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World of Warships gets carriers, weekend beta event
Wargaming has officially introduced the aircraft carrier to World of Warships. The class launch brings the total number of playable warship types to four including the destroyer, the cruiser, and the battleship. "Aircraft carriers offer a unique angle to combat, delivering RTS-style gameplay and the ability to launch three types of warplane squadrons (fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) against any opponent," the company says. In other WoWS news, Wargaming is planning a three-day testing event called Wings Over Water. It starts on January 23rd and runs through the 25th. Click here to sign up, and don't forget to watch the trailer after the cut!
World of Warships testing event this weekend
Wargaming is hosting a World of Warships testing weekend starting Friday, December 12th at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The event features three classes of military vessels and offers players "the chance to experience the unique rock-paper-scissors approach to naval combat," the company says. You can grab a key from one of Wargaming's "media partner" game blogs and then activate it via a link on the World of Warships website. You can see WoWS in action thanks to the gameplay video behind the break.
You'll want an aircraft carrier in World of Warships
Wargaming released a new World of Warships dev diary video this week. It's focused on aircraft carriers, which the firm calls "the most unique type of vessel" in the game. Carriers are speedy, excellent at spotting enemy ships, and of course pack a tremendous punch. Once a carrier has launched its aircraft, they can traverse the entire map and attack from unexpected angles, according to the video. Have a look for yourself just past the break.
The Daily Grind: What game are you sorta but not really following?
Every time I see or write something about World of Warships, a little voice inside my head goes, "hmm, that actually looks pretty good and you should follow it." And then something happens and I forget about it until the next time I see a blurb or whatever. The point is, I'm kinda sorta interested in WoWS but it's still somewhat on the periphery of my gaming vision. What about you, Massively readers? Is there a game that you're semi-anticipating but not really following? Or am I just 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!
World of Warships dev diary vid explains class mechanics
Heads up, World of Warships fans. Wargaming has released a new developer diary video designed to talk you through ship types (i.e., classes). More specifically, today's nine-minute clip is about Destroyers and Battleships. Wargaming explains why it opted to simplify real-world fleet logistics like fuel and aircraft management. It currently takes 30 seconds for a six-plane squadron to refit on the deck of a carrier, and once a flight has expended its ammunition, the video says it will immediately return to the mothership rather than continue to fly about. Those are just a couple of the gameplay and balance considerations illuminated in today's diary. Click past the cut if you'd like to watch the whole thing.
PAX Prime 2014: World of Warships balances historical accuracy with big boat fun
A warship is understandably larger and more complicated than a tank or plane, which is why Wargaming is diverging slightly with its third online title. At PAX Prime, I sat down with the dev team for World of Warships to see how the alpha is progressing and what a fleet of ships looks like with all guns blazing. There are four types of ships from which players can choose when they step into a match. Destroyers are smaller and faster with torpedoes, battleships are hulking gun platforms, and cruisers are straddling the line between the two. Then there are carriers (which we did not get to see) that eschew big guns for a squadron of planes to send out. Unfortunately, submarines aren't part of the mix, as the team decided that they wouldn't be fun for this type of game. Each ship is as historically accurate in its looks and is hideously detailed, with up to 500 parts and 270,000 polygons. This detail comes into play when ships are damaged in certain sections, disabling features and abilities. The team is planning on launching with around 75 ships between the starting nations of the United States and Japan.
Wargaming claims over 100 million registered users
How many players has Wargaming amassed via its ubiquitous World of titles? Over 100 million registered souls across all platforms, according to the firm's latest press release. The company of course neglects to mention how many of those 100 million players are active or how many of them have spent money, but we suspect it's doing OK for itself in both departments. You can read the full blurb after the break. [Source: Wargaming press release]
World of Warships on board for Gamescom 2014
Fans of Wargaming's selection of multiplayer military games will be happy to hear that the naval battle MMO World of Warships will be available to play during Gamescom 2014 next month. This will be the game's first public debut as a playable demo for anyone in attendance. Gamescom will be held from August 13 - 17 in Cologne, Germany, and Wargaming aims to go big again this year with game presentations, talk shows, on-stage giveaways, and more on its 720-square-meter stage in Hall 8. [Source: Wargaming press release]
E3 2014: Hands-on with World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz
If Wargaming.net is known for one thing, it's for being big. Nowhere is that more evident than E3, where displays for games like World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships typically dominate the show floor. Naturally this year's big reveal is the new Warships title. Although it's the third World of vehicles battler, gamers who haven't played the previous two won't be at a disadvantage. That said, it's the hands-on with World of Tanks iOS version that really got my attention.
World of Warships unveils E3 trailer
Between World of Warplanes and World of Tanks, Wargaming.net has your need for mechanized warfare covered. Almost, anyway. Sure, you can shoot at other planes and other tanks, but how are you going to also blow up a whole lot of boats? You can't... until World of Warships comes out, anyway. Then you can blow up war machines pretty much anywhere you want. So when is it coming out? That's still something of a secret, but it's obvious that World of Warships is the next game to get a big push from the studio, starting with this year's E3 trailer embedded just past the break. While the trailer doesn't include any in-game footage, it does give you a clear picture of what you'll be doing in the game -- shooting at boats from other boats. Actually, you probably could have guessed that one without the trailer.
First World of Warships video diary released
Wargaming has released a five-minute look at the making of World of Warships. The firm's latest vehicle-based World War II battler includes aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. You won't see submarines, though, as developer Nicholas Moran says they "just don't fit with the gameplay." In addition to ship types, today's video diary also talks research and historical authenticity. View it in full after the break.
Wargaming founds mobile game studio
It seems as though the Wargaming empire is expanding its reach, as the company recently founded a new mobile game studio in Seattle. The studio, which currently lacks a public name, is headed up by mobile game vet David Bluhm. Wargaming is giving the start-up freedom to choose its own direction and business strategy while providing it with its funding, global marketing, and distribution. This studio is separate from Wargaming Seattle (formerly Gas Powered Games). Bluhm had a few words to say about his team's mission: "We think mobile games is still a relatively new space with massive upside. Mobile is ripe for innovative and new core game mechanics." He said that more information about the studio's upcoming titles will be revealed soon.
PAX Prime 2013: World of Tanks blitzes onto the 360
While there was definitely some buzz at the PAX Prime Wargaming booth about World of Warplanes, which will get its commercial launch on September 26th, World of Tanks was the main source. Not only is Wargaming planning to integrate accounts for both Tanks and Warplanes, but it also has the XBox 360 version of World of Tanks in closed beta. I sat down with some of the Wargaming guys and attempted to play the new 360 version. I struggled a bit with the console controls, but that had more to do with a lack of familiarity than anything else. As I played, we discussed how Wargaming has rebuilt WoT from the ground up for the console market.
Wargaming partners with Nexon for prepaid card options
Wargaming has announced a new partnership with Nexon America for the use of Karma Koins as a prepaid card solution for all in-game purchases across Wargaming titles, including World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and the upcoming World of Warships. Not only is Karma Koin available at 75,000 stores in North America and Oceania, but one percent of all sales go directly to charity. "We're committed to providing our players with as many flexible and safe payment options as possible," said Mike Turner, Vice President of Business Development at Wargaming. "Our new partnership with Nexon America and Karma Koin will address that desire, and we're excited to give our players a new and philanthropic payment option to enhance their in-game experience."
The not-so-friendly skies: Hands-on with World of Warplanes' open beta
Wargaming.net is the reigning king of free-to-play, with its flagship title World of Tanks sitting pretty at 60 million registered users and holding the world record for player concurrency. One wouldn't necessarily expect MMO gamers to be drawn to a game where the only physical manifestation of the player is a massive tank, but World of Tanks has surged into popularity and left more than a few industry assumptions crumpled under its treads. Fueled by this success, Wargaming.net now seeks to expand its legacy by releasing two new games based on the World of Tanks formula. One is the mysterious World of Warships, which has yet to make any sort of official appearance, and the other is World of Warplanes, which is winding down its extended beta phase and soaring ever-closer to its September 26th release date. Together, the three games will theoretically form a perfect union of land, sea, and air combat steeped in historical accuracy and intense action. We hopped into the World of Warplanes beta to see how the aerial portion of Wargaming.net's vision is shaping up, and to find out once and for all if we were truly ace material.
PAX Australia 2013: Massively interviews Wargaming's Victor Kislyi
Sometimes Australia does get the big names! Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi met up with the Wargaming crew at this year's PAX Australia, and fortunately for you he filmed the whole thing! Wargaming was on hand to talk up its Australian World of Tanks servers as well as elaborate on its plans for a substantial push into the Asia/Pacific region. Join us after the break as the infamous Pig interviews Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi on the current state of World Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships, as well as what fans can expect in the future.
Korean players protest a flag in World of Warships
When you're dealing with a global market, sometimes it's the most innocuous elements that cause a problem. World of Warships, cousin to both World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, included something that made several Korean gamers very angry: A flag. Specifically, the Rising Sun flag on several Japanese ships. From Wargaming.net's perspective, since the game is meant to have players at the helm of ships used by the major armies involved in World War II, including a period-appropriate decoration was perfectly reasonable. However, to several players in the region, the Rising Sun flag is seen as a reminder of Japanese military expansion and aggression, which is still a sensitive topic in many regions. The company's representatives posted on the official forums that the flag will be removed from the game, with the added clarification that the team is trying to be as sensitive as possible to cultural differences. The game is currently in testing and is due for general release later this year.
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.
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]
World of Warships debuts cinematic trailer
In preparation for next week's E3 showing, Wargaming.net has released a brand new cinematic for its naval MMO, World of Warships. This is the first time the game will be shown at E3, and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in "intense naval engagements and deadly aircraft strafing runs." You can bet that Massively will be on hand to give our thoughts on this newest offering from Wargaming, so check back next week for more. [Source: Wargaming press release]
