World of Warplanes

If you've been holding out hope for an invite to the World of Warplanes global alpha, take heart. Wargaming.net has just announced that it's moving its aviation shooter into closed beta on May 31st.

The company says its "army of test pilots will be increased drastically" as a result, so be sure to sign up on the official WoWP website. World of Warplanes is a lobby-based flight combat game set during aviation's golden age. It features aircraft ranging from 1930s biplanes to 1950s jets. For more on the game, check out our recent interview with producer Anton Sitnikau.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Last week I talked a bit about a couple of flight sim shooters coming soon to a PC near you. One of them is World of Warplanes, the followup title to Wargaming.net's ubiquitous World of Tanks hit.

The World War II action MMO masters are slipping the surly bonds of earth with a new lobby-based battler that's currently flying through the early phases of its global alpha test. I had a few burning questions for the devs, including specifics on the matchmaking system, progression, and the possibility of historical scenarios. Producer Anton Sitnikau was gracious enough to answer those and more, so head past the break to see what he had to say.

Continue Reading

Looking for the latest World of Warplanes news? Wargaming.net has you covered with part two of its developer diary video series.

The clip introduces us to some of the dev personalities working on the game as well as the three main aircraft classes (fighters, heavy fighters, and ground attack planes). "Fighters top the food chain," according to historical consultant Yuri Pasholok. "They are the most widespread, versatile, and -- pound for pound -- the deadliest class in the game."

In comparison, ground attack birds are "slow, clumsy, and very heavy." Pasholok says, "To imagine what flying a ground attack plane is like, think of flying a tank." Why would you want to fly a tank? Well, for the ridiculous amounts of destructive firepower, of course. Finally, heavy fighters are something of a middle ground between the previous two classes. They can take a beating better than their light fighter counterparts, but their main objective is defense and interception. Click past the cut to view the full video, and be sure to check out The Firing Line this Friday for an exclusive World of Warplanes producer interview.

Continue Reading

Wargaming.net has taken the wraps off its next World of Warplanes aircraft class. Heavy fighters are the subject of a new teaser video and a new press release, with the former featuring just over a minute of gameplay footage. Right now, the interceptors are confined to the German tech tree, but Wargaming.net promises that they'll be added to other nation rosters as well.

"Their size, power and armament allow heavy fighters to fulfill a great variety of objectives including interception, head-on attacks, and bombing, making them one of the most versatile classes of air forces," the company says.

German heavy fighters include the Fw.57, the Bf.110, the Me.410, and the Me.P.1102. Get a look at the full video clip after the cut.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Continue Reading

Oh, Tribes: Ascend, if only you were an MMO.

Actually, wait a minute. When I think on it, if Hi-Rez Studios' new free-to-play sci-fi shooter were an MMO, I probably wouldn't like it as much. There's something to be said for frequent updates and instant gameplay gratification, and Tribes provides those things (and more) in spades.

Continue Reading

Wargaming.net has released another brief gameplay video from its upcoming World of Warplanes opus. The footage focuses on fighter-class aircraft, which the firm says are designed for "offensive reconnaissance, engaging in close one-on-one dogfights, and effective attacking in groups of two or three."

Like all of WoWP's aircraft, fighters will feature various engines, ammunition types, and assorted customizable modules that allow players to tune for optimum combat performance.

World of Warplanes is currently in global alpha, but Wargaming.net says that closed beta is "coming soon." In the meantime, check out the clip after the cut.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Continue Reading

Anxious for an update on World of Warplanes? If so, Wargaming.net has just the thing in the form of a new video dev blog that features gameplay footage and talking head interviews with various project principals.

The clip resides on Wargaming.net's YouTube portal (and we've also got it for you after the cut, below). It's entirely in Russian, but fortunately it's also packed with sub-titles for the rest of us. Much of the info is a recap if you've been following the game for some time, but there are some interesting tidbits regarding aircraft prototypes (i.e., avatars that are quite different from the usual Mustang, Spitfire, and Sturmovik suspects found in most flight sims).

The dev diary also tells us that while WoWP will initially ship with 20 planes per nation, the roster will gradually expand up to 100 aircraft for each faction.

Continue Reading

Much like its predecessor, World of Warplanes is not a game with an ambiguous title. This is a game about planes, and not the sort that flies cargo from one point on the globe to another. If flying around and getting into aerial dogfights sounds like an unappealing concept to you, well, you can pretty much just exit stage left when you hear the name.

But the lack of subtlety in the name, however noteworthy, doesn't really say much about the game itself. Is it fun to play? Does it succeed in what it sets out to do? Really, is it just World of Tanks up in the air? I can't speak to the last one, but I can say that it definitely delivers on its stated design goals. This is a game all about maximizing the rush of an aerial fight and striking a balance between crafting an in-depth flight simulation and providing accessibility to those new to the genre.

Continue Reading

In a press release from early this morning, Wargaming.net has announced that it's adding dragons to its upcoming World of Warplanes.

I'll just let that line sink in a bit before I continue. Yes, the studio is adding dragons; there's a video and everything (included past the cut). According to the release, the "initial tech tree will include 12 dragons and will eventually expand to more than 60 creatures. Each mystical animal will have its own peculiarities and strategic employment. Players can upgrade several key characteristics including fire intensity level, color, number of claws, horns, wingspan and skin thickness."

Now, I should remind you what this Sunday is, so you can put two and two together, but it's an interesting thought nonetheless.

Will we see more early April Fool's jokes today? Stay tuned!

Continue Reading

Wargaming.net had a huge presence at this year's GDC, and why not? The firm is growing at an exponential rate, and we're not just talking about the fact that it has World of Warplanes and World of Battleships coming down the pike.

CEO Victor Kislyi told me that over the past year the firm has expanded to include 700+ employees and a global presence that features development centers in Kiev, Ukraine, and Russia. The firm's flagship World of Tanks title currently boasts 18 million players worldwide, and it is paving the way for the second and third entries in a World War II trilogy.

Its clan wars mode is also the starting point for a grand vision of military combat at the squad level.

Continue Reading

Massively Speaking Episode 190 brings us another installment of the wild and wacky adventures of Massively's GDC crew. Today the entire ensemble has assembled, with Shawn, Jef, Karen, and MJ hogging the mike and sharing their impressions and experiences from the convention. Also, Karen rules from the Iron Throne, so do not mess with her or she'll send you to the Wall.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue Reading

Wargaming.net is kicking the tires and lighting the fires of its newest World War II-era action MMO. World of Warplanes is currently in alpha testing, and the firm has just released a new trailer featuring plenty of PvP footage from the upcoming game.

If you're into horsepower, dogfighting, or fast-paced action gameplay, you'll want to click past the cut as soon as possible and check out a minute and a half of what Wargaming.net calls "pure adrenaline." And don't forget to check in with Massively later this week for our World of Warplanes coverage from GDC 2012.

Massively sent four resolute reporters to San Francisco to bring you back the biggest MMO news from this year's GDC, the largest pro-only gaming industry con in the world! From games like The Secret World to PlanetSide 2, we're on the case, so stay tuned for all the highlights from the show!

Continue Reading

Ready for World of Warplanes' third tech tree reveal (and a load of in-Soviet-Russia jokes)? It's here, and Soviet aircraft take center stage in today's update. Twenty classic warbirds have been added to the action combat game, including the La-5 fighter and the renowned Il-2 Sturmovik.

As with the American and German tech trees, Wargaming.net says it will add additional aircraft to the Soviet tree as the game nears launch. World of Warplanes is currently undergoing global alpha testing, and you can sign up to be a part of it at the game's official website. Before you go, though, have a look at the new Soviet tech tree and a new video clip after the cut as well as new screenshots in our WoWP gallery.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Continue Reading

We first heard tell of Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes way back in the summer of 2011. Since then, the company has pumped out quite a few screenshots, several interviews, and press releases regarding its aviation-themed follow-up to World of Tanks.

The game is still in testing as of today, and Wargaming.net is kicking off what it calls a global alpha designed to bring in new testers from North America, Europe, and Russia. Each region has its own website and alpha sign-up process, so head to your respective portal right away if you're itching to be a test pilot.

The current client offers access to 20-plus aircraft and two battle arenas; Wargaming.net says that "the amount of content will be growing steadily" as the test phases progress.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line.

Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.

Continue Reading