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World of Darkness creative director talks design and the MMO mainstream

Jef Reahard — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

A new interview at Gamasutra posits that CCP is gunning for mainstream success with its upcoming World of Darkness MMO. The EVE Online developer has cornered what's left of the hardcore sandbox market, so now it's looking to marry EVE's emergent gameplay with more familiar MMO staples. "The way to drag people in will be traditional themepark-style PvE play. Once players get into the setting, they'll see the appeal of the sandbox play," says WoD creative director Reynir Hardarson.

Despite the concessions to mainstream accessibility, EVE's influence on World of Darkness will be more than superficial. "The live-action roleplayers of the Vampire the Masquerade tabletop game play this way," Hardarson explains. "It's really about politics and power plays."

Why don't more MMO developers try their hand at sandbox mechanics? Hardarson says designing for emergent play is difficult because you can't test it. It's worth it, though, because MMOs that hand-hold and limit players to a linear path miss the point. "I'm not a five-year-old. If I want to go in the cave and I want to die, that's my problem," Hardarson says.

World of Darkness creative director talks design and the MMO mainstream originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Big news edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Previews, News items, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

The MMO Report has some big news this week, and no, it's not about the fact that it's secretly carrying your baby. Nor is it even tied to all of the various big news that the show has this week, and there is quite a bit of that. Obviously, there's the new patch for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and there's also the first in-game footage of both World of Darkness and Defiance, but those aren't the big reveal in the news.

So what is it? Well, while we'd normally promise that there's going to be a new episode next week from G4 and Massively, this week it's not quite so clear-cut. The show is going on a brief hiatus for reasons that we'll allow the show itself to explain. So hop on past the break for more MMO news, and tune in when the hiatus ends for another episode. You can keep checking back here forlornly, however. We won't hold it against you.

Continue reading The MMO Report: Big news edition

The MMO Report: Big news edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

This week on The MMO Report, Casey tells everyone to stop whining about Mass Effect 3's ending, laments the loss of the "online" part of Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online, touches on the World of Darkness keynote, and outlines The Secret World's preorder plans. He also reveals the identity of one of TERA's key voice actors: Michael Hogan (of Battlestar Galactica fame), who will play Samael in the final game. Finally, he pulls one measly letter from the mailbag and debates which class he represents in TERA.

Enjoy the full MMO Report after the cut!

Continue reading The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Star Trek Online, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Humor, World of Darkness, Massively Speaking, Runes of Magic, Miscellaneous

Massively Speaking Episode 194 welcomes aboard resident Star Trek Online expert Terilynn Shull to talk about Tribbles and bits and why Star Trek doesn't have more "The Fly" incidents involving the transporter and local flora or fauna. Captain Archer would have been vastly improved by beaming him into a badger.

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

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
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Listen here on the page:

Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah!

Massively Speaking Episode 194: Bookah bookah! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012

Brendan Drain — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

Ever since CCP Games merged with White Wolf, it has been developing the World of Darkness MMO. The game is nowhere near complete, and fans worried that last year's heavy layoffs at the Atlanta office had slowed the game's production. We haven't heard much about World of Darkness since then, but today at the EVE Online Fanfest, a few new details were revealed. Attendees were shown some early in-game footage of a city and given a mix of information we already knew and snippets of new information.

CCP wants to draw in the largely female World of Darkness fanbase. The game will have a focus on fashion, and CCP will control the theme of that fashion rather than letting players design their own clothes. The game will be based in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, with an initial focus on vampires before the introduction of the other factions. Vampires will use human blood as a currency; it will be the resource they'll compete over, making human cities the central locations they will inhabit. When mages and other character types are released, they will compete for different resources.

The game will have a single-shard world, with sandbox territorial warfare for control of cities mirroring EVE Online's nullsec warfare. Developers investigated using real cities for the game but found that "real cities were generally boring." Presenters told fans that the team will "be using stylised versions, but they will be named after real cities." Each city will be lorded over by a player prince, who will under rare circumstances be potentially subjected to permadeath. The world's original vampire clans will be available on release, and CCP confirmed that it won't be using vampire generations as a form of leveling system but instead will be doing something different with it.

World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today

Jef Reahard — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

Day two of EVE Online Fanfest 2012 had a lot to offer fans of CCP's sci-fi sandbox. First and foremost was the announcement of Inferno's official launch date and the fact that EVE's latest expansion will roll out to Tranquility on May 22nd. As we told you yesterday, the patch is heavy on PvP tweaks, and everything from faction warfare to a new specialized mercenary marketplace is on the way.

The official EVE website also received a ton of updates yesterday, the better to catalogue all of the breaking news direct from Fanfest.

Today's docket is equally fascinating, and CCP devs are scheduled to speak about EVE-related game design topics that include war decs, concept art, and growing the game's infrastructure. Also on the menu is a presentation on World of Darkness that we'll be following with great interest. You can follow it too via our EVETV Livestream channel. Be sure to look for our expert analysis of all the Fanfest happenings in this Sunday's EVE Evolved column!

EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC 2012: CCP talks DUST 514 PC possibilities and World of Darkness development

Matt Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Interviews, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514, Sandbox

GDC 2012 is now in full swing, and today we had the chance to sit down with CCP's Hilmar Petursson, Halldor Fannar, and David Reid to chat about the studio's upcoming FPS title, DUST 514. When asked about the studio's primary goal with DUST 514, the team had a simple reply: Make the best AAA free-to-play shooter possible. But is it coming to the PC?

While many EVE Online players aren't thrilled with DUST 514's PlayStation 3 exclusivity, there may be hope for a PC release yet. And while the devs weren't ready to make any official statements on the spot, a bit of wink-nudging indicates that a PC release may still be in the cards. As the devs note, mouse and keyboard controls are already supported in the PS3 version of the title. "I wonder why we did that," Hilmar joked during the interview.

Continue reading GDC 2012: CCP talks DUST 514 PC possibilities and World of Darkness development

GDC 2012: CCP talks DUST 514 PC possibilities and World of Darkness development originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP's North American president steps down

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, World of Darkness, DUST 514

It's been a long run heading up work on spaceships and vampires, but after 19 years at the helm, North American CCP President Mike Tinney is saying goodbye. Tinney announced that he is departing the studio on February 29th to work at an unnamed company that will combine health and fitness with games.

Tinney has no regrets with his prior role but is excited about the future: "CCP has gone through a fast-paced growth cycle. It's been a fun run and a lot of good experiences and memories. But I would like to move to a younger, earlier stage company, and plan to start one myself."

CCP's management expressed gratitude toward Tinney's service: "We are grateful for Mike's energetic and effective leadership and for all his valuable contributions to CCP. We will miss him. We wish him well with his next endeavors. And we're eager to see what he comes up with next."

Tinney's 19 years of service includes being CEO of White Wolf, which was snatched up by CCP in 2006. He will continue to assist CCP in an "advisory capacity" for several months to help the transition.

CCP's North American president steps down originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview confirms World of Darkness dev team, predicts DUST 514 sales

Brendan Drain — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

When CCP Games laid off 20% of its worldwide staff back in October of last year, the World of Darkness dev team bore the brunt of the cuts while DUST 514 continued on course for its launch later this year. In an interview over at TenTonHammer today, CCP's new Chief Marketing Officer, David Reid, joined CEO Hilmar Petursson to discuss the development of both games. Hilmar reveals that a team of 60 developers are currently working on WoD, and that DUST 514 will be playable at this year's EVE Online fanfest event in March.

Despite acknowledging that the entire PlayStation Network comprises a total of 60 million users, Reid asserts that DUST will bring "tens of millions of people that play shooters on PSN into the New Eden universe," going on to make the bold statement that "EVE could be the biggest game in the world at the end of 2012" as a result. Reid also claims that "EVE Online is the only game in the West that has shown consecutive growth year after year," a statement that's sure to upset RuneScape developer Jagex and others. The statement also comes with a slightly bitter note as this year EVE may have lost its record of continual subscription growth during the summer drama.

Interview confirms World of Darkness dev team, predicts DUST 514 sales originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Video, Interviews, News items, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

With layoffs having hit CCP, there's been a lot of apprehension about whether or not World of Darkness would continue in development or suffer a quiet death. But a recent interview with Senior Producer Chris McDonough makes it clear that the title is still very much in development and very much following in the footsteps of its older brother, EVE Online. Both games will share the single-shard setup, and McDonough states that several technologies developed for World of Darkness have been incorporated into EVE Online (something many players suspected about player avatars from the beginning).

McDonough also talks in depth about turning the game into an MMO, claiming that a pen-and-paper game naturally translates into an MMO better than other properties because of the lack of iconic characters who players wish to play. The challenge, of course, is bringing over some of the feel of a tabletop setting into an online environment, with McDonough explaining that several of the computer games such as Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines have been used as a point of common reference. Click past the break to see the full interview.

Continue reading Chris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness

Chris McDonough talks about the development of the World of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Most significant MMO stories of 2011

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Aion, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Trek Online, RuneScape, Global Agenda, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

2011 was an odd duck of a year for MMO news. A huge chunk of the year felt devoid of significant releases, but that was mitigated somewhat by the major launches of RIFT and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Titles got shoved back to 2012 or beyond, MMOs that we thought never would go free-to-play did, and the industry continually surprised us with revelations, ideas, and controversy.

So in my last Perfect Ten of 2011, I put together the 10 most significant MMO stories of the year. Ten seems like an awfully small number for such a great big field, so I had the rest of the staff members chime in with their nominations just to make sure I wasn't too off-base with any of these.

It was a whopper of a year, and Massively was there for all of it -- the ups, the downs, the queues, and the QQs. It's time to wrap it up with a pretty bow and dedicate it to the history museum!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Most significant MMO stories of 2011

The Perfect Ten: Most significant MMO stories of 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: The upcoming long-shots

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, World of Darkness, Fallout Online, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous, Transformers Universe, Otherland, MechWarrior Online

In coming up with a follow-up list to my previous Upcoming MMO Contenders list, I found myself almost paralyzed by more choices than I could shake a wireless mouse at. Pointing at the sure bets is one thing, but narrowing down a field of dozens and dozens of interesting -- yet more far-flung -- prospects is far more difficult. It's one thing to have a good idea; it's another to say whether or not this game will actually make it to launch, and if it does, that it'll pull the idea off well.

That said, I've lost some hair and two pounds sweating out this list, and I feel sleeker for it. Today's Perfect Ten is all about the long-shots, the titles that may not have the huge budget, big name studios, or anything solid to show for it, but could still become contenders in their own right if everything is played just right.

Deep breath -- let's give it a go!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The upcoming long-shots

The Perfect Ten: The upcoming long-shots originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Opinion, Humor, Miscellaneous, MechWarrior Online

In this week's TWIMMO, Mike B aka Fony, Josh Allen, and Mike Schaffnit join host Gary Gannon for Gamebreaker.TV's weekly chat about recent MMO stories. They kick things off by pondering how a video stuffed with anti-gay slurs slipped by Blizzard Entertainment (and a lot of the folks in the live crowd, as well) at BlizzCon. They also gush like fanboys about the newly announced F2P MechWarrior Online MMO before spending some airtime on PlanetSide 2, World of Darkness, and RuneScape.

Hit the break for the full show!

Continue reading This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition

This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness' Chris McDonough calms fan concerns

Matt Daniel — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

A number of World of Darkness fans were concerned after a recent CCP CEO interview in which it was said that the World of Darkness MMO was going to be scaled back. The game's Senior Producer, Chris McDonough, stopped by the World of Darkness News forums to respond to the concerns.

In essence, he states that CCP was "staffed up as if [they] would be able to be production-ready at this point and [they] simply are not." However, players shouldn't be too concerned, because the only content that is being scaled back in World of Darkness is "redundant content that's expensive to make." For McDonough's full response, head on over to World of Darkness News.

World of Darkness' Chris McDonough calms fan concerns originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The human casualties

Brendan Drain — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, World of Darkness, EVE Evolved, DUST 514

This time last year, EVE Online developer CCP Games was an untouchable powerhouse in the games industry. In addition to servicing around 350,000 EVE subscribers, the company was also developing the World of Darkness MMO and the full scale MMOFPS DUST 514 set on the planets of EVE. Everything seemed to be going fine, but with the release of Incarna at the end of June, CCP faced the biggest crisis in the company's history. Due to a series of missteps and internal leaks that has come to be collectively known as Monoclegate, player confidence in CCP plummeted to record low.

Following the CEO's recent letter of apology promising a refocusing of development on in-space EVE features, news of highly requested features due for inclusion in EVE has gone a long way toward restoring confidence in CCP as a developer. With the return of ship spinning earlier this week and news of updates from hybrid turret rebalancing and implants being added to killmails to the release of the player-designed Tornado battlecruiser, the process of refocusing on EVE is well underway. Unfortunately, the good news of upcoming gameplay updates has been marred by the sobering reality that over 20% of CCP's worldwide staff have been laid off as part of the refocusing effort.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the human casualties of the recent EVE drama and speak to an insider at CCP about what's going on within the company. Unless quotes or facts in this article are specifically attributed to this insider, they are my own views and opinions based on publicly available information.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The human casualties

EVE Evolved: The human casualties originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP layoffs affect 20% of worldwide staff, company focusing on EVE

Jef Reahard — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514, Miscellaneous, Sandbox

Reporting on game industry layoffs is never fun, so we're a bit sobered this morning as we bring you news of CCP's downsizing. The development firm behind EVE Online, DUST 514, and the World of Darkness MMO has just issued a press release stating that it will be trimming approximately 20% of its staff worldwide.

According to CCP Manifest, most of the layoffs will occur in the company's Atlanta, Georgia offices, with select positions at the Reykjavik, Iceland camp also affected.

Manifest says that EVE expansions, DUST, and WoD have stretched CCP's resources too thin, and the company will now "sharpen our focus." In the short term, this means more attention for EVE Online and DUST 514, while World of Darkness will "continue development with a significantly reduced team." Finally, the press release attempts to head off the doomsayers by pointing out the fact that EVE's subscriber numbers are higher than they were this time last year.

[Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]

CCP layoffs affect 20% of worldwide staff, company focusing on EVE originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week In MMO: Conspiracy edition

Larry Everett — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Opinion, World of Darkness, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous

It's a new week; It's a new theme song for This Week In MMO. As you know, every week, Gamebreaker.TV hosts a round-table discussion about the latest news in MMOs, inviting different hosts from different media outlets to share their opinions and speculation. This week, everyone's favorite host, Gary "Bing Bong" Gannon, is joined by Mike "the Chinhawk" B and Jason "Red Shirt" Winter.

It would not be an episode of TWIMMO if everyone didn't get tinfoil-hat hair. Starting with speculation revolving around the Star Wars: The Old Republic release-date announcement, two of the panel members were convinced that it was directly related to the Diablo 3 2012-pushback announcement. But that's not the only pushback that had our panelists theorizing. According to Gannon, End of Nations may be feeling the SWTOR pressure, too. The Trion Worlds MMO RTS was recently pushed back to 2012 as well. Keep your aluminum brain-barrier intact because our hosts also believe it is possible that CCP's World of Darkness MMO may be going free-to-play.

All of this, plus the biggest question on everyone's mind is answered: Could there be a Kim Kardashian MMO and would there be an oiler profession? Check out the full episode of This Week In MMO after the break!

Continue reading This Week In MMO: Conspiracy edition

This Week In MMO: Conspiracy edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video interview with Chris McDonough reveals more details on World of Darkness

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Video, Interviews, Previews, News items, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

There are a lot of gamers pretty interested in World of Darkness, and it's not hard to see why. The game is based in lore that's still hugely influential in the arena of tabletop gaming, and it's hard to imagine a developer better suited to labyrinthine political dramas than CCP. Machinima.com had a chance to chat with Chris McDonough during the recent Grand Masquerade, where McDonough revealed a few more tidbits about what the game would incorporate and how it would cater to existing fans of the property.

As McDonough puts it, the overall goal is to bring some of the feel of the game's many LARP activities into the MMO space, with the focus on player and character interplay in a sandbox environment. The full interview also discusses the spread of the overall property, why the team decided to focus on vampires initially, and more about what players can expect from the game world. View the full interview after the break.

[Thanks to Pilgrim for the tip!]

Continue reading Video interview with Chris McDonough reveals more details on World of Darkness

Video interview with Chris McDonough reveals more details on World of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is

Beau Hindman — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Launches, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Humor, MMObility

If you have kept up with my columns for a while, you know what a fan of Glitch I am. I have to admit that I've been terribly angry at the developer, Tiny Speck, for not bringing the game into a final phase yet. I wanted my little Glitch to stay as he was when I logged out; I didn't want to see him wiped over and over again after those pesky tests that help assure quality and playability. So I've been avoiding the testing phase for the most part. Isn't that just a perfect example of how mania drives gamers? We will do anything to avoid playing a favorite upcoming game for fear of becoming attached to our little digital selves or spoiling the fun of discovering new quests.

Well, we'll wait no more! As of today, the game and world is finally open to anyone. That means you get to jump in, nibble pigs, massage butterflies, collect random items you find on the floor, and generally exist in the imagination of a giant.

Sounds cool? It is cool. In fact, I need to explain just how cool it is. Click past the cut!

Continue reading MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is

MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview

Chris Rippee — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Culture, Events, real-world, Interviews, New titles, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

The 2011 Grand Masquerade in New Orleans is over, and the monsters have all gone home. In their wake, we're left with a series of exciting revelations relating to the upcoming World of Darkness by CCP Games. While it's only in pre-production, it has already sent fans of the World of Darkness setting into a frenzy of anticipation. The new details only give rise to more questions, however, and speculation has run rampant, especially given how radically CCP's new game departs from the standard MMO model. Thankfully, Massively has some answers.

Shane Defreest, the Community Developer for CCP North America and White Wolf Publishing, was kind enough to take the time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few of our questions relating to the game. He sheds a bit of light on World of Darkness, discussing the choice of setting, player factions and playable clans, the business model, and how he views the experience of the game. Enjoy!

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview

Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week In MMO: Rated M for mature edition

Larry Everett — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, Humor, World of Darkness, DC Universe Online, TERA, Miscellaneous

It's another Thursday, and another week for Gamebreaker.TV's This Week in MMO. What's in store for this installment? Massively's very own Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer join regular host Gary Gannon in "mature" discussion about MMOs.

First up, Gary, Shawn, and Rubi run through the topic of the mature rating in MMOs such as CCP's World of Darkness. Then our intrepid hosts guide us through the magical and technological starting zone for the Asura in Guild Wars 2. Also, saving Metropolis just became cheaper -- free, in fact! Shawn and Rubi discuss DC Universe Online's entry to the free-to-play market. Where is the future of MMO-subscription models going? Freemium? When Shawn spoke to SOE President John Smedley, Smed certainly favored it.

Moving on to another action-based game, Rubi reveals TERA's PR speak within its endgame Q&A statements, and Shawn admits that the small raid size in The Secret World isn't quite big enough for him.

Catch all that and more in the full Gamebreaker.TV video after the break!

Continue reading This Week In MMO: Rated M for mature edition

This Week In MMO: Rated M for mature edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Events, real-world, PvP, Massively Event Coverage, World of Darkness

Details about CCP's World of Darkness are popping out of White Wolf's The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans this weekend, and they're definitely worth draining for every last sweet drop of... information. While the game is still in pre-production -- and as such, nothing is set in stone -- the devs weren't hesitant to dish out a lot of the ideas and features that they hope will make this the best vampire MMO to date.

It's CCP's desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters' lives. There's a very real danger that characters might experience "final death" -- permadeath -- if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character's Haven for safety.

The entire game will take place at night and on one server, and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course.

If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they'll lose "humanity" points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions.

Look for our World of Darkness interview with CCP coming later this week.

[Thanks Pilgrim for the tip!]

CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you!

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Culture, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Massively Event Coverage, World of Darkness, Miscellaneous

If you're attending The Grand Masquerade on September 15th through the 18th this year and you're interested in meeting up with CCP and White Wolf for an interview, we want to give you some money. No seriously, we want to pay you to meet some game devs, and you can even be dressed like a vampire while you do it. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh?

The Grand Masquerade is the annual event held by White Wolf in New Orleans, Louisiana as a fan gathering for World of Darkness. Since White Wolf and CCP are working on a World of Darkness MMO, we're especially interested in getting some first-hand information out of the event. This year, they've confirmed that more details on the MMO will be revealed, so we're especially excited to be a part of it.

Read on after the jump for details on how you can apply to represent Massively at The Grand Masquerade.

Continue reading Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you!

Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumour: Leaked document shows CCP's microtransaction plans [UPDATED]

Brendan Drain — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, News items

In the wake of controversy surrounding EVE Online's new microtransaction store and its not-so-micro prices, a document has surfaced that has raised more than a few eyebrows in the EVE community. The PDF is reported to be a copy of CCP's internal company newsletter Fearless. Ex-CCP employee and current CSM member Seleene was able to verify that the company does circulate an internal newsletter by that name and that the style is very similar to the leaked document. However, the absolute authenticity of the document can not at this time be proven.

The document dates back to May 2011 and discusses how microtransactions will be integrated into EVE Online, DUST 514 and World of Darkness. Most of the document is fairly harmless, but a few parts have stood out to players. According to the document, "Not all virtual purchases [in EVE Online] will focus on customization: some will simply be new items, ammunition, ships, etc. that can be purchased outright." Also mentioned is the possibility of buying faction standings. Both of these would be in complete contrast to earlier promises from CCP not to allow microtransactions that influence gameplay.

Authenticity of the document is still in question, but we can reveal that the leaked PDF has had several pages removed before being made public. A link to the full version was later leaked on twitter. Page 2 of the document, which was omitted in the originally leaked file, contains a disclaimer stating that the views presented are personal opinions and not company policies or decisions. This adds further confusion as players attempt to make sense of the file's contents. We reached out to CCP to ask about the document's authenticity and to request clarification on the discussions presented in it. We'll update this post with any response we get.

[UPDATE: The document's authenticity has been confirmed by CCP Pann from CCPs PR department. Massively has a hard-hitting interview in the works with CCP Zulu on the issue]

Rumour: Leaked document shows CCP's microtransaction plans [UPDATED] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala

Jef Reahard — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness

Vampire: The Masquerade is gearing up to celebrate its 20th birthday (20 years!?), and while two decades may be a drop in the proverbial bucket to your average vampire, it's quite a chunk of time for mere mortals. White Wolf (which MMO aficionados probably know as a subsidiary of CCP) is celebrating the milestone with a limited-run anniversary edition of the RPG's core rulebook.

The tome is available via pre-order and will set you back a hefty $99.99. The book's release will coincide with The Grand Masquerade 2011, a fan event scheduled for September 15th to 18th in New Orleans that will feature, among other things, "the next look at the future of the World of Darkness MMO."

CCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: The best part is where attractive hipsters have fun outside edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

Music videos are a tricky business. Sometimes a rather neat song will have a correspondingly neat video. Sometimes the video consists of just the band standing in place and singing the song, which is technically reasonable but kind of defeats the purpose of having a video. And sometimes the video is just a bunch of hipsters running around and committing periodic acts of vandalism. So you can understand why MTV has essentially stopped showing anything that might be construed as a music video, although it's debatable whether the current lineup is any better.

In a Python-esque segue, it's time for something completely different: Ask Massively. This week's edition features a question about EVE Online and the fate of Cryptic Studios, albeit not in the same question, as that would be a bit of conceptual whiplash. As always, if you'd like to have your question answered in a future edition, send a message along to ask@massively.com or leave your question in the comment field.

Continue reading Ask Massively: The best part is where attractive hipsters have fun outside edition

Ask Massively: The best part is where attractive hipsters have fun outside edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Interviews, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

What a long, strange trip it's been back through the heyday of multi-user dungeons and the many, many spin-offs and variations thereof. We've looked at the history, talked with Richard Bartle, and promoted a few of the best titles out there -- but we're not done yet! The Game Archaeologist will not hang up his hat and call it a day well-lived until your stories are entered into the history books.

Throughout this month, MUD and MU* players have deluged the inbox of the Game Archaeologist Institute for Text-Based Virtual Worlds, impressing us with hefty paragraphs of passionate experiences. These stories are so good, in fact, that we have little desire to choose between them, which is why we're going to annex the first week of May so that we can share all of them. May won't mind -- May's cool like that.

So hit the jump and read the testimonies of the word warriors who were there on the front line of parser combat and grammatically correct roleplaying. These are their stories. This is your lunch break.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1

The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: Your journeys, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3

Brendan Drain — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

The third and final day of festivities at the massive EVE Online Fanfest has come to an end, and it was definitely worth waiting for. There were several round-table discussions and events going on today, but the event everyone was looking forward to was definitely the "CCP Presents" talk in the afternoon. With yesterday's keynote speech wrapping up all the awesome plans CCP has for EVE this year, it wasn't certain exactly what had been saved for today's show. Yesterday we heard details of the Incarna captain's quarters, server upgrades, new turret effects, new nebulae and more.

Highlights of today included a round-table discussion on how CCP would be linking EVE with DUST 514, the hilarious finals of the Fanfest PvP tournament and the CCP Presents feature. This was followed by the CCP panel, in which developers answered questions from the audience. Having spent three days watching developers talk about the future of EVE, I get the distinct impression that many of them have as much passion for EVE as even the most fanatical EVE players.

Read on for a roundup of what happened today at the EVE Fanfest, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today and the Fanfest in general.

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3

EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level 3 to offer streaming of EVE Online Fanfest

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Interviews, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

Are you bummed that your budget won't allow for a trip to Reykjavik for the EVE Online Fanfest this year? Perhaps you're still new to New Eden and aren't sure what kind of stuff goes on at the party on top of the world? Well, in either case, CCP and Level 3 have you covered. According to a press release from earlier this morning, Level 3 -- already known for offering live-streaming of the EVE Online Alliance tournaments -- will be offering its services to allow fans at home to check out some of the myriad Fanfest events. The press release was followed by a blog post on the official EVE Online site that offers up even more details on the event streams.

For those who have one spare PLEX lying around (or the equivalent cash), a high-definition stream of the events will be available for purchase. As if the HD-streaming deal weren't sweet enough, all players who opt to purchase the higher-end stream will be granted a special Quafe t-shirt similar to the ones that attendees of Fanfest will receive, only this particular version will be for their characters' in-game use when Incarna rolls out. However, if spending money on the Fanfest stream isn't for you, you can still check out the weekend's panels and events via the lower-definition EVE TV stream that will be available on the main Fanfest site starting on March 25th and running until the evening of March 26th. Check out the EVE Online streaming blog post for all the details!

Level 3 to offer streaming of EVE Online Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games expanding US presence, hiring 150 additional staff

Brendan Drain — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

Icelandic game development studio CCP Games began life as a handful of employees in a small Reykjavik building. The ongoing success of its flagship game EVE Online has fueled the company's expansion into a global entity with offices in Iceland, the United States, China and the United Kingdom. In addition to working on EVE Online, CCP's offices house people working on the upcoming console MMOFPS Dust 514 and the announced World of Darkness MMO.

CCP announced today that its American headquarters are to be relocated to a new area in Atlanta. The new office space will provide some much-needed room for the company to expand, allowing it to create up to 150 new jobs over the next three years. Many of these jobs will be filled by local colleges and universities, which offer comprehensive courses relating heavily to work in the games industry.

Mike Tinney, President of CCP North America, was positive about the move. "Decatur offers the perfect blend of big city accessibility with a hometown feel that we were looking for," he said. "Georgia's financial climate combined with Decatur's social climate provide the ideal conditions for continued growth."

CCP Games expanding US presence, hiring 150 additional staff originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make your travel plans for EVE Online's fanfest

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

With the holidays coming up, there's a plethora of things a capsuleer could ask for: that shiny new T3 ship you've been eyeballing, a pile of PLEX, or perhaps a bargain at the EVE Online store sale. But the savvy holiday shopper knows to save his cash for the upcoming Fanfest that is slated to be held in 2011. With Incursion coming up, Incarna to follow, DUST 514 underway, and World of Darkness recently announced, this year's party at the top of the world looks like it's going to be full of all manner of cool stuff to check out.

Thanks to a bit of internet digging, it appears that IcelandAir has already released its travel packages for those looking to get the jump on the event and book in at the lowest rates. The travel site indicates that the dates for the upcoming Fanfest are March 24-26, leaving lots of time to get those vacation requests in early. Additionally, IcelandAir lists a CCP dev-attended city tour and a party after the event that offer some idea of the festivities to come, although they're not included with the travel package itself. We've contacted CCP for additional information and will be certain to let you know when we hear more. For now, make sure your passports are in order and get over to the IcelandAir site to get your package booked!

Make your travel plans for EVE Online's fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Fallen Earth, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, Wurm Online, Hellgate: London, The Secret World, Humor, World of Darkness, Perfect Ten

We're only a few days away from Halloween, and already the Massively office staff is dressing up in anticipation. Shawn's post-apocalyptic gear is at odds with Rubi's tastefully modest Guild Wars Elementalist outfit. Greg's Squig is in the corner battling it out with Larry's Chewbacca. Bree is dudded up as a giant red corrective marker; Jef's free-to-play outfit requires microtransactions to view in full; and Kyrstalle is photographing it all with her Poloroid One-Shot camera. I think Eliot showed up in full plate armor and riding a mechanical bull, but that just may be his normal work attire.

So as everyone else is goofing off in the spirit of the holidays, it remains to me, your lovable intern, to hack out a top 10 list in honor of All Hallow's Eve. It's the least I can do since they're paying me in candy.

While every MMO incorporates horror at some point (even, yes, Hello Kitty Online's Cat-Tastrophie zone), and it's nearly impossible to escape a clutch of giant spiders in any game you visit, I've picked out 10 MMOs that best deliver a slice of October 31st. Some are old, some new, some canceled and some yet to come, but these are 10 of the spookiest MMOs in the world.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs

The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively

I think it's time that we got a new scapegoat. We have things that we're angry about, and since we are no longer allowed to be angry at World of Warcraft due to reasons, our new target shall be... this ocelot. The one pictured above, just sitting on some rocks like he or she owns the place. (I cannot differentiate from faces whether an ocelot is male or female.) So to heck with you, ocelot! Yeah, you know what you did. Don't think we're fooled by your looking cute.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we can make it through the rest of Ask Massively in peace. We will be free to contemplate this week's questions, which cover the upcoming World of Darkness along with reviews and a terrible personal secret. Or just a funny one. Either way, click on past the cut, and send in your questions for next week to ask@massively.com, or just leave them in the comment field. If your question is not answered next week, well, ocelot again.

Continue reading Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition

Ask Massively: It's all the fault of this ocelot edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness

Jef Reahard — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Video, Events, real-world, Interviews, New titles, News items

Gamebreaker.tv recently sat down with CCP's Nathan Richardsson at GDCO for a lengthy video interview about EVE Online, Dust 514, and World of Darkness. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the EVE discussion focuses on the new character generator, recently made live on the Singularity test server and representing the first step towards 2011's long-awaited Incarna expansion.

Richardsson doesn't have a lot to say regarding Dust 514, even though he talks about it for several minutes. The gist of the conversation is that CCP will release it when it's ready, and they're not even close to being prepared to talk about it. He does reiterate the game's console focus, stating that "our goal is delivering the EVE experience on different platforms, console being one of them of course. We'll be looking at more platforms, we already are."

Moving on to the recently announced World of Darkness, Richardsson again declines to answer most of the pressing questions, though he does drop an interesting nugget relating to control of the game's intellectual property. Turns out that CCP's plans for a WoD virtual world required a certain level of control over the IP that wasn't possible with it residing in the hands of another company, hence the acquisition of WoD parent company White Wolf.

Check out the full 30-minute interview after the cut and on Gamebreaker.

Continue reading GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness

GDCO 2010: CCP talks EVE, Dust, and World of Darkness originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New EVE character creation videos prove CCP can make pretty humans too

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Expansions, Previews, News items, World of Darkness

While some may not care for the sandbox play and politics of EVE Online, we often hear from people about how graphically gorgeous they think the game is. Well, with the new character creator that's been released to the Singularity test server, CCP is showing that it's ready to rock a whole new way -- Incarna! These two videos preview the shiny new creator in testing, showing off a Caldari Achura female and a Minmatar Brutor male character. We'd also note that CCP has made it clear that the character creator is a work in progress and as such is missing some options currently.

Of course, we'd be lying if we didn't point out that this character creator preview video also makes us squee for CCP's other title under development: World of Darkness. The character creator for that game will have to be able to balance the ethereal beauty of the Toreador clan with the twistedly horrific looks of the Nosferatu clan all in one -- and we'd say this one shows the promise of having that kind of power. Check out the full videos after the break!

[Thanks, CrazyKinux!]

Continue reading New EVE character creation videos prove CCP can make pretty humans too

New EVE character creation videos prove CCP can make pretty humans too originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Obfuscated

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, EVE Online, One Shots

While World of Darkness is grabbing headlines, life in EVE Online continues quietly for the moment, awaiting the next player-created news explosion. (Or, you know, that little Incarna thing.) However, while things may seem quiet for the moment, today's note from Manic Velocity reminds us that one can never be too sure in New Eden -- sometimes the most placid-seeming locales hold monsters. Manic writes in:

"I decided to take a road trip around EVE Online to practice my scanning skills. I picked a system at random on the map, assigned the waypoint, and set off to scan every system in the course of 36 jumps. I came home with a cargohold full of datachips and salvage from lucrative Radar and Mag sites, and plenty of screenshots. This shot depicts a lone plasma planet in an 'R051' wormhole system. The contrast of the cold blue against the fiery nebula was too perfect to resist capturing. After cloaking and scanning the system, I found no signs of player structures or other ships. Though I was completely alone, the bright red nullsec security status at the top of my screen was a constant reminder that I was not completely safe. Soon after, I abandoned the wormhole system and continued on my trip."

Been somewhere exciting and new? We'd love to see what you're up to. Email your images to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post them out here and give you credit for sending them in.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: Obfuscated originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Week in Review: These vampires do not sparkle

Brianna Royce — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review

At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on the site and then present them all in one convenient place. Miss a big story last week? Curious about what's going on next door at our sister site, WoW Insider? Don't worry -- we've got you covered.

Vampires have dominated the landscape this week as we -- along with our readers -- have been captivated by a fan video of the World of Darkness trailer shown at The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans last weekend. Based on White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade IP, the upcoming game has had you chattering all week. Will it be as hardcore as CCP's other big game, EVE? Will there be permadeath? Even our podcasters couldn't resist the chance to speculate a little bit about how a dark and political vampire setting might be just what the MMO genre needs.

Jump past the break for a look at this week's other top stories!

Continue reading Week in Review: These vampires do not sparkle

Week in Review: These vampires do not sparkle originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Permadeath considered for World of Darkness MMO

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Events, real-world, World of Darkness

CCP unveiled the World of Darkness MMO at The Grand Masquerade earlier this week where Justin Achilli hosted a well-attended panel for World of Darkness fans. The goal was to hear from those looking forward to the MMO and get a feel for what they want to see.

Attendees talked about some of the standard elements such as immersion and casual vs. hardcore, but there was a surprising suggestion thrown out as well: permadeath. Justin's notes from the panel read "Permadeath. Server type preference?"

Permadeath is an interesting concept -- even more so in a game centered around immortal beings -- and Ardwulf took a long look at it in his newest post on Ardwulf's Lair. Want to weigh in on permadeath in WoD or see the rest of what was discussed? Check out the full list of panel notes on Justin's site.

Permadeath considered for World of Darkness MMO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:22:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, New titles, World of Darkness

"Some secrets are best taken to the grave..." While it wasn't that closely guarded, we were waiting on the edge of our seats to hear the official word of CCP's World of Darkness this weekend. At The Grand Masquerade convention in New Orleans, the developers not only confirmed the project, but revealed that it is set in White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade setting. Vampire: The Masquerade was indeed the old World of Darkness RPG, so this MMO should send fans into paroxysms of joy.

Ardwulf's Lair reports that the MMO will come out in 2012 at the earliest, and that it "will have a focus on player politics and social interaction." The two-minute video reveal sets a gothic tone as a woman narrates the secret world of the vampires: "They're all around us, they control everything, they've always been here, waging their secret wars, devouring everything that gets in their way... It all begins after you die."

We'll bring you more details as they pour in, but in the meanwhile, check out the video reveal (NSFW, this is World of Darkness after all) after the break.

Continue reading World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade

World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP to take the mask off of World of Darkness at The Grand Masquerade

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Events, real-world, New titles, World of Darkness

We've been biting our nails waiting for CCP to fully unwrap its promised World of Darkness MMO, but so far the company is playing its dark cards close to the chest. However, if you happen to be in New Orleans later this month, you may be among the first to pry substantial information from the slavering jaws of the developers.

Last month, CCP community developer Shane DeFreest strongly hinted that the upcoming White Wolf convention, The Grand Masquerade, would be the company's first big step to show the game to the anxious public. The convention website has since posted a list of event panels for the weekend, which includes a session entitled "Tell the World of Darkness Development team what you want to see in the MMO" as well as several other MMO-specific panels.

The Grand Masquerade will run from September 23-26, 2010, at the Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New Orleans. As the future of the World of Darkness is revealed, Massively will be sure to bring you the news. Just... not until we make our own dark pacts first.

[Thanks Cliff!]

CCP to take the mask off of World of Darkness at The Grand Masquerade originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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