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EverQuest Mac shutting down (again)
After a stay of execution last year, EverQuest Mac will be shut down on November 18th. SOE cited the need to devote its resources to upcoming games as a reason for the sunset. "After much review and consideration, we have made the decision to sunset EverQuest Mac," the studio posted. "EQMac was originally scheduled to sunset in early 2012, but we kept the game up and running following the passionate feedback received from the community. As we align development resources towards our upcoming slate of games, we cannot justify the resources required to continue to support EQMac. The remaining EverQuest titles (EverQuest, EverQuest II, EverQuest Next, and EverQuest Next Landmark) will not be affected by this closure. We appreciate all of your contributions over the years and hope to see you in other EQ games." SOE President John Smedley added his condolences: "Please know that this was not a decision that was taken lightly. It was a hard call to make, but we know it's the right thing to do." EQMac is a Mac-only version of the game that's been effectively frozen in time since the Planes of Power expansion. You can read our history as well as veterans' stories of the title. The last EverQuest game to be shut down was EverQuest Online Adventures in March 2012.
The Think Tank: Do you believe in MMO reincarnation?
As living worlds, MMOs lend themselves to much more than just a simple shelf life. When they succeed, they can thrive; when they lose, they can lose it all. But some MMOs are returning from the dead lately, whether through a new publisher, as with APB: Reloaded, or through a complete redesign, as with Final Fantasy XIV. Further still, some games are enjoying renewed interest levels from players as game-changing expansions are being announced. So what does the Massively staff think of MMO reincarnation? Follow along after the jump to see!
The Mummy Online shuts down today
Do you remember The Mummy Online? It was a browser game by Bigpoint, it was in beta testing, it... you don't, do you? Apparently a lot of people didn't, seeing as how the company is shutting the game down as of today without much fanfare. According to the official announcement, Bigpoint has determined that due to the dropping playerbase it simply made more sense to sink more resources into games with an active group of players rather than trying to revive something slowly drying out. There's a metaphor in there. No word has been given on any kind of compensation for players who had spent money on the game. Readers may also note that the game never technically left beta testing, making it one of many titles to fold before an official launch. Our condolences to any gamers or developers affected deeply by this loss. [Thanks to Scott for the tip!]
The Game Archaeologist: WAR's biggest battle was with itself
Who would have thought that on WAR's fifth anniversary and just days after I dropped a few favorite things about the game, Mythic would be announcing a closure instead of an exciting celebration? While we can all say it that Warhammer Online's upcoming sunset was expected, nobody predicted that the news would go down on its fifth birthday. Maybe someone over there likes order more than chaos and sees a nice symmetry in this. Personally, I think it felt a little bit mean to do that to the remaining community that was patiently sitting there hoping that the studio would toss them even a small bit of recognition. But facts are facts, and after December 18th, the game of public quests, the Tome of Knowledge, "bears, bears, bears," Slayers and Marauders, RvR and scenarios, exploding squigs, and drunken Dwarves will be no more. There are a few months left to experience the game if one so desires, but the end is finally here. It's caused many of us who were invested in the game back in 2008 to take stock of our memories and deal with the last chapter of this strange, wild rollercoaster that started with a strong IP, a studio steeped in PvP MMO development, and a pair of white sunglasses. In the end, WAR's biggest battle was with itself -- and it lost. Today, let's look at the whys, the what ifs, and the community reaction.
Dragon Ball Online has reached its final form
Dragon Ball Online is officially on its way to the other world, as NetMarble has announced that the game will be shutting down in its two remaining territories. Korea's Dragon Ball Online server went offline September 26th and the Taiwan server is set for closure on October 31st. Once Taiwan goes dark, the Dragon Ball MMO will officially be no more. Dragon Ball Online launched in Korea in 2010, followed by releases in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2011. The game took place 216 years after the Dragon Ball manga series and was under the creative control of original Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.
Shadow Cities closing down October 7
First announced in 2010, Shadow Cities was set to be a completely new experience in MMO gaming. The location-based mobile game secured millions in investment capital and had a promising showing at GDC 2011. But all of that wasn't enough to keep the game afloat almost three years later. Finnish developer Grey Area has announced that they will be closing down Shadow Cities on October 7 of this year. The game has already been removed from the iTunes App Store as of today and it will not accept new Mana Potion purchases. [Source: Grey Area release]
Warhammer Online to close December 18th
Today is Warhammer Online's fifth anniversary, but instead of getting a celebration, the players are getting a pink slip from Mythic. The studio announced that it will be shutting WAR down as of December 18th because its licensing deal with Games Workshop has come to an end. The official statement gives the important details: "We here at Mythic have built an amazing relationship working with Games Workshop creating and running Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning over the last 8 years. Unfortunately, as with all licensing deals they do eventually come to end and on December 18th, 2013 we will no longer be operating Warhammer Online. As such we will no longer be selling three-month game time codes or have the ability to auto renew your accounts for three months as of September 18th, 2013. From all of us here at Mythic we thank you again for your dedication and support over the last five years." Producer Carrie Gouskos also posted her own memories of the game on this somber occasion, including the revelation of a now-cancelled Asian F2P edition of the game and a vampire-themed expansion. "It has been a tremendous honor to work with Games Workshop and even though we may be parting ways, our relationship with them remains strong," she wrote. "And now, hopefully, because this may be the last thing I ever write about Warhammer, I'll be allowed to acknowledge the existence of Chaos Dwarves. Or maybe not."
RaiderZ shutting down in Korea, NA version endures
RaiderZ just can't catch a break, it seems. Just a few weeks after the title was shuttered in Europe, Neowiz announced that it will be taking the game offline in South Korea next month. The Korean version will go dark on September 24th, and the publisher said that it will be reimbursing cash purchases through October. The North American version is still alive and kicking, however, and has released a state of the game post to rally players behind the title. Perfect World said that it's preparing new monsters, zones, dungeons, and loot for the near future. The company also took the opportunity to promote its in-game events, such as GM-run hide-and-seek games.
Webzen puts Arctic Combat on ice
Longevity in free-to-play games is odd. Some seem to last forever while others barely make it to one year. Arctic Combat was well on its way to the one-year mark after launching in December of last year, but Webzen has announced that the game will be closed completely as of September 2nd. The gradual shutdown started on August 2nd, with the item shop and downloads disabled, but service will continue for players still in the game until September. Players looking for compensation will receive money for use in other Webzen titles and are eligible to pick up special compensation packs in several other titles, including MU Online and Allods Online. Direct refunds are not offered. Our consolations go out to all players and staff members affected by this shutdown. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Death knell sounds for RaiderZ EU
In a move that apparently doesn't surprise some players, RaiderZ Europe is shutting down for good. Gameforge announced the closure today and posted a brief FAQ covering the the when, why, and what's next for players. The game is being shuttered because, "The success of RaiderZ did not meet our expectations and as we saw no other potential alternatives to the discontinuation of the services, unfortunately we were left with no other alternative than to take this step." In response to the announcement, players noted a lack of updates and content surely had some bearing on the lack of interest in the game. The servers will remain open until August 30th, at which time any players who wish to continue to play the game will have to move to a different publisher (i.e. Perfect World) and start from scratch. [Thanks to Skurvel for the tip]
InnoGames shutting down pirate-based browser game Kartuga
If you've loved the chance to have nautical pirate battles right in your browser courtesy of Kartuga, we've got sad news for you. InnoGames announced today that the the game has not managed to meet the company's standards for quality. The game also fails to meet the company's standard for cross-platform games, and with no way to bring it up to speed in an appropriate timeframe, the decision has been made to shut the game down in the very near future. Players with existing cash shop currency will be able to transfer that currency to another title run by InnoGames by August 14th. No exact date for the server shutdown has yet been established, but the official announcement specifies that the game will be available for a few more weeks. Our consolation goes out to all players and any development team members affected by this unexpected cancellation. [Source: InnoGames press release]
Remanum announces impending shutdown
The idea of an MMO centered entirely around establishing a trading empire is unique, as are games set in the time of ancient Rome instead of a more traditional European fantasy. But Remanum had certain problems, problems that the developers didn't see a way to change without massive rewrites. In a letter released to the community, the game director admits that without any further options, the team is going to shut down Remanum in the near future. Development and bug fixing have already stopped. On September 16th, all servers except for the most recently opened server will be taken offline, with the newest server allowed to run a bit longer. Players can transfer to the last server starting now if they want to keep playing as long as possible. While this is a German server, support will be offered for all languages until the final shutdown, and any gold purchased on other servers will be transferred to this last bastion. [Thanks to Arachnella for the tip!]
PSA: Sprint's iDEN push-to-talk network rides into the sunset June 30th
The end of an era arrives Sunday, when Sprint will officially shut the door on its Nextel iDEN push-to-talk service. Subscribers who've held onto the legacy PTT standard with white knuckle grips (and extra fees) will have to switch to its CDMA-based Direct Connect offering for continued chirping capabilities -- or migrate to the likes of Ma Bell's haus. The freed up 800MHz spectrum won't remain idle; if you'll recall, it'll be re-allocated to give a major boost to Sprint's 4G CDMA voice/LTE data rollout for 2014. Hurry up and make that switch if you haven't already and relive some Sprint Nextel memories with us after the break.
Jukebox Heroes: Tabula Rasa's soundtrack
It's a well-known fact that the ghost of Tabula Rasa haunts the Massively offices. I think it's because Shawn keeps feeding it ectopellets because he's not quite ready to let his beloved MMO go. The ghost is driving the rest of us crazy because it's constantly switching the labels on our lunchboxes and whistling the Tabula Rasa theme through the air ducts while we're trying to get honest work done. So while the MMO no longer exists outside of a few forlorn collector's editions picking up dust on store shelves, the music persists. Tabula Rasa boasted a strong score thanks to the work of Tracy W. Bush. Bush is a name you should know when it comes to MMO soundtracks: He had a huge hand in the World of Warcraft score and contributed to several NCsoft titles (which are all dead, but that's probably not his fault). [Edit: Several readers wrote in to let me know that Curse Mackey, Stacie Cline, Chris Vrenna, and Clint Walsh also contributed to the score. Thanks!] I find that sci-fi MMOs, particularly shooter-based ones, tend to elicit heavier tracks and more synth work than orchestral, and they are sometimes relentlessly grim. All of the above certainly can be applied to Tabula Rasa, up to and including its final surprising track.
The Daily Grind: Are petitions to resurrect MMOs a waste of time?
We've received several tips over the last few weeks about a petition players are circulating in the hopes of resurrecting NCsoft's ill-fated MMO shooter Tabula Rasa. Even Richard Garriott himself tweeted about the campaign. But inside the Massively virtual offices, most of us just shrugged sadly. We've seen how these petitions go. Every once in a while, a sunsetted game returns from the dead, but MMO players are awash in petitions for games that never came back. Just ask the 21,845 gamers who signed the Save City of Heroes petition last autumn. So what do you think -- are petitions to resurrect or save MMOs a waste of time? Or do you sign them anyway, just in case there's a tiny chance they might work? 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!
Petroglyph to shut down Battle for Graxia just two months after launch
Due in part to the colossal success of League of Legends, the past few years have seen dozens of new MOBAs enter development. The genre that was once a niche inhabited by just a few indie developers has rapidly become one of the most competitive online gaming markets in the world, and small studios are finding it difficult to compete. Independent studio Petroglyph Games found this out the hard way when it launched free-to-play MOBA Rise of Immortals in 2011 to a less-than-stellar reception. The studio attempted to revive the game recently with its Battle For Graxia update, which overhauled the entire game to be more like other competitive PvP-focused MOBAs and added interesting new features like the White Knight system that replaces players who leave in the middle of a game. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have revived the game, as developers announced today that they will be pulling the plug on June 27th. Petroglyph's future now looks uncertain, as the studio has recently lost the development contract for End of Nations and failed to secure funding on Kickstarter for its own RTS game, Victory. [Thanks for the tip, Venova.]
The Soapbox: Your MMO is going to die, and that's OK
There is no question about it: Bringing games online has fundamentally changed the way we play and interact with one another. Thanks to the web, we can share games with our friends from thousands of miles away. We can hang out with people who live in other countries and learn about human beings who exist in completely different realities. Playing MMOs is an incredible, unique experience that gives players an honest chance at turning their favorite personal hobby into a full-on social engagement. For any of these experiences to be possible, a game must be connected to the web. Without a server humming away in someone's basement or the cold, dark corridors of an MMO developer's hushed office, the games we talk about here on Massively simply wouldn't exist. The side effect of this online requirement is that every online game, no matter how popular it may be at the moment, has a finite lifespan. Eventually, your favorite game is going to die. This is a good thing. Here's why.
The Perfect Ten: Final moments of MMOs, part 1
Maybe many of us would just rather remember MMOs as they were in life rather than at the moment of their demise. But I believe that how a game went out is incredibly fascinating for many reasons and worthy of examination. It's in these final moments when an entire community has to say goodbye. It's in these moments that the developers mourn as well before pulling the plug. It's in these moments that history is being made one last time. And it goes without saying that it's in these moments that everyone curses the unfairness of it all. Today we're going to watch the first half of 10 videos featuring MMOs in their final moments. It's here we'll see how weird, crazy, sad, and interesting things can get. Maybe you were part of one (or more) of these moments or are simply curious what it was like. Either way, it's the end of the world as we know it. And we feel fine.
Interview peeks behind the curtain of City of Heroes' final act
Yes, City of Heroes is gone. And it was as surprising to the Paragon Studios staff as it was to players. A recent interview with Matt Miller, former lead designer, explores the effort that management put into saving the studio and the game right up until the last minute. It also highlights the content that barely missed release. In speaking about the buyout plan that Paragon management was negotiating, Miller stated, "We all were really working as if things were going to work out... it was business as usual right up until the last day. "On the night before we all got the notice of the studio shutting down, Brian, Ross, and Destin were in there still trying to work out that deal," Miller continued. "We were a signature away from things going through or not -- and we unfortunately fell on the not side." But did the team try everything? Miller acknowledged all of the great ideas that fans proposed and he says that each and every avenue was already explored. And what of the fans who'd like to see the developers come together under their own banner? While it's a good idea in theory, Miller says that in reality, many employees had already lined up new jobs by November 1st, and starting a new studio became increasingly impossible as time went on.
Nexon closing North American Dungeon Fighter Online
Nexon is closing the North American version of Dungeon Fighter Online according to a post by CEO Min Kim on the title's official website. "Sadly, Dungeon Fighter Online has not attracted enough player interest to properly service the game," Kim writes. "Internally, we struggled deeply with the popularity of DFO in North America as the title is immensely popular overseas. For more than three years, we went through many milestones and several pushes before we came to this very difficult decision." Nexon will close DFO's cash shop on April 11th, and the game itself will sunset on June 13th. The company is also compensating players who purchased permanent and durational items over the past six months.
