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Report: SWTOR fourth biggest sub MMO, Elder Scrolls has over 770k subscribers
Market intelligence firm Superdata says that Star Wars: The Old Republic earned $165 million in worldwide revenue last year. This would make SWTOR the fourth biggest sub MMO in the world (behind World of Warcraft, Lineage, and TERA). Superdata's report also says that the pay-to-play MMO market has been in a constant decline since 2010, with monthly active worldwide subscribers bottoming out at 23.4 million. "Despite the overall decline, this category has so far managed to maximize their ability to monetize a shrinking yet loyal player base," the firm says. Finally, Superdata says that Elder Scrolls Online has a subscriber base of 772,374 while WildStar is seeing "four to five times" as many concurrent users as it saw during open beta. Superdata's information is purportedly "pulled directly from publishers and developers."
SWTOR's legacy storage detailed
BioWare community manager Eric Musco has highlighted some details of Star Wars: The Old Republic's legacy storage on the game's official forums. The system will debut with the Galactic Strongholds expansion, and players will obtain legacy storage for free by completing the introductory stronghold mission. Legacy storage will also be craftable and it will appear in the game's cash shop. The storage default is one 80-slot bay, with additional unlocks available for purchase with in-game credits or cash shop currency.
Star Wars: The Old Republic will allow you four strongholds per legacy
Eagle-eyed players following the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic's next major expansion, Galactic Strongholds, have probably noticed that players will have the option of deactivating a stronghold, which will incur a credit fee if players want to reactivate that stronghold in the future unless it was purchased via Cartel Coins. But why would anyone deactivate a stronghold? Is there an upkeep system? Is it tied to account activity? Eric Musco took to the forums to explain that there's no reason to retire a stronghold now... but there might be in the future. Musco makes it clear that each Legacy will be limited to four strongholds total, which at launch is equal to the number of different strongholds available. The distinction is there because if you own all four and want to pick up an additional stronghold in the future, you will need to deactivate one. So rest assured that between your four options, you will never be forced to abandon one.
Last Week on Massively: ESO's slash-and-burn update
This post originally appeared on Massively from Editor-in-Chief Brianna Royce. At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO story last week, you've come to the right post. This week, The Elder Scrolls Online team revealed plans for its third major patch; due in August, the update will include the first part of a slash-and-burn overhaul of the unpopular veteran ranks system. Meanwhile, Massively ESO columnist Jef Reahard opined on why immersion is so important for ZeniMax's MMO. Read on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.
One Shots: Requiem for a rancor
You know what scene from Return of the Jedi that always got me teared up? When Luke kills the rancor and the beast's owner breaks down sobbing. You just know that thing was his best friend and now... now there is a large, monstrous hole in his life. Reader Chris could have had a lifelong companion but chose to go the Luke route in Star Wars: The Old Republic. "I let a Sith escape Belsavis in order to save the injured fighter pilot Conrad Gall from an 'ancient beast' -- a rancor, as it turns out. It was a close fight, as you can tell by where my Trooper finally took it down." Hats off to the brave rancor, whose only crime was being born a big, fat, sharp-toothed freak. Stop the bullying, I say!
Massively Liveblogs: SWTOR's Galactic Strongholds
The upcoming expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic has the potential to completely change player perception of the game. Galactic Strongholds gives players the ability to own and decorate a home on four different planets: Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Coruscant, and Dromund Kaas. Last week, the developers showed off the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace; today, we see the Coruscant Skyrise Apartment. Over the next couple of weeks, developers have promised to answer questions, including, "Who can visit your stronghold when you're not looking?" and "How many people can visit before your skyrise topples to level 1313?" They also said that they will give an in-depth tour of the prestige system and the legacy bank. We are liveblogging right now in the comments as the developers are speaking, so join us!
I saw a real Jedi in Star Wars: The Old Republic
Let me tell you about this Jedi Guardian named Nayelii. She lives on Star Wars: The Old Republic's Ebon Hawk server. She could actually be a he, but the avatar (and the name) seemed female, so that's the pronoun I'm going with at the moment. I say "seemed" because Nayelii was wearing hooded robes, it's fairly dark through most of the Kuat Drive Yards flashpoint, and I tend to play dungeons with my camera at max range. Anyway, that's all beside the point because last weekend Nayelii put on what is unequivocally the best tanking performance I've seen in all my years playing MMORPGs.
Hyperspace Beacon: 250 reasons you don't want to miss SWTOR Galactic Strongholds
When I first hopped into MMOs way back when Ultima Online hit the scene, I believed that the best thing about the game wasn't the gamey side. I wasn't interested in the monsters that I could kill nor the mechanics of taking down a daemon or a lich lord. I was most interested in living in the world of Ultima with Lord British and the town of Trinsic then. Although my tastes have changed in the 14 years since, I still feel the longing to live in the world created online. The next expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic gives me nostalgic feelings of when I first stepped into Ultima. True, owning a house in UO was more complicated than what Galactic Strongholds gives us, but there is a great level of complexity all the same. In the livestream last week, the developers gave us a tour of the Nar Shaddaa stronghold and layout many of the decorating tools. The "hooks" on the floors, walls, and ceilings can be configured into many different configurations of large, medium (column-like), and small areas, with a couple of large exceptions, like centerpiece and starship hooks. Developers Troy McCall, Jack Wood, and Eric Musco dropped many items on the floors, walls, and ceilings of the stronghold, showing over 250 items in the various menus. Even if you watched the livestream as it was happening, you couldn't have caught all 250+ items. Let's look at some of the most interesting.
Last Week on Massively: Play it again, Guild Wars 2
This post originally appeared on Massively from Editor-in-Chief Brianna Royce. At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO story last week, you've come to the right post. This week, ArenaNet launched the second season of Guild Wars 2's living story, introducing the first part of a new zone, Dry Top, to the almost-two-year-old MMO. Don't worry if you miss an installment, however; the new living journal will allow you to replay past storylines, nullifying complaints about temporary content. Read on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.
The Daily Grind: Are there any long-term MMO goals that you plan to complete in 2014?
I managed to finish another couple of class stories thanks to Star Wars: The Old Republic's double XP week. Though the game has been out for nearly three years, getting through all eight arcs is taking a while since I dabble in so many other MMOs. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, though, and I think that even without another double XP event, I'll finally be finished before the end of the year. What about you, Massively readers? Are there any long-term MMO goals you plan to complete in 2014? 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!
The Daily Grind: What untried portion of an MMO have you been playing lately?
So it's double XP week in Star Wars: The Old Republic right now, and I'm pretty sick of the Kuat Drive Yards flashpoint. I popped into a Galactic Starfighter queue out of sheer boredom, and while it's a far cry from the space sims I love, it was a pleasant diversion. What about you, Massively readers? What previously uninteresting or untried portion of an MMO have you discovered of late? 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!
The Daily Grind: Do you like ordering NPC minions around?
Buried among the announcement of RIFT: Nightmare Tides was the addition of collectible minions to the game. Players will supposedly be able to order minions around on various tasks to benefit their characters, which sounds pretty awesome to me. It also seems to be the latest entry in a growing movement of player-controlled NPC minions in MMOs. Star Trek Online has the duty officer system, Neverwinter has a cool web game that uses one's companions, SWTOR allows you to boss around crew members, and Warlords of Draenor looks to have something similar with its garrisons. Do you like this type of feature? Is it enjoyable to send your loyal subjects out to do your bidding even if you're not in the game? 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!
Take a video tour of SWTOR's Tatooine homestead
Yep, it's time for another housing-focused Star Wars: The Old Republic news story. BioWare has released a new video of the Tatooine homestead stronghold and while it's incredibly brief, the clip offers quick glimpses of the sprawling setup as well as a few examples of how you might use its decorating hooks. Dulfy also has a still image breakdown of various shots from the trailer. Click past the cut to have a look!
SWTOR stream reveals the secrets of galactic housing
Star Wars: The Old Republic has been touting its next expansion, Galactic Strongholds, for months, but the studio hadn't revealed how decorating will work. During the latest livestream, all that changed. Decorators, prepare yourself; it's better than you might think. We've compiled a list of the highlights: Guilds will have both a capital ship and a headquarters. Sitting, lying down, and leaning are not tied to a specific item; they're slash commands. Multiple groups of people (up to 70 on the livestream) can visit your stronghold. You can place jukeboxes (four were shown) in your stronghold for ambient music. Your stronghold can be decorated only by you. Guild headquarters and ships can be decorated by different people within the guild. You can place your starship (among other large vehicles) on the landing pad. There's no rent or maintenance for upkeep. Strongholds can be bought with both credits and Cartel Coins. Dueling is an uncertain possibility. NPCs can be placed in multiple spots around the stronghold. The legacy bank is an item. Twi'lek NPC table-dancing has been confirmed! If you have an hour, the whole livestream is available after the break; otherwise, stay tuned next Tuesday for the Hyperspace Beacon's impressions and detailed breakdown of the SWTOR livestream.
SWTOR's housing, decor acquisition explained
BioWare is revealing more of its Star Wars: The Old Republic Galactic Strongholds content today via a new dev diary. The piece details everything from decorating hooks to the decorations themselves, which will be available as loot drops or from crew skills, reputation/PvP grinds, or the game's cash shop. Unlike previous unlocks, decor is available across your entire Legacy by default. Crafters have some part to play in the process, too, as BioWare says that tradeskillers "of all levels will provide the components required to obtain these decorations."
SWTOR announces new Galactic Living stream series
If you love Star Wars and spend way too much time mentally designing your dream home while watching HGTV, then rejoice because Star Wars: The Old Republic's new Galactic Living Twitch Series will combine my your two weird passions. Your. We're talking about you here, not me. Yeah. Beginning July 2nd and continuing on Wednesdays thereafter, the BioWare devs will dust off the official SWTOR Twitch channel to preview the houses arriving in the Galactic Strongholds expansion this August. From live tours of the various strongholds like the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace to a behind-the-scenes look at the decoration items and tools, get an inside preview of all the ways you'll be able to customize your own stronghold in the new Digital Expansion, Galactic Stronghold[s]. The first show starts at 4:30 p.m. EDT tomorrow.
PSA: SWTOR double XP week starts tomorrow
Ladies and gentlemen, Star Wars: The Old Republic's Kuat burnout week double experience week is almost here. This means that yours truly will be queuing for KDY flashpoints until my fingers bleed in an attempt to bypass that godawful planetary grind and get a couple more class story alts to 50. The XP extravaganza starts July 1st at 2:00 p.m. EDT and runs through July 7.
Hyperspace Beacon: Fixing SWTOR's community representation problem
You might be aware that I was once a community representative for Star Wars Galaxies. The player governing body was called the Senate. I don't remember who started it, but I do remember the formal revamp during the time Kelly "Valara" Knox served as Community Manager. It was during that period that I represented the roleplay community in the SWG Senate. Because of my time serving as an MMO community representative and my vested interest in the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, I can say that the representative system employed by BioWare is ineffective. But I don't solely blame the BioWare community team for its shortcomings. Indulge me as I discuss how it could be better and how we could better utilize the current system.
The Daily Grind: Have you ever come back to a game for the double XP?
I logged into Star Wars: The Old Republic this weekend and came to a sad realization. I really don't want to play it any more. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, so I usually find something to like about the game even though themepark mechanics and eternal gear grinds aren't my first choice. Lately I lack the desire to keep leveling, though, which is unfortunately at odds with my goal of seeing all the cutscenes for all eight class stories (again, Star Wars fan, completionist, can't help it). Fortunately for me, there's a double XP week starting July 1st, at which point I will be blasting through levels like a man possessed on as many characters as I can! I feel a sense of urgency because I doubt I'll be leveling again in SWTOR until its next double XP event. And really I'd love to just check the game off my MMO to-do list and uninstall as soon as I've viewed the stories and taken a few screenshots. What about you, Massively readers? Have you ever come back to a game specifically for the double XP, or am I sailing alone across my own personal ocean of crazy? 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!
The Daily Grind: Is in-game gambling fun?
Recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic released a new update that had, among other things, gambling minigames at an in-game casino. It's not the first MMO to add some sort of sanctioned gambling, although it made me wonder just how much demand there is for this sort of thing. On one hand, I'm all for adding more function and features to the game world, even if it's mostly cosmetic and fluffy. Or especially if it's cosmetic and fluffy. Immersion can't begin and end with combat; game worlds should feel alive in a multitude of ways. Plus, giving players more options during a game session is always something I can get behind. On the other hand, if I wanted to gamble online, aren't my needs already met elsewhere? Isn't this a lot of effort for a minigame that will probably get one or two plays from most people before being discarded? What do you think? Is in-game gambling fun? 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!
