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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do MMO crossovers break your immersions?]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/anarchy-online/" rel="tag">Anarchy Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lore/" rel="tag">Lore</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-meta/" rel="tag">Massively Meta</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-secret-world/" rel="tag">The Secret World</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/humor/" rel="tag">Humor</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/promotions/" rel="tag">Promotions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">Miscellaneous</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/"><img alt="Do MMO crossovers break your immersions?" data-src-height="296" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/11/tswaopet.jpg" /></a></div>
When I was a kid, I read a post-Vietnam fantasy novel called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doomfarers-Coramonde-Brian-Daley/dp/0345257081">Doomfarers of Coramonde</a> that should have ruined crossover fiction for me forever. I just couldn't take seriously an Army hero whisked away by magic and plunked into a world of dragons and castles and sorceresses.<br />
<br />
MMO crossovers can likewise break my immersions. I'm not talking about sequels, and I'm not even talking about the unholy marriage of <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/EVE-Online/">EVE Online</a></em> and <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/DUST-514/">DUST 514</a></em>. I'm talking about <a href="http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?p=1453300">Funcom putting leet pets from <em>Anarchy Online</em></a> into <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/The-Secret-World/">The Secret World's</a></em> cash shop, which is a thing that did in fact happen yesterday. It joins the <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Ultima-Online/">Ultima Online</a></em> ankh necklace my character wore in <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Warhammer-Online/">Warhammer Online</a></em> on the list of bizarre cross-MMO promotions that really don't make a whole lot of sense in-character. Why in the world would my character in <em>TSW</em> have an adorable leet pet from the the planet of Rubi-Ka? What's next -- cupid wings on Ewoks? Oh. Right.<br />
<br />
So what do you think, morning crew and minipet-hoarders? Does this sort of promotion satisfy some deep craving, or does it just break your immersions?<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/09/coffee.jpg" style="padding-right: 10px;" vspace="0" /><em>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 <a href="http://www.massively.com/category/the-daily-grind/">Daily Grind</a>!</em><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/">The Daily Grind: Do MMO crossovers break your immersions?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20381203/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-crossovers-break-your-immersions/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Anarchy-Online</category><category>ankh</category><category>ao</category><category>breaking-my-immersions</category><category>brian-daley</category><category>brianna-royce-tdg</category><category>cross-promotion</category><category>crossover</category><category>daily-grind</category><category>doomfarers-of-coramonde</category><category>funcom</category><category>immersion</category><category>immersions</category><category>leet</category><category>minipet</category><category>mmo-crossover</category><category>opinion</category><category>tdg</category><category>the-daily-grind</category><category>the-secret-world</category><category>tsw</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brianna Royce]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Secret World's first content update is coming July 31st]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/horror/" rel="tag">Horror</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/puzzle/" rel="tag">Puzzle</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/real-life/" rel="tag">Real-Life</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New Titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News Items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-secret-world/" rel="tag">The Secret World</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/"><img alt="The Secret World Issue #1: Unleashed" data-src-height="336" data-src-width="225" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/07/tswissue1unleashed-side.jpg" style="padding-right: 10px; float: left;" /></a>Back in the day, avid mystery fans relied on getting monthly doses of case-solving goodness from magazines such as <a href="http://www.themysteryplace.com/eqmm/">Ellery Queen</a>. Today, the same can be found in <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-secret-world">The Secret World</a></em>. Delivering on its recent promise of monthly updates, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/funcom">Funcom</a> has released the details for July's free content update in true mystery magazine style with Issue #1: Unleashed.<br />
<br />
On July 31st, <em>TSW</em> players will find a number of new missions featuring a best-selling author, a daredevil, and even a crazy cat lady. Another mission will explore a character who may be more than she pretends to be. Two current dungeons are also getting a new nightmare mode; if you thought Ankh and Hell Fallen were challenging before, just wait until you test yourself in this mode.<br />
<br />
Another upcoming feature is a cross-dimensional marketplace. Not only can players group and play together cross-dimensionally, but soon they will be able to buy, sell, and ship items across dimensions as well.<br />
<br />
Unleashed is just the first of many updates. Issue #2 for August's update is already in the works and will be revealed soon, so stay tuned! And keep an eye on the ongoing construction in London, Seoul, and New York as new tenants prepare to move in.<br />
<br />
[Source: Funcom press release]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/">The Secret World's first content update is coming July 31st</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20277498/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/the-secret-worlds-first-content-update-coming-july-31st/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Ankh</category><category>auction-house</category><category>content-update</category><category>cross-dimension-marketplace</category><category>faction</category><category>fantasy</category><category>funcom</category><category>Hell-Fallen</category><category>horror</category><category>issue-1</category><category>issue-1-unleashed</category><category>marketplace</category><category>mythology</category><category>new-quests</category><category>news</category><category>nightmare-mode</category><category>sci-fantasy</category><category>secret-world</category><category>skill-based</category><category>the-secret-world</category><category>tsw</category><category>Unleashed</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[MJ Guthrie]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A second look at The Secret World]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sci-fi/" rel="tag">Sci-Fi</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events (Real-World)</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO Industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New Titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-On</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-secret-world/" rel="tag">The Secret World</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-On (Massively's)</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/"><img alt="The Secret World has M60s, apparently" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen35.jpg" /></a></div>
<em>Funcom recently held another special hands-on event for </em>The Secret World<em> at its Montreal, Canada offices, where we sent freelancer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/editor/fran-ois-blondin">Fran&ccedil;ois Blondin</a> to cover all the exciting details. Enjoy his latest preview of the game!</em><br />
<br />
Last weekend, I nabbed a second look at <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/Funcom/">Funcom</a>'s upcoming MMO <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/The-Secret-World/">The Secret World</a></em>, now scheduled for a June 19th release. I was going in with high expectations, having been blown away by my <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/hands-on-impressions-of-the-secret-world/">first playtest</a> of this modern-world-based MMO, and I'll say that this second visit managed to convince me that this game is on the right track to impress gamers with fresh gameplay, vicious puzzles, an ability wheel full of synergies, and new elite abilities at the top tiers of weapon specializations.<br />
<br />
I <strike>spent</strike> wasted a lot of time during my first visit testing out different builds, but I missed out on some content while doing that, and I realized that abilities and builds are something you'll come to naturally as you progress through the game as you earn ability points, choose where you want to go, and decide how you want to specialize. This time around, I got to spend more time exploring the game world, trying out missions, and blowing things up.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/">The Secret World</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/#4838618"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/#4838625"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen10_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/#4838627"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen23_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/#4838630"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen32_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/the-secret-world-2/#4838631"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/tswscreen38_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>A second look at The Secret World</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/">A second look at The Secret World</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20178085/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/a-second-look-at-the-secret-world/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ankh</category><category>brent-ellison</category><category>dungeon</category><category>dungeons</category><category>event</category><category>featured</category><category>funcom</category><category>galleries</category><category>gallery</category><category>hands-on</category><category>impressions</category><category>martin-bruusgaard</category><category>montreal</category><category>mystery</category><category>preview</category><category>previews</category><category>screenshot</category><category>screenshots</category><category>the-ankh</category><category>the-secret-world</category><category>tsw</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[François Blondin]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>