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Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, The Crew's launch, and Dead Island: Epidemic's beta

Brianna Royce — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Expansions, Launches, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Consoles, MMOFPS, MMORTS, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, World of Warplanes, MOBA, League of Legends, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Infinite Crisis, Hearthstone

Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

Hearthstone's first expansion, Goblins vs. Gnomes, launched earlier today after major balance tweaks last week.
Ubisoft's action-driving MMO The Crew launched, landing at #6 on the UK charts.
Destiny previewed The Dark Below and again rejected raid matchmaking.
Over 27 million people tuned in to watch League of Legends' world finals.
Zombie MOBA Dead Island: Epidemic launched into open beta.
That rumor about a Borderlands MMO was true, though it's coming only to China.
Warface will sunset on the Xbox 360 in February.
Path of Exile prepped for its 1.3 update and tournament season one.
Heroes of the Storm teased model updates and master skins.
Infinite Crisis dredged up a playable Swamp Thing.
Star Citizen's Hornet was made available to all backers.
Frontier teased the Elite: Dangerous trailer and gave away old-school Elite for Mac.
World of Speed profiled the BMW Z4 roadster in a new video.
World of Warplanes taught us how to do a canopy roll.
Nerd Kingdom told backers it's hopeful about an investor for TUG.
Elvenar's devs posted a video preview of the MMORTS.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, The Crew's launch, and Dead Island: Epidemic's beta

Not So Massively: Hearthstone's expansion, The Crew's launch, and Dead Island: Epidemic's beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Dec 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warface quitting the Xbox 360 in February

Jef Reahard — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Consoles, Sunsets

Warface has a sad face, at least on the Xbox 360. Crytek announced today that it is closing its free-to-play shooter on Microsoft's last-gen console. New players will no longer be allowed, but existing players may continue to shoot each other until the February 1st closing date.

Warface isn't dead, apparently, as Crytek's statement alluded to a "vibrant community enjoying regular new content and co-op and versus action" on the PC.

Warface quitting the Xbox 360 in February originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Destiny's beta, The Witcher's MOBA, and the IeSF's gender ban fiasco

Brianna Royce — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, Previews, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Consoles, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Transformers Universe, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Hearthstone

Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

Destiny posted official July beta dates for PS3 and Xbox.
Korea's IeSF stumbled but (mostly) found its footing in regard to tournament gender bans.
Transformers Universe is now in open beta.
The Witcher is getting a MOBA because everything is getting a MOBA.
Dota 2 will sponsor noob-friendly broadcasts of its International tourney.
Riot Games shut down many of League of Legends' public chat rooms.
SMITE announced that its world championships will take place in January.
Minecraft-inspired multiplayer sandbox UemeU is now on Steam greenlight.
Star Citizen's devs have been hard at work on ships and persistent universe mechanics.
MMOFPS Warface is now available on Steam.
In prep for its upcoming expansion, Hearthstone caught us up on the lore of Naxxramas.
Elite: Dangerous published its latest newsletter, this one including info on crime and punishment.
Heroes of the Storm posted a new talent system overview video (it's behind the cut).

Continue reading Not So Massively: Destiny's beta, The Witcher's MOBA, and the IeSF's gender ban fiasco

Not So Massively: Destiny's beta, The Witcher's MOBA, and the IeSF's gender ban fiasco originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Minecraft's Realms service, LoL's latest character, and Hearthstone's world championships

Brianna Royce — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Consoles, MMOFPS, MMORTS, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, World of Warplanes, MOBA, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Buy-to-Play, HEX, Hearthstone

Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

Minecraft's Realms subscription service is now officially live and ready to take your money.
League of Legends introduced new character Braum, the Heart of the Freljord.
Blizzard announced the Hearthstone World Championship for this year's BlizzCon.
HEX officially launched its closed beta.
Diablo III's Reaper of Souls soundtrack was released on iTunes for 10 bucks.
Nosgoth posted new screenshots and a dev blog about its new vampire class.
SMITE unveiled a new catsuit for playabler character Bastet.
Infestation: Survivor Stories claimed 2.5 million players to date and 100k daily logins.
DayZ's Dean Hall praised Steam for helping studios bypass publishers.
Destiny got a brand-new website and a bunch of new videos -- they're after the break along with more NSM updates!

Continue reading Not So Massively: Minecraft's Realms service, LoL's latest character, and Hearthstone's world championships

Not So Massively: Minecraft's Realms service, LoL's latest character, and Hearthstone's world championships originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Diablo III's expansion, LoL's team builder, and the Oculus Rift acquisition

Brianna Royce — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MOBA, Crowdfunding

Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

It's been a week of launches in the MOBA and multiplayer ARPG world!

Diablo III officially launched, entering the UK sales charts at number six.
SMITE made its launch official as well and kicked off a giant tournament with massive money prizes.
MOBA Prime World officially launched its western version.
Shadowrun Online's Steam early access begins today.
Facebook bought up the Oculus Rift VR company for two billion buckaroos.
Infinite Crisis announced new character Nightmare Superman coming in April.
League of Legends formally launched its new team builder.
Heroes of the Storm previewed character Tyrael in a new video just after the break.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III's expansion, LoL's team builder, and the Oculus Rift acquisition

Not So Massively: Diablo III's expansion, LoL's team builder, and the Oculus Rift acquisition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warface launches in Europe and North America

Jef Reahard — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play

Warface. Warface launched. Warface launched today, and so did the requisite Warface launch trailer. As you can see, the word Warface never, ever, gets old no matter how many times you type it, say it aloud, or roll it around in your brainpan. I thought seriously about filling this entire post with 100 instances of the word Warface, but I figured you'd probably like to know that the title is now live in both Europe and North America.

As for what you can expect, Warface is a free-to-play class-based multiplayer FPS powered by the CryEngine. Aw heck, just watch the video after the break, will ya?

Continue reading Warface launches in Europe and North America

Warface launches in Europe and North America originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warface begins operation Closed Beta

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS

Warface. Warface never changes. Except when it does, such as how it's gone into closed beta today in anticipation of a spring launch.

Trion Worlds and Crytek announced that the online shooter has now progressed into the beta phase, where it'll stay for the time being. Crytek General Manager Publishing Dirk Metzger says that players should be drooling over this ridiculously good-looking title: "We look forward to making the experience even more engaging as waves of pre-registered players are invited to join the closed beta and play their part in shaping Warface ahead of its final launch."

The studio describes Warface as taking part in "a vast and frequently updated PvE universe." If you're interested in joining the beta test, you can apply on Warface's site.

[Source: Trion Worlds press release]

Warface begins operation Closed Beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds goes through 'workforce reduction'

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, RIFT, Miscellaneous, Defiance

It's a gloomy day for Trion Worlds, as word has come down that the independent developer is handing out pink slips to some of its staff. The studio confirmed the layoffs in an official statement:

As a response to market conditions, product timelines and the natural evolution of our company, we have made some organizational changes, which include a workforce reduction. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. At Trion, we remain focused on delivering top quality online game experiences, and are committed to supporting RIFT and launching our highly anticipated new titles Defiance, Warface, and End of Nations in 2013.

Twitter was ablaze over the subject, saying that as many as 30 people were let go. One staff member wrote, "I managed to survive this time. Lots of REALLY good people got let go though." Another indicated which jobs were lost: "Not a good day. If anyone has a lead for a Sr. EQ or Assistant Lead QA job, please let me know."

Trion recently brought End of Nations in-house after Petroglyph suffered its own round of layoffs.

[Source: Trion Worlds press statement]

Trion Worlds goes through 'workforce reduction' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion showing off RIFT expansion, Defiance PvP at Gamescom

Jef Reahard — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, MMORTS, RIFT, Defiance

Gamescom is coming next week, and most major publishers are gearing up to make the trip. The latest announcement comes to us from Trion, which is showing its stable of games including RIFT, End of Nations, Defiance, and Warface.

Next week's convention will mark the "consumer debut" of RIFT's Storm Legion expansion, and MMORTS End of Nations will be playable on a massive 24-PC setup. Defiance is bringing "previously unseen PvP gameplay" to the table, while Warface will be presented inside a giant helicopter-themed display arena.

[Source: Trion press release]

Trion showing off RIFT expansion, Defiance PvP at Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Opinion, War, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

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 The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition

The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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