Massively Speaking http://massively.joystiq.com This is the Massively podcast http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Massively SpeakingJoystiqMassively Speaking<![CDATA[EVE Online devblog addresses recent server issues]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-online-devblog-addresses-recent-server-issues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-online-devblog-addresses-recent-server-issues/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/eve-online-devblog-addresses-recent-server-issues/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

EVE Online's server is a complex beast, holding the title of biggest supercomputer in the gaming industry. The main server cluster is housed in London and serviced by a team of IBM engineers. In addition to constant hardware upgrades to take advantage of the newest technology, CCP's network programmers work around the clock to improve performance and track down bugs that will affect the game. EVE is no stranger to lag or network issues and older players know all too well that server troubles are expected around patch days.

When the Dominion expansion was released, there were far more complaints of server issues than could be attributed to the usual "patch day blues". Now several months down the line we're still hearing horror stories of fleet battles lagging unbearably with only a few hundred players. The last few months have seen an increasing number of node deaths and database failovers, in some cases causing unscheduled server reboots. Read on to find out what CCP is doing to combat the issue.

Continue reading EVE Online devblog addresses recent server issues

MassivelyEVE Online devblog addresses recent server issues originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugbugsccpccp-eveccp-gamesdevblogdominioneveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionpatchserversupercomputerThu, 04 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[There.com is closing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/there-com-is-closing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/there-com-is-closing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/there-com-is-closing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Virtual worlds have had a rocky time in the marketplace. Focusing on user-generated content, it takes a while for enough users to become active and enough market traction to be established for them to start becoming financially viable. Earlier this year marked the shutdown of Metaplace, Raph Koster's entry into the field of virtual worlds. Now another long-running part of the field is closing down, as There.com has just announced the service will be closing on March 9th.

A retrospective on the game's history is available on CNET, discussing the world's status as being a competitor for Second Life without ever quite gaining the traction that its bigger cousin managed. While the environment was seen as slightly more kid-and-media friendly due to restrictions on adult-only content, the project had a difficult time turning a profit. After seven years, it's finally overwhelmed the company.

The official announcement includes a number of resources for those who have invested money in There.com to regain it prior to the shutdown, with extensive buyback programs and refunds available for all participants. Our condolences to the team on this sad turn of events.

MassivelyThere.com is closing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesscnetgame-endingmarket-tractionmarketplacemetaplaceraph-kosterrefundssecond-lifeservice-endingshutdownthere.comvirtual-worldsTue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Where do you go after the end of the world?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/the-daily-grind-where-do-you-go-after-the-end-of-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/the-daily-grind-where-do-you-go-after-the-end-of-the-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/the-daily-grind-where-do-you-go-after-the-end-of-the-world/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Let's say that the unthinkable -- or at least, the undesirable -- happens tomorrow. Your favorite game's servers shut down today for good, and you're left with fond memories and little else. In the ancient refrain of the bartender, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. So that leaves you with the obvious question: where do you go now?

Some people would prefer to take a break from MMOs as a whole for a while, since the idea of investing time and effort into another one seems a bit less reasonable after you've watched one die. On the other hand, some people would like to get right back into the business of questing and slaughtering, even if they have to move back to an old standby to do it. Still others jump on to the next big thing with renewed vigor and start talking about how it'll be everything the now-dead game wanted to be but wasn't.

So what's your feeling? If your favorite game went belly-up this morning, would you soldier on to a different game, start looking for an upcoming release, or just move on with your life and leave MMOs behind?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Where do you go after the end of the world? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ac2asherons-call-2dead-gamegame-shutdownmoving-onshutdowntdgthe-daily-grindMon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life grid flutters to flutter a while longer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/second-life-grid-flutters-to-flutter-a-while-longer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/second-life-grid-flutters-to-flutter-a-while-longer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/second-life-grid-flutters-to-flutter-a-while-longer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Just lately, over the last month and a half or so, regular Second Life users will have spotted an increase in subsystem outages, including transaction failures, object and teleportation problems, and just general weirdness. Systems seem to be experiencing trouble that you could just about set a watch by.

Linden Lab's Frank Ambrose explains that that is to be expected and there's some more to come as some of the oldest pieces of the Second Life infrastructure are ripped out for replacement or relocation from their original site at the San Francisco data-center.

Continue reading Second Life grid flutters to flutter a while longer

MassivelySecond Life grid flutters to flutter a while longer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fj-lindenfrank-ambroseles-currierles-lindenlinden-labsecond-lifeserver-downtimevirtual-worldsTue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The story behind the Second Life central database upgrade]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-story-behind-the-second-life-central-database-upgrade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-story-behind-the-second-life-central-database-upgrade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/the-story-behind-the-second-life-central-database-upgrade/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Linden Lab's systems administrator, Charity Majors has been with the company for a while - since 2004, in fact - but we've not heard much from Majors previously. That's a shame, because Majors' latest post detailing the process behind the recent Second Life central database upgrade is a real treat. We've not seen its like for a couple of years, sadly.

The story of the recent database upgrade (which was originally attempted in 2007, with less than stellar results) is frank, detailed and informative.

It's really rather a pity that Majors isn't writing blog posts on policy and economic metrics, because Majors puts almost all the other Linden Lab bloggers to shame for precision and clarity.

Continue reading The story behind the Second Life central database upgrade

MassivelyThe story behind the Second Life central database upgrade originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charity-lindencharity-majorslinden-labmysqlopinionsecond-lifeserver-downtimevirtual-worldsTue, 12 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion money glitch gives trillions to players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/aion-money-glitch-gives-trillions-to-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/aion-money-glitch-gives-trillions-to-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/05/aion-money-glitch-gives-trillions-to-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A few Aion players on the Azphel server got a bit of a shock yesterday when a bug in the system presented them with more than 30 trillion Kinah as a reward. With that much extra cash floating around, the economy predictably went...well, completely insane.

The Auction Hall looked like opening day at the NYSE, and even fairly common items were selling for outrageous amounts of Kinah. The news spread outside of game very quickly, sending the Aion team into overdrive as they tried to figure out what had happened. (Since this isn't the first time something like this has happened to an NCsoft game, we imagine there was a game plan in place.)

The Azphel servers were taken down for "emergency maintenance" shortly afterward, and news of a rollback came down very early this morning, surprising absolutely nobody. As of now, the Aion team is planning to roll the servers back to 6:00 AM CST Monday morning, but they're not quite out of the woods yet. They have since found "a few additional bugs that are having a direct impact on the stability of the Azphel economy", and promise more information soon.

MassivelyAion money glitch gives trillions to players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>30-trillion-kinahaionazphelbugglitchkinahncsoftserver-rollbackTue, 05 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NCsoft taking first visible steps to improve security]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/ncsoft-taking-first-visible-steps-to-improve-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/ncsoft-taking-first-visible-steps-to-improve-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/ncsoft-taking-first-visible-steps-to-improve-security/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Back at the end of November, we talked about the ongoing security issues affecting Guild Wars players. ArenaNet has been assuring players that they are working hard on the problem, and Monday evening the community saw the first fruits of that labor. Players saw a message in their chat windows that most of them have never seen before: "The Guild Wars servers will be taken offline momentarily for required maintenance."

It was a quick change, but once it happened, players logging in saw a surprising addition to the login screen. Besides the usual username and password combination, you now have to correctly enter the name of any character on your account before you are able to log in.

ArenaNet posted a FAQ on their site along with the update and Community Manager Regina Buenaobra interacted heavily with the community immediately afterward, logging in to Guild Wars to discuss the change with players (and presumably be asked a few hundred questions about Guild Wars 2.) She also spent time on the main fan forum sites, addressing concerns, clarifying the reasoning behind some decisions, and passing some well-deserved thanks from players on to the ANet team.

While not everyone is satisfied -- and when are they ever? -- this first step is a very welcome one to most players, and we look forward to seeing more.

MassivelyNCsoft taking first visible steps to improve security originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Account-Securityarenanetguild-warsgwhackingncsoftregina-buenaobraWed, 23 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Updated transfer list for Warhammer Online's server merge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Mark this one down under the "good news" category, but with a lot of conditionals: Warhammer Online has updated the list of acceptable server transfers for the upcoming shutdown. We reported earlier on the planned closing of Phoenix Throne and Dark Crag, bringing the game's remaining servers to four. Unfortunately, the decision hasn't been reversed, but the former limitations on what servers could be chosen as a destination for transferred characters has been expanded. In a fresh release, it was announced that characters from the closed servers would be allowed to transfer to any of the four remaining servers.

When the announcement was first made there were a number of people who protested the selections for destinations, as players had seen some of the writing on the wall and had already begun transferring over to other servers in anticipation. This move seems to be aimed at engendering some more positive community feelings after the understandably unpopular announcement, although how much help it will actually provide remains to be seen. The announcement goes on to serve as a reminder that the server merge will be taking place on December 2nd, so if your server is on the list to be merged and you wish to say goodbye, now is the time.

MassivelyUpdated transfer list for Warhammer Online's server merge originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-cragmythicmythic-entertainmentnews-itemsphoenix-throneserver-closingserver-downtimeserver-mergewarwarhammer-onlineMon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Dominion patch notes long but packed with info on game changes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/eve-dominion-patch-notes-long-but-packed-with-info-on-game-chang/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/eve-dominion-patch-notes-long-but-packed-with-info-on-game-chang/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/eve-dominion-patch-notes-long-but-packed-with-info-on-game-chang/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The Dominion expansion for EVE Online will arrive tomorrow, December 1st, after a lengthy downtime of roughly 19 hours (02:00 GMT/UTC to 21:00 GMT/UTC). Access to the EVE website and forums will be down for much of this time, as will the EVE API, but CCP Games has compiled a tome of Dominion patch notes to occupy at least some of that time. There's also a player discussion of the Dominion features and changes on the game's forums with some clarification on details from the CCP devs.

If reading through the full patch notes (10,000 words and climbing with updates) isn't really your thing, a few of the EVE bloggers have discussed the highlights of what's new in this expansion. Mynxee covers the good, the bad, and the comical in Dominion on her Life in Low Sec blog. We also recommend checking out Casiella's take on the Dominion patch notes over at the Ecliptic Rift blog. Casiella discusses the myriad features that haven't gotten much attention so far: voice fonts added to EVE Voice in chat channels; the in-game jukebox now using MP3s with playlist support; and how player actions for the Caldari race via factional warfare now impact the rival Gallente storyline missions.

MassivelyEVE Dominion patch notes long but packed with info on game changes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostsbuffscasiellaccpccp-gamesdominionecliptic-rifteveeve-onlineexpansionsfactional-warfaregame-mechanicslauncheslife-in-low-secmynxeenerfsnew-featurespatch-notessci-fiserver-downtimevoice-fontsMon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online merges two more servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It wasn't entirely unexpected -- after all, Jeff Skalski gave some indications this might be coming in our recent interview with him -- but it's still unbalancing. Warhammer Online community manager Andy Belford confirmed today that two of the game's servers, Dark Crag and Phoenix Throne, will be shutting down. The population of these servers will be allowed a free transfer to two other servers each -- Iron Rock or Badlands for Dark Crag, Gorfang or Volkmar for Phoenix Throne. He also mentions that there will be a 20% bonus to experience and renown in the weeks following the transfer, to at least slightly take the sting off the event.

It looks as if there will be slightly more servers in the European region, as they have a total of 13 still open... but several of those are due to the different languages, and at least one of the realms is scheduled for shutdown. As for what this means for the game itself... it's hard to call it anything but bad news, even with the promises of a boost incoming to ease the impact. We know that Warhammer Online's future looks a bit shaky after recent events, but this is more dire than any of us had expected or hoped. We'll keep up on any news as it becomes available.

[ Thanks to JP for the tip. ]

MassivelyWarhammer Online merges two more servers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-belfordcharacter-transferfree-transferjeff-skalskimythicmythic-entertainmentnews-itemsserver-mergeserver-shutdownshutdownwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online gives away a free retcon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/champions-online-gives-away-a-free-retcon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/champions-online-gives-away-a-free-retcon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/champions-online-gives-away-a-free-retcon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Retcons are valuable things in Champions Online, and they are used only with care, as their effects can be far-reaching and are assured to be constant for quite some time. (This marks a major point of divergence between Champions Online and most current comic books, but we'll leave that to one side for the time being.) So it's a bit significant when Cryptic announces that everyone will be getting a free retcon on October 27th, just in time for the Blood Moon event to kick off in full swing.

Cryptic's official explanation is that the free retcon comes as a result of server troubles over the weekend, and is their little way of extending an olive branch to the community. It does come with a bit of a caveat, however -- if you've been banking up your previous free retcon in anticipation of needing it later, they won't stack. You just get the one free.

But that's not such a big issue, when you get right down to it -- you can use the retcon if you need it, and start enjoying the zombie-smashing fun. And if you aren't already playing, perhaps now is a fine time to mention that there's a free weekend starting on Friday?

MassivelyChampions Online gives away a free retcon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atariblood-moonchampionschampions-onlinecocrypticcryptic-studiosfree-respecfree-retcongame-mechanicsin-game-eventnews-itemssuperheroesTue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Expanded extracurriculars in Wizard 101 update]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/expanded-extracurriculars-in-wizard-101-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/expanded-extracurriculars-in-wizard-101-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/expanded-extracurriculars-in-wizard-101-update/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's possible you didn't notice -- probable, even, unless you were on a late-night grinding session -- but the servers for Wizard 101 went down from 3 to 6 AM CST this morning. Even if you were on a late-night session in the game, though, you'd probably be willing to overlook the downtime due to the huge list of changes that came with the downtime. The October update for the game has dropped, and the patch list is truly enormous, adding mounts, new shops, crafting options, and too many additional things to list in a single sentence.

Mounts, of course, are one of the most significant and notable features being added. They can be rented with in-game currency or purchased permanently via the game's microtransaction currency, Crowns, keeping with the game's split between regular subscription and free-to-play. This update has also added in the option to move the stats of a new piece of equipment to one you find more attractive via the Seamstress NPC, an optional new dungeon that promises especially difficult encounters, and the option to pay a small fee of Crowns to get a second chance at a boss drops after defeating the boss. And even that's barely scratching the surface of everything Wizard 101 has added in this patch -- take a look at the full notes, and take a closer look at the game as a whole. It's not for everyone, but you might find more to like under close study.

MassivelyExpanded extracurriculars in Wizard 101 update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downtimefree-to-playkingsisle-entertainmentpatcheswizard-101wizard-101-october-updateFri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stargate Worlds site returns, but funding still tight]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/stargate-worlds-site-returns-but-funding-still-tight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/stargate-worlds-site-returns-but-funding-still-tight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/stargate-worlds-site-returns-but-funding-still-tight/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Over the weekend the Stargate Worlds site had planned a bit of maintenance which took their site offline on the 9th. From what we know now, the plan was that they would be migrating servers since they've been experiencing problems with their hosting. Many expected the site to be back up within a day or so - a normal time-frame for a DNS change and many cases of forum maintenance. When the entire site hadn't come back up by the 12th - and their Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites remained eerily silent - we decided to reach out to them and see how things were going.

While we're glad to see that the Stargate Worlds web site is now back on line, the note that we received back from Timothy N. Jenson, President and CEO of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment was a bit disheartening. While the team remains optimistic, it indicates that they are continuing to have funding issues despite the news that they'd picked up new investors in the tail-end of August. For those interested in reading the full statement we received, we've included it behind the break.

Continue reading Stargate Worlds site returns, but funding still tight

MassivelyStargate Worlds site returns, but funding still tight originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheyenne-mountain-entertainmentcmemgmserver-outagessgwstargate-worldsWed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Archlord's return heralded by extra buckling of swashes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/archlords-return-heralded-by-extra-buckling-of-swashes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/archlords-return-heralded-by-extra-buckling-of-swashes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/09/archlords-return-heralded-by-extra-buckling-of-swashes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Fans of the free-to-play MMO Archlord were probably less than thrilled in September, when the game's North American and European hosts lost the rights to the game. Codemasters was "unable to renew a license agreement" and had to shut down their servers for the game, with players left only with the taunting promise of another distributor picking up the game in the near future.

The near future, however, is apparently right now, with Webzen having returned the game to operation in North America and Europe. The game has also been updated with the Swashbuckler class, an all-female close-melee combat class that sports rabbit ears. (We're not sure if comparisons to the viera were intended, but they seem largely inevitable and perhaps suitable.)

In addition, Webzen is offering a transfer service for all former players of the Codemasters servers, with the transfer scheduled to complete on the 14th of October and offering a small amount of in-game money as an incentive -- that is, the money usually reserved for microtransactions. If you're a fan of the game, this is pretty unambiguous good news. If you aren't, well, now you have a chance to play it again one way or the other, which is always a good thing.

[ via Kotaku ]

MassivelyArchlord's return heralded by extra buckling of swashes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archlordcodemastersf2pfree-to-playnew-classesserver-openingstransferswebzenFri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Champions Online updated: A rough upgrade]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/champions-online-updated-a-rough-upgrade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/champions-online-updated-a-rough-upgrade/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/champions-online-updated-a-rough-upgrade/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Capping off the first month for Champions Online, a fresh update this-morning has brought in quite a number of changes, fixes and enhancements, but more than a few teething problems.

The patch ran a half-hour overtime, and seemed initially fine. Unfortunately within a half-hour of going live, the character selection service stopped responding, and players were abruptly disconnected from the game servers. At 6:40AM Pacific, a notice went up indicating that Cryptic hoped to have the servers back up in approximately one hour.

That didn't happen, and things blew out another hour, and while servers were reported to have been restored by 8:30AM Pacific, the live servers crashed again almost immediately.

Continue reading Champions Online updated: A rough upgrade

MassivelyChampions Online updated: A rough upgrade originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ataribugschampionschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosmonster-islandpatch-notespatchespsimonserver-downtimeWed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Looking for WAR? Blame the ISP!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/looking-for-war-blame-the-isp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/looking-for-war-blame-the-isp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/16/looking-for-war-blame-the-isp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you're wondering why the Warhammer Online main website isn't working (click the link for yourself to find out), or why you may be having connectivity issues with the game, it's because their ISP just did something they didn't want to happen.

Mythic Entertainment (not like you can reach that website either, right now) is aware of, and on top of, the issue. Currently players are unable to connect to the patcher servers, meaning that new players will not be able to get back into the game until these issues are fixed.

In the mean time, until everything comes back online, all pertinent data on the status of Warhammer can be found through Andy Belford's Twitter account, @Andy_Mythic. He'll keep players apprised of the situation until the main website can be brought back online.

MassivelyLooking for WAR? Blame the ISP! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-belfordmythicmythic-entertainmentserver-outagetwitterwaggggghwarwarhammer-onlinewebsite-outageWed, 16 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online API sends apps offline]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/14/eve-online-api-sends-apps-offline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/14/eve-online-api-sends-apps-offline/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/14/eve-online-api-sends-apps-offline/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As many EVE Online players likely already know, Tranquility's server hamsters decided to take an unscheduled nap yesterday, causing the entirety of New Eden to grind to a screeching halt. While we're glad to note that the servers came up some time later without any major problems, the forums and API remained offline until this morning's regular maintenance at 7:00 AM Eastern. While the folks at CCP were able to get the forums back online and working without incident, they opted to leave the API offline today while they're trying to figure out what happened. Better safe than sorry, we think.

For those of you who are occasional EVE Online players (are there really such beasts?) you'll notice the API shutdown in terms of changes not tracking properly in EVEmon, Capsuleer, or any other external programs that make calls to the API to pull your character information. The hope is that full functionality will be restored after tomorrow morning's regularly scheduled daily downtime. If not, might we suggest breaking out some chocolate covered espresso beans for the server hamsters?

MassivelyEVE Online API sends apps offline originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apibugcapsuleerdowntimeeveeve-onlineevemonofflineunscheduled-maintenanceMon, 14 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Archlord to transition from Codemasters to Webzen]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/02/archlord-to-transition-from-codemasters-to-webzen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/02/archlord-to-transition-from-codemasters-to-webzen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/02/archlord-to-transition-from-codemasters-to-webzen/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Codemasters, while best known for running Lord of the Rings Online in Europe, was never a one-trick pony. While many people have been adventuring through Middle Earth, a brave few gamers were still calling the realm of Chantra, the continent of the archlord, their home. Sadly, however, all things must come to an end as Codemasters will be shutting down their service for Archlord.

However, this is not a game sunset, but a game transition. Codemasters has failed to come to an agreement with NHN, the Korean developers of the game, to continue their service. NHN has transferred operation over to Webzen instead of Codemasters. If the images of Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation just popped into your head, then you have indeed remembered the correct Webzen.

This transition will move all character data over to Webzen's servers, making Webzen the go-to spot for almost everything Archlord related. What hasn't yet been confirmed is if item data will be transported with the characters as well.

Archlord has shut down new account creation until October 2nd, when everything will be transferred over to Webzen. For the full details of the transfer, or if you want to make a new account, check out Webzen for all of the gritty details.

[Thanks, Adam and Doran!]

MassivelyArchlord to transition from Codemasters to Webzen originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agreementarchlordbreakingcodemastersgame-transitionhuxleynhnnhn-gamesoperationserver-transitionservice-transitionsoul-of-the-ultimate-nationwebzenWed, 02 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Planet Calypso, formerly Entropia Universe, converts to CryEngine 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/planet-calypso-formerly-entropia-universe-converts-to-cryengin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/planet-calypso-formerly-entropia-universe-converts-to-cryengin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/planet-calypso-formerly-entropia-universe-converts-to-cryengin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


In just two days, Planet Calypso, formerly Project Entropia and Entropia Universe, will be shutting down for a major patch of epic proportions. The game will be undergoing a graphical refit, moving from their old graphics engine to the new CryEngine 2 -- the same engine that powers Crysis and upcoming virtual world Blue Mars. Old and busted, meet the new hotness.

The new version of the client, version 10, is now available for download before this whole conversion process takes place. The servers will be shut down on Sunday night/Monday morning at midnight UTC as version 10 is deployed to the servers. The servers will be unavailable for a few days, as the First Planet Company does a full diagnostic on the servers to make sure everything is good to go.

Continue reading Planet Calypso, formerly Entropia Universe, converts to CryEngine 2

MassivelyPlanet Calypso, formerly Entropia Universe, converts to CryEngine 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcryenginecryengine-2crysiscrytekentropia-universeeventfirst-planet-companypatchplanet-calypsoproject-entropiaserver-downtimeupdateversion-10Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea introduces skirmish system and treasure hunts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-introduces-skirmish-system-and-treasu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


By the time this post goes live, Pirates of the Burning Sea should be updated to build 1.15: "Black Bart's Gold", across the North American, European, and Australian servers. Black Bart's Gold (which introduces treasure hunting to the game) is a continuation of the Black Flags and Dread Saints story arc, which will also bring both new and altered game mechanics to PotBS. We've mentioned a few of the changes that are coming to Pirates of the Burning Sea, namely skirmish warfare and a sweeping change to loot drops. These are only a few highlights of what Black Bart's Gold will introduce to the game. The full patch notes give a much more complete picture of what build 1.15 brings, including two new ships -- the Poseidon (level 50) and the Alymer (level 1).

Pirates of the Burning Sea community manager Rhaegar gives a timetable for the expected server downtime: "We will be upgrading our North American, European & Australian SOE live servers to build 1.15: Black Bart's Gold during the usual maintenance window (1:30am - 5:00am Pacific / 9:30am - 1:00 pm British Summer Time) on Wednesday, May 27th."

Update: Rhaegar writes -- "We have unfortunately had to delay the patch until tomorrow. It will happen during the normal outage window of 1.30am-5.00am Pacific (9.30am-1.00pm BST). We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

Gallery: Pirates of the Burning Sea core gallery

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea introduces skirmish system and treasure hunts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-managerflying-lab-softwaregame-mechanicslootloot-dropspatchespiratespirates-of-the-burning-seapotbsrhaegarserver-downtimeskirmish-warfaretreasuretreasure-huntingWed, 27 May 2009 10:00:00 EST