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One Shots: Warped
Massively reader Johanis delivered today's One Shots image, which features one of TERA's pegasi in flight. He tells us, Here is a shot of Honeynut, my TERA Archer, who was exploring during last weekend's open beta. While flying from one destination to another, she suddenly warped through one of many travel gates, and it was gorgeous. She emerged into a beautiful land just waiting to be explored. Enjoy Johanis' entry alongside a few others past the break!
SOE games down Monday for 24-hour maintenance
We imagine that the word downtime makes Sony Online Entertainment employees cringe, convulse, and eye-twitch for hours on end after last summer's disastrous hacker-induced service outage. Happily, though, the next service interruption is planned, and we've got plenty of notice. SOE will be performing maintenance this Monday, April 23rd, and the firm says that all of its game services will be unavailable for approximately 24 hours. The downtime starts at 3:01 a.m. EDT. Commerce transactions and account management functionality will also be affected, so you might as well cross all of your SOE-related plans off Monday's calendar.
The Soapbox: The curious case of Vanguard
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. "Yaaay!" "FU-- yeah!" "Finally." "WOW! This is the best MMO news I have heard in a long time!" These are just a few of the comments that greeted our recent announcement of Vanguard's upcoming free-to-play conversion. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive, and Sony Online Entertainment's open-world fantasy themepark was lavished with praise by a wide cross-section of Massively readers. This makes me wonder where all these folks have been since the game's launch in early 2007. It's not like Vanguard shut down and is being resurrected, you know? More importantly, I wonder whether free-to-play can actually save the game from the scrap heap of shuttered SOE MMOs.
The Game Archaeologist: Bio break!
Man oh man, why couldn't I just take a month or so off of this column without getting sucked back into it? Why must classic MMOs be so compelling and newsworthy these days? I planned to take some time off of TGA while I went through Dark Age of Camelot in Choose My Adventure (which you're all reading, yes?), but there was so much to talk about regarding older MMOs that I couldn't sit back and stay mum. Ergo, I've dashed off this special "break" column devoted to commenting on recent news about classic games. Hopefully this will help tide you over until I get back into the full swing of things in April. On the docket for today's discussion is Vanguard's forthcoming F2P change, EverQuest's recent conversion, Anarchy Online's stunning graphic engine video, and more!
The Daily Grind: Which MMO doesn't get the respect it deserves?
So 2012 is shaping up to be a great year for MMO fans. There are a ton of new and interesting titles coming out in the next little while, and even forgotten games like Vanguard are getting some love. Now that Sony Online Entertainment is devoting dev resources to Brad McQuaid's beloved (yet strangely abandoned) 2007 themepark, it's probably time to find another MMO to take over that Rodney Dangerfield slot in our collective consciousness. You know, the MMO that gets no respect. It's a fantastic game, yet no one plays it. And if its devs would just pay it a little bit of attention, it would knock the socks right off the rest of the genre. So how about it, Massively morning crew? Which MMO doesn't get the respect it deserves? 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!
SOE showers Vanguard loyalists with gifts
While many newcomers to Telon might be checking out Vanguard for the first time when it goes free-to-play this summer, loyal subscribers wondered, "What do we get, apart from an influx of newbie chat questions?" To that, SOE replied: "GIFTS. And lots of them." The studio announced a series of loyalty rewards for current subscribers that can be grabbed in-game by going to a Herald of Telon in a major city. The first rewards are a "Loyal" title, a Banshee pet, and a Bracelet of Lucky Charms. Currently only players on Halgar can obtain these rewards, with Telon's inhabitants gaining access tomorrow. Each set of rewards will only be available for a limited time, with more sets to come between now and the F2P relaunch.
SOE answers Vanguard free-to-play questions
With the recent announcement from Sony Online Entertainment that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be going free-to-play sometime this summer, questions immediately began to surface. How will it effect current players? Will it be anything like the other free-to-play titles that SOE runs? Well, we were as curious as anyone else, so we fired off a few questions to SOE in the hopes of snagging some more insight into the transformation. We received our answers from Andy Sites, Director of Development, and the ever-familiar Salim Grant, Creative Director. It's an exciting time to be a Vanguard player, but will putting a free title on a game that has struggled in the past make any difference? Time will tell. In the meanwhile, click past the cut to check out what SOE had to say!
Vanguard going free-to-play this summer, beefs up dev team
With Sony Online Entertainment's heavy free-to-play push these past couple of years, Vanguard players hoped that they would not be overlooked by their digital overlord. Breathe easier, heroes, for this summer will bring thee and thine a F2P Vanguard -- and a big push for further game development! While specifics about the F2P conversion are hazy at the moment, SOE says that players should look to its work with previous MMO F2P adaptations (such as the recently relaunched EverQuest) for an idea how things will go down in Vanguard town. It's not just going to be a token change for this mostly forgotten title; SOE says that it has assembled a new team of Vanguard-loving devs to generate more frequent updates, including "general improvements and new content." The game's previous update was this past December. Coming on board to shape the future of the game are Director of Development Andy Sites, Creative Director Salim Grant, and Technical Director Todd Schmidt. The announcement concludes with a promise for team spotlights, more information on F2P, and development discussion to come in the near future.
Free for All: Smedley helps us understand free-to-play
John Smedley has been in this business a long, long time. Under his eye, Sony Online Entertainment has released some of the most influential and controversial titles out there. It should surprise no one that he has had to become very flexible when it comes to his customers, but he's also very decisive when it comes to fluctuations in the market. One of those fluctuations is the coming of free-to-play gaming and unlimited trial payment models. Of all the audiences in the world of gaming, SOE's tend to skew a bit older. These are players who might not appreciate all changes and who definitely know what they like. And so when Smedley and SOE released freemium titles like Free Realms and rolled out free versions of one of their most popular titles, EverQuest II, some said it would be the end of SOE. Well, they're still here. And Smedley was kind enough to take some time to talk to me about this very subject. Click past the cut for more!
MV Guide: April 17 - 24, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. Ready to see what's on the schedule for the week? Follow along to see!
The Daily Grind: Shut a game down or let it waste away?
It's not exactly a good time to be a player of Vanguard. Actually, it hasn't been a good time for more than a year now -- while the game isn't shutting down, the December letter that essentially announced the game's development was no longer ongoing was a serious blow to the game's vitality. What's in the game now may very well be all that will ever be in the game. Of course, you can argue that the players are still better off than members of The Matrix Online's community, since that game went completely offline. But is that really better? Many Vanguard fans almost wanted the game to turn off when SOE made the first announcement, and perhaps in some ways it's better to shut down with grace than waste away on progressively slower and smaller updates. Which would you rather face in your favorite game? A slow fading into the darkness, where the game is still online but less vibrant with each day? Or a cancellation that removes the game forever, cutting you off from an old friend but granting closure? 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!
SOE offers bonus Station Cash for using game cards
Paying for subscriptions with a credit card is definitely fast and easy, but if you're a regular Sony Online Entertainment game subscriber, you might want to consider switching to a game time card this month! As a way of rewarding players for picking up and paying with universal game cards, Sony Online Entertainment is giving players $10 worth of Station Cash (1,000 SC) just for redeeming a $15 universal game card. The nice thing about these cards? They can be redeemed for either a month's subscription to an SOE game or 1,500 Station Cash. However, to get the bonus cash, you'll have to redeem your card between 3:10 a.m. EDT (12:10 a.m. PDT) on March 17th and 2:59 a.m. on March 21st (11:59 p.m. PDT on March 20th). Along with getting an extra Station Cash reward for using a universal game card during those days, players will be entered into SOE's Luck of the Irish sweepstakes, the details of which should be out sometime this week. We'd also note that SOE's disclaimer indicates that the promotion is only available to gamers in the United States/District of Columbia and excludes Puerto Rico and other outlying territories. Keep your eye on the forums or the SOE Facebook account for all the sweepstakes information and official rules.
Choose My Adventure: Off to the mainland
It's time for Vanguard maniacs, and we're zany to the max... (ahem). OK, so it's week four of the Vanguard edition of Choose My Adventure, but this week I did get a chance to see more of the game's veteran community than I'd previously experienced in the noob Isle. Indeed, it seemed like no matter what time of day I logged in, someone was in chat looking for people to group up and take on a dungeon. From what I've learned through talking to Orin, a great majority of the dungeons in Vanguard are open-world, offering challenges for both groups and solo adventurers. Indeed, teamed up in a pair, we seemed to be able to level anything in the 10-14 level range in pretty short order, which was good fun. However, before I get too far ahead of myself, I'm going to take you back to the beginning of this week's adventures in Telon. Join me after the break for all the juicy details -- as well as for this week's vote! %Gallery-104309%
One Shots: Something old, something new
There are two reasons I love writing Choose My Adventure as much as I love One Shots. The first is that I get a chance to check out games I either haven't played in a while or perhaps haven't really ever played. The second is that it gives me the opportunity to run along with Massively readers! While I haven't had a chance to group up with Joshua P. as yet, he's decided to check out Vanguard as well! He writes in to tell us more about his experience: "Well continuing on with my adventures in Telon, I decided to make a druid. Let me be the first to tell you that Ms. Sviesa Solare is not someone you want angry at you. With the power of nature at her fingertips, she will be on you with the fury of a hurricane. Though this is just one of the quests on the Isle of Dawn, and her pitiful lightning spells and poisons are only good for slaying a few Hobgoblins right now... Thanks again Massively, for making me reconsider Vanguard!" We love to hear about the games you're playing. If you'd like to show off a moment of your MMO day, grab a screenshot and email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit! %Gallery-85937%
Choose My Adventure: Voted off the island
OK, so that title is something of a misnomer, but it does carry through based on the vote from last week. Overwhelmingly, people wanted to hear about adventuring, so I'm glad to report I had a rich week of questing and dealing with the threats found on the starting island in Vanguard. I'm actually poised to leave the Isle of Dawn, but due to the number of comments recommending I finish out the diplomacy and crafting lines, I'm going to spend the time before the vote closes this week to get those out of the way. After all, one doesn't want to start out behind the curve when hitting the mainland. Curious as to how this week's adventure fared based on the voted desire for adventure? In the mood to watch me fly around uncontrollably on what must be the most annoying elevator ever? Or are you just all about the vote? Well join me after the break as I recount the trials and tribulations I experienced and outline my trip to the Temple of Ancestors! %Gallery-104309%
Choose My Adventure: Apseth, the Raki disciple
Last week's votes have been tallied, and this week we've got a shiny new Vanguard edition of Choose My Adventure to start! With 12.5% of the overall votes, Raki managed to take the lead as our character's race. With that said, while 110 votes were cast for blood mage, that is not a viable class option for a Raki. Thankfully, the second place winner at 86 votes, disciple, is something a Raki can be, so that's our winner! So, without further delay, allow me to introduce you to Apseth Navarre, Raki disciple -- my shiny new Vanguard character that you'll get to help direct (and even play along with, if you'd like) through this series of Choose My Adventure posts. Interested in finding out more or taking part in this week's adventures? Well then, join me after the break as we start down the path into reader-driven adventure, Vanguard-style!
One Shots: A look into the future, perhaps
The voting continues in the most recent Choose My Adventure poll. EverQuest II Extended is currently hanging out in third place. Tearing it up at second is the indie MMO, Ryzom. However, it appears that the Vanguard community has mobilized and its members in it to win it. With a week from today left on the poll that decides my next six-week adventure, it's going to be interesting to see if any of the other challengers will mobilize its fans and take the lead. In the meantime, we have this lovely Vanguard view from our regular contributor, Vendayn, for our enjoyment. Will this wind up being a location I get to visit soon? Time will tell! "Hello, Vendayn here. I go by Isasis Wraithmire in Vanguard, on Telon. One of the first things I saw after arriving on Qalia from the island was this amazing view. An amazing night sky, with still some light from the sun. You can also see the town of Qa Riverbanks and a camp in the corner, across the river." One Shots relies on reader contributions to keep going, so if you've got an MMO account, a PRT SCRN button and email, you can help us out! Take a cool screenshot of your favorite MMO and email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the image. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit! %Gallery-85937%
The Daily Grind: Which game will receive the F2P treatment next?
Two years ago, if you'd have told many people that large Western-based developers would be shifting their games to the free-to-play model, your response might well have come in the form of a great deal of laughter. However, as we've seen in the last while, the market is changing. Turbine shifted Dungeons and Dragons Online to a F2P model and have had great success with it. So much so, that they're now working to shift Lord of the Rings Online to a F2P model as well. Sony Online Entertainment dipped their toes into the water with Free Realms, and have found the response to be overwhelming. Now, they're working on bringing EverQuest II over to a F2P model as well by spawning entirely new servers for an EverQuest II - Extended version. Even Age of Conan and Warhammer Online have offered up a modified freemium model -- unlimited "trials" giving players a certain number of levels to play for as long as they'd like. Meanwhile, we're all left wondering: With the recent shifts into the F2P market we're seeing, what game do you think will make the jump next? Will SOE garner excellent profits from the planned EQ2E servers, thereby setting off a chain reaction whereby they shift their older titles like Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest, and the rest, to that model? (Might we even see them reviving The Matrix Online as a F2P if the profits are really good?) Do you think Turbine will finally turn its eye towards Asheron's Call once LotRO takes off under its new model? Will NCsoft jump into the fray with one of the games from their stable? In the world of guesses, anything is possible -- so tell us: What game do you think will make the jump to free-to-play next?
One Shots: I'm on a boat!
With the news out yesterday that EverQuest II is going to offer a F2P version, there are many who turned to look at the other SOE games wondering if we might see a shift for them as well. For Vanguard, that could mean more people taking a second look at this graphically gorgeous game -- something we're relatively certain the current playerbase would welcome! With interesting visuals like today's One Shots from shanert, along with interesting in-game systems to play through, we suspect others would be doing what he wrote in to tell us about today: "Here's an image of my character on a tour around the rivers with a self-crafted sloop (after finishing a extensive quest-line that takes weeks of harvesting and crafting)." Have you snapped a great screenshot from your favorite game lately? Why not share it with us! We're always looking for new and interesting things to show off on One Shots. Email your image to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit. %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Been through the desert on a horse with no name
Late at night, with only a waxing moon to keep him company, we find Shanert riding his brand new mount across a sandy expanse in Vanguard. Sadly, we're not entirely sure where this location is, but we're glad to see today's screenshot nonetheless. Why? Because for those who are interested in checking out Vanguard, but have never been able to find a group interested in running it with you, you'll definitely want to check out Beau's group night! Perhaps we'll even start to see some more One Shots from this lovely, but neglected, corner of the MMOGsphere. If you're traveling in a land we don't see often, we'd love to have a screenshot from you. All you have to do to take part is to email one over to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the image. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
