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E3 2013: World of Tanks is blasting its way to the 360
Good news, tank fans! World of Tanks is heading to the Xbox 360 soon. Wargaming.net's partnership with Microsoft has been a huge milestone for both companies, as there hasn't been a large library of F2P games to grace the console's life. Although it's particularly late in the game's life to see World of Tanks hit the console market, transition to a controller-based system has actually been a good thing for the game. At this year's E3, Massively talked with Wargaming's Jeremy Monroe a bit about the company's growth, World of Tanks on the 360, and future plans for game releases.
E3 2013: World of Warplanes soars into open beta on July 2nd
After last week's initial open beta details for Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes, today we get a date for that open beta. Beginning on July 2nd, players will not only join the public testing but see several new features, including "in-game tactical tips to help pilots learn the ropes of aerial combat, the implementation of crews and crew skills, access to consumables and premium ammo, a brand-new tutorial, [and] two new in-game maps." For more information on joining the open beta, head on over to the North American or European World of Warplanes websites and check out the brand-new E3 trailer after the jump. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Some Assembly Required: Three games that need player-generated content
At times over the last half decade, I've felt as if the MMORPG genre lost sight of itself. It seemed that all any gamemaker wanted to do was emulate a certain wildly successful outlier, and this in turn threw a wet blanket over the sandbox play, emergent design, and player-generated content that separates MMOs from run-of-the-mill video games. The last year or so has seen the collective industry start to wake up from that bad dream, as there are now a half dozen really promising sandbox or sandpark titles in development, several of which are backed by millions of dollars and major studios. What about the current crop of games, though? Is it a stretch to imagine a few of them, even the unapologetically linear ones, expanding their horizons with a little bit of player-generated content?
Wargaming.net celebrates 60 million registered tank drivers
There's no doubt about it: People love tanks. Wargaming.net today announced that its flagship title, World of Tanks, now boasts over 60 million registered players. The company also confirmed that World of Tanks, which holds a Guinness world record for single-server player concurrency, will be on display at E3 next week at the Wargaming.net booth. To commemorate the achievement (and stoke the E3 flames, no doubt), Wargaming.net has released a brand-new cinematic trailer for World of Tanks, similar in style to the one for World of Warships that breached earlier this week. Hit the break to check it out. And if you want to see one of Wargaming.net's games in action, don't forget to tune in to tonight's World of Warplanes stream at 6 p.m. EDT on Massively TV. [Source: Wargaming.net Press Release]
The Daily Grind: Do you aim for beta tester rewards?
So, World of Warplanes is apparently gearing up for open beta, and I'm kicking myself for sitting on an alpha tester account that I've had for over a year. Why? Well because Wargaming.net is going to be giving away some sort of spiffy exclusive aircraft to beta testers. The catch is that you need to log 700 beta battles to qualify, and even if I were to somehow average 10 per day, it would take me... let's see, 700, divide by 10... 70! days to get there. Now, free-to-play open betas do tend to go on for-frickin'-ever, so maybe I have a chance. In any case, The Daily Grind isn't about my first world problems, it's about you and yours. So, do you aim for beta tester rewards, or do you just try to do your part to make the game better? 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!
World of Warplanes open beta detailed
Excited to fly around in a vintage military plane or practice your mid-air hi-5? Wargaming.net has announced the first open beta phase for the upcoming World of Warplanes. This beta will not only wipe the current closed beta achievements, planes, credits, and gold, but it will also come in two stages. Stage One will see the implementation of a new Token currency system, and Stage Two will convert all Tokens to Credits in yet another wipe. If you're interested in testing out the game before release, head on over to the official site for more info.
Wargaming.net removing 'pay-to-win' options from current and upcoming games
Spend any time in a comment section or forum thread pertaining to World of Tanks and you'll inevitably find accusations of pay-to-win monetization. Wargaming.net has apparently heard the discontented rumblings, as it just announced via an interview with Gamasutra that it is "removing all pay-to-win purchase options from all its current and upcoming titles." The initiative has its own marketing slogan ("free-to-win") and will ostensibly do away with "all payable options that could be viewed as giving a player an advantage in battle." How will the firm make its money, then? "Revenue will come from sales on non-advantageous content such as premium vehicles, personalization options, and the like," Gamasutra reports. Click through the links below for the full interview with Wargaming VP of Publishing Andrei Yarantsau.
Rise and Shiny: War Thunder
War Thunder, a new instanced-based WWII flying battle, uhm, thingy, didn't really seem that appealing at first. It looks nice, and yes, the planes can be controlled in a few different styles ranging from an FPS twitch style to a more "realistic" mode, but I was worried it would be just another slogging grind until I was able to have any fun. There's some truth behind my worry about the grind, but overall I had an incredible time in the game. The only real shame is that I didn't get to put as much time in it as I would have liked. The game had infrequent connection issues, but when they cropped up, they lasted a while. Even so, each match lasted long enough to give me a pretty good taste of combat. I stuck with the "arcade" style of gameplay. It's a simpler way to control the planes that allows players to point the mouse pointer for control. You might need to land for repairs and take off again, but it's as simple as slowing down until you touch down. I started to take the more realistic mode's tutorial, but as soon as it told me I had to manually control much more of the plane's controls, I gave up. Call me a wimp, but I just wanted to shoot planes.
Choose My Adventure: Extreme DIY makeover edition
Life may be like a box of chocolates, but gaming is like a Do-It-Yourself project. It may not be as mouth-watering an analogy, but it is certainly fitting: MMOs are a giant construction zone where players build their own experiences in a virtual world using tools from the game and their own imagination. Each project is a unique undertaking, bearing the personal touches of the builder, whether the builder is an individual or a group like a guild. Some players prefer to build a single residence and settle in, while others enjoy moving from project to project, exploring new territory and testing new tools. Me? I tend toward the former; I'm the kind who tinkers around in one place over a long period of time. But all that's about to change. Again. That's right, folks; it's my turn to break ground on yet another Choose My Adventure! For the next six weeks I am leaving the comfy confines of my familiar surroundings and allowing you to direct my next MMO project. Yes, my dear Massively friends, you will be the foreman of this endeavor, determining every step of the construction, from where I'll build my newest experience to what tools I'll get to use.
World of Tanks' account security compromised
If you have a World of Tanks account, you will want to change your password. Developers report that "some personal information may have been compromised due to a security incident." Time to change the locks on your tanks, folks. Thankfully, you gain more than just personal peace of mind by taking the time to change your account security information. Wargaming.net is rewarding each customer with 300 gold when his or her password is successfully updated. Changing your password is simple: Just log into your account management page and fill in the appropriate blanks. Wargaming suggests that your new password consist of capital letters, lowercase letters, and numbers. The devs also say that the longer your password is, the better your protection becomes. This a very important tip considering your Wargaming ID carries across all current and future Wargaming.net games, like the upcoming World of Warplanes.
GDC 2013: World of Warplanes keeps flying toward the horizon
World of Warplanes is still in testing, but it's been playable at a few events now and has staked its claim as a distinct entity from World of Tanks. Wargaming.net's CEO Victor Kislyi and global operations director Vlad Beloserov were at GDC recently showing off more highlights from the game, which promises to deliver exactly the sort of high-energy dogfights you would hope for. As it stands now, the game has about 10 maps and 100 planes. Each of the planes can be fully customized, while each map is meant to play differently rather than just being different background scenery -- some maps are foggy, some have skyscrapers or mountains, some are set at different times of day, and so forth. Actual gameplay has continued to receive polish tweaks; the game retains both easy and expert control modes, with the latter playing more like a flight simulator and the former allowing you to simply point your mouse in the direction you want to fly. Enemy planes and your own can be riddled with holes that show the sky through your shredded wings, and the UI allows you to track your plane's optimal speed and altitude to maximize performance in combat. One extra tidbit revealed on the show floor was that players of both World of Tanks and World of Warplanes can reap extra benefits from both games, as experience earned in the former can be used to improve in the latter. While there's no set release date for the game at this time, the game continues to impress and will be flying into more open testing as soon as Wargaming.net's teams are happy with its performance in smaller test venues. %Gallery-130862% Massively sent its ace reporters to San Francisco to bring you back the biggest MMO news from this year's GDC, the largest pro-only gaming industry con in the world! Whether it's EVE Online or Star Wars: The Old Republic or that shiny new toy you've got your eye on, we're on the case, so stay tuned for all the highlights from the show!
World of Warplanes 0.4.1 beta update to feature new planes, maps
Wargaming.net's Dmitry "Overlord" Yudo has posted a brief World of Warplanes-related update on his dev blog. The arcade-style aviation shooter's 0.4.1 closed beta update will apparently feature a "soft wipe/reset," as well as joystick tuning updates, reworked upgrade UI elements, new premium aircraft, and two additional maps (Arctic and Harbour). Head to Overlord's blog via the link below for a handful of gorgeous new in-game images.
Wargaming.net goes on a road trip
The laptop-clad Hummer is fueled up and Wargaming.net is ready to roll out for its first road tour. The studio behind the "World of Deadly Historical Battle Vehicles" franchise is drumming up publicity for its titles by staging the least gas efficient Russian invasion ever. The Wargaming Road Tour's first stop is at the SXSW Interactive Gaming Expo this weekend. If you're attending and spot the hummer, swing by to get a first look at World of Warplanes and grab some nifty swag. Following the Austin expo, the Wargaming hummer will travel across the United States to spend time in major cities. You can stay abreast of the promotional trip on the official road tour website.
World of Warplanes beta patch improves controls, visuals
If you're in World of Warplanes' closed beta test, you can look forward to a substantial update this week as the free-to-play action title rolls out a new flight model and enhanced controls. The control update involves improved comfort and ergonomics for mouse users, and Wargaming.net says that players can now "focus less on their efficiency in piloting and more on their mastery of technical skills." New graphics are also the order of the day. You can get a look at those -- as well as a behind-the-scenes peek at the WoWP production, in the new dev diary after the cut. The update goes live today in the U.S. and Russia. European World of Warplanes players will see the patch on February 20th. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
World of Warplanes dev blog shows off 'massive visual improvements'
Wargaming.net's Dmitry "Overlord" Yudo has hinted at World of Warplanes' next major update on his development blog. The free-to-play World War II aviation shooter is due for some substantial upgrades including a new UI, "enhanced controls," and "massive visual improvements." Yudo focuses on that last bit in his latest dev diary, and he even provides a series of before-and-after screenshots to showcase the game's upgraded aesthetic. World of Warplanes is Wargaming's free-to-play followup to World of Tanks, and it is currently in beta testing.
The Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2013
Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had. Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them. But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.
Wargaming.net video summarizes 2012
2012 is almost be over, and it has been a good year according to Wargaming.net, the studio behind the WWII-inspired MMO World of Tanks. WoT has grown to over 45 million players worldwide and garnered several awards, including best MMO of the year from Golden Joystick. But that isn't all; development continues to roll forward on the two company's two upcoming titles, World of Warplanes and World of Warships. Wishing everyone a happy holidays, the studio released a video montage highlighting the year's accomplishments as well as the developers behind the games. Interspersed throughout are clips of in-game footage from all three titles. Want to see just what kind of shenanigans go on at the Wargaming offices? Check out the video after the break.
Wargaming.net unveils Project Spitfire blog to chronicle aircraft recovery efforts
A couple of months back we reported on Wargaming.net's plans to recover and preserve a cache of World War II fighter aircraft in Burma. This week the firm unveiled its Project Spitfire blog that aims to chronicle the ongoing effort and drum up a bit of publicity for the company's upcoming World of Warplanes action title. The journal is penned by Tracy Spaight who serves as Wargaming's Director of Special Operations. There are currently four entries, ranging from a historical look at the Spitfire itself to specifics on the aviation archaeology team and updates from the expedition.
World of Warplanes CEO sees market as the 'Wild West'
Wargaming.net's Victor Kislyi is never short on words when it comes to either talking about either his studio's games or the advantages of the free-to-play format. In an interview with GamesIndustry, he said that the global market is a "Wild West" and offers unlimited opportunities -- if companies can find their niche, that is. "The market for such games is endless, it's a blue ocean," he said. "The beauty and the curse is you have to be very, very good, because you can't fool people." Admitting that World of Tanks "looked like crap" when it first launched, Kislyi said that the company worked hard to bring it up to par with the games of today, not of 2008. Wargaming.net has come to a point that it's not as concerned about raking in money. Kislyi noted that Japanese and Russian players were the most willing to spend money, while Chinese players tended to be more tight-fisted with funds. In regard to World of Warplanes, he talked about challenges of balancing fun, quick action with an accurate flight model. In fact, getting the controls right is the reason Wargaming.net is holding off from stating a release date: "We have two or three parallel control scheme groups developing their own variants. You need to make the controls perfect. You have to find the right balance between making the game historically accurate, and at the same time, fun."
Wargaming.net funds expedition to recover WWII aircraft in Burma
Making World of Warplanes is not all Wargaming.net does to pay homage to the World War II-era aircraft. The studio has announced that it will fully fund an expedition to try and recover vintage British Spitfires in Burma. David Cundall, an aircraft enthusiast with experience in aviation archaeology, has already recovered a number of other WWII craft in the UK. Over the last 14 years, Cundall has researched rumors of Spitfires buried in the Southeast Asia. Now, thanks to the funds provided by Wargaming.net, he will be able to work together with the Burmese authorities to continue the project and hopefully recover the aircraft. Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming, emphasized the company's dedication to historic preservation, stating: "Since its founding, Wargaming has been dedicated to bringing military history alive, whether through video games or more recently through historic preservation and educational initiatives with museums. When we learned of David's long quest to track down the Spitfires, we reached out to support him, not only to recover the planes if they are there, but also to help tell the story of the air war in Burma –- which is of great interest to our community." Wargaming.net will also launch a blog chronicling the expedition's progress.
