Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[H1Z1 boasts 150-200 early access servers, including 'carebear' servers [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/h1z1-boasts-150-200-early-access-servers-including-carebear-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/h1z1-boasts-150-200-early-access-servers-including-carebear-s/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/h1z1-boasts-150-200-early-access-servers-including-carebear-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shut up and give me my ten bucks per month, little man. My Porsche needs some performance upgrades.
In preparation for the early access launch of zombiebox H1Z1, SOE's John Smedley has been busy on social media. Over the weekend, he asked Redditors for suggestions for 50 zombie-themed server names. Last night on Twitter, he indicated that the game will have far more servers come Thursday:
looking like we'll have 150-200 H1Z1 servers on 1/15. [9:19 PM - 12 Jan 2015]

we'll be announcing the distribution of them (i.e. rulesets, etc) in the next day or two. I think people will be happy. [9:19 PM - 12 Jan 2015]

even the disgusting PVE carebear servers will be ready day 1. I'm not happy about that but people tell me I need to get over it. [9:20 PM - 12 Jan 2015]
Don't worry, PvE players who've been buying SOE MMOs for 16 years. We're pretty sure he was kidding.

H1Z1 early access launches January 15th. Smed has previously warned players that they should "NOT BUY EARLY ACCESS" if they are hoping for a completely finished game, but given the number of servers, we expect no one is listening to that advice.

Continue reading H1Z1 boasts 150-200 early access servers, including 'carebear' servers [Updated]

MassivelyH1Z1 boasts 150-200 early access servers, including 'carebear' servers [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carebearcarebear-serverdisgusting-pve-carebear-serversearly-accessh1z1john-smedleyoopsopen-pvppost-apocpost-apocalypsepvepve-serverpve-serverspvpredditsandboxsocial-mediasoesony-online-entertainmentsteamtwitterzombiesTue, 13 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 hosts a Wintersday twitter contest this week]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/guild-wars-2-hosts-a-wintersday-twitter-contest-this-week/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/guild-wars-2-hosts-a-wintersday-twitter-contest-this-week/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/guild-wars-2-hosts-a-wintersday-twitter-contest-this-week/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If you still have this up in your house, congratulations! You're now officially lazy as hell.
The holiday season is over. It's over. We're done. But you could still win some stuff from Guild Wars 2 if you're willing to slap some stencils up on your window. The team behind the game is hosting a Twitter-based contest this week, starting today and running until January 9th, with one lucky winner each day receiving a Griffon Mail Carrier.

How can you win? Put some Guild Wars 2-themed stencils up on your window of choice, take a picture, and tweet it to the main Twitter account for the game this week with the hashtags #GW2 and #Wintersday. For those not feeling terribly creative, there are pre-made stencils available to fulfill the requirements. Sure, maybe you're happy to have the holiday decorations taken down, but if you want that mail carrier, you'll get to it. There's still time to enter the other Wintersday contests as well, although those are a little more elaborate; you can read the full details on the contests page.

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 hosts a Wintersday twitter contest this week originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbuy-to-playchristmas-2014contestcontestsculturedecorationfantasyguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftnewsnews-itemstwitterwinter-holiday-2014Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Think Tank: Keeping in touch with the friends in the magic box]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/13/the-think-tank-keeping-in-touch-with-the-friends-in-the-magic-b/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/13/the-think-tank-keeping-in-touch-with-the-friends-in-the-magic-b/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/13/the-think-tank-keeping-in-touch-with-the-friends-in-the-magic-b/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Earlier this week in the comments of the article about MMO social network ZergID, readers went off on a tear about how MMO players keep in touch and communicate with guildies and friends beyond the game -- as my mom used to say, the people in the magic box. What quickly became obvious is that there's no one accepted method. Social media, forums, chats, IMs, Steam, and this crazy invention called a telephone were all mentioned. I thought we could use a more formal discussion, so in today's Think Tank, I asked the Massively writers how they keep in touch with guildies and MMO friends when they're not playing or when they're between games... if they keep in touch at all.

Continue reading The Think Tank: Keeping in touch with the friends in the magic box

MassivelyThe Think Tank: Keeping in touch with the friends in the magic box originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Nov 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tttchatcommunicationeditorialfacebookfriendsfriends-listgoogle-plusgroup-editorialguildguildiesguildsIMsinstant-messengermassively-staffmassively-teammumbleopinionopinionsroundtableroundupsocial-mediasteamtext-messagetextsthe-think-tankthink-tanktwitterventriloThu, 13 Nov 2014 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Phantasy Star Online 2's western release isn't a lost cause]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/phantasy-star-online-2s-western-release-isnt-a-lost-cause/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/phantasy-star-online-2s-western-release-isnt-a-lost-cause/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/phantasy-star-online-2s-western-release-isnt-a-lost-cause/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Did you lose all hope of ever seeing Phantasy Star Online 2 in the west after it launched in Southeast Asia last spring with nary a peep about its arrival on this side of the Pacific? We did too. But a tweet sent by SEGA earlier this week gives us reason to doubt our doubts:
PSO2 is still delayed. SEGA is currently working on bringing PSO2 to the West and will update as soon as we know more.
It's not a launch date or even much of a promise, but at least it's confirmation that the western version hasn't been abandoned.

MassivelyPhantasy Star Online 2's western release isn't a lost cause originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playphantasy-starphantasy-star-onlinephantasy-star-online-2psopso2sci-fisegatwitterFri, 05 Sep 2014 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you comment on headlines before you read articles?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-comment-on-headlines-before-you-read-art/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-comment-on-headlines-before-you-read-art/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/21/the-daily-grind-do-you-comment-on-headlines-before-you-read-art/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I'm not a Twitter fan. I never use it outside of work, and the time I spend manning the Massively Twitter feed is one of the least enjoyable portions of my workday. This is due mostly to the large numbers of people who read our headlines via Twitter and then proceed to comment or tweet back without reading the article. I know; it's a game of trolls and the winner gets to feel like a special snarkanaut for cramming his invaluable insight into 140 characters or less and hopefully provoking some sort of reaction. But like all casual games, it gets tiresome rather quickly.

Ultimately, we, like most writers on the internet, design headlines specifically to entice reading, not to sum up a post in 10 words. How about you, Massively readers? 'Fess up: Do you comment on headlines before you read articles, either on Twitter or elsewhere?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you comment on headlines before you read articles? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grindheadlinesopinionreading-comprehensionsocial-mediatdgthe-daily-grindtrolltrollingtrollstwitterThu, 21 Aug 2014 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EverQuest Next Landmark going into closed beta next week [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/20/everquest-next-landmark-adds-in-parties-mail-and-teleports/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/20/everquest-next-landmark-adds-in-parties-mail-and-teleports/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/20/everquest-next-landmark-adds-in-parties-mail-and-teleports/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Landmark
SOE announced today that EverQuest Next Landmark will be transitioning out of alpha next week and into closed beta on Wednesday, March 26th. During the transition, all progress on the alpha servers will be wiped except for saved templates, character names, and Founder's Pack purchases.

Landmark also got an important update today, the biggest part of which is the addition of a party system. While there is no specific UI for it yet, players can invite friends to a group through slash commands, via a friends list, or by right-clicking on them in the world. Groups earn a 20% bonus to harvested loot.

The update also added in-game email, social media integration, and the ability to teleport to the continent hub or to your friends.

[Update: The Landmark team has also posted to explain the differences between time-limited beta keys and founder packs.]

MassivelyEverQuest Next Landmark going into closed beta next week [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphabetabreakingclosed-betaeqeq-nexteq-next-landmarkeqneqn-landmarkeqnleverquesteverquest-nexteverquest-next-landmarkfacebookfantasylandmarkmailpartiespartypatchpatch-notessandboxsocial-mediasoesony-online-entertainmentteleporttwitterupdateupdate-notesThu, 20 Mar 2014 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE teases picture of mystery sandbox MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/02/soe-teases-picture-of-mystery-sandbox-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/02/soe-teases-picture-of-mystery-sandbox-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/02/soe-teases-picture-of-mystery-sandbox-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mystery MMO
Behold, ex-Star Wars Galaxies players: This is the first glimpse of the home that SOE is building for you.

SOE President John Smedley sent out a pair of pictures on Twitter on January 29th showing screenshots from the unannounced MMO that the studio is creating. The pictures are both of the back of a church or chapel with a fenced-in graveyard next to it. In the second picture, snow is falling.

The pictures seem to suggest that the game will take place in a contemporary setting. One of SOE's CMs indicated that these tweets were of the new sandbox MMO described as "dedicated" to SWG players.

MassivelySOE teases picture of mystery sandbox MMO originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classic-mmodedicated-to-swg-playersgalaxiesjohn-smedleynew-soe-mmopeekpicturesandboxsci-fismedleysmedley-redditsoesony-online-entertainmentstar-warsstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-followupswg-playersteasertwitterSun, 02 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[McQuaid tweets teaser pic for his mystery MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/31/mcquaid-tweets-teaser-pic-for-his-mystery-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/31/mcquaid-tweets-teaser-pic-for-his-mystery-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/31/mcquaid-tweets-teaser-pic-for-his-mystery-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back in September, Brad McQuaid let fans know he was working on a secret MMO, but has remained pretty tight-lipped about things since then. Now, McQuaid has taken to Twitter to tease interested fans with a tiny morsel: a beefy armored man with a broadsword (that's quite true to its name) sitting on an elaborate horned throne. Astute observers may question the significance of the solid blue eyes, which are reminiscent of a certain classic sci-fi story.

More details will be available once this mystery MMO's Kickstarter is launched sometime in January. Until then, check out the full image of this imposing figure below.

[Thanks to BabaGraPL for the tip!]

Continue reading McQuaid tweets teaser pic for his mystery MMO

MassivelyMcQuaid tweets teaser pic for his mystery MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Dec 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-mcquaidcrowdfundingkickstartermystery-mmopantheonpantheon-rise-of-the-fallenpantheon-rotfprotfrise-of-the-fallenrotfTwitterupcoming-mmoTue, 31 Dec 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Trion starts the Trove teasing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/13/trion-starts-the-trove-teasing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/13/trion-starts-the-trove-teasing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/13/trion-starts-the-trove-teasing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Trove
Trion Worlds made news earlier this week by registering several domains with the word "Trove" in them. While the studio made no announcement regarding new games in development, most speculation centered firmly on Trove being Trion's next big project.

Today we've received another little tidbit on the topic via Trion's official and brand-new Trove Twitter account. Posting under the name TroveGame, Trion asked simply, "Where will you go?" It's not much in terms of information, but the Twitter username at least confirms that Trove is a game. The profile information says only, "Something new from Trion Worlds."

Stay tuned.

MassivelyTrion starts the Trove teasing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>domaindomain-namedomain-registrationnew-titleregisterregistered-domainscott-hartsmanspeculationteasetriontrion-worldstroveTroveGameTwitterurlWed, 13 Nov 2013 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: No one loves blog comment systems]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/ask-massively-no-one-loves-blog-comment-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/ask-massively-no-one-loves-blog-comment-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/ask-massively-no-one-loves-blog-comment-systems/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ask Massively No one loves blog comment systems
Welcome back to Ask Massively! Today, let's beat our heads against some totally valid emails relating to Massively's adorable comment system, which we lovingly call "Hey, Livefyre is down again!"

Chris wrote, "Is there some way to create an ignore list? I'm irritated by a few people in certain articles who try to make the comments entirely about themselves. I primarily read this site at work, and the work network is garbage, which means that the browser freezes up when I try to load more comments. Is there some way to filter out certain users' posts?"

This is a good idea!

Continue reading Ask Massively: No one loves blog comment systems

MassivelyAsk Massively: No one loves blog comment systems originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceadvice-columnask-massivelybrianna-royce-ask-massivelycommentcommentingcommentsfeaturedhumorlivefyremassively-metametaopinionsocial-mediatwitterThu, 06 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Players commemorate City of Heroes' 9th anniversary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/players-commemorate-city-of-heroes-9th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/players-commemorate-city-of-heroes-9th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/players-commemorate-city-of-heroes-9th-anniversary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Players celebrate City of Heroes' 9th anniversary
While City of Heroes is no longer with us -- you might not have heard, sorry -- the spirit lives on in its former players' hearts. As this week would have been the ninth anniversary of the superhero MMO, the community has decided to celebrate by remembering all of the greatest aspects about it.

On the CoHTitan boards, the call has gone out for players to share specific City of Heroes favorite aspects over a seven-day 10-day span on Twitter. Each day has a particular theme, starting with ways that CoH innovated and going on to include favorite missions, unsolved plots, why players want the game back, and more.

"This isn't a time for negativity," the post's author writes. "This is about celebrating what was and what could have been. Join me in this celebration of love towards our beloved City of Heroes."

MassivelyPlayers commemorate City of Heroes' 9th anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>9th-anniversaryanniversarycity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcohtitancommunitycovcoxf2pfree-to-playfreedomncsoftninth-anniversaryparagonparagon-studiossuperherosuperheroestwitterFri, 26 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Massively's plans for EVE Fanfest 2013]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/eve-evolved-massivelys-plans-for-eve-fanfest-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/eve-evolved-massivelys-plans-for-eve-fanfest-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/eve-evolved-massivelys-plans-for-eve-fanfest-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
There's just over a week to go until EVE Online's massive tenth anniversary Fanfest, and you'll be pleased to hear that Massively will be there this year to cover the action! CCP is aiming to make this the biggest Fanfest yet, promising huge reveals and announcements about EVE's summer Odyssey expansion and beyond. We can also expect to hear some big news about upcoming console MMOFPS DUST 514, and fans of Vampire: The Masquerade will undoubtedly get to see some of the year's progress toward making the World of Darkness MMO a reality.

Tickets to this year's Fanfest sold out in record time, so many players who really wanted to be there for EVE's tenth anniversary celebration weren't able to secure a spot. CCP is running its usual livestream of the main talks for those not in attendance, but only certain parts of the event are being streamed. Here at Massively, we plan to give you an inside look at Fanfest with ongoing news coverage from April 25th to April 27th and in-depth opinion pieces on what each announcement means for players.

In this week's short and sweet EVE Evolved, I lay out Massively's plans for in-depth coverage of EVE Fanfest 2013 and ask what you'd like to see reported on.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Massively's plans for EVE Fanfest 2013

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Massively's plans for EVE Fanfest 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10-year-anniversary10-year-oldccpccp-gamesconsoledustdust-514eveeve-evolvedeve-fanfesteve-fanfest-2013eve-onlineeventevent-coverageeventsexpansionfanfestfanfest-2013fantasyfeaturedfpsgothichorroricelandlivestreammassivelymassively-event-coveragemmofpsnewsodysseyopinionplaystationplaystation-3ps3reykjaviksandboxsci-fishooterspeculationsupernaturalten-year-anniversaryten-yearstwittervampirevampire-the-masqueradevampiresvideowhite-wolfwodworld-of-darknessSun, 14 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Feeds and faceplustweets]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/ask-massively-feeds-and-faceplustweets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/ask-massively-feeds-and-faceplustweets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/ask-massively-feeds-and-faceplustweets/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Feedly
Google Reader might be on its way out, but old-school RSS is here to stay. If you haven't jumped to Feedly or some other RSS platform yet, July 1st is your doomsday. How is this relevant to your interests and why am I telling you this in Ask Massively? Well, many of you readers probably don't camp our front page, and if you're not into social media and the latest faceplustweet craze, RSS can help you keep up with the parts of Massively you want to read (and avoid the ones you don't).

Continue reading Ask Massively: Feeds and faceplustweets

MassivelyAsk Massively: Feeds and faceplustweets originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceadvice-columnask-massivelybooleanbrianna-royce-ask-massivelycategoriescommunityfacebookfaceplustweetsfeaturedfeedfeedsgoogle-plusgoogle-readerhumormassively-metamassively-rssmetaopinionrsssocial-mediasteamtagstwitchtwitterThu, 04 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Family: Lessons learned from parenting and gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/mmo-family-lessons-learned-from-parenting-and-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/mmo-family-lessons-learned-from-parenting-and-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/mmo-family-lessons-learned-from-parenting-and-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

MMO Family Lessons learned from parenting and gaming
If you look at the past two decades, it's really amazing how fast technology has improved. Not that long ago, dialup was common, 3.5" disks were all the rage (so much better than those archaic 8" floppies!), and people were excited to be able to take digital photos (that also used those flashy 3.5 disks with a camera that was as large as a truck). Kids are growing up in a completely different world than their parents did, and that means there's a tabula rasa feel to the rules on parenting and video games.

Parenting sites are great at general parenting advice, and gaming sites are great at gaming write-ups, but there aren't too many sites that juggle both. As a result, parents are left with advice that usually falls into one camp or another, and absolutes really don't work well in this challenging area. So this week in MMO Family, I'd like to toss out a few lessons about raising kids in a digital age.

Continue reading MMO Family: Lessons learned from parenting and gaming

MassivelyMMO Family: Lessons learned from parenting and gaming originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualchildrenchildrens-mmosesrbesrb-ratingsfacebookfamilyfamily-friendlyfamily-game-nightfamily-gaming-tipsfeaturedkid-friendlykidskids-gamesmmo-familymoderating-video-gamesopinionparent-advice-on-video-gamespirate-101twittervideo-games-and-kidsWed, 20 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/mmo-family-why-catfish-is-a-term-your-kids-should-know/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/mmo-family-why-catfish-is-a-term-your-kids-should-know/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/mmo-family-why-catfish-is-a-term-your-kids-should-know/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

MMO Family Why Catfish is a term your kids should know
By now, everyone's probably heard the strange story of Manti Te'o, the football player who had an online relationship with someone who wasn't really that person. The question that people keep asking is whether or not he was in on the hoax, but I think that's irrelevant. The real question is why people are surprised to begin with.

Ironically, gamers probably have a leg up on the Catfish scenario, since there are plenty of examples of players misrepresenting themselves through their in-game avatars. And there's often a grey area when it comes to roleplaying and honesty. In this week's MMO Family, let's look at the lessons of gaming, identity, and social media and what children should learn about all three. (And I promise I won't mention Manti again in this column.)

Continue reading MMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know

MassivelyMMO Family: Why Catfish is a term your kids should know originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-story-about-a-treecasualcatfishchildrenchildrens-mmosfacebookfamilyfamily-friendlyfeaturedinternet-boogeymaninternet-identitykid-friendlykidskids-gamesmanti-teommo-familyonline-relationshipsopinionraph-kosterrichard-bartletracy-spaighttwitterWed, 23 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tweeria is self-proclaimed 'laziest MMORPG ever']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/tweeria-is-self-proclaimed-laziest-mmorpg-ever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/tweeria-is-self-proclaimed-laziest-mmorpg-ever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/tweeria-is-self-proclaimed-laziest-mmorpg-ever/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Tweeria is selfproclaimed 'laziest MMORPG ever'
If you like the idea of MMOs but don't want to actually have to do anything to progress in one, then Tweeria may be the answer to your weirdly specific situation. The game, such as it is, draws from your Twitter account to create a character and go on missions. Players go on raids, engage in PvP, loot, and level up based on everyday tweets.

According to the game's developers, Tweeria's proven to be pretty popular, with over 14,000 registered users. The application reads your tweets, sees who you follow on Twitter, updates your profile, and posts tweets for you over the course of the game.

The game's blog said that Tweeria began as a "private, non-commercial, and mostly experimental project," and was not prepared for the current level of popularity. There are some issues with player-submitted artwork and possible copyright violations that Tweeria's creators are trying to smooth over with future policies.

MassivelyTweeria is self-proclaimed 'laziest MMORPG ever' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser-basedcasualf2pfantasyfree-to-playteh-twitterstweeriatweettweetstwittertwitter-mmoworld-of-tweeriaFri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Nexus Telegraph: A WildStar community roundup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/the-nexus-telegraph-a-wildstar-community-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/the-nexus-telegraph-a-wildstar-community-roundup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/the-nexus-telegraph-a-wildstar-community-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Playing around with a new header style is always fun.
Let's talk about WildStar. Do you want to? I'd reckon you do, considering that you're reading this now. A lot of people want to talk about it, after it showed up more or less from nowhere with a striking look, spectacular setting, and the promise of several interesting gameplay systems, all from a studio that looked from the outside to have been catatonic before this came riding onto the scene.

The point is that WildStar is kind of a big deal. It's novel, it's exciting, and it's as different a take on the science-fiction genre as you could ask to have. Unfortunately, it's also still not released. But we've had a year of solid information to chew on, and as a result I'm happy to present the first installment of Massively's new column, The Nexus Telegraph. This week we're going to kick things off with a look at some important links, just to start things from a solid foundation... albeit a smaller one.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: A WildStar community roundup

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: A WildStar community roundup originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studioscolumncolumnsfansitesfeaturedfeedslinksncsoftnews-feedsnexusnexus-telegraphofficial-sitesopinionsandparksci-fantasysci-fithe-nexus-telegraphtwitterwildstarwsMon, 17 Dec 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlanetSide 2 players score a double XP weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/planetside-2-players-get-a-double-xp-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/planetside-2-players-get-a-double-xp-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/planetside-2-players-get-a-double-xp-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The writer of this post is not a bad enough dude to capture any territory from anyone, up to and including reclaiming the bed from the cat.
Are you a bad enough dude to capture territory for your chosen faction in PlanetSide 2? Quite possibly. But a lot of players have had difficulty even logging into the game due to usual launch week issues. That hasn't stymied the game's popularity any, but if you were hoping to get some sort of compensation for your trouble, you're in luck. The team has announced via Twitter that players will get double the XP this weekend as a reward for sticking out server instability.

But wait! You already have an experience boost applied, you don't want it to go to waste! Not to worry; it's also been confirmed that players with a 10% boost active will still benefit from both boosts at once, resulting in even faster gains. So whether you've been heavily impacted by the launch issues or not, you can take pride in leveling faster over the next couple of days.

MassivelyPlanetSide 2 players score a double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-xpdouble-xp-weekendfpsin-game-eventlaunch-weekmmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2ps2sandboxsci-fiserver-issuesshootersoesonysony-online-entertainmenttwitterweekend-eventxpThu, 06 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Why tpyos matter]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/ask-massively-why-tpyos-matter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/ask-massively-why-tpyos-matter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/ask-massively-why-tpyos-matter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I wonder just how many people will flame me for this title. Any bets?
Whenever you sit down to read an article -- let's say it's an article about MMOs on your favorite MMO blog -- the author has a hidden persuasive advantage. Readers are inclined to believe what they read unless they have a compelling reason not to because believing is easier than not believing. In fact, humans have a hard time mentally readjusting if they hear a lie about a topic before they hear the truth, especially when the lie confirms comforting pre-existing beliefs. And like it or not, we grant a measure of authority to published articles, to what we see in print from people we presume are professionals.

But even a lowly games writer squanders that "authoritativeness bonus" when he can't even be arsed to press the darn spellcheck button.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Why tpyos matter

MassivelyAsk Massively: Why tpyos matter originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adviceadvice-columnask-massivelyauthoritativeness-bonusauthoritybrianna-royce-ask-massivelycopyeditingcredibilityenglishfeaturedgames-journalismgames-writinggiving-a-craphumorjournalismmassively-metametaopinionproofreadingsharvis-is-a-pretty-cool-dudethe-twitterstwittertypotyposwritingyes-i-know-typos-is-spelled-wrongThu, 29 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Former president of Square Enix calls corporate merger a disaster]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/former-president-of-square-enix-calls-corporate-merger-a-disaste/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/former-president-of-square-enix-calls-corporate-merger-a-disaste/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/former-president-of-square-enix-calls-corporate-merger-a-disaste/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Odin replied that the only real disasters were ones he caused himself. Bahamut was not available for comment.
Corporate mergers always create hard feelings. Combining two separate groups of people into a single culture is naturally going to generate some feelings that the companies were better off apart. That's certainly the case for Hisashi Suzuki, the former president of Square Enix who recently called the merger of the two companies a "complete failure" via Twitter, claiming that the company has absolutely no vision for the future.

It's undeniable that the studio has seen some titles with poor reception in recent years, with Final Fantasy XIV's launch proving a major misstep for the company at the time (and being the most relevant to the MMO industry). At the same time, Suzuki left the company seven years ago, and the company is in the process of completely revamping Final Fantasy XIV following the mistakes of launch. Whether or not Suzuki is correct or simply a bit bitter after the fact falls to personal interpretation.

MassivelyFormer president of Square Enix calls corporate merger a disaster originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesscompaniescompanycorporatecorporationsenixgrousinghisashi-suzukimergersmmo-industrynamessquaresquare-enixtwitterFri, 09 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: Twitter highlights from the EverQuest II team]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/25/the-tattered-notebook-twitter-highlights-from-the-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/25/the-tattered-notebook-twitter-highlights-from-the-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/25/the-tattered-notebook-twitter-highlights-from-the-everquest-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Tattered Notebook Twitter highlights from the EverQuest II team
A few days ago, the EverQuest II team made itself available for a question-and-answer session on Twitter. This session was unusual not because the team doesn't take the time to answer questions (communication through the years has had its peaks and valleys but is pretty decent overall) but because the venue is a new one for the team. As far as I can recall, this is the first time the EQII team has used Twitter to field questions, and it led to some juicy answers. In this week's Tattered Notebook, let's look at a few of the highlights!

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Twitter highlights from the EverQuest II team

MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Twitter highlights from the EverQuest II team originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eqeq-2eq-iieq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playopinionsoesonysony-online-entertainmenttattered-notebookthe-tattered-notebooktwitterSat, 25 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Hooray for the existence and removal of City of Heroes' Tweet Code Thursdays]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-hooray-for-the-existence-and-removal-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-hooray-for-the-existence-and-removal-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/a-mild-mannered-reporter-hooray-for-the-existence-and-removal-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann
I've given Paragon Studios a lot of grief over the past year and a half or so. I don't think this is unwarranted; the studio is still feeling out how City of Heroes works in the free-to-play marketplace, and part of my job as an opinion columnist is to occasionally mention that the emperor's new dress code could use the addition of some actual clothes. But we're still talking about a game I like run by a studio I like and staffed with people genuinely attempting to make the game as good as it can be.

So when I have the opportunity to give the team behind City of Heroes props, I'll take it. And this week, I can give it props for a bad idea and then further props for apparently realizing that this was a bad idea. I'm talking about the Tweet Code Thursday giveaways that the community team had been running via social networking. It's an idea that deserves tons of respect for the attempt and tons more respect for the cessation of same.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Hooray for the existence and removal of City of Heroes' Tweet Code Thursdays

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Hooray for the existence and removal of City of Heroes' Tweet Code Thursdays originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-mild-mannered-reportercity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcontradictionscovcoxf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreedommild-mannered-reporterncsoftopinionparagonparagon-studiospromotionssuperherosuperheroestweet-code-thursdaystwitterWed, 08 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SWTOR lead writer hints at future content]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/swtor-lead-writer-hints-at-future-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/swtor-lead-writer-hints-at-future-content/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/swtor-lead-writer-hints-at-future-content/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

SWTOR lead writer hints at future content
Twitter was abuzz this morning when a Star Wars: The Old Republic lead writer posted a cryptic message. "SIS Intel Report: Rumors indicate Czerka research vessel 'Theoretika' has been located by deep-space salvage team. Investigating," Hall Hood announced on his account.

Speculation abounded from many of his followers and fans of the game; the biggest theory revolved around a possible live event. Unfortunately for SWTOR players who scoured planet after planet searching for new content, Hood later tweeted, "Just to clarify: I was only giving a little preview of future content. I would never announce an in-game event on Twitter." We are disappoint.

However, Hood did give us a bit of joy when the tweeters proposed that it might be a new flashpoint. Hood answered that suggestion with, "Not exactly. You'll see very soon, I hope." Does that mean SWTOR will announce 1.4 content soon? We have our fingers crossed.

Stay tuned for more SWTOR news, and be sure to catch our weekly Hyperspace Beacon column later today.

MassivelySWTOR lead writer hints at future content originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWarecontentEAElectronic-Artsfuture-contentHall-Hoodlead-writerLucasArtsStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicSWTORthe-old-republicTheoretikaTORtwitterupdate-1.4Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Smedley takes to Twitter to clarify PlanetSide 2 beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/25/smedley-takes-to-twitter-to-clarify-planetside-2-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/25/smedley-takes-to-twitter-to-clarify-planetside-2-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/25/smedley-takes-to-twitter-to-clarify-planetside-2-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

PlanetSide 2
Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley has tweeted some helpful clues to players anxious about their beta invitations for the studio's upcoming pseudo-sandbox shooter, PlanetSide 2. He posted,
There seems to be some confusion about PS1 Vets and the PS2 Beta. Let me clear it up once and for all. There are going to be multiple phases of the beta. Simply put we are adding more people in different waves simply due to capacity. Every single PS1 player who has ever subscribed to the game will have their Station Account activated at some point during the beta beginning with people who actively are subscribers. Again though we can only let in so many people during each phase so invitations are by necessity going to be staggered. So basically if you've ever subbed to the game you're going to be in. However current subs are in the front of the line for that. In addition we have Priority beta keys given out [and] they will be let in in the early phases as well. For people that ask me, "I played from 2005-2007 am I in soon?" the answer is you will be in in an early phase.
In other words: patience. You're getting in! But Smedley does warn, "This is a real beta. Not a marketing gimmick." So be prepared to do some actual testing.

MassivelySmedley takes to Twitter to clarify PlanetSide 2 beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fpsjohn-smedleymmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2ps2sandboxsci-fishootersmedleysoesonysony-online-entertainmenttweettwitterWed, 25 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Secret World community guide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/the-secret-world-community-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/the-secret-world-community-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/the-secret-world-community-guide/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Secret World community guide
Today marks the beginning of the end of the world -- you know, if you believed in that conspiracy theory stuff. And if you so happened to buy into all that, then you probably are pinning your hopes on a few stalwart souls to wedge themselves between you and the forces of the apocalypse.

Those brave people are beginning to wage war in The Secret World as of today (if they have early access and a copy of the necronomicon, of course). As per tradition here at Massively, we want to give everyone a fighting chance by putting as much information at your fingertips as possible. So presented for your approval is our community guide to TSW.

Because information is power -- now more than ever.

Continue reading The Secret World community guide

MassivelyThe Secret World community guide originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-guidefacebookfactionfan-sitesfansitefansitesfantasyfuncomguideguideshorrorknowledge-basemythologypodcastpodcastssci-fantasysecret-worldskill-basedsocial-mediathe-secret-worldtswtwitterwikiFri, 29 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Can there be too much community interaction in public?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-daily-grind-can-there-be-too-much-community-interaction-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-daily-grind-can-there-be-too-much-community-interaction-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/the-daily-grind-can-there-be-too-much-community-interaction-in/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When it's ready!
There are varying schools of thought on interacting with your community in public, but the two main ones consist of either answering every question or giving the silent treatment. Blizzard was notorious at one time for not responding to any community feedback in public, presumably to keep the trolls at bay, but that studio's opened up considerably in the last few years.

On the other end of that spectrum is ArenaNet, whose reps answer just about every single question they get on Twitter. This makes for an open line of communication with fans but seems to be ineffective when the same questions are being asked and answered multiple times a day.

So where do you stand on the issue? Do you think a simple FAQ on the website should be referenced and a support team should answer questions privately, or do you think something like Twitter, Facebook, or even a Reddit Ask Me Anything is the best place to answer questions and address concerns from the community?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Can there be too much community interaction in public? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-me-anythingcommunitydaily-grindfacebookinteractionopinionpublicreddittdgthe-daily-grindtwitterFri, 25 May 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MechWarrior Online dev Q&A covers beta, grouping, and combat damage]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/mechwarrior-online-dev-qanda-covers-beta-grouping-and-combat-dam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/mechwarrior-online-dev-qanda-covers-beta-grouping-and-combat-dam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/mechwarrior-online-dev-qanda-covers-beta-grouping-and-combat-dam/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

MWO
MechWarrior Online's devs aren't quite ready to disclose specifics on the game's minimum specs or beta process, but news for both is coming "soon." These vague assurances were the anomaly in a recent community Q&A, during which Piranha Games President Russ Bullock and Creative Director Bryan Ekman spilled on all of the minutia that fans were dying to know.

The duo said that they're "working very hard" to get MWO servers into every major region and that information about beta will be coming next week. They did confirm that there will be an open beta at some juncture, however.

Other details disclosed included the fact that players can form groups of up to 12 'Mechs, that legs cannot be blown off (but can be immobilized), and that the launch matchmaking system will be very basic and won't take into account player skill or records.

MassivelyMechWarrior Online dev Q&A covers beta, grouping, and combat damage originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaBryan-Ekmanclosed-betacommunity-q-and-af2pfree-to-playmechmechsmechwarriormechwarrior-mmomechwarrior-onlinemin-specsminimum-specsmwoopen-betapiranhapiranha-gamespvpq-and-aRuss-Bullocksci-fisoonsoon-tmspecstweetchattwitterThu, 17 May 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Free for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/free-for-all-why-social-gaming-could-destroy-mmos-and-how-we-fi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

CastleVille screenshot
I am a huge fan of social media. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus -- it all makes sense to me and has shown to be a very useful tool in not only communicating with friends but finding new games, developers, and websites. My Twitter feed provides enough news and information that I can skip any standard media. I haven't watched a local newscast for a long, long time. On top of that, I can communicate with readers in real time, sharing photos and tidbits of cool.

Has social media affected MMO gaming? It definitely has. Watch any smart developer's Twitter feed and you will see the community team interacting directly with players, answering questions, hosting contests, and helping players feel as though the developers are actual people. Social media has also changed how we connect to our games, MMO or not.

All of this means that everything is social now. Going to the dentist? Share it with your friends. Defeated a boss monster on your Xbox? Tweet it. Just picked up that epic sword in Dark Age of Camelot? Post it to your Facebook. Heck, many MMOs now have a Twitter or Facebook option built right into the client. All of this instant connectivity is nice, but it's possible that the "massively" part of MMO will soon apply to any game. What will this do to the genre?

Continue reading Free for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it

MassivelyFree for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beau-hindmancityvilledark-age-of-camelotf2pfacebookfarmvillefeaturedffafree-for-allfree-to-playfreemiumgoogle-plushero-academylord-of-the-rings-onlineopinionsocialsocial-gamingsocial-networkingtwittervelvet-ropeZyngaWed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 gets all social before the beta weekend [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/guild-wars-2-gets-all-social-before-the-beta-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/guild-wars-2-gets-all-social-before-the-beta-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/guild-wars-2-gets-all-social-before-the-beta-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Or you could just hang out by the punch bowl and not talk to anyone. That's also an option.
There's no shortage of players waiting eagerly to jump into Guild Wars 2 beta testing this weekend, but that's still several days away. It's very possible that you really need a steady shot of Tyria a little earlier than that. Fortunately for you, there are options open as the community team pushes interaction in a big way. The game's Facebook page is the center of a rather art-centric promotion: As the page nears half a million Likes, the team is releasing a new piece of art for every 10,000 new fans.

Not your cup of tea? That's all right, as the team has also set up a Pinterest page to show off the best game-related fan projects. There are also boards set up on the same page where you can show off screenshots of each race, whether you're opting for the diminutive Asura or the towering Norn. It's a good chance for everyone to get involved in the Guild Wars 2 community before the weekend gets underway, even if it won't make the test start any faster.

[Updated with clarification regarding the picture forums.]

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 gets all social before the beta weekend [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbetabeta-testingbeta-weekendfacebookfantasyforumforumsguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftnewsofficial-forumspinterestsocialsocial-mediatwitterMon, 23 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Diablo III launch site collapses under the weight of fans]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/new-diablo-iii-launch-site-collapses-under-the-weight-of-fans/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Diablo III title image
With just over a month left until Diablo III is released, Blizzard launched its new Darkness Falls, Heroes Rise minisite to get people excited. Fans can enter an art contest with some big prizes or create a banner to unlock an exclusive in-game banner sigil that will never be given away outside this event. The site is one big social media campaign, with exclusive content that unlocks when players share enough contest entries on Facebook and Twitter. Fansite DiabloFans revealed that the unlocks will include developer diaries, wallpapers and more. Once the share meter reaches 100%, a final epic unveiling will occur that Blizzard's Bashiok says "is going to melt people's brain meats."

When the site first launched, fans reported everything from PHP errors to lost connections and 404 pages. The site has since been stabilised but doesn't appear to be working as intended. The galleries are no longer updating, confirmation emails are not being sent for entries, and the unlock level hasn't budged from 0%. As we'll need just under 3% per day to meet the 100% goal, players are concerned that if the meter isn't broken, then expectations may have been set too high.

MassivelyNew Diablo III launch site collapses under the weight of fans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidiablofansdiablofans.comfacebookfantasygothic-fantasymultiplayeronline-multiplayerrpgsharesocial-mediasocial-networkingtwitterSun, 08 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 crosses the pond to answer questions for EU Fan Day]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/02/arenanet-crosses-the-pond-to-answer-questions-for-european-fan-d/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/02/arenanet-crosses-the-pond-to-answer-questions-for-european-fan-d/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/02/arenanet-crosses-the-pond-to-answer-questions-for-european-fan-d/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Say
Guild Wars 2's release is (hopefully) creeping closer and closer with each passing day, and now that the title has a few weekend beta events under its belt, enthusiasm for the game is growing. To help assuage the growing impatience for the game's release, ArenaNet brought some prominent members of the European community together for an EU Fan Day full of fun times and Q&As.

The sheer volume of questions answered by the studio prohibits us from even attempting a complete summary in the span of this post, but if you're at all interested in the game, it's worth a read. PvP rank-specific emotes, guild features, and an unrevealed PvP map that "will be very nostalgic for GW players" are all on the table for discussion, so to get the full, juicy details, just head on over to the official Guild Wars 2 Twitter and check out today's posts marked with the hashtag #EUFanDay.

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 crosses the pond to answer questions for EU Fan Day originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenaneteu-fan-dayeuropean-fan-dayfantasyguild-wars-2gw2ncsoftq-and-aqatwitterMon, 02 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do social media tie-ins annoy you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/the-daily-grind-do-social-media-tie-ins-annoy-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/the-daily-grind-do-social-media-tie-ins-annoy-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/the-daily-grind-do-social-media-tie-ins-annoy-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

GW2 Facebook
When ArenaNet thanked Guild Wars 2 beta applicants with a special video earlier this week, the move was met with a surprising amount of angst-ridden complaining because the video was gated behind a "Like" button on Facebook. Some gamers just didn't want to sign up for Facebook just to see a video or resented the idea that the thank-you was really just a clever marketing trick to advertise the game to their friends.

While complaining does seem a bit like looking a gift horse in the mouth (and it was easy enough to find a copy of the video on YouTube within five minutes anyway), I can still understand why some folks are irritated by the permeation of social media into every corner of the MMOsphere, from news sites like ours to clicking "Like" for free stuff to auto-Tweeting in-game accomplishments.

What about you? Do social media tie-ins annoy you?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do social media tie-ins annoy you? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetangstarenanetbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindfacebookfantasyguild-wars-2gw2likencsoftopinionsocial-mediatdgthe-daily-grindtwitterSat, 17 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Revisiting anonymity in our games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/enter-at-your-own-rift-revisiting-anonymity-in-our-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/enter-at-your-own-rift-revisiting-anonymity-in-our-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/enter-at-your-own-rift-revisiting-anonymity-in-our-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Rift Ascended
It seems like ages ago, but back in July of 2010, Blizzard shook the MMO world with the announcement of RealID. You probably recall the firestorm, but the long and short of it is that Blizzard was planning to make all posts in the forums display each poster's real-life first and last name. The protests against it were so loud that Blizzard backed down from the move and life resumed as usual.

The intend was to integrate social media into Blizzard games, particularly Facebook, but it became a huge can of worms because it forced everyone who wanted to post on the forums to reveal their true names. But social media is continuing to grow, and there are lots of ways that game companies have made use of it. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, let's look at Trion's approach and revisit the idea of anonymity in MMOs.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Revisiting anonymity in our games

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Revisiting anonymity in our games originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymityblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmententer-at-your-own-rifteqeverquestfacebookfeaturedkaren-bryanprexusreal-idrealidriftriftconnectsocial-mediasonySony-Online-Entertainmenttriontrion-worldstwitterwowWed, 14 Mar 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[WildStar Wednesday examines redundancies in quest text]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/wildstar-wednesday-examines-redundancies-in-quest-text/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/wildstar-wednesday-examines-redundancies-in-quest-text/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/wildstar-wednesday-examines-redundancies-in-quest-text/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I've been in a firefight before... well, in a fire. Actually, I got fired.
Can you really produce a meaningful set of quests while keeping each snippet of text down to 140 characters? The team developing WildStar certainly thinks so. In a previous installment of the regular WildStar Wednesday feature, fans were introduced to the concept, but this week's developer diary is all about explaining how you keep all of the flavor of a quest while trimming it down to the bare minimum necessary. It's not about stripping out flavor -- it's about exactly the opposite.

Senior narrative designer Cory Herndon explains by example that a lot of quest text winds up repeating unnecessary facts or stating something that should be immediately clear. Herndon starts with a longer example of quest text and steadily pares it down to the most important bits of information, keeping all of the flavor while posting each bit of communication in quick and comprehensible bursts. Combined with the discussion of adding further bits of quest dialogue after important objectives are completed, the diary shows just how you can get a lot of flavor into the quests without quite as many fancy words.

MassivelyWildStar Wednesday examines redundancies in quest text originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studiosdeveloper-diaryncsoftpresentationpreviewsquestquest-textquestsstorytwitterwildstarwildstar-wednesdaywsWed, 29 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Speaking Episode 188: Podcasting on two hours of sleep]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/massively-speaking-episode-188-podcasting-on-two-hours-of-sleep/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/massively-speaking-episode-188-podcasting-on-two-hours-of-sleep/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/28/massively-speaking-episode-188-podcasting-on-two-hours-of-sleep/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Secret World
Massively Speaking Episode 188 wants you to know that colds are the pits -- and sleep ninja babies are just wicked to the core. But your intrepid hosts soldier through massive sleep deprivation to bring you garfle monkey shuffles! Also, popcorn purple Qwerty.

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:
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 188: Podcasting on two hours of sleep

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 188: Podcasting on two hours of sleep originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineeveeve-onlinefeaturedguild-wars-2gw2massively-metamassively-speakingoriginalpodcastsoeterathe-secret-worldtswtwitterTue, 28 Feb 2012 14:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 188Massively.com Staff54:16podcasts<![CDATA[Massively Speaking Episode 187: Hodor! Hodor!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/21/massively-speaking-episode-187-hodor-hodor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/21/massively-speaking-episode-187-hodor-hodor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/21/massively-speaking-episode-187-hodor-hodor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Hodor!
Massively Speaking Episode 187 knows that not only is winter coming, but it is here! And because of that, we've invited Game of Thrones' own Hodor, Kristian Nairn, to join us for a lively round of MMO discussion. Kristian is an avid MMO gamer, and when he isn't serving the Starks on HBO, he's likely to be found hip-deep in Star Wars: The Old Republic and RIFT.

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

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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 187: Hodor! Hodor!

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 187: Hodor! Hodor! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgame-of-throneshodorinterviewkristian-nairnmassively-metamassively-speakingoriginalpodcastriftstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortwitterTue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 187Massively.com Staff01:08:18podcasts<![CDATA[WildStar unveils questing with a Twitter budget]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/wildstar-unveils-questing-with-a-twitter-budget/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/wildstar-unveils-questing-with-a-twitter-budget/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/wildstar-unveils-questing-with-a-twitter-budget/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

No force in the 'verse can stop me.
Nobody likes reading quest text. Having to sift through five paragraphs of text just to figure out what you're doing isn't anyone's idea of a good time. The latest entry in the WildStar Wednesday series of developer blogs is all about how the team has tried to do away with mind-numbing and ponderous quest text. And the narrative design team does so by paring down quest text to a quick snippet no longer than a Twitter post.

While there are ways to construct smaller entries, of course, the entry discusses how the 140-character limit makes for a good building block to keep players engaged -- it's short enough that you can read it quickly but not so short that it omits important information. In addition to showing a quest get brought down to a quick bite-sized snippet, the entry also talks about keeping control in the hands of the player and letting the story unfold organically, both things that should be of interest to WildStar fans eager for more information.

MassivelyWildStar unveils questing with a Twitter budget originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbinecarbine-studiosimmersionncsoftpost-lengthquest-designquest-textqueststext-lengthtweetstwitterwildstarwsWed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Speaking Episode 186: Polysyllabic daydreams]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/massively-speaking-episode-186-polysyllabic-daydreams/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/massively-speaking-episode-186-polysyllabic-daydreams/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/massively-speaking-episode-186-polysyllabic-daydreams/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Massively Speaking Episode 186 is the episode that fans will forever decry as the one that jumped the shark. In our defense, the shark was just sitting there in the Massively office parking lot and we were looking for an excuse to try out our new dirt bike anyway.

This week we're joined by Jeremy Stratton, who provides expert analysis on the perks and pitfalls of free-to-play. He was also the first to clear the shark without major blood loss, so bully for him!

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:
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Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 186: Polysyllabic daydreams

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 186: Polysyllabic daydreams originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diablo-iiiearthrisefeaturedfinal-fantasy-xivfirefallfree-to-listenfree-to-playmassively-metamassively-speakingpodcastriftstar-trek-onlinetwitterTue, 14 Feb 2012 09:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 186Massively.com Staff01:03:18podcasts<![CDATA[RuneScape rings in the new year with 39 manhunts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/runescape-rings-in-the-new-year-with-39-manhunts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/runescape-rings-in-the-new-year-with-39-manhunts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/22/runescape-rings-in-the-new-year-with-39-manhunts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

RuneScape
It's almost over. RuneScape's year-long celebration of its 10th anniversary is coming to a close, and Jagex has great, wonderful plans to end it with a bang. Naturally, this translates into "developer manhunt" because why not?

During New Year's Eve, players are encouraged to be on alert as the clock strikes midnight 39 times in each of the time zones across the world. Every time this happens, a special moderator's in-game location will be made known through Facebook, on Twitter and in RuneScape itself. Those who can hunt down and find this mod in time will be treated to a special celebration.

The first clock to strike midnight on New Year's Eve is in Tokelau on Saturday, December 31st, at 5:00 a.m. EST. RuneScape players may wish to note that not all 39 "midnights" occur on the hour (this helpful website lays out the precise order).

[Source: Jagex press release]

MassivelyRuneScape rings in the new year with 39 manhunts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celebrate-good-times-come-oncelebrationdev-manhuntdeveloper-manhuntf2pfacebookfree-to-playin-game-celebrationin-game-eventjagexmanhuntmidnightnew-yearsnew-years-daynew-years-everunescapetwitterThu, 22 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare co-founder and live producer get SWTOR launch day tattoos]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/bioware-co-founder-and-live-producer-get-swtor-launch-day-tattoo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/bioware-co-founder-and-live-producer-get-swtor-launch-day-tattoo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/bioware-co-founder-and-live-producer-get-swtor-launch-day-tattoo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SWTOR launch day tattoos
How do you know if a game studio is committed to a title? What if the studio co-founder gets a big ol' tattoo inked on his bicep? Words are cheap, after all; tattoos show you mean business.

This is exactly what BioWare's Greg Zeschuk did recently, and he hopped onto Twitter to show off his new Star Wars: The Old Republic "launch beard and tattoo" to the populace. The tattoo is the hybrid Republic-Empire logo, and was done in full color.

Not to be outdone, Live Producer Cory Butler also took the plunge and got the tattoo as well.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's early access begins today, with the game's official launch slated for December 20th. Don't forget to read up on the game with Massively's SWTOR Launch Guide!

Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally here, and the Force is with Massively! We've prepared a Hutt-sized feast of class introductions, gameplay guides, lore roundups, and hands-on previews to help you navigate the launch period and beyond. And don't forget our weekly SWTOR column, the Hyperspace Beacon!

MassivelyBioWare co-founder and live producer get SWTOR launch day tattoos originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareCory-Butlerea-biowareearly-accessGreg-Zeschuklaunchstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorswtor-tattootattootattoostwitterTue, 13 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST