Massively

Marvel Heroes unveils its first official trailer [Updated]

Matt Daniel — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes

After months and months of teasing us, Gazillion Entertainment has finally officially released new details about its upcoming new title, the free-to-play Marvel Heroes. The press release claims that the game will take "the MMO category to a completely new level of excitement and engagement" by combining "the energy of action role-playing games with the breadth and immersion of the MMO genre."

Players can now get their first look at Marvel Heroes with the title's first teaser trailer, which features gameplay footage interwoven with some rather menacing shots of a certain Victor Von Doom, who seems to have gotten his titanium-plated hands on what appears to be the Cosmic Cube, an artifact that gives its bearer the power to bend reality to his will. We're not sure what Doc Doom plans to do with the Cube, but we know that it can't possibly be anything good. Presumably it will be up to the players to put a stop to Doom's nefarious plans and return the Cube to its rightful place, but until we find out more, head on past the cut and enjoy the trailer in all of its super-goodness.

[Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release]

[Update: IGN has a preview of the game that discusses in detail its Diablo roots.]

Continue reading Marvel Heroes unveils its first official trailer [Updated]

Marvel Heroes unveils its first official trailer [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spacetime Studios teases Arcane Legends

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Free-to-play, Mobile

Pocket Legends. Star Legends. Dark Legends. And now... Arcane Legends?

Yes, it appears to be true! Spacetime Studios is working on a fourth title for its popular mobile MMO library, filing a trademark that has since been approved. The application for a U.S. federal trademark was submitted on April 5th and was given the thumbs up May 10th. As one of its categories is "electronic game software for cellular telephones," we can reasonably deduce that Arcane Legends will launch on mobile devices in the same manner of its older siblings.

Spacetime Studios told us that it will release an official announcement of the title later this week. The studio recently released the vampire-themed MMO Dark Legends on iOS and Android devices.

Spacetime Studios teases Arcane Legends originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The wait is over: Aion's 3.0 and F2P conversion announced

MJ Guthrie — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Business models, Expansions, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, Free-to-play

Over the weekend, a dramatic change in the official website alerted astute Daevas that something was up. Well speculation be gone: All betting pools for the anticipated announcement of Aion going free-to-play in North America are closed! Today, NCsoft revealed not only a time frame for the much anticipated 3.0 patch -- dubbed Aion: Ascension -- but also the news that the title will convert to F2P in at the same time. Already free-to-play in Europe, the game will have a model that is "truly free," according to NCsoft, giving all Daevas the opportunity to experience all content, including lands, dungeons, quests, and levels.

Ascension will bring with it the long-awaited housing and mount systems shown in the visions trailer many moons ago in addition to two new zones, six new instances, and an increased level cap (60) along with many tweaks, fixes, and other features.

NCsoft will also be hosting a Rallying the Troops event to give new players a head start in experiencing the game. This event is an extended trial with an increased level cap of 40 and no time limit. Veterans will enjoy a head start as well with free reactivation for 14 days. Need an extra incentive to check the game out (again)? A permanent boost in XP will also be implemented to help Daevas prepare for the upcoming new lands that can only be accessed by levels 55+.

Eager Daevas and Daevas-to-be can expect these changes this spring. We will keep you posted with more details as they become available! In the meantime, the full press release is behind the break.

Continue reading The wait is over: Aion's 3.0 and F2P conversion announced

The wait is over: Aion's 3.0 and F2P conversion announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: NEOWIZ GAMES gets bloody with Seven Souls Online debut trailer [Updated]

Matt Daniel — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

"Let the bloodshed begin," announces the debut trailer of NEOWIZ GAMES' upcoming free-to-play martial arts title, Seven Souls Online, and wow, it is not kidding around. The announcement trailer is essentially a montage of a number of player-characters running around and beating the crap out of everything until it explodes into a fine, crimson mist. And you know what? We're totally OK with that. Sure, we don't actually know much of anything about the gameplay or the story or... well, anything else, but when I can hit something so hard that I knock it straight out of existence, none of that really matters anymore. For the full trailer, click on past the cut, and be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for more information from Seven Souls Online.

[Source: NEOWIZ GAMES]

[Update: We've added the official press release behind the break too! It includes a mention of the game's closed beta test, which you can now apply for.]

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: NEOWIZ GAMES gets bloody with Seven Souls Online debut trailer [Updated]

Massively Exclusive: NEOWIZ GAMES gets bloody with Seven Souls Online debut trailer [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snail Games (officially) announces wuxia MMO, Age of Wushu

Matt Daniel — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

Have you ever been sitting around with your buddies and watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while thinking to yourself, "Meh, I could do that"? If so, you're probably making a killing in martial arts tournaments and not reading Massively. But don't worry, there's still hope for the rest of us: Snail Games' upcoming free-to-play, wuxia-centric title, Age of Wushu is now officially announced.

For the uninitiated, wuxia is a genre of literature, movies, and games which generally includes high-flying, acrobatic ass-kicking. The game will allow players to train under eight different martial art schools, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The press release boasts that the game features no levels or classes, warning players that "that beggar on the street may be a traveling Grand Master."

Combat, unsurprisingly, is based on wuxia-style martial arts, and will feature what the team calls a "counter combat system," which makes it sound like combat could be based around a system of attacks, counters, reversals, and so forth, just like in true martial arts. Of course, no martial-arts combat system would be complete without Crouching-Tiger-Hidden-Dragon-style aerial fights, which Snail Games has certainly included. To top it off, random NPC events, 17 different professions, and 30 offline activities should help ensure that players have something to do no matter the circumstances. To get your martial arts fix, remember to watch the game's official launch trailer we revealed yesterday, and keep an eye on Massively for more from Age of Wushu in the future.

[Source: Snail Games press release]

Continue reading Snail Games (officially) announces wuxia MMO, Age of Wushu

Snail Games (officially) announces wuxia MMO, Age of Wushu originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portalarium announces Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale as first title

Matt Daniel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items, Miscellaneous

Richard Garriott's recent startup, Portalarium, had many people wondering what would be the first thing to come out of this mad scientist's new studio. Well, wonder no more. Now we know that Portalarium's first title will be a Facebook game known as Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale, which focuses on -- you guessed it -- collecting things that you buy at garage sales. We couldn't make this up if we tried.

Players can create an avatar and customize their houses, and then go shopping at estate sales, garage sales, pawn shops, and so forth in order to complete collections of items. These item collections can then be displayed in your house as a trophy of sorts, or you can sell them to make a quick buck. We'll just have to wait and see how this bizarre project shapes up in the coming months.

Portalarium announces Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale as first title originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goblinworks announces Pathfinder Online

Matt Daniel — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items

For pen-and-paper RPG players, Pathfinder remains a perennial favorite game setting. Those players may find themselves excited to know, then, that Goblinworks has announced Pathfinder Online. This MMORPG adaptation of the extremely popular system will be a "hybrid sandbox/theme park-style MMO roleplaying game." The title will feature a "robust trading system [that] puts players in control of the world's economy," which should be wonderful for players who like to work the market. Characters can also establish settlements and expand them into full kingdoms while raising an army to help defend their turf.

The announcement boasts randomly generated events, as well, stating that "as settlements develop, the surrounding wilderness develops more complex and challenging features." The goal appears to be not just to create a game, but in fact to bring to life a real, evolving world. Pathfinder fans should keep their eyes on Goblinworks' official site, where further development updates will be posted.

Goblinworks announces Pathfinder Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Eden Eternal trailer reveals the Ursan and Halfkin races

Matt Daniel — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News items, Free-to-play, Races

The ranks of Aeria Games' cutesy F2P MMO Eden Eternal continue to grow as the studio announces two new races making their debuts in the world. In the red corner, we have the fierce (but fluffy!) Ursun. And in the blue corner stand the diminutive Halfkin. These additions bring the total number of races available in Eden Eternal up to five, so players certainly won't lack for choices. For the Ursan and Halfkin announcement trailer, just click on past the cut.

[Source: Aeria Games press release]

Continue reading New Eden Eternal trailer reveals the Ursan and Halfkin races

New Eden Eternal trailer reveals the Ursan and Halfkin races originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEE Games confirms Total Recall browser MMO

Matt Daniel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser

A few months ago, we reported that SEE Virtual Worlds had acquired a number of well-known intellectual properties, including the upcoming Total Recall remake. At the time, however, it was unknown how the company would put those properties to use.

Well, wonder no more. SEE has announced that it is working on a browser-based Total Recall MMO which will tie into the upcoming film remake. The game will be free-to-play and supported by microtransactions. No release date has been announced yet, but the movie itself is tentatively scheduled for August 3rd, 2012, so a similar release date for the game wouldn't be unreasonable.

SEE Games confirms Total Recall browser MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel Universe Online reveals Thing as newest playable character

Matt Daniel — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes

Watch out, Marvel Universe Online fans. It's clobberin' time! The Fantastic Four's Ben Grimm has been announced as the latest addition to the MUO cast. For those of you who are keeping count, Thing's arrival brings the total playable character count up to five. So keep the guesses comin', folks. Whom do you want to see next?

Marvel Universe Online reveals Thing as newest playable character originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runewaker Entertainment announces Dragon's Prophet

Matt Daniel — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, Miscellaneous

Runewaker Entertainment, creator of the popular free-to-play title Runes of Magic, has announced its newest upcoming title, Dragon's Prophet. Players will be able to capture a large variety of dragons, each with its own statistics and attributes. After a dragon has been captured, players will be granted a stat bonus based on the stats of the dragon. That's all the information we have for now, but jump past the cut for the game's announcement trailer, and stay tuned for more information.

Continue reading Runewaker Entertainment announces Dragon's Prophet

Runewaker Entertainment announces Dragon's Prophet originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft's Carbine Studios to reveal new MMO at Gamescom

Matt Daniel — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, New titles, News items

NCSoft announced today that Jeremy Gaffney, Executive Producer of NCSoft's Carbine Studios has confirmed that the studio's latest project is to be revealed next month at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Gaffney has many titles to his name, having worked on Asheron's Call, City of Heroes/Villains, and a number of other online titles.

What is this super-secret mystery project? Well, we don't know, otherwise we'd have already told you now, wouldn't we? However, the press release assures us that the reveal "promises to be different from the standard game project announcement," and will take place as doors open at Gamescom. Can't make it to Gamescom? Don't worry, the studio will also be strutting its stuff at PAX Prime this August where Massively will have its own presence to take a look at whatever this new project happens to be. Stay tuned and we'll be sure to let you know exactly what it is the second we know. In the meantime, you can check out Mr. Gaffney's inaugural blog post to get a taste of what the team is aiming for.

NCsoft's Carbine Studios to reveal new MMO at Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlanetSide 2 info coming tomorrow

Jef Reahard — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, PlanetSide, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS

Look lively PlanetSide 2 fans. Your long, dark winter is almost over and spring is coming in the form of a major new announcement on July 7th. That's tomorrow if you're counting at home, and Sony Online Entertainment has even provided a helpful countdown timer on the new PlanetSide 2 website to assist in said counting.

There's also a new Facebook page with a cryptic teaser for "classified information incoming," so mark your calendars and set your alarms for 7:00 p.m. PDT tomorrow.

Is SOE getting ready to drop a release date in the laps of eager sci-fi MMOFPS fans? Are there gameplay feature reveals in our immediate future? We're not sure at this point, but we are sure that tomorrow can't come fast enough.

PlanetSide 2 info coming tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pottermore officially announced, but what exactly is it?

Matt Daniel — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, New titles, News items

Attention mudbloods, muggles, and wizards alike! We reported yesterday on the cryptic Harry Potter-related Pottermore, which -- according to a leaked memo -- was rumored to be an online game. Not but a short while ago, the big reveal took place via an announcement video from J.K. Rowling on YouTube. Is Pottermore really the big Harry Potter MMO that fans have been clamoring for?

Well... maybe. Information is still scarce, with the unveiling of Pottermore's true purpose remaining just as cryptic as it has been since the discovery of the website. The new addition to the immensely popular Harry Potter franchise, according to the announcement video, is "the same story with a few crucial additions," the most important of which is you, the reader. Early reports claim that members of the site, which officially launches in October, will be able to join one of the four houses of Hogwarts and become wizards in their own right. Part social networking site, part online game, and all incredibly mysterious, Pottermore is certain to be a monumental addition to the world of Harry Potter. What exactly the experience will entail, however, remains to be seen. Keep a (mad-)eye here for more news as it develops, and apparate past the cut for the official announcement.

Continue reading Pottermore officially announced, but what exactly is it?

Pottermore officially announced, but what exactly is it? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked memo says Pottermore is an online game

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Rumors

We've been on mystical pins and needles for the past week as the countdown continues to tomorrow's full reveal of Pottermore, a mysterious website bearing J.K. Rowling's name. The Atlantic reports that a leaked memo making the rounds spells out the truth: Pottermore will be an online game of sorts.

The memo "suggests that [Pottermore.com] is a sophisticated online game that contains clues to prizes that are hidden in the real world. These are an unstated number of magic wands secreted in Britain and America, and possibly other countries."

This sounds more like an ARG -- alternate reality game -- than an MMO, although we're not prepared to rule out the possibility until all is said and revealed. The article mentions that this could be a marketing tool tied into Pottermore instead of Pottermore proper.

Fans who'd love to see a Harry Potter MMO still have hope that this could be the real deal, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow's announcement.

Leaked memo says Pottermore is an online game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Major' Fallen Earth announcement coming May 31st

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Previews, News items, Community Q&A, Post-Apocalyptic

Maintenance breaks may typically be frustrating, boring patches of non-activity for MMO gamers, but next Tuesday promises to be different for Fallen Earth. According to the official site, the team has a "major" announcement scheduled during the May 31st downtime -- one you won't want to miss.

The announcement will take place during two live podcasts with Senior Game Designer Marie Croall. During the podcasts, Croall will discuss the game's present and future to the dedicated wastelanders out there.

You can catch the podcast and announcement on Fallen Earth's Ustream channel on May 31st at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. EDT. Alternatively, players may use Ventrilo to catch the action and even submit their own questions.

What will this announcement be? We're not sure, but it looks to be a long weekend wait until we find out!

'Major' Fallen Earth announcement coming May 31st originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developer announces, cancels a new MMO

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, New titles, Humor, Miscellaneous

Earlier today, [developer] announced [type of fish] Online, a brand-new [themepark/sandbox] game set in a vibrant [genre] world, complete with player [verb ending in -ing] and all the [type of furniture] you could eat. The post also [adverb] hinted that the game would involve [character], a fan favorite that many players have been waiting for over a [time interval] to see.

[Number] minutes later, the company [verbed] the post to announce that the game was no longer on the table. Due to [game developer]'s enormous [noun] habit and problems with adapting [game engine] to run on [operating system], the project was shelved indefinitely.

Players caught up in the maelstrom feel [emotion]. "I can't believe we'd be so easily [verbed]," said [player name]. "I really thought this would be the game for me, like [game name 1] and [game name 2] could have been if the devs didn't [verb]. Or like [game name 3] was before they nerfed [class]. Or like [game name 4] before they [verbed] it down for the casuals." [Player name] continued listing MMOs for the next [number] minutes.

Games Journalism sure is hard work, so we've decided to take a break today and let you write your own news! Too many stories about RIFT on Massively lately? Not enough about the game of your choice? No problem! Much in the style of Mad Libs, today is your day to create the news you want to read, all day on the :30s. Simply fill in the blanks and it's yours. Have fun!

Developer announces, cancels a new MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steampunk MMO ARGO Online launches teaser site

Jef Reahard — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

Steampunk MMORPGs are few and far between. In fact, aside from Gatheryn, we were hard-pressed to think of any.

Until today.

burda:ic GmbH, a German free-to-play publisher responsible for Avalon Heroes and Florensia, has issued a press release announcing the development of ARGO Online, a futuristic steampunk title featuring a variety of quests, PvP modes, professions, and a pet system. A new website has also been unveiled, and it boasts a teaser trailer for the Noblian (one of ARGO's factions).

Further details are somewhat sketchy at this point, but the game is slated for a Spring 2011 release, and we'll of course keep you posted on any and all developments.

Steampunk MMO ARGO Online launches teaser site originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR players will trek across Hoth [Updated]

Larry Everett — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic

This morning's breaking news of twitter feeds, email, blog posts included a story from videogamer.com about a hands-on preview of Star Wars: The Old Republic. (It's an informative article. A SWTOR fan should read it.) However, the items that drew attention away from the article were the unrelated images scattered throughout the post. After clicking about for a while it was determined they were not just any images, but rather paintings and screenshots of a yet-to-be-announced playable planet of Hoth. This was confirmed by Stephanie Bayer, a community manager for the game, via Twitter, "Have you checked out Videogamer.com today? No? Thar be #SWTOR exclusive stuff there! It's totally HOT(h)! "

Who would have guessed the planet named after the famous Jedi Master Lord Hoth will be explorable in SWTOR? For those who may have skipped the best Star Wars movie of all time, this is a frozen wasteland made famous at the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back. Although in the Old Republic time period there is not much interest in the planet. It is mostly the home of tauntauns, wampas, and the occasional crashed spaceship. Fringe members of both the Imperial and Republic factions will conduct their nefarious business on this frozen desert.

To read the whole article about Hoth or view the paintings and screenshots hop over to videogamer.com.

[Update: the official SWTOR site has updated their Holonet entry with Hoth -- check it out past the break!]

Continue reading SWTOR players will trek across Hoth [Updated]

SWTOR players will trek across Hoth [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Bioware might have tipped their hand accidentally today as they briefly updated the Star Wars: The Old Republic website with a call for testers for the highly anticipated MMO. The announcement only lasted a few minutes before being taken down off of the site, indicating an accidental posting.

While the news announcement has been removed from the website, some screenshot happy community members have snapped pictures of their RSS feeds, which still show the call for testers. This has, of course, sent the community into an uproar of anticipation for the ~~intended date of the announcement.~~

Update: The intended date of the closed beta signups is today! We have all of the details over in this post!

Continue reading Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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gPotato to unveil new project at GamesCom

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Flyff, Events, real-world, New titles, Rappelz, News items

The gPotato games portal, hosted by Gala Networks Europe in Dublin, Ireland, will be on hand in force for the upcoming GamesCom convention in Cologne where they will announce and unveil a new MMO project for the portal.

The new project, which will be demoed at the convention, comes with a tentative release date of early 2010. The genre or nature of the new project has not been released either, so it's anybody's guess as to what the new title will be.

gPotato currently hosts some of the more popular free-to-play MMOs, including Dragonica, Rappelz, Flyff, and Allods Online. Those four games will be on hand at the convention as well for demonstration, so it's sure to be a game filled good time over at the gPotato booth!

gPotato to unveil new project at GamesCom originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine appoints new chief financial officer

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: Asheron's Call, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items

Let's take a break from all of the E3 crazy for a moment and bring it back down to Earth, as Turbine has announced today that they're putting a new man into the chief financial officer's seat.

Their choice for the position has been M. Beau Paradowski, an experienced 17 year financial veteran who has previously held the CFO chair for Optasite Inc. and Clearwire Technologies.

Paradowski is excited to step into his new position at Turbine, which will oversee all of the company's global financial operations and everything related to Turbine's three big IPs -- Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and Asheron's Call.

Turbine appoints new chief financial officer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Should companies announce release dates?

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

This weekend brought us news of a new announced release date for Warrior Epic after having the game go through three iterations of closed beta. We also got news that Champions Online has been pushed back as well. Of course, these two companies are far from the only ones who have wound up pushing release dates back after announcing them. Blizzard has done it several times, Aventurine did it for Darkfall, the list goes on and on and on. While we appreciate it when time is extended to continue polishing the games, we're left to wonder - would it be better just to avoid naming a date at all to anyone outside of your own employees and shareholders?

Do you think it would be better if companies didn't announce release dates, instead just saying "when it's ready"? Or do you prefer some advance notice - even if it keeps getting changed around on you? Does it impact your interest in a game when a release date is pushed back repeatedly?

The Daily Grind: Should companies announce release dates? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red 5's upcoming MMO to be announced soon

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Interviews, MMO industry

With a recent shuffle in management and the promise of a truly ground-breaking MMO in the works, Red 5 Studios continues their trek through our anticipated games list in stealth mode. In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Red 5's Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Mark Kern joins the company's CEO, Michael Weingartner, to discuss the studio's current status and the news that their top-secret MMO will finally be announced "in a few months".

We've been following Red 5 and their upcoming game's development for a while now, and they never cease to crank up the anticipation level with what they tell us. This interview gives us a better look into their plans to not only go in a different direction than Kern's former employer and their behemoth World of Warcraft, but we get to hear a little bit about how they hope to achieve success in this fragile market.

Red 5's upcoming MMO to be announced soon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MindFuse's The World of Gatheryn detailed, kinda dated

Samuel Axon — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Puzzle, New titles, News items, Casual, Gatheryn

MindFuse Games, which a couple of weeks ago announced it had raised $1 million in funding for a Victorian-themed MMO, sent out a press release yesterday officially announcing and providing details about the game, which is called The World of Gatheryn. Gatheryn is not merely Victorian, as we originally reported -- there are steampunk elements too.

The focus seems casual, although the graphics are quite strapping for an independent game. MindFuse promises character customization, apartments, and puzzles, while specifically singling out violent conflict as a no-go. It seems to be a mostly laid back, friendly, social affair, but aimed at grown ups rather than pre-teens, in contrast to a lot of other casual titles.

When we say the game has been pseudo-dated, it's a bit of a stretch: the press release says it'll be released in 2009. When in 2009? Your guess is as good as ours, but we'll bet it's not soon.

MindFuse's The World of Gatheryn detailed, kinda dated originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Check out our BioWare/LucasArts announcement invite

Michael Zenke — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Massively Meta

If you're looking forward to October 21st as much as we are, you should know that you're specifically looking forward to 2pm Pacific time on that august date. What's happening then? Well, we're only going to find out (finally, for-reals) what BioWare and LucasArts have been working on all this time. At Massively, as you might imagine, we're feeling pretty confident that it's going to be an MMO set in the Knights of the Old Republic-timeframe of the Star Wars franchise. We're even willing to put money on the title being Star Wars: The Old Republic.

We'd like to go on record right now stating we think the game's MMO acronym should be SWOR ... but will probably end up being TOR. What do you think?

Joystiq's own Randy Nelson will be representing Massively, Joystiq, and the whole family of blogs at the event - ensuring that readers here and across the network are kept up to date. No pressure, Randy! Above is the frontside of our invitation to this event, and you can see what's on the back below the cut.

Continue reading Check out our BioWare/LucasArts announcement invite

Check out our BioWare/LucasArts announcement invite originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie MMO Game Developer Conference coming to Vegas in April

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry

Just as this year's gaming conference season is beginning to wind down, we start to receive news of next year's events already. Last Straw Productions has just announced the third annual Independent MMO Game Developers Conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV on April 17th through the 19th, 2009.

This conference will feature more presentations and vendors than the previous years, plus new demo stations where the Indie developers can show off their latest projects. In addition, the imgdc.com website has been completely revamped with a new logo, layout, adviser and speaker blogs. Check out the website for more information on the upcoming event.

Indie MMO Game Developer Conference coming to Vegas in April originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LucasArts and BioWare confirm impending announcement

Samuel Axon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items

LucasArts and BioWare have invited members of the press to attend an event later this month at which the two companies will finally officially announce the game they've been working on together. They did not say what the game is, of course -- then how could they officially announce it at the event? Obviously we're suspicious that it will be the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMO (or just Star Wars: The Old Republic, as the rumored title goes).

EA's John Riccitiello already confirmed the existence of that game under the table way back at E3, and other tidbits of news have only supported it since then. But hey, we suppose it could be something else. It was suggested in the Massively offices that maybe LucasArts bought the rights to He-Man, and it is in fact a He-Man MMO. Or maybe GI Joe. Yeah, we're a-stretchin'. More likely: a Willow game.

According to Worlds in Motion, the invitation says it's "the game that's been rumored about for years." Uh-huh. The announcement will come October 21st, so hold your horses. Or your speeders. Whatever.

LucasArts and BioWare confirm impending announcement originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online implements temporary population control measures

James Egan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Forums, Game mechanics, News items

We mentioned that CCP Games is working on thinning out Local in EVE Online's highsec trade hubs like Jita, but they're also looking into other ways of keeping lag at manageable levels, even if it requires taking temporary (and unpopular) measures. CCP Wrangler announced today that the latest downtime brought with it a new feature to Tranquility: EVE's stargates will check how many players there are in a given solar system and deny access if the system has hit its population limit. The temporary measures are presently being discussed on the EVE Online forums, with a few clarifications and amendments made by the devs.

There is some debate as to whether the pop limit affects Jita alone or if it affects all systems in New Eden, but regardless, the devs have stated multiple times that they're working to resolve the population issue. However, if the system population issue expands to other high traffic solar systems in EVE, this could stand to be a serious problem for the larger 0.0 alliances who rely upon their numbers to hold territory. The latest word from the devs states that only Jita is affected by population limits, and that a node crash is responsible for most of the 'traffic advisory' warnings players are receiving about multiple systems being inaccessible. These are some of the issues that can arise in an unsharded MMO, but hopefully the changes to stargates will remain as CCP states: temporary.

Update: A hotfix deployed during Monday's downtime removed the system cap from all solar systems except Jita, which now has a player capacity of 1024. CCP Explorer stated that the capacity will be raised over time as they make server adjustments. Ultimately they hope to remove the population limit altogether.

EVE Online implements temporary population control measures originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wrath of the Lich King: Coming 11/13/2008

Michael Zenke — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Fantasy, Expansions, Launches

Massively's sister site WoW Insider is reporting that the much-anticipated second expansion to World of Warcraft now has a release date! An official advertisement running on the WoWHead site lists that date as 11.13.08, just under two months away from now. As WoW Insider points out, it's really interesting to see Blizzard committing to this event with so many unknowns still out there. Class changes, dungeons, and more all need to be tuned and tested in that time. Heck, there still hasn't been an official announcement about a Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition.

WoW Insider has all the details you'll need to prepare for the launch date, whether you're hording herbs for Inscriptioners or prepping to serve the sudden onslaught of Death Knight characters. Ready your blades, watch the gates, and prepare! The Lich King's Wrath is coming soon!

Update: WotLK Release date confirmed by Blizzard via a new splash page on the World of Warcraft site.

Gallery: What's new in Wrath of the Lich King

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Wrath of the Lich King: Coming 11/13/2008 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAR Preview Weekend attendees can start playing Friday, September 5th

James Egan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Launches, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

We'll keep this short and sweet. Anyone who was part of the Warhammer Online Preview Weekend can join in on "Preview Weekend+." Tomorrow. That's right. Friday, September 5th, for North American Preview Weekend attendees. Warhammer Online's Community Coordinator James Nichols made this announcement today:

"WAAAGH!!!

WAR is Coming and the world is ready. Hundreds of thousands of players will descend upon the Age of Reckoning this Sunday, September 7th. In order to make this world-wide event the best it can be we're welcoming all Preview Weekend attendees back for two more days to rev things up and get the party started. We invite all Preview Weekend players to join us for Preview Weekend+ this Friday, 9/5 and Saturday, 9/6 starting tomorrow morning.

This epic weekend will be one to remember as you herald in Open Beta and the Age of Reckoning to the entire world! The tides of WAR are coming...we'll see you on the battlefield!"

There you have it. We haven't received word on what time, exactly, the servers will open up, but since they've stated "tomorrow morning"... it might be time to call in 'sick' and have yourself a 3-day WAR weekend.

Thanks Tom and Zak.

Edit: It seems that Preview Weekend + will not include WAR's European player base. This post will be updated if that situation changes.

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

WAR Preview Weekend attendees can start playing Friday, September 5th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE exploit warning affects corp infiltration practices

James Egan — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Exploits, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP, News items

War declarations are an essential part of EVE Online. They allow corporations and alliances to fight for control over resources, territory, or simply to get revenge on their rivals. Then again, others declare war for the opportunity to grief in Empire space. Perhaps it's this latter tendency that prompted the latest announcement from CCP Games. They're branding the monkeywrenching of rival corporations during wartime as an exploit.

GM Grimmi states: "The practice of insta-joining/leaving warring corporations for the purpose of surprising war targets, or getting them in trouble with CONCORD, is considered an exploit from here on. Reports of this will be investigated on a case by case basis and warnings will be issued at the discretion of the GM. Repeated incidents may result in bans on accounts involved." This doesn't seem to apply to 'normal' corp infiltrations, though it does beg the question of why a corporation at war would even be accepting new recruits at all. What's the protocol in your corp, do you continue to accept applicants into the fold during a wardec, or is the risk of alt spying and sabotage too great?

EVE exploit warning affects corp infiltration practices originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online NDA lifts tomorrow (August 19th)

James Egan — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Warhammer Online, News items

The Warhammer Online NDA is expected to lift tomorrow, according to Mark Jacobs, GM of Mythic Entertainment. The announcement has popped up in a few places, but the message is clear: the NDA is lifting. Jacobs' announcement also touched upon why they're running the Open Beta as they are and early client downloads, but it's the NDA lift that seems to be catching most everyone's attention.

Jacobs said, "We expect to lift it tomorrow morning. I was hoping it was going to be today but I wanted to wait till I got the beta reports from the weekend and we just didn't have enough time to get everything coordinated with our partners in order for the press release to go out today." Jacobs also stated that he'll explain the reasons for the delayed NDA release tomorrow. WAR bloggers everywhere are already freaking out (in a good way) over the news, so expect a literal flood of Warhammer Online info for tomorrow.

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Warhammer Online NDA lifts tomorrow (August 19th) originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom apologizes for downtime, awards free day

Chris Chester — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Bugs, Forums, Patches, Server downtime

Funcom showed some symptoms of growing pains yesterday, as the anxiously anticipated patch for Age of Conan, which promised to bring many important bug fixes, failed to get off the ground until around 7pm EST instead of 12pm EST, as originally scheduled. It's not entirely abnormal for players to clamber about receiving compensation for lost time in situations like these, but it is somewhat rare when a company actually follows through on this expectation.

Much to our surprise, Funcom offered an official apology for the delays yesterday, and have granted all active accounts an additional day of play-time to compensate for the outage. We doubt this will quell the steady drumbeat of players who are dissatisfied with the Age of Conan experience, but then, what will?

Funcom apologizes for downtime, awards free day originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amidst speculation, Blizzard VP implies completely new game

Samuel Axon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Rumors

Blizzard fans all over the internet have worked themselves up into a frenzy over a vague splash screen at the company's website -- a melting wall of ice adorned with rune or sigil-like markings. Everyone's speculating. Is it Diablo 3? Maybe it's just a promo for Wrath of the Lich King. After all, the ice motif seems to fit, right?

Maybe not. During a Q&A session at GDC Paris 08, Blizzard VP Rob Pardo was asked to comment on "the new game." He replied saying, "So you want me to announce the game before the announcement?" That was a classic press conference or Q&A blunder; you're not supposed to accept the premise of an unwanted or hostile question!

Continue reading Amidst speculation, Blizzard VP implies completely new game

Amidst speculation, Blizzard VP implies completely new game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lorebook opens to European subscribers

Samuel Axon — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Lore, News items

The Lorebook is one of The Lord of the Rings Online's best features, even though it isn't in the game. It's a community-moderated wiki containing vast amounts of information about LotRO's world and, of course, lore. Unfortunately, European players have never been able to fully participate. They could view the contents, but not edit them.

That's changed. European players may now use their login names and passwords to edit Lorebook entries. If you've been itching to take part in the conversation, head on over. But be aware; for the moment only English-language entries are accepted. Also, the Lorebook does not yet contain European server listings. No word has been given on when those will come.

Lorebook opens to European subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 May 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabula Rasa announcement contest winners announced

Seraphina Brennan — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Contests, Tabula Rasa, Humor

The Tabula Rasa community website has revealed the four winners of the Foreas Base announcement contest for the US version, English Europe version, French version, and German version. They've also kindly translated the French and German announcements into English, so those of us across the pond can laugh about them too.

Below the main post are also the runners up for all of the different versions, and we have to say, it was quite a hard call. Congratulations to the winners, and congratulations to everyone who participated!

The winners will have their announcements voiced-over and added to the standard Foreas Base announcements, which, even if you're not a TR player, you should listen to. They're sure to brighten up even a non-TR player's sour day.

Tabula Rasa announcement contest winners announced originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 May 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GuildCafe announces Guild Wars tourney

Mike Schramm — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, Guilds, PvP

The folks at GuildCafe dropped us a note about the announcement of their upcoming Guild Wars tournament -- starting on April 5th, the next neck of the 2008 RAWR Cup will kick off, offering up events in three divisions with lots of ~~cool~~ prizes for each (the best they could come up with is network cards and mice? Cash, anyone?). There's more information on the FAQ page, but I can't seem to find anywhere that explains just what's happening; being that it's Guild Wars, however, my guess is that they just toss a bunch of folks in an area and whoever's left standing gets to walk away with the prizes. Sounds simple (and fun) enough.

Only a couple of teams have signed up so far, so the field is wide open at this point. If your guild rocks the GW (don't call it that), then maybe you too can own some noobs and pick up some extra gear for your trouble.

GuildCafe announces Guild Wars tourney originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise announced

Michael Zenke — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Earthrise

We just began discussion earlier this month on a horror-flavoured MMO, Requiem: Bloodymare. As sci-fi, pirates, and tales of the undead begin to fill in where once only fantasy dared to tread, we're starting to see more and more new games stray from the norms of the MMO genre. Today's announcement of a new post-apocalyptic game, then, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

Joining the in-the-works title Fallen Earth in the Mad Maxian genre, Earthrise is a title being developed by the Bulgarian studio Masthead. The game is to be set after a third world war, which finds our planet more-or-less a wasteland. Our species is on its way to the conclusion of all Darwinian evolution, but a few brave souls are fighting on to keep the light of civilization burning. A corporate-run government has created a semi-utopia, populated by clones of citizenry stored in massive genetic databases. Not all is well, of course - the government is fascist, keeping tight control over the meager resources available to the fledgling society. Rival factions are fighting for control of the hearts and minds of the cloned populace, and players will get to choose who they throw their influence behind.

Also, as you can see in the above screenshot, there looks to be monsters. Not sure how they fit in, but perhaps they're mutants left in the wake of the world war? The press release from the Masthead Studios indicates they're very keen on exploring PvP and market-based gameplay as well as tradition PVE gaming.

Do you think this is going to work out? Post-apocalyptic gaming is a very different animal from your standard fantasy fair. Another doomed niche product, or a breath of fresh air for the genre?

[Via Warcry]

Post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise announced originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ragnarok developer waking up to a Bloodymare

Michael Zenke — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, New titles, Ragnarok Online, News items

Gravity Interactive is the developer for the game Ragnarok Online, an extremely popular South Korean title. Gravity has announced that they've been working hard on another title for almost four years now, and it's nothing like the stylized cuteness of Ragnarok. Requiem: Bloodymare is the name of the new game, and it sounds about as different from Ragnarok as night is from day.

The game will make use of the high-tech Havok engine to portray a violent dystopian future. PCs will take the part of creatures forged via magic and technology to kill demons and undead creatures loosed by years of experimentation.

The article at Worlds in Motion includes commentary from Gravity's CEO Peter Kang about the company's goals, and their deliberate decision to move away from their past work. At the moment there's no expected release date, but one would expect to hear something soon; four years is a pretty good amount of game development time.

Ragnarok developer waking up to a Bloodymare originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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