Set panel, in which he worked collaboratively with players to create the Retro Sci-Fi costume set, which will be introduced to the game sometime next year. For the full letter, just click on over to the City of Heroes official site.
Ultima Online producer's letter promises revitalization of classic content
Did you wonder who was captaining Ultima Online since Calvin "Uriah" Crowner left his role as producer earlier this fall? Apparently, it's been none other than Jeff Skalski, who recently penned a producer's letter to introduce himself to the UO-faithful. In it, he explains that his goals for the grand-daddy of MMOs include heavily increasing the team's interaction with the community, implementing weekly Q&A sessions, squashing bugs, and "breathing life back into areas that have long been forgotten," i.e., revamping older content. In fact, some of that older content -- Shame, one of the original and iconic anti-virtue dungeons in classic Britannia -- is due for its revamp sooner rather than later. Publish 73, now on the test server, retools Shame with a truly massive itemization overhaul and difficulty scaling as players descend the dungeon's depths.
Final Fantasy XIV bringing you another producer's letter all the way live
Between the release of patch 1.19 and the announcements regarding the game's future, Final Fantasy XIV has been drumming up quite a bit of excitement from its fans. And what better way to capitalize on that excitement than to have another installment of the producer's letter live for everyone to enjoy? On November 3rd, Naoki Yoshida will once again be taking to the broadcast waves to answer player questions about the most recent patch and future updates. The official announcement notes that the particulars of the broadcast are not yet determined, but as with the previous live event, players can submit questions in advance or via Twitter on the day itself. While Yoshida will strive to answer as many questions as possible, there will be time constraints, and of course the audio will be in Japanese with a translation to come further down the road. Still, it's a chance to get more questions about the game answered by the man with the plan himself, and that's something many players will no doubt be excited by.
En Masse releases October TERA producer's letter
It's been a while since we last heard from En Masse Entertainment, but the wait is now over. Chris Hager is back on the scene with the newest TERA producer's letter, and there are a few details that may make fans a bit more excited about the upcoming title. The studio recently met with a few members of the Bluehole Studio overseas team. The result of this meeting? "A firm alpha/beta/launch schedule" for the upcoming action MMORPG. What is that schedule? Well, we don't know yet. Sorry! The next phase of alpha testing will be taking place soon, though it's important to note that the studio is selecting testers internally. With any luck, this means that beta is just on the horizon. Keep in touch for further updates, which Mr. Hager assures us are coming soon.
FFXIV takes to YouTube Live for its one-year anniversary [Updated]
Lights... camera... internet connection... aaand action! To celebrate Final Fantasy XIV's first anniversary, Square-Enix's Naoki Yoshida will be taking the stage for a live edition of the Producer's Letter. This event will happen on October 4th at 8:00 p.m. a.m. EDT on YouTube Live. Yoshida will use the time to field player questions from around the world and will also talk about the future of the title as it heads into its second year of operation. Final Fantasy XIV will celebrate its first anniversary on September 30th. For Massively's musings on where the game's been and where it's going, make sure to check out this past week's Mog Log for the full skinny!
Newest producer's letter for Final Fantasy XIV talks patch release
Whether or not you've liked the direction Naoki Yoshida has chosen for Final Fantasy XIV, it's hard to fault him for communication. His letters to the community have become a regular event, and even in the briefest installment he finds the space to share some interesting developments. The newest letter, for instance, is definitely on the shorter side, but it also confirms a target date of September 30th for the launch of the game's next major patch. Patch 1.19 is heavily anticipated by players, bringing with it chocobos, new content, and a variety of other systems. And not only is Yoshida planning to release the notes for said patch early, but the letter also hints at another major update -- the addition of another 100 item slots for characters and 50 more for each retainer, greatly expanding each individual's storage capacity. While the letter also notes that the patch may be delayed by a few days depending on the final round of testing, it should be enough for FFXIV players to see that the team is hard at work on the patch.
Champions Online releases September State of the Game letter
Champions Online is two years old this month (yep, really), and Cryptic executive producer Rob Overmeyer has taken to the intarwebs to pen a lengthy State of the Game manifesto. The first half of the piece is basically a recap of the game's last few months, and touches on everything from Aftershock to player hideouts. The second portion of the letter focuses on upcoming content patches and also mentions the anniversary event (which is basically a social gathering featuring dev appearances). Upcoming content includes Comic Series 2: Whiteout, a new mini arc, and team missions called alerts that will scale to your level. Overmeyer has more to say, of course, and you can read all about it at the official Champions website.
City of Heroes pledges to pump out more frequent updates
As the Paragon Studios team puts a wrap on August, the latest City of Heroes producer's letter reiterates the studio's key philosophy: Content is king. Along those lines, the letter discusses several exciting developments in store for the game's future, including the upcoming Haunted Mansion for the Halloween season, new Incarnate Trials, and more content for the Winter Event. The team is also focusing on delivering "more regular updates" than has been seen previously, so expect to see CoH upping the frequency of in-game goodies from here on out. As part of the "content is king" philosophy, Paragon will be releasing a monthly Signature Story that will be free for VIP (subscribing) players. These will not only tell intriguing stories, but will reward superheroes with increased rewards. The team is also going to put new items into the in-game Paragon Market store on a weekly basis, including costume pieces and power sets. City of Heroes is preparing to launch Freedom, its free-to-play version of the game, at an unspecified point in the future. Subscribers will be able to get a head start when Freedom arrives, and they will enjoy spending the 400 points that their VIP status entitles them to each month.
The Road to Mordor: Not all who wander are lost
These are exciting times for Lord of the Rings Online, for sure. The Fellowship -- and hundreds of thousands of groupies following in its wake -- has moved south, and we are growing ever closer to Mordor and Mt. Doom. In a month, Middle-earth will grow significantly with the addition of Rise of Isengard, and level-capped players will suddenly have a whole new buffet of content to devour. It's also a good era for exposure for the game, as plenty of people will get to see the expansion at Gamescom and PAX, not to mention those already in the beta proper. While we haven't heard anything about the game's finances or player numbers lately, there's no reason to believe that it's not still going strong. That said, I want to take a step back today, as I sometimes do, and look at the larger picture. How is LotRO positioned against the current competition and the heavy-hitters yet to come? What does Turbine need to be working on over the next year or two? Are we just wandering aimlessly, or is the path laid out for journey for a long time to come?
Free Realms producer letter talks new farming content
Free Realms has a new producer, and Sony Online Entertainment's Harvey "Flametalon" Burgess recently dropped by the game's official website to pen a brief letter to fans. SOE has updated the game's farming system, and in addition to a new locale (Briarwood Farm), players will find new seeds to grow, a boom box "to make your plants dance," new farming items, and new quests and recipes specific to Briarwood. Burgess also drops a hint about future Free Realms updates (including ranching), and promises a quick turnaround on June, July, and August membership packs. The producer assignment marks Burgess' second go-round with Free Realms, as he also served as a designer on the title at an earlier point in his 10-year SOE career.
Newest Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter addresses design philosophy and summer events
The US is currently experiencing a bit of a heatwave, the sort of thing that doesn't really call for any reminders about the time of year. Apparently Japan hasn't been exempt from the heat either, according to the most recent Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter from Naoki Yoshida. But that won't stop the game's staff from rolling out a new summer event celebrating the heat of summer, as well as promising to introduce a familiar enemy well-known for getting things a little bit hotter. Most of this installment of the producer's letter is given over discussion about the design philosophy of the game, both for this week's patch 1.18 and moving forward. As Yoshida puts it, he wants to create the feeling for players that the game will be accessible on each individual's schedule, with accommodations for players who can only play for a little while each day as well as those with more time to enjoy the game. Take a look at the full post for a clear picture of how the philosophy applies to Final Fantasy XIV's combat, transport, and future content. There's also a new interview available from the Eorzeapedia team covering content in 1.19 and beyond.
New Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter covers balance changes, guildleves
Square Enix's Naoki Yoshida popped by the Final Fantasy XIV forums today to present the community with the latest Final Fantasy XIV Producer's Letter. The post deals with the game's upcoming patch 1.18 and the changes that it will bring. In particular, the letter addresses upcoming balance reforms, which will see Final Fantasy XIV's "shift from being a grind-centric game to one that offers enjoyment for all playing styles and circumstances with its ever-expanding variety of content." Yoshida also discusses the changes coming to guildleves, noting that at the game's launch, "it was stated... that guildleves [would] form the heart of the game." That claim has now been retracted, as Yoshida notes that central content "isn't a static thing" and that it's "new content that we continually develop for our fans' enjoyment, with no one item indefinitely bathing in the spotlight." All-in-all, the letter seems promising for the ongoing adjustments to the game. For the full text, head on over to the Final Fantasy XIV forums.
Wizard101 goes anti-disco in the June producer's letter
The community at Wizard101 is still riding high on the recent Wintertusk world expansion, and according to the June producer's letter, KingsIsle wants to keep the good times rolling. Apart from relaying a few testimonials about the recent expansion, the producer's letter is all about the Benjam-- er, Crowns. Leah Ruben spotlights a couple of promotional sales from the company, including a Dragon's Hoard booster pack that has the potential to deliver rare goodies, and a GameStop card that unleashes a genie (among other things) in your Wizard101 world. Ruben says that a recent graphical issue known as "discoing" on older machines is now fixed. "While sometimes it's fun to dance the disco with flashing colors and lights," she jokes, "it's a bit distracting when you're trying to adventure through the new worlds." Finally, Ruben says that the UK version of the game has added a German language version for those who perfer to play in their native tongue. Assuming that you're German and not Swedish. Or Kenyan. Or... well, you get the point. You can read the full producer's letter over at Wizard101.
DAoC rolling out new website, allowing server transfers
As Dark Age of Camelot counts down to its 10th year anniversary in October, Stuart Zissu breaks out a few early presents by revealing four "big ticket items" in his latest producer's letter. An upgraded new player experience is on its way for the game to help new and returning players get up to speed for epic RvR battles. Dubbed the "New User Journey," this extended tutorial will give pointers on everything from pets to crowd control. The team's also hard at work on a new website for the game, which should be coming soon. Or "soon." The new website will operate in conjunction with the third big ticket item, which is a DAoC wiki. Zissu put out a call for players to help fill the wiki once it's up and running. Finally, players on the Glamorgan cluster will be able to transfer to Ywain in the near future. You can read all of the nitty-gritty details of these items on the Camelot Herald.
Newest producer's letter for City of Heroes talks about updating old content
Pretty much every time the development team at Paragon Studios answers player questions, there's a question that comes up about updating older content in City of Heroes. And usually the answer is a pretty standard one, a promise that updates will be looked at but aren't on any sort of specific timetable. It's a bit generic as answers go -- but the newest producer's letter for the game goes into more detail about why content gets updated, why it doesn't necessarily get updated, and the fact that there will be updates to legacy content in the future. The usual rationale for fewer updates is the amount of work involved in updating this content, but the letter explains in more detail that it's not enough for content just to be old. In order to be ripe for a reworking, the task force or zone has to be underutilized to begin with, which gives a good reason for development to try to revitalize the content. City of Heroes players will be happy to note that the letter also promises revamps coming to the early leveling areas in the near future -- while it doesn't specify the details, more information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
Fallen Earth state of the game talks combat tweaks, progress towns, and more
It's the beginning of another month in the wasteland, and that means that in addition to scavenging for scrap metal and dodging ginormous prairie chickens, denizens of Fallen Earth are heading to the game's official website to check out the latest state of the game address. Much of producer Marie "Aro Sei" Croall's letter concerns progress towns, Alpha County, and combat tweaks. While we've previewed progress towns before, there is an interesting nugget in this month's letter that details a new form of related currency. Croall calls it "a PvE form of death toll" and explains that it is intended to reward players for capturing and building one of the three progress towns. She also takes the time explain the changes to minimum skill levels, which is an important consideration when it comes to players spending their hard-earned stat points. Finally, there's a bit of discussion about post-Alpha County development plans including an objective system and potential world events. Check out all the details at the Fallen Earth website.
City of Heroes producer's letter talks story and solo-friendliness
City of Heroes is the latest MMORPG to feature story in its marketing materials, as producer Nate "Second Measure" Birkholz outlines a number of narrative-based initiatives in store for the seven-year old superhero title. "We view City of Heroes as a storytelling medium. We have a lot of long-term plans for the main story, and all of these plans are intended to provide a backdrop for the stories you tell with your characters every day," Birkholz explains. He also spends a bit of time reflecting on the massive changes that CoX has experienced during its live cycle, noting that the game is much more casual-friendly than it once was. More changes are coming too, among them a new zone in Issue 21 and "alternative ways to experience the Incarnate System, especially options that are more accessible to solo players and small groups." You can read the full text at the official CoX website.
