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Funcom kicks off The Secret World's Illuminati week
Still having a hard time settling on a secret society when it comes to The Secret World? Fear not, as Funcom is bringing you another theme week detailing one of the game's three factions. This time around, it's the Illuminati in the spotlight, and over the next few days we'll be on the lookout for new artwork, screens, videos, a developer Q&A, and more. Funcom's version of the (in)famous Illuminati group casts its members as "invisible puppet-masters and corporate manipulators" who seek "power and wealth by any means necessary." Head to the official Secret World website to check out the latest Illuminati-themed art, and don't forget to take the initiation test to see which faction is right for you. [Source: Funcom press release]
The Secret World designers talk progression, hand-holding, and more
The Secret World is up for discussion at Rock, Paper Shotgun this morning, and Funcom designers Joel Bylos and Martin Bruusgaard spend quite a bit of time going over various details of the upcoming horror-conspiracy MMORPG. Those of you wondering how the game's classless skill-based advancement system is going to work will definitely want to read through the piece, as there is a lot of information in terms of both how the The Secret World feels and how it directs players in comparison to more traditional themepark titles. "I believe World of Warcraft uses a very heavy hand to guide players. It says, 'pick up this stuff here, go and do these missions in this place here, do all the quests then go to this place here and do the quests there,'" Bylos explains. "In our game, we try not to be as heavy handed. It's much more of a light touch and comes through in the places you visit and the people you meet."
Over 500K have registered for Secret World's beta
As professional, respected, tweed-wearing writers, we here at Joystiq consider it part of our job to protect the sanctity of the written word. It's in that capacity we're staging this intervention with Funcom. Funcom, we're sure your team was excited when you announced today that over 500,000 people have registered for The Secret World beta. But while that's a catchy name, we're just not sure you can continue to call it that with a straight face. Observe: "I have a secret little out-of-the-way spot I like to go for lunch, it's called Hardee's." "My secret spice? Shh, come close ... it's called salt." "I've got a secret method for keeping my car running well: Gas." Might we suggest "Popular World" (which unfortunately sounds a little like a Facebook game for tweens) or perhaps "Cool World" (which not unfortunately sounds exactly like Cool World)?
The Secret World announces group and raid sizes
As you may have heard, The Secret World gathers up modern-day legends and conspiracy theories and asks, "What if they were all true?" Of course, if these stories were true, then there would have to be a group of people preventing the world from crashing down in utter chaos, right? The Secret World has three such groups, in fact: the Illuminati, the Templars, and the Dragon. That's the big picture, but what about smaller groups? In an interview with The Electric Playground, Lead Content Designer Joel Bylos explains the general idea behind the group dynamics: We really feel that an MMO is a shared experience, right? It's very important that people work together to solve these problems. That's the greatest sort of feeling of achievement: when you work together with other people to overcome something. He goes on to say that it may be possible for players with similar builds to actually be viable even when they're grouped together. He specifically mentioned a group of all tanks' being able to tackle a dungeon if they all had a self heal. But how many players are actually in groups? Bylos says five, and raid groups are 10. No more worrying about finding those other 30 people you would need for those 40-man dungeons, thank goodness!
The Soapbox: Subs and cash shops - Two great tastes that taste awful together
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Hoo boy, The Secret World. On the one hand, I was really looking forward to it. On the other hand, it's now joined the likes of EVE Online, pretty much every Sony Online Entertainment title ever made, Star Trek Online, Champions Online, and Funcom's own Age of Conan in my personal double-dipping doghouse. Yeah, The Secret World is going to have a subscription model (hooray) and a cash shop (boo, hiss, and zomgwtf). This should surprise no one, really, since game industry devs have been going all Gordon Gekko on us for a while now, but it was nonetheless a disappointing reveal on several levels. Equally disappointing are the folks who defend the subscription-plus-cash-shop model and erroneously refer to it as an example of consumer-friendly choice.
Funcom opens Secret World beta registration... really [Updated]
So, the beta phase for The Secret World is officially open. For real this time, apparently. If you've been following the game with a microscope and a magnifying glass for the last few years, you're probably aware that last Saturday's beta registration "postponement" was some sort of ARG hoax... or was it? Frankly, who cares, because as of today you can actually register! The catch is that it requires a Facebook account, so if you're of the opinion that the ubiquitous social networking site is run by evil Illuminati operatives hellbent on destroying your privacy and taking over the free world, well, you're right. But you'll just have to put up with that if you want to get a free preview of beta test TSW. If you haven't figured it out yet, this ain't your granddaddy's beta, and admission to Funcom's horror-conspiracy MMO starts with a personality test, a faction choice, and all manner of ARG-related shenanigans designed to move the hype meter into the stratosphere. Head to the game's official website to check it out. [Update: The beta registration is now open on the website as well as part of the Secret War on Facebook.]
Massively's guide to PAX 2011
What can be said about PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington that hasn't been said already? Everyone knows that it is the largest public gaming event in North America. Attendance totaled 67,600 last year, not including press and exhibitors. And this year, even more gamers will descend on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The latest and greatest games -- released and unreleased -- will be available for public consumption. Developers will mill around the showroom floor, answering your questions. Not to mention that no one will look at you funny because you play video games! This year, MMORPGs really stand out in the crowd. Seattle native NCsoft has a huge presence at the convention, borrowing a theater just to showcase its games. BioWare comes armed with its heavy-hitter, Star Wars: The Old Republic. And free-to-play titles like Firefall, Lord of the Rings Online, and Wakfu promise to strut their stuff at this year's PAX. Punch past the break as Massively outlines the must-see booths for MMO fans. And don't forget the panels, including a couple of MMO spotlights for PAX Dev, the gathering of fans and developers at Sheraton Seattle Hotel on the 24th and 25th.
New Secret World trailer focuses on factions, PvP
The hype machine for The Secret World is swinging into high gear following the recent announcement of the conspiracy-laden MMORPG's spring 2012 launch date. The latest reveal is a brand-new trailer that focuses on the game's PvP elements. The first third of the two-minute clip is a bit of a recap for those of you who haven't kept up with the game to this point. There's a hidden world, take the red pill, dark days are coming, etc. The final two thirds of the clip features some new looks at PvP footage as well as more glimpses of the game's gorgeous visual palette. We also get a brief rundown on the three warring factions, and the Dragons, Templars, and Illuminati all come across as worthy adversaries in terms of both style and substance. Check out all the details and make your choice after the cut.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun gets an inside look at The Secret World
Illuminati, Templars, and Dragons alike, sit down and listen up. The ever-so-entertaining and informative John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun has an exclusive inside look at Funcom's upcoming MMORPG The Secret World. The title, which is being headed up by adventure game visionary Ragnar Tørnquist, is set in the real world, though with a few dark and dangerous twists. Mr. Walker spends a good deal of time talking about the much-talked-about ARG-esque connection between The Secret World and our reality. He goes into detail about a particular puzzle offered by the game which requires players to do a good deal of real-world research in order to reach their in-game goal, which sounds absolutely fascinating. Combat is also touched on, with Mr. Walker noting that "while its delivery is relatively traditional... there's enough that's different here to be interesting." For the full, fascinating read, head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun!
The Secret World reveals new Accursed Woods location
The Secret World's third location reveal of the week is here, and we're once again back in New England for a look at the Accursed Woods. The new blurb on the game's official website kicks things off with a rather unsettling quote from H.P. Lovecraft, an author whose works have inspired both the story and the visuals of Funcom's forthcoming opus. The Accursed Woods play host to some sort of gnarly, nameless terror, but Funcom's prose makes it clear that players will know the true nature of the evil that lurks beneath the forest floor soon enough. "Soon, very soon, these horrors beyond horrors will leave the woods, and quaint Kingsmouth will fall to their chittering chorus," the site says. Bring your bug spray and head to the official Secret World web destination for more.
The Secret World's Innsmouth Academy profiled
Earlier this week Funcom treated us to a blurb about The Secret World's creepily atmospheric Atlantic Island Park. Today the official site has been updated with a new reveal centered on Innsmouth Academy. By all outward appearances, the academy is a private high school for rich kids. As per usual in The Secret World, things aren't always what they seem on the surface. Innsmouth Academy serves as something of a prep school for children of the Illuminati, "and a degree from Innsmouth Academy opens many doors for a budding magus and occultist." The school has a lengthy history, and originally opened its doors in 1798 before being rebuilt three times as a result of three different disasters (including the opening of a dimensional portal in the elementalism lab). Head to the official Secret World website to read more about the school and its faculty.
The Secret World unveils Atlantic Island Park
Funcom may not be previewing The Secret World at this week's E3 convention in Los Angeles, but you can bet on a couple of reveals designed to keep the horror-conspiracy MMORPG fresh on everyone's mind. First up is a new location blurb update on the game's official website. Atlantic Island Park is a creepy-crawly outdoor area oozing with dread atmosphere. Originally built in the 1970s by industrial tycoon Nathaniel Winter, the place was beset by freak accidents and ghostly sightings from the beginning. Kingsmouth locals opposed the construction due to the dark history of the Henderson farm, on which the park was built, but development continued. Apparently, so did a blood curse, night terrors, and various and sundry scream-inducing phenomena. Check out the details on the official website.
Funcom building a bridge between the real and the fantastic in The Secret World
Funcom has released a new dev blog focused on The Secret World, and today's entry is penned by lead content designer Joel Bylos. Much like with yesterday's video teaser, the focus is on the game's environments, and in particular, its localization in the real world. Bylos, who also served as a content designer on Funcom's Age of Conan expansion before moving to The Secret World, says that the game aims to capture the essence of the modern era while adding a supernatural and conspiratorial twist to places you think you know. "Above ground, New York looks just like the New York you have visited in real life. If you really wanted to, you could find the exact same area depicted in the game on Google Maps. But beneath the streets sprawls the corporate-industrial juggernaut of the Illuminati, known only as the Labyrinth," Bylos explains. The dev blog goes on to mention the game's mission system as another tool for grounding the narrative in reality. Whether you're burning zombies, performing an exorcism with a vacuum cleaner, or chasing ghosts with mirrors, The Secret World looks to use the mundane as a window into the fantastic. Check out the game's official website for the full dev blog.
The Secret World showcases NPC backstories
Funcom has just updated its website for The Secret World, and the info drop encompasses the backgrounds of some of the NPC characters we've been hearing about lately. Last week's interview with lead writer Dag Scheve clued us in to the fact that Funcom won't stand for any of its NPCs being lazy and falling into old mission-dispenser habits, and today's reveal gives us some more story-related insight. We're introduced to the likes of a crazed journalist with a death wish, an assassin who didn't make the cut at Juilliard but did with the Illuminati, and a half-human half-demon member of the Dragon who serves a mysterious mistress, just to name a few. While we don't know how the stories of all these individuals are interrelated, it goes without saying that we're looking forward to finding out. Head to The Secret World website to start your own journey of discovery.
Massively's April Fools' Day [adjective] roundup
The favorite day of the year for anyone named April has [verb ending in ed] the internet, making some web surfers [emotion] and others [emotion]. In [adjective] Massively fashion, we felt it best to gather all this news [adverb]. After all, what would an event be without a [adjective] Massively roundup? World of Warcraft [past tense verb] not just one internet prank but four for the [plural noun] of BattleNet. Turbine invited its [plural noun] to be the broccoli for [adjective] race in Dungeons and Dragons Online. The [plural title] of Star Wars: The Old Republic did not want to leave the Wookiee [plural noun] from playing their [adjective] game, so they created a Shyriiwook interface for all those [adjective] people. However, the prank that takes the [food] has to be ArenaNet's new Guild Wars 2 class, the Commando; Anet created [adjective] videos complete with jiggle physics and placed helicopters into the current Guild Wars game. After the cut, we have [past tense verb] all the [adjective] pranks in this year's batch of favorite MMOs. Now you won't have to [verb] around the internet to find them yourself! But if you do [verb] something not on our list, let us know in the comments.
Secret World Twitter accounts offer possible clues
You know it's a slow news day when we're writing about The Secret World blurbs from the deep, dark recesses of the Twittersphere. It's not that we think Funcom's conspiracy-laced Lovecraftian zombie skill-based thing is vaporware, it's just that there's been very little information released on the game since the London hub video several months ago. Now, one of the game's Twitter pages has been updated with a cryptic message that states "they are coming back." Who "they" are -- and why the avatar is now an image of bees and honeycomb -- is anyone's guess. Ten Ton Hammer has also observed that the Twitter accounts of a few Kingsmouth residents, namely Helen Bannerman, Danny Dufresne, Andy Gardener, and Carter, have also been updated. So what's the thread that ties all these clues together? Is this more marketing misdirection or the lead-in to a larger reveal? We'll bring you the latest as soon as we figure it out ourselves.
New Secret World video sends you back... to the future! [Updated]
If you've been wondering why we haven't heard much about The Secret World lately, it's because the Illuminati control every word that the media says. Well, that, and Funcom's been working on a groovy video to show off their newly-revealed London hub. London is the headquarters of the Templars, and new players associated with that faction will be sent there straight away. Executive Producer Ragnar Tørnquist explains that London is a bit unique of the three starter hubs in that it's the oldest, most steeped in legend, and where members of all three factions come to fight and frolic. Funcom also discussed a special aspect of the new player experience. A mysterious figure known as The Fallen King sends them into a vision of their future, where players can get a taste of advanced combat right off the bat. Combat and grouping mechanics are a key part of The Secret World, which is why Funcom wants players to start learning earlier rather than later. You can watch the full seven-and-a-half minute trailer after the jump! [Editor's Note: Reader Agent Brutal tipped us off to a glorious batch of TSW screenshots posted to AgentLethal.com -- we've included them here as well!] %Gallery-100596%
The Secret World reveals London: "Biggest hub in the game"
The team behind The Secret World has revealed more information on one of the game's key areas, and Lead Developer Ragnar Tornquist says it's the "biggest hub in the game." London is home base for the Templar faction, and while members will have access to more areas than others, it looks to be a fascinating area for all players to explore. On the surface there are some entertaining -- albeit dangerous -- events to participate in, such as dance competitions and fight clubs, but as you explore you'll find something a bit darker. In keeping with the basic story, the barrier between this world and the next is thin in London, and inter-faction bickering can become the least of your worries pretty quickly. Check out the full story on IGN. [via IGN]
The Secret World Q&A with Ragnar Tornquist
Funcom Senior Assistant Community Manager Glen "Famine" Swan has dropped a gem of a post on the official forums for the forthcoming MMORPG known as The Secret World. The development team has been collecting questions from the community for some time, and the answers are being rolled out in a series of Q&A-style posts. Game Director Ragnar Tornquist fields the questions for this first installment, and talks about a wide range of topics including social events, open versus linear game design, and magical variety in the game world. "There's going to be tons of variety in terms of what kind of magic players can learn and how they can use it – both in terms of visuals and gameplay – and that also goes for the magic weapons players get to wield. But it's still magic of our world, not a world of elves and dwarves and dragons (well, um, sort of), and it'll feel as such. There's voodoo, illusionism, demonology - magics that belong in the darkest corners of Earth, not in some high fantasy world," Tornquist says. Check out the full session over at the official forums.
The Secret World's giant monsters won't be a secret for long
Funcom has released a new gameplay trailer for The Secret World. The trailer shows off some of the many enemies players will face -- including giant crab monsters, zombies and a squid ... thing -- as well as some of the characters they will meet. As we noted in our impressions of the game earlier this week, The Secret World sets itself apart from most MMOs, using real-world settings and characters. Strange as it seems, even with all this new gameplay footage and information, we still don't know an awful lot about what's actually going on in the game. The only hint we have from the trailer is a reference to "something from the bottomless deep rising to devour us all." Whatever is happening, at least there are plenty of monsters to kill, right?
