Archives for Oct 20th, 2011
DC Universe Online announces Legendary subscription plan
DC Universe Online's PlayStation 3 players are getting a new payment option for their DCUO fix today. Due to the game's imminent conversion to F2P, Sony Online Entertainment is introducing the Legendary subscription model. The Legendary model is DCUO's premium membership plan, and the only thin...
The MMO Report: Purple tie edition
This week on the MMO Report ("where raids kill marriages dead"), Casey Schreiner covers Blizzard's charity-driven auctions for World of Warcraft server blades, The Secret World's plans for factional PvP, Star Wars: The Old Republic's new European release date and NYCC video, and CCP's ongoing mea...
Marvel Universe Online's newest addition is... not U.S.Agent
When Cable was revealed as the newest Marvel Universe Online hero, another mysterious character was teased in silhouette form. No, guys, it's not U.S.Agent. We know, we're just as shocked as you. In fact, it's his less-popular counterpart, Captain America. What a disappointment. All jests ...
Behind the Mask: Mind over matter
I have been hounded a bit lately for more coverage on the free aspects of Champions Online and the options available to free players. Fortunately, even before I wrote last week's article on the penultimate freeform tank, I was planning to cover the Mind archetype next. The Mind is the Silver a...
Captain's Log: More on the economy
Captain's Log, Stardate 65303.9... Hello, computer (and players)! As I discussed last week, heated discussions surround Star Trek Online's change to a F2P hybrid model and planned game mechanics updates. While new updates are being pushed to the Tribble server for testing and feedback, many as...
CCP talks flying in space, says EVE is a healthy subscriber-based game
GameSpot has a new interview with EVE Online lead designer Kristoffer Touborg, and though it's a bit dated (it was conducted at last week's GDC, and obviously prior to yesterday's layoff announcement), it still features some interest nuggets relating to EVE and its immediate future. In terms o...
Play Golden Age in style with a gift pack from Massively!
We've heard very little this year about Golden Age, the upcoming MMORTS from Aeria Games. Apparently that's because the folks at Aeria were busy working hard to prepare the game for beta testing, because closed beta is here! What's that you say? You're not in the closed beta? Well, fear not, b...
Star Trek Online's Path to F2P highlights crafting changes
The Path to F2P continues for Star Trek Online, and this episode focuses on the recent update to crafting, which is now available on the Tribble server. Crafting basics remain unchanged: Players scour the galaxy for anomalies in order to gather samples, and then return to Memory Alpha or Qo'noS...
Ask Massively: Several reasons edition
Ladies and gentlemen, I do not subscribe to the notion that there is a singular explanation for everything. Consider the above image. Why was it selected as a header? There are several reasons! For starters, it was the first result in a search on Wikimedia Commons for "several." And... well, actu...
Perpetuum adding distress beacons, relaxing trial restrictions
If you've ever wanted to prank-call a mob in an MMORPG, Perpetuum just might be your game. The sci-fi sandbox from Avatar Creations has unveiled a new distress beacon mechanic that basically allows the player to lure a few of the game's alien forces into an ambush. The new gameplay adds a bit ...
The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMOs
I think it's tremendously easy for experienced MMO players to completely forget what it was like getting started in this genre. It's natural to assume that everyone around you cut their teeth on the same games and in the same ways you did, even though this is completely ridiculous when you give i...
The Secret World's Dragon Week continues with new video, interview
Dragon Week is in full swing over at The Secret World, and today players get a double dose of Dragon with a new video and an interview with Ragnar Tørnquist. The video highlights a previous trailer's character -- referred to hereafter as Milkshake Girl -- and her initiation into the Drag...
EVE Online adding implants to killmails
When a ship is destroyed in EVE Online, half of its fitted modules are destroyed and half are dropped as loot. When EVE was young, the list of modules destroyed and dropped in a kill was sent in an in-game mail to both the victim and the player who got the killing blow. Today the killmail is stor...
Free Realms clocks 20 million players over two-and-a-half years [Update]
Sony Online Entertainment's most glorious shining star in its MMO library has another merit badge for its sash today. Free Realms just toppled the 20 million player mark, which includes all registrations since the game launched in 2009. This number reflects both PC and PlayStation 3 users. Joh...
Guild Wars 2 audio team heads to nuclear power plant for sound recording
The ArenaNet sound team has been busy, with its latest project being a field trip to an inactive nuclear power plant. Yep, you read that correctly -- the team took a two-hour drive to the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant to record some audio for Guild Wars 2. Why? Well, while the new ArenaNet office...
City of Heroes' Cord 'Thinktank' Carney details Dr. Kane's Mansion
Halloween is almost here, and of course that means that many MMOs are gearing up for seasonal events. One of those MMOs is Paragon Studios' City of Heroes. A new addition to the festivities this year is Dr. Kane's Mansion, and World Designer Cord "Thinktank" Carney has taken time out of his bus...
Wish granted: Nadirim launching next month
After 1001 Arabian Nights of beta testing, the Middle-Eastern-flavored Nadirim is finally launching on November 7th. The game will launch with three classes and a unique world full of mystical elements including djinns and flying carpets. Nadirim is Twisted Tribe's first MMO, and the company i...
Spiral Knights adds Shadow Lair boss content
Darkness! Danger! Death! All await you in the latest Spiral Knights content update from Three Rings. More specifically, the game features new Shadow Lair boss zones, which in turn feature big baddies with names like Lord Vanaduke and Snarbolax (yep, that's really his name, Snarbolax). Players ...
Digimon Masters launching October 25th
Digimon fans, your wait is almost over. Joymax has just announced that the Digimon Masters Online MMO is scheduled to release on October 25th (which is next week, if you're keeping score at home). The game features "a deeper RPG experience, enhanced graphics, and adrenaline-pumping real-time c...
Massively's double-dose of SWTOR beta impressions
For the last few weeks, two members of the Massively staff, Larry Everett and Jef Reahard, have been romping around in the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta, enjoying an extended look at BioWare's upcoming story-driven themepark. Today, we can finally reveal their thoughts on the current state of ...
Lifting the beta curtain: Larry's hands-on with SWTOR's beta
Many of my friends in gaming media have speculated as to why BioWare has allowed some media outlets to report on the heavily veiled Star Wars: The Old Republic beta, but frankly, I don't care. It doesn't matter to me that BlizzCon happens to be tomorrow or that there is a possible connection betw...
A certain point of view: Jef's hands-on with SWTOR's beta
Hey Star Wars fans, what say we recap my recent beta experiences in The Old Republic? I know what you're thinking (because it's the same thing I thought after BioWare's marketing folks sent along an unsolicited invitation): Here comes a giant anti-themepark rant and zomgwtf call someone who cares! ...
The Guild Counsel: A look at Race to World First
As MMOs grow in popularity and age, they're being seen as a serious subject of study. And as they gain acceptance, we're beginning to see more exposure on paper and in film. Recently, we looked at the documentary The Raid, a portrayal of one guild's progression through World of Warcraft raid cont...
Ignited Games begins WindSlayer 2 closed beta with a key giveaway
Ignited Games has a triple-shot of MMO goodness to offer gamers this morning: a brand-new closed beta, cool events and perks for closed beta testers, and a pile of beta keys here at Massively. The game is WindSlayer 2, a fast-paced, 2-D game that we took an exclusive look at earlier this month...
World of Warplanes turns off the 'no forums' lights
While you can't yet throw yourself into the cockpit of a World War II-era fighter and take off for the stratosphere, at least now there's nothing stopping you from talking about it with like-minded pilots. World of Warplanes, the upcoming fighter plane MMO from Wargaming.net, has launched its ...
The Daily Grind: Should more MMOs implement sidekicking?
Back when Ultima Online was young, gamers didn't have to think about things like levels or content walls. Regardless of our skills or how long we'd been playing, we just joined up with our guildmates and went dungeoning. Throw enough people at a lich lord or a demon and that sucker's going down! ...
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