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The Evercade VS captures the spirit of retro gaming
Nostalgia is more than just games from the past and the makers of Evercade know this. With collectible cartridges and secrets to unlock the VS is a refreshing spin on the "mini" console.
Leaderboard: When did you start reading Massively?
This site has been around a while. Not as long as some, but still a while. For today's Leaderboard, tell us how long you've been around Massively. Assuming it's more than a week or so, you already know that there's a poll just past the cut.
The Daily Grind: Will you play Elder Scrolls Online once it's B2P?
Yesterday's news that The Elder Scrolls Online is going buy-to-play in time for its console launch surprised... well, not many of Massively's readers. You pretty much saw it coming. Some folks around here said this move was a certainty even before launch and consequently refused to buy it, deciding that patience would pay off. (And it did!) But what about now? I admit I'm much more tempted by a game that isn't charging an unwarranted fee and isn't abusing a cash shop. B2P is a great model for gamers, especially when they avoid lockbox crap (yay!). How about you? If you didn't play ESO when it launched last April, will you give it a try in March when it's down to just a box fee, a mild cash shop, and more traditional DLC? 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!
Leaderboard: Are you playing H1Z1 this week?
SOE's zombie-flavored sandbox comes to Steam early access tomorrow, and despite the under construction warnings of CEO John Smedley, I'm betting that lots of people are going to buy it. The question, though, is whether or not you have bought it. How about it, Massively readers? Are you playing H1Z1 this week? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Do you use MMO mobile apps?
I got a new Android tablet for Christmas. It's a replacement for the old one that had the nerve to spin off the top of my speeding car and smack into the side of an errant mailbox, but whatever. I'm reloading all of my junk and I figured that this would be a good time to see if there are any must-have MMO-related apps. How about it, Massively readers? Any recommendations? Do you use MMO mobile apps? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Are you following Bless or Black Desert?
I'm a big fan of Korean MMOs, and I always look forward to what's next from our friends in the Far East. Since Blade & Soul doesn't seem to be gaining any traction in Europe or North America, that arguably leaves Black Desert and Bless as the primary triple-A Korean titles on the horizon. Black Desert seems to have more of the sandbox features I want, but I'm sure I'll play Bless too at some point. What about you, Leaderboard readers? Are you looking forward to either of these games? Vote after the cut!
Leaderboard: Are you playing Elite: Dangerous this week?
I'm vacationing from Massively this week, but I'm not vacationing from MMOs. Unless Elite: Dangerous isn't technically an MMO. Maybe it isn't, I dunno, because I haven't played long enough to form an opinion just yet. Anyway, Elite! Launched yesterday! Yay! Maybe after my vacation I'll manage to write something more in depth, but for now that will have to suffice. What about you, Massively readers? Are you playing Elite this week? If so, what do you think? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Would B2P or a sub-only server bring you back to ArcheAge?
I've been thinking about ArcheAge a lot this month, and most of what I've been thinking about it is pretty negative. XL's fantasy sandpark has more problems than any single MMO should, but despite all of them I would still enjoy it if it weren't for that godawful cash shop. Yeah, the bugs are annoying as are some of the more pervasive exploits (flower dance griefing, really?), but underneath all that is a feature-rich virtual world I'd love to keep playing. At this point, though, the only thing that would bring me back is some sort of subscription-only server, or failing that, a buy-to-play-with-a-cosmetic-cash-shop server that doesn't sell labor potions, tax certificates, appraisals, and the like. What about you, Leaderboard readers and disgruntled ArcheAge expats? Would you come back for a subscription-only server or a less invasive cash shop? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Are you playing Shadow of Revan this week?
Star Wars: The Old Republic's latest expansion debuts this week, and it brings with it quite a bit of new content. There are of course five additional levels and a few new skills to go along with all the discipline-based class changes. And there are two new planets (Rishi and Yavin IV) along with new story and leveling content. Is that enough to pique your interest? Are you playing Shadow of Revan this week? Vote after the cut, and let us know what you think either way!
Leaderboard: Can you co-exist with players who don't share your preferences?
Do you ever feel like the MMO genre has gotten too big for its britches? Take Eliot's soapbox series on raiding that we're publishing this week as an example. It's generated an enormous amount of conversation, but when you cut through the noise in the comments, you're left with two (or more) groups of people who can't seem to co-exist. They don't want the same things out of MMOs, they don't share the same MMO backgrounds or experiences, and in many cases the happiness of one group equals the unhappiness of another. Some people feel that MMOs should cater to as many different groups as possible, but can they? And should they really? Personally I don't enjoy going to Rush concerts with people who hate progressive rock, nor do I enjoy going to Georgia Tech football games with people who hate football and/or my Yellow Jackets. So why would I want to play MMOs with people who hate sandbox mechanics, crafting, or any of the other genre conventions that I prefer? What do you think, Leaderboard readers? Can you co-exist with MMO neighbors who don't like what you like? Vote after the cut!
Leaderboard: Which aspect of ArcheAge needs immediate attention?
It may be stating the obvious at this point, but ArcheAge has had a rough couple of weeks. First there was the Auroria patch and the resulting downtime fiasco that prompted a Trion apology. Then there was the thunderstruck tree market meltdown that was triggered by a new cash shop item, followed by this week's exploit-related shutdown of the very same cash shop. Clearly XLGAMES and Trion have a lot of work to do, but I'm betting that the community has differing opinions on what that work should entail. In this week's Leaderboard, tell us what aspect of ArcheAge needs immediate attention. As always, the poll's just past the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Have you tried The Repopulation yet?
I'm cautiously optimistic about indie sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation. Most of said optimism stems from people I trust comparing it favorably to the late great Star Wars: Galaxies. I haven't played it myself, though, on account of a full gaming plate and an increasing reluctance to throw money at pre-release products not named Star Citizen. What about you, Massively readers? Assuming you're interested in The Repopulation, have you tested it? Are you going to? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Warlords of Draenor vs. Shadow of Revan
Last time in Leaderboard we pitted this winter's Warlords of Draenor expansion against this fall's Nightmare Tide expansion. This week, let's see how the top dog fares against another highly anticipated MMO content dump, this one bolstered by the worldwide media juggernaut that is Star Wars. How about it, Massively readers? Warlords of Draenor or Shadow of Revan? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Tesco's Hudl2 vs. Hudl: what's changed?
The Hudl2 has finally been unveiled. Sticking to what it knows, Tesco has retained much of what made the original Hudl unique, but it's now bigger, thinner and a lot more powerful. Wondering how the specs compare to its predecessor, though? Well, we're glad you asked because we've laid everything out for you below.
Leaderboard: Nightmare Tide vs. Warlords of Draenor
There are a couple of big fantasy MMO expansions coming out in short order. RIFT's Nightmare Tide drops on October 8th, while World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor releases on November 13th. Given those facts, I bet you can guess the content of today's Leaderboard, can't ya? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Class choices vs. personality types
A recent Massively Speaking podcast listener wrote to us wondering whether personality types (and stereotypes) have in-game ramifications when it comes to class selection. Is it true that extroverts gravitate toward leadership roles in a party and that introverts prefer to support a team from the sidelines, or is that all just a bunch of hokum? Today's Leaderboard straw poll asks you about both your personality type and preferred class to see whether there's a compelling connection. Read on to vote!
Leaderboard: Which additional ArcheAge race would you like to play?
ArcheAge is launching with four playable races. This seems like a small number for a fantasy MMO, but XLGAMES has hinted at additional choices before, namely the Dwarf, the Warborn, the Fairy, and the Returned. We've seen some visual evidence of those first two, but the Fairy and the Returned are still somewhat mysterious. Do any of those additional races sound appealing to you, ArcheAge fans? Which one, if any, would you choose to play if they were available? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: Are you rolling east or west for your ArcheAge faction?
I may have mentioned this once or twice already, but ArcheAge is fast approaching. I'm pretty excited about that, but I haven't settled on a faction yet. See, I kinda like both the Firran and Harani races which live on the game's eastern continent, but I much prefer the Nuian human lands from the western continent that I explored during the game's Korean closed betas. What about you, ArcheAge players? Are you rolling east or west on your launch-day main? How did you choose? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: How do you feel about loyalty rewards?
Elder Scrolls Online announced its vet reward program recently, and while it doesn't take effect until next month, it got me to thinking about similar incentives in other MMOs. They're pretty common, of course, and even F2P games offer them provided that they also offer an optional subscription tier. Personally vet rewards aren't much of an incentive. I mean, sometimes they offer a neat-looking vanity pet that I'll look at once and subsequently forget to ever summon again, but I can't recall ever anticipating a loyalty reward or remaining subscribed in order to get one. What about you, Massively readers? Are loyalty rewards nothing more than a nice bonus, or are there some that go above and beyond in terms of desirability? If so, which ones? Don't forget to vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Leaderboard: What's your post-release plan for ArcheAge?
ArcheAge is coming soon, possibly as soon as next month if you believe a certain Steam-centric rumor. Whenever XLGAMES' long-gestating sandpark arrives, there will be plenty of things to keep you busy throughout its vast fantasy world. Whether you're into trade routes, farming, crafting, traditional PvE, or open PvP, AA has you covered. With that in mind, what do you see as your primary in-game activity post-release? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
