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Working As Intended: The MMOs we lost in 2014
Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about how Vanguard's early stumbles foreshadowed the changing MMORPG industry. In January 2007, when Vanguard lurched its way to launch, the genre was barely a decade old; it was booming, and it had never suffered hardship on a massive scale. In the west, we'd seen only three "major" MMOs sunset (Motor City Online, Earth and Beyond, and Asheron's Call 2), and only one MMO, Anarchy Online, had "gone F2P," though we hadn't yet thought to call it yet because it was such a rare and new thing. In fact, it wasn't until 2008's first big wave of AAA, post-World of Warcraft MMOs launched and mostly flopped that MMORPG players gave much thought to the future of the genre and how WoW had reshaped (and possibly broken) it. Maybe not even then. Here in 2015, sunsets are commonplace, and the vast majority of modern MMOs have adopted some sort of subscriptionless model. Last year, we lost more than a dozen MMOs, including Vanguard itself, all of them wiped from the face of the earth (at least until someone decides to resurrect them), and several more under development were canceled, leading to concern among industry watchers like those of us who pen for Massively. Let's try to get some perspective and revisit the MMOs we lost in 2014.
Luck awaits Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures on Friday the 13th
Traditionally, Friday the 13th bears the bad-luck brand. However, tomorrow, you have nothing to fret about if you play Free Realms or Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures because Sony Online Entertainment prepares to entertain its players with superstitious tomfoolery. If you pounce around the land of Free Realms near Champ Chatty and Camp Robbie Lake, be prepared to run into Jason Maskface. This creepy fellow wants to recruit you into scaring people by turning you into a banshee, skeleton, or other graveyard element. Additionally, each participant will receive the ability to turn into a "Scaredy" black cat. The Force is with players of CWA because all transforming holoprojectors go on sale tomorrow at 50% off. If you happen to wander around the main hall, veranda, or hanger of the Jedi Temple, don't be surprised if you or the people around you randomly turn into skeletal Clone Troopers, breaking into a dance -- it's the only way to frighten away the bad luck of Friday the 13th. [Source: SOE press release]
SOE announces in-game Valentine's activities
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and aside from mad dashes to the Hallmark store for cards and boxes of chocolate, the season is also typified by various MMO events. This year is no different, and Sony Online Entertainment is queuing up a couple of noteworthy shindigs in EverQuest II and Free Realms. Norrathians will be celebrating Erollisi Day from February 7th through the 20th, and there are plenty of contests, quests, and love-soaked goings-on to keep everyone happy. Free Realms' Festival of Hearts lasts a bit longer (February 7th through March 8th to be exact), during which time players may partake of Valentine's Day-themed environments, quests, and reward items. Finally, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is re-introducing a few Valentine's Day items to its StationCash markeplace, and you'll find more info on each game's celebration events at their respective official sites. [Source: SOE press release]
John Smedley: EverQuest II seeing 'amazing growth' following F2P
Following a rocky and often-troubling year for Sony Online Entertainment in 2011, it's got to be good to have a clear win for the team. So we certainly can't begrudge SOE President John Smedley from climbing to the mountaintops to trumpet EverQuest II's success following its full free-to-play transition last month. According to a series of tweets, Smedley says that the numbers are looking impressive: "We are seeing some amazing growth in EQII. 40% increase in daily logins since going F2P, 300% increase in new players, and 200% increase in item sales. Plus we have added a lot of new subs. All during the time that some really good competition hit the market." Smedley also says that SOE is "very excited" with its partnership with ProSiebenSat.1, which grants exclusive publishing rights in Europe to eight of the studio's titles, including EverQuest, DC Universe Online, and Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures.
Clone Wars Adventures releases Umbara combat zone trailer
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is getting a new expansion known as Battle of Umbara. And just for giggles, the update will be hitting the live game on December 15th, which is the first day of Star Wars: The Old Republic's head start. Sony Online Entertainment has released a short video to show players what they have to look forward to from the Umbara combat zone when the update goes live on the 15th. Along with the new combat zone, the expansion will also bring new mission instances, zone-wide events, and more.. If you want to check the game out, you can sign up for free on the game's official site. Otherwise, just click on past the cut for the video.
Clone Wars Adventures celebrates its anniversary with free money and guns
It's time for bounty hunters, Jedi, smugglers, and Sith alike to come together for Clone Wars Adventures' anniversary celebration. From September 12th to September 16th, Sony Online Entertainment will be providing players with a wealth of free shinies to commemorate the occasion. For starters, any players who log in while the celebration is going on will receive 5,000 Galactic Credits to spend on whatever their hearts desire. Logging in once again on the 15th will net players the first of a pair of anniversary-exclusive versions of Captain Rex's chrome plated blasters, named Vigilance. To top it all off, log in on the 16th and purchase Station Cash for your account, and you'll be rewarded with the second of the pair of blasters, known as the Negotiator. For the full details and fine print, head on over to the official Clone Wars Adventures site.
E3 2011: Clone Wars Adventures redefines tower defense
With a large Star Wars MMO on the horizon, it's easy to forget that there are two other Star Wars-related online games already on the market. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures is an online lobby-based game geared for the younger audience, but if you are a Star Wars fan, it's fun at any age. The game has lightsaber duels, starfighter simulations, blaster ranges, and much more. Massively visited the Sony Online Entertainment booth at E3 to get a glimpse of what is the latest and greatest to come out of this multiplayer online experience. The Senior Producer of Clone Wars Adventures, Todd Carson, was there to greet us and show us a few of the newest minigames that litter the gamescape. Jump past the break to see what he had to say and witness the latest trailer for the Clone Wars Adventures.%Gallery-125784%
Massively's guide to Valentine's Day festivities
Ah spring! 'Tis the time when young men and women's thoughts turn to love -- or at least scoring some nifty holiday-themed loot! This year there's quite a bit going on. Some events are old familiar ones that have stood the test of time. Others offer new twists and things to do for those who have been there, done that. If you aren't feeling the love bug biting, there's even the odd anti-Valentine's-type event, perfect for those who would rather rain destruction down on the head of anyone foolish enough to approach him with anything heart-shaped or pink. Curious as to what's going on? Check out our listing below -- and feel free to chime in if you know of a fun event others should check out! Rip out your Fallen Earth character's heart for Valentine's Day (February 11th-13th) What's better than surviving a nuclear holocaust and wandering your way across a blasted brown landscape rife with societal collapse? Why, sharing said wanderings with someone you love, of course (or at least, someone you lust after in that we've-got-to-do-this-for-the-future-of-mankind sort of way). In a novel spin on the traditional mid-February holiday, Icarus Studios is presenting Fallen Earth's Valentine's Day Massacre event, and clones everywhere can literally offer their hearts as a sign of affection (and a +3 stamina buff). Vindictus spreads the love with new update and holiday (February 1st-15th) Quirky events have quickly become one of Vindictus' staples. Right now players can participate in V-Day events for special rewards. If fishing and chocolate hunting isn't your bag, you can simply purchase a Valentine's Package at the Supply Depot for "sexy Valentine's themed Inner Armor." Cute undies, in other words. Valentine's events will end after the 15th, so players are encouraged to partake sooner rather than regret it later. Time for love in Final Fantasy XI (February 1st-15th) Valentine's Day is almost here, that special time of year when you attempt to distill the essence of a romantic relationship into chocolate form. And if you were hoping to escape from the day within Vana'diel, your efforts are rather misdirected -- Valentione's Day coincides nicely with the holiday in the real world, with just as much saccharine summation of liaisons in Final Fantasy XI.
SOE and players pitch in to support Child's Play
It is better to give than receive, as it's been said, unless you're giving yourself a present that prompts a major corporation to give to a charity in turn. Then everyone wins! OK, that may sound a bit convoluted, but SOE is actually making it really easy for players to help out with a great charity this holiday season. The studio is supporting Child's Play, a charity started up by the Penny Arcade folks to supply hospitals with video games and toys for kids. SOE has pledged to donate $10 for every purchase of one of four in-game items. These items include a P3-NUT droid pet in Clone Wars Adventures, a penguin pet in Free Realms, an EverQuest II Cloak of Falling Snow, and a neat EverQuest ornamentation that turns any weapon into a cardboard tube (visually, not statistically). This charity drive will go through the end of the month (December 31st), and SOE will honor up to $50,000 of donations based on player purchases. You can read more about this promotion over at EverQuest II, or head over to Child's Play to see what this charity is about.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures force pulls in one million users
LucasArts' free-to-play, lightsaber-brandishing title, Clone Wars Adventures, recently reached an impressive milestone with just a week of availability under its belt. According to the press release embedded after the jump, the kid-friendly Jedi simulator has already reached over one million users. To celebrate, players will receive a free Golden Mouse Droid -- in-game, that is. If those things existed in real life, we'd like to think we'd own a few already. An in-game party will also be held today at 6 p.m. ET, and a far more exclusive event will be held in the Officer's Club at 7 p.m. for players who pony up the $5.99 per month for the game's additional features. You peons have fun at the early party -- we'll be rolling in style at that after-party. We hear Ja Rule is going to be there!
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures public beta accepting recruits
Launching on September 15, Sony Online Entertainment's free-to-play MMO Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures has gone into public beta. You can head to the official site (linked below) and play right now. Three character races are available, but you are not (able to be) a Jedi ... yet.
Preview: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
Two years ago, I sat in a ballroom at the Las Vegas Hilton, listening to the crowd go nuts over Sony Online Entertainment's official Free Realms announcement. Right at the front was a little boy who freaked out whenever the publisher said anything about the game; the kid looked at his father (a huge SOE fanatic) for approval and went bonkers whenever papa bear gave the thumbs up. The excessive enthusiasm was a bit odd, given that Free Realms was a virtual unknown in the competitive MMO space. I thought about him when SOE let me play the newest member of the family, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures. You don't have to be a 12 year old to get excited about this (mostly) free-to-play video game. Although it follows the Clone Wars TV series and characters, you're able to customize an avatar using a wardrobe of Star Wars costumes from all six movies, including Boba Fett's helmet and Tusken Raider fatigues. And no, no word yet on the famous slave Leia outfit. %Gallery-94096%
Exclusive: SOE talks Clone Wars Adventures
Last Tuesday, we gleefully reported on Sony Online Entertainment's brand-new, upcoming Star Wars game: Clone Wars Adventures. We'd heard the rumors, but confirmation sent us into pure fan-frenzy! This kid-friendly virtual world promises a free-to-play romp through the Clone Wars era, allowing players to jump into Star Wars minigames and join the storied heroes of the Republic in the fight against the Separatist armies. That's what we could dig up on the official site, anyway -- but don't you want to know more? Well, Star Wars fans, you're in luck, because we've landed a juicy interview with the Lead Designer of CWA, Matt Higby. Join us after the break as Matt graciously answers all our eager questions about purple lightsabers and parental tools, cartoons and cash shops, and why adult fans (not just kids) will want to check it out!
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures MMO announced by SOE
Sony Online Entertainment plans to launch its "free-to-play" Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures on a non-sentient internet droid near you sometime this autumn. SOE's freemium MMO will be based on Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and will feature such adjective-noun couplings as "exciting minigames, dynamic activities, lively social events" along with "thousands of customization options." If Clone Wars Adventures sounds like Free Realms plus the Star Wars universe, that's because it is. The online game's collection of parsec passing experiences include a droid tower defense game, "droid programming puzzles," speeder bike racing, card battles and other stuff to do not so far in the future in a galaxy far, far away. %Gallery-94096%
New Star Wars online game revealed: Clone Wars Adventures [Update]
While we've heard the rumors of a third Star Wars online title coming our way, today it's confirmed: Clone Wars Adventures will launch this fall! Unlike Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic, Clone Wars Adventures is aimed at a younger demographic (but may appeal to the older as well), in the vein of what SOE did with Free Realms. Sony is shying away from calling this an "MMO," preferring the term "virtual world" instead as there won't be leveling or quests. Capitalizing on the Clone Wars TV series' popularity, CWA offers a pick of three playable classes (Jedi, Padawan and Clone Trooper) and will be more minigame focused. Players will socialize in hubs, meet iconic Star Wars characters, and head off together or solo for a variety of activities, including spaceship battles, tower defense, card games, droid programming and speeder bike racing. Destructoid is reporting that about 20 minigames will be present at launch. Fun amenities, such as pets and player housing, will be offered as well. Clone Wars Adventures will be free to play with an optional membership, so everyone will be able to sample the goods without worry. The official website is chock-full of info and screenshots, although a lot of the smaller details are obviously forthcoming. We'll be able to get a closer look at this title when we travel to E3 later this month, so stay tuned! [Update: We've gotten our hands on a trailer for the game! Follow along after the break to check it out!]
