Events (Massively's Coverage)

While we've known for some time that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be coming out on the PlayStation 3 later this year, we have new confirmation that the title will be making the jump to the console's baby brother. FFXIV was announced as one of PlayStation 4's upcoming games in 2014 at the Sony E3 keynote address, as Sony has the exclusive rights to the title.

While there isn't a set date for the PS4 release, Square-Enix Producer Naoki Yoshida encouraged console fans to start playing on the PS3 and make the switch later, as character data will be transferrable between the versions. "While waiting for PlayStation 4 there is no reason not to start your adventure on the PlayStation 3," he said.

The release of the updated Final Fantasy XIV for the PC and PS3 will happen on August 27th. You can watch the new E3 trailer for FFXIV after the jump.

[Thanks to William for the tip!]

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During tonight's Sony press conference at E3, Bungie revealed a fresh new trailer with some gameplay bits for its upcoming co-op FPS, Destiny, a game many MMOFPS fans would gladly claim as one of theirs. With thanks to our sister site Joystiq, we've embedded it after the cut. Expect no less than breathtaking vistas, terrifying dropships, and guns that are on fire.

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Bethesda has just announced plans to bring The Elder Scrolls Online to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in spring 2014. Sony confirmed during its conference at E3 tonight that the PS4 will be the first platform (or possibly just the first console -- it's unclear) on which the ESO beta will be available. The game was slated to release on PC this fall, but the press release (and a tweet from Bethesda's Pete Hines) seems to imply that the PC launch window has also been delayed to next spring: "The game will launch on these consoles, in addition to the previously announced PC and Mac versions, in Spring 2014."

ZeniMax has also today released a brand-new trailer to coincide with the announcement; we've tucked it behind the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in! Additional source: Bethsoft press release.]

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The 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo kicks off next week, and Massively will be on the show floor feeding opinions and news and videos back to you this year as every year. Our lineup is more than respectable when it comes to upcoming MMOs; we'll be looking at blockbuster MMOs like The Elder Scrolls Online, WildStar, ArcheAge, and Final Fantasy XIV as well as up-and-comers like HEX and Black Gold, just to name a few.

But even with a full roster of games to preview, I've worried the last few years that E3 is being eclipsed, at least for MMO fans, by more player-friendly and MMO-friendly venues like PAX. What do you guys think -- am I wrong? What must E3 deliver to MMO fans specifically this year to seem more like a chance for the industry to showcase games in one convenient location and less like an advertising platform for the biggest companies as they trample each other with hype?

Bonus question: What, above all else, do you want Massively's attendees to focus on at E3 this year?

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!

If you're the type to commit your early-morning hours to gaming as I am, you're probably waiting for E3 to open its floodgates. This year's Expo might be a few weeks away, but the gaming community is getting its fair share of glimpses and leaks thanks to publisher previews, and last week, Bethesda and ZeniMax joined forces for a press event in LA to preview The Elder Scrolls Online.

Mystery and suspicion has surrounded the game so far; it's the MMO entry in a long series of single-player installments for a beloved IP, so players are anxious to see how the transition from single-player adventuring to massively online gaming will play out. Unfortunately, the build I saw used only a third-person perspective and excluded PvP, but I still got a solid look at the game.

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So who wants to hear some cool stuff about WildStar? Thought so!

Massively's Gavin Townsley recently attended a WildStar media event in San Francisco, at which he was treated to a hands-on look at the upcoming sci-fantasy MMORPG's Scientist path and Esper class. He also chatted with Carbine Studios executive producer Jeremy Gaffney, who pulls a Gaffney (I'm coining that) and can't resist leaking a bit of new info about tradeskills while filling Gavin in on how endgame will work, why we should play the Settler path, and whether talent trees are passé. If you think making 10 pairs of cotton space pants sounds boring, then yeah -- you're going to like what he's got to say.

Enjoy all three articles plus the brand-new path videos we've embedded past the cut!

	Hands-on with WildStar's Scientist path and Esper class There is something exciting about taking your first steps into the mysteries of a new planet. I was anxious to mingle with the locals, analyze artifacts, and even pick a few plants -- that is, until I saw a flower burst from the ground as a giant vine-like beast.
	WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on the Settler path WildStar's Settlers don't just build bonfires for sappy Explorers to sing around; these titans of construction will save you time in dungeons, establish bigger outposts, and open up new realms of quests for everyone.
	WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on progression, tradeskills, and endgame Jeremy Gaffney divulges the beautiful details on essential parts of the game: character progression, tradeskills that don't suck, and life in the elder game.

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In the first part of our interview with Carbine Studios executive producer Jeremy Gaffney, we discussed everything we could about the Settler path. In this followup interview, he divulges the beautiful details on essential parts of the game: progression, tradeskills, and the elder game.

WildStar has been setting a fun tone with each new video that's released. As it turns out, that same philosophy extends to nearly every corner of the game.

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In a world full of potential and chaos, WildStar's factions will succeed on the planet Nexus on the backs of the Settlers. The Settlers don't just build bonfires for sappy Explorers to sing around; these titans of construction will save you time in dungeons, establish bigger outposts, and open up new realms of quests for everyone.

At a recent media event, Carbine Studios executive producer Jeremy Gaffney was only too happy to explain how the Settler path opens up the world, intersects with housing, and even plays a part in PvP.

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There is something exciting about taking your first steps into the mysteries of a new planet. I was anxious to mingle with the locals, analyze artifacts, and even pick a few plants -- that is, until I saw a flower burst from the ground as a giant vine-like beast. As it chewed up the slinky Aurin next to me, I decided to leave the flowers for the next Scientist.

So began my hands-on experience with WildStar, the exciting and often comical new MMO from NCsoft and Carbine Studios. The half-day event gave me time to play the Esper class, build some structures on the Settler path, and hurtle myself through the air in the name of science. There is so much to talk about!

Except plants. 'Cause allergies. *ahem*

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Last month saw the huge tenth anniversary EVE Online Fanfest, a three-day convention packed full of exclusive reveals, behind-the-scenes talks, and community events. This year's Fanfest was the biggest one yet, celebrating EVE's tenth anniversary with special guest speakers from the scientific community, the reveal of a new virtual reality dogfighter, DUST 514's launch, and details of the upcoming Odyssey expansion. Massively was there to bring you coverage of the big news as it happened, and CCP streamed some of the key talks and events live to viewers at home.

This year's Fanfest sold out so quickly that many people who wanted to go didn't get a chance to, and only a select few talks were shown on the public livestream. With such a packed event schedule, even players in attendance couldn't be there for every interesting talk. Thankfully, CCP recorded over 30 of the most anticipated events and has now uploaded the videos to YouTube. Highlights include the Make EVE Real videos, the EVE keynote, the CCP Presents Keynote, and the talks on how DUST 514 integrates with the EVE economy.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I round up all of the EVE Fanfest videos in a handy list.

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DC Universe Online's latest DLC, Origin Crisis, allows players to fill the shoes of some of their favorite -- and not so favorite -- heroes and villains and fight to keep reality as it is. Thanks to yesterday's update, players will actually be traveling through time in order to stop a chain of events that might result in entirely new universes and timelines. You'll be bamming and powing your way through content in the hopes that history remains intact.

We sat down with Jens Andersen, Creative Director of DC Universe Online, to discuss this special DLC, a pack that has been in planning since the game's conception.

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Massively's Richie "bogotter" Procopio is concerned for you. He's concerned that you might not have tried out Guild Wars 2's Molten Weapon Facility dungeon, the latest installment of the game's "Living Story" arc Flame and Frost: Retribution. He's equally concerned that you might have missed the memo about just how temporary this dungeon really is: It's over on May 12th, meaning you don't have long to check it out before it's gone. Forever.

But it's all good because Richie has put together a brand-new video guide to the dungeon, so you can either watch it and get a jump on playing through the zone yourself this weekend or just live vicariously through him, which would certainly involve less death. Enjoy his walkthrough after the break! (Dead goat sold separately.)

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Neverwinter soft launched this week. What's a soft launch? It's when a game really shouldn't be launching yet and knows it and yet has to launch anyway for reasons probably involving money. Soft launches are incredibly confusing to old school gamers who are used to a certain kind of testing and release cycle, the uncomplicated kind that involves, you know, some testing and a release. Soft launches make games writers uncomfortable too. Why won't your weird special snowflake of a game launch fit into our perfectly planned box?

Massively reader zmeul expressed his annoyance with us thusly: "I can't understand why some games get this 'soft launch' from you and others do not, even if the criteria are met."

It's a brave new world out there, zmeul!

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This year's CCP fan festival featured a bunch of interesting news items including DUST 514's official release date, more info on EVE's upcoming Odyssey expansion, and even a glimpse of the progress being made on World of Darkness.

There was also talk of EVE tales being immortalized in more traditional media formats, a ginormous 10-year collector's edition, and an early look at EVR, a new virtual reality EVE game designed for the Oculus Rift. Now that you've had a chance to digest all of the details, what was your favorite Fanfest 2013 reveal? Vote after the cut!

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At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

Every spring for the last 10 years, EVE Online fans from around the globe have journeyed to their MMO Mecca in Reykjavik, Iceland, for EVE Fanfest. This year, Massively's Brendan Drain attended the event to report not just on EVE but on CCP's other inbound titles, console shooter DUST 514 and vampire sandbox World of Darkness. From Brendan, we heard about EVE's virtual reality demo and revamp plans, DUST's launch date, EVE's anniversary collector's edition and TV series, and of course, World of Darkness' early development.

Read on for a peek at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.

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