So funny story: In planning out in advance what I wanted to talk about in this biweekly Neverwinter column, I had selected something that recently caught my eye about the game and made me happy. That something was the Neverwinter Gateway, a web portal that allows out-of-game players the ability to fiddle with their character sheets, auctions, professions, guilds, and mail. I thought -- and I still do -- that this was a nifty service that deserved a day in the sun.

As I was getting set to write that column, Neverwinter's economy exploded and then imploded over the course of a weekend, thanks to a nasty exploit that involved, yup, the Gateway. Suddenly my topic had to shift from "isn't this a neat tool?" to "check out what the tools are doing with this tool." Seeing the economy effectively destroyed in a matter of hours and how Cryptic Studios dealt with this PR nightmare might be old news at this point, but it's definitely worthy of reflection, analysis, and speculation as to how trust can be rebuilt in this fledgling title.

Let's get cracking -- we have a lot of ground to cover!

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Square Enix has announced today that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is set for release on August 27, 2013 on both PC and PS3.

According to previous reports, the third phase of the relaunched game's beta will begin some time next month. This phase will be the first time A Realm Reborn will be open to PS3 players during this beta.

Click past the jump for complete details on pre-order bonuses and the Collector's Edition box contents.

[Source: Square Enix press release]

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If you follow Star Wars: The Old Republic at all (and judging by the response to our tip line, you do!), you've heard the hullabaloo involving crystals and account bans going on right now. It appears some players have found they can bypass the fee necessary to unlock crystals account-wide in the Collection UI by spawning multiple crystals and using the Legacy system to trade those crystals to alts. As a result, a number of accounts have received temporary bans for exploiting. However, a number of players also claim they were caught in the cross-fire just for having a large number of legitimate crystals in their inventory.

BioWare has issued a statement that it is aware of the situation and is actively investigating, and that more information will be posted when it is available. In regards to the deleted and locked threads involving the issue, BioWare also reminded players that posts discussing exploits or action taken against accounts is not permitted on the forums.

[Thanks to all who sent in tips!]

Is it me, or has ArcheAge been a long time coming? I don't think it's me because it was three years and thousands of posts ago that Massively introduced ArcheAge to western gamers. Heck, it was six years ago that Jake Song and company started building XLGAMES' upcoming sandpark.

And it's been two years -- two years! -- since I first got my hands on the game's seemingly endless closed beta. Now, though, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Trion recently and famously signed on to publish ArcheAge in the West, and despite the silence following the announcement, I'm still optimistic about a beta before the end of the year.

Even if it that doesn't happen, we've still got plenty to talk about, which is why I'm taking the wraps off Massively's newest game-specific column. Join me after the cut for the traditional first-issue community roundup.

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You love movies? Sure, who doesn't? I certainly do; I've been reviewing them with friends since 1997. I'm always fascinated by how many out-of-the-way gems there are that go overlooked by the mainstream audience, and I love how films tie into our daily experiences in unexpected ways.

MMOs haven't quite gotten popular enough to spawn their own sub-genre of films, apart from the odd fan project or the long-rumored World of Warcraft flick. That doesn't mean that we're lacking good movie role models for our hobby, however. I think that there are plenty of films that are perfectly suited for the MMO fan, even if they've never been thought of as such.

So here are 10 films that speak to us as gamers. To make things interesting, I excluded any movie that shares the same IP as an MMO. Read this list and let me know what you would pick!

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I don't know if SOE has any plans to capitalize on the wave of Superman hype sweeping the nerdosphere on account of Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel film. The firm's DC Universe Online title features the big blue boy scout rather prominently, of course, and the timing seems right if there aren't a bunch of legal stumbling blocks.

SOE has done movie tie-ins with an MMO before, way back in 2005 when its Rage of the Wookiees expansion added a bunch of Episode III-themed content to Star Wars Galaxies. Last summer, though, the firm didn't really acknowledge Christopher Nolan's final Batman film in DCUO, so it may not be in the cards for Supes either.

Regardless of what actually happens, would you like to see appropriate movie tie-in content in certain MMOs? Or do you prefer to keep the properties separate?

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 last time I explored ThresholdRPG, I had a blast. It was one of a batch of MUDs that I used to re-introduce myself to the ancient gaming genre, and I enjoyed its simplicity and friendly community. MUDs can seem to be very similar to each other, so in order to enjoy them, you must be able to pick out the finer details that separate them. In ThresholdRPG, I particularly enjoyed fishing, roleplay, customization, and a free-to-play model that was years ahead of its time when first released 17 years ago.

The game can be a bit odd, like any MUD. During MUD May I've discovered just how confusing many of these titles can be, but I have also grown to enjoy solving the "mystery" of each game's particular set of code-words that unlock actions. ThresholdRPG is like other MUDs and introduces players to basic commands, but once out in the world a player is on her own. The good news is that an out-of-character help chat is always available and sits right on top of the standard roleplay-enforced chat. That juxtaposition of both channels actually helps immerse me in the game, allowing me to see literally where and when I can use out-of-character speech.

I asked Michael Hartman, president and CEO of Frogdice, to talk about MUD development and branching out into other styles of gaming.

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Boy, MJ's Misadventureland is really coming along! Hiring a few more hands sure has sped things up; you wouldn't even recognize the project now compared to even just one week ago. But isn't that the whole point of Choose My Adventure -- to watch the adventure that you're building develop and unfold? Well, that and to snicker at your Massively guinea pigs... we know.

Having gone into this particular adventure knowing that Darkfall Unholy Wars was not a game meant for the solo soul, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I found myself in a clan to experience more of the heart of the game, which just so happens to be clan warfare. And trust me, the clan wasted no time throwing me into the thick of things once you put me in one.

Although I do think starting off solo was important to get the real experience Darkfall any new player would (after all, most find a clan after first logging in), this week really has shown me a whole new game. I'd just scratched the surface before, the skin if you will, and now I've peered into the heart and seen the seedy underbelly as well.

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We'll never see Project Copernicus come to light, and for some people that's the last that needs to be said about 38 Studios. For the state of Rhode Island, however, there's quite a bit more at stake, with the state alleging that 38 Studios tried to hide its financial condition and essentially defrauded the taxpayers of Rhode Island. Opening arguments have been heard today for the case, with the 14 individual defendants seeking to have the case dismissed as completely spurious.

When 38 Studios folded, that left Rhode Island in the hole for a $75 million loan. The lawsuit is seeking restitution from Curt Schilling and 13 other individuals, including former members of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp that originally supported the loan. According to the EDC's lawyers, substantial evidence exists that this loan was based upon intentional misdirection on the part of upper management, although the defense claims these allegations are ridiculous. At this point, it's up to the courts who's in the right.

What's in a website? Quite a lot when your game is based in a browser client, as it happens. With RuneScape 3 around the corner, the team at Jagex is hard at work putting together a new and improved website, and a new video from the development team shows off just what players can expect. Which is quite a lot.

For example, one of the centerpieces of the revised design is a series of six buttons front-and-center on the page. The trick is that three of the buttons can be customized by you, allowing you to immediately jump to the most useful parts of the page for your particular playstyle. The team is also revamping the high score pages to incorporate weekly high scores, meaning that newer players can still have a shot at the top. There will even be rewards for people who do well in a given interval. For more details, check out the full video past the break.

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Watch out: It's an unholy fusion of addictive trading card games with addictive massively multiplayer online roleplaying games! The clinics will be overrun and crime will run rampant as police will be too captivated by the bleeps and bloops of their computer boxes to do anything about it.

That's the dire future that Kings and Legends Global could usher in. Or it could just be an interesting title that mixes CCGs with MMOs to create a novel experience. The cards themselves can be customized, crafted, and traded by players and then used to battle in PvP and PvE environments. Knights and Legends will have four classes, seven races, an auction house, guild halls, a crafting system, and plenty of deck building to keep folks interested.

GameFuse is tempting potential fans into registering by promising a free starter pack to those who sign up. You can do so on the website and then check out the game trailer after the break.

[Source: GameFuse press release]

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A few days ago we reported on RIFT's impending free-to-play conversion, followed by the news that Trion was undergoing a second set of apparently unrelated layoffs. Former Trion studio GM and CCO Scott Hartsman responded to the layoffs on Twitter, intimating that aspects of the gaming industry are "fundamentally broken."

After we invited your thoughts on that same subject in a Daily Grind earlier this week, we contacted Hartsman in the hopes of getting him to elaborate. Join us after the cut for the resulting interview.

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After months of waiting, we can finally say that Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion is upon us! After yesterday's launch, it's now possible to play as a member of the new Romulan Republic faction. It's now possible to begin a Klingon faction character from level 1! There's a new adventure zone and a completely overhauled user interface.

We recently had the opportunity to ask Star Trek Online's Executive Producer, Daniel Stahl, some questions regarding the update. We were also given a lot of screenshots of the new material, and all are included in the new gallery below. There was a lot to cover, so let's get to it!

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Is your ship in Uncharted Waters Online something less than ship-shape? Perhaps you could put the wind back in your sails with one of the special item packs available for the game on Steam. In anticipation of the game's next major patch arriving on the 28th, Netmarble has lowered the prices on all three packs by 70%, allowing characters to leave port with big boosts for fewer of your hard-earned real money.

The Booster pack is down to just $1.49 and provides faster experience gain, faster ship movement, and the ability to revive fallen sailors away from a port. The Premium pack is only $2.99, offers even faster experience gain, and also sets up you with 200 million ducats (in-game currency) and possibly even a rare ship. Last but not least, the Sea Adventure pack is down to $11.99 and offers the best possible experience boost, 300 million ducats, and several exclusive items. So if you're looking to set sail, a little money now will help you find your fortune.

When life hands you lemons, you build a new life. Out of lemons. The metaphor is a bit tortured, but the ultimate point is still the same: When City of Heroes fans found out the game was shutting down, some decided to band together and make a new game to incorporate all of the best of CoH while not being, you know, shut down completely. It's something that I've discussed a few times now because it's a really neat idea that also has some really big potential pitfalls.

The Phoenix Project and Heroes & Villains are the two big games working at getting themselves together, and they've had about half a year to do so. Both have been moving forward, networking, and putting together everything needed to make the games actually exist. And there's good news and bad news about both, some in tandem and some separately. So despite the possibility of missing an important context clue or two, we carry on with our look at what's going well and what is... less so.

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Vindictus fans in Europe don't have long to wait for the second episode of Season 2 as Nexon EU has announced that The Secret of Twilight Desert will launch on May 29th. As one of the largest updates ever to the game, this episode will expand the storyline and add new enemies in new areas as well as a dynamic day/night cycle.

Both new terrors and rare beauty come with the nightfall; the Grim Reaper and Guardian Soldiers will threaten adventurers after the sun sets, but the moonlight also reveals the Luminary Plant, a beautiful and powerful plant able to bestow rare gifts upon those capable of harvesting it. And for those seeking treasure buried under the sands, a new underground dungeon (with a traveling entrance) built by the eccentric wild Coffer Chasers offers adventurers a choice of treasure rooms. Choose wisely, though, as all other treasure rooms are locked once one is picked!

Get a glimpse of the coming adventures in the video after the break and the 11 new images in the gallery below.

[Source: Nexon EU press release]

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Just because it's a tough and gritty world in Age of Conan doesn't mean folks don't know how to celebrate. In fact, Funcom has announced fitting festivities for the fifth anniversary of this fierce fantasy world. Each day for five days starting Thursday, May 23rd, a new epic boss will begin roaming the lands of Hyboria, and each day that a boss remains unconquered it will increase its level of brutality. On the flip side, the chance for epic rewards for defeating one also increases by the day. All players, regardless, of level can join in the fight to take these monsters down, and everyone will have a chance at the rewards.

As anniversary gifts, all players will receive a one-week pass to Khitai as well as other items that can be claimed from the item shop. Members will receive a double item store discount throughout the five-day event as well as a special gift.

Starting tomorrow, membership will include account-wide double xp items, 200 bonus points per month, and a bonus AA point for every level (granted retroactively). Interested in becoming a member? Funcom is also offering a special deal through May 30th granting 50% more time with multi-month subscriptions.

Dungeons and Dragons Online's second expansion will not be like the first. In fact, Shadowfell Conspiracy might even be seen as a pseudo-sequel to DDO, a game-within-a-game that's offering players a fresh start in a favorite land. When the expansion hits on August 19th, players will be able to ignore all of DDO's Eberron content to start a new character at level 15 in the Forgotten Realms. Between the Forgotten Realms content that Turbine's added to the game in the past year and the new missions coming with Shadowfell Conspiracy, players could conceivably level solely in this setting.

It's obvious that Turbine's a little Forgotten-Realms-mad right now, although that's not a bad thing. The setting is a favorite among D&D fans, and while Eberron has its supporters, the studio obviously sees the Forgotten Realms as the future of this long-running MMO. While the expansion is still a couple of months away, today's Update 18: Disciples of Shadow update will serve as a prologue so that players can get started on their journey through this fresh land.

We sat down with DDO's team to talk about Update 18, the new races coming with Shadowfell Conspiracy, and the pre-purchase program that promises to give you head start. Read on, or else the wrath of the owl bear will be upon thee!

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