Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Superman saves the world... of warcraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/superman-saves-the-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/superman-saves-the-world-of-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/superman-saves-the-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Superman saves the world of warcraft
What does Superman -- sorry, Kal-El -- do when he's not punching General Zod out of the sky or making googly eyes at Lois Lane? Could be that he's playing World of Warcraft, possibly even in your PUG.

Man of Steel star Henry Cavill recently told GQ that he quite enjoys both Skyrim and World of Warcraft. Cavill's such a big fan of the latter, in fact, that he missed Man of Steel director Zack Snyder's telephone call offering him the role of Superman. "I saw it was him [calling]," Cavill told British GQ, "but the thing is, you can't save World of Warcraft, you can't pause it. It's live."

MassivelySuperman saves the world... of warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game title image
This week saw the world's largest annual LAN party get underway as Sweden played host to DreamHack Summer 2013 and a series of live cash-prize competitive game tournaments. League of Legends had the biggest showing, with a dedicated 1,200-person stage for its $30,000 DreamHack Championship tournament. Heroes of Newerth presented the $30,000 HoNTour grand finals with livestreaming and commentary from the Honcast crew. Dota 2 launched its own huge $46,600 tournament for the event, but fans have been up in arms about the tiny seating area reserved for their game.

Blizzard revealed more details on its upcoming console release of Diablo III, from skill and runes to transferring your co-op characters between consoles. Path of Exile tackled the issue of RMT head-on by locking currency items to new players' accounts until one of their characters hits level 25 and revealed that thousands of players are being banned each week for botting and RMT spam. Indie MOBA Skara also dropped a gameplay trailer this week and was at E3 to show the game off, but things aren't looking good for its kickstarter campaign.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Dreamhack 2013, news from E3, and Path of Exile battles RMT

MassivelyNot So Massively: Dreamhack 2013, news from E3, and Path of Exile battles RMT originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8-bit-studiosaction-mmoaction-rpgactivisionbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcompetitive-gamingconconventionconvention-coveraged3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dreamhackdreamhack-2011dreamhack-summerdreamhack-summer-2013e-sporte-sportse3e3-2013electronic-entertainment-expoesportesportsevent-coverageexpof2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesheroes-of-newerthhonindieinfinite-crisisleague-of-legendslolmassively-event-coveragemobamultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayeropinionpath-of-exilepoepvpriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamesskarathird-personvalvevideovideosMon, 17 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/17/the-stream-team-caveman-edition-june-17-23-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/17/the-stream-team-caveman-edition-june-17-23-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/17/the-stream-team-caveman-edition-june-17-23-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Stream Team Caveman edition, June 17 23, 2013
With all the talk about bashing stuff lately, I can't help but envision a certain prehistoric child going around whacking everything with a club, "Bam! Bam! Bam!" Of course, who can blame the little tyke? There are definitely times in game that we've all wanted to swing a cudgel or two, be it a nerf design or a just-quitcher-whining bat.

Destructive tendencies can even be harbored in the gentle hearts of your favorite Stream Team hosts. A number of you can surely attest to that. Need proof? Just watch Massively TV and see for yourself. Warning: You may start to feel sympathy for those poor mobs...

Continue reading The Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Death Knights to be added when anyone cares.
If you've played the beta for Hearthstone, the virtual card game based off of World of Warcraft, you might have thought to yourself that you could use a little more World of Warcraft in your Hearthstone. As it turns out, the development team was apparently thinking the same thing, because now you've got quests, gold, leveling mechanics, and dueling. Pretty much everything other than arguing over raid wipes and peeking at Gearscore, in other words.

Leveling allows you to improve your favorite class through continued play, with experience points earned from wins or losses alike. The team has also added new card frames and several new cards to make the game more fun to play and prettier to look at. Take a look at a rundown of all the changes on the official development blog, along with a peek at several of the new cards that have been added to the game.

MassivelyHearthstone offers a peek at more content under development originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcardsdevelopmentgame-mechanicshearthstonenewsupdatesworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: MOBA closures, docking in Elite, and D3 at E3]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/10/not-so-massively-moba-closures-docking-in-elite-and-d3-at-e3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/10/not-so-massively-moba-closures-docking-in-elite-and-d3-at-e3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/10/not-so-massively-moba-closures-docking-in-elite-and-d3-at-e3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively MOBA closures, docking in Elite, and D3 at E3
Fans of indie MOBA Rise of Immortals were disappointed to learn that the game's recent relaunch has been a failure and developers have been forced to close the doors at the end of the month. Third-person SMITE is seeing more success with its own open beta, and this week it added new character Athena, the God of Wisdom. League of Legends announced its plans for DreamHack Summer 2013, and Machinima published an incredible documentary about famed tournament team Counter Logic Gaming.

Blizzard revealed this week that Diablo III will be coming to the XBox 360 on September 3rd along with the previously announced PS3 release. Path of Exile gave all players a free passive skill reset with patch 0.11.0 this week and officially started its first ever four month long Anarchy and Onslaught leagues.

David Braben discussed seamless docking transitions in a new Elite: Dangerous progress diary video this week and took on board outside investors to bolster its existing budget secured through crowdfunding. Star Citizen showed how its towering budget will be put to use with a video tour around the cramped studio that developers hope to move out of soon in search of a larger office space.

Continue reading Not So Massively: MOBA closures, docking in Elite, and D3 at E3

MassivelyNot So Massively: MOBA closures, docking in Elite, and D3 at E3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team Wedding singer edition, June 10 16, 2013
Have you ever been someplace, perhaps at an event, and spontaneously broken into song? And just maybe that wasn't quite an appropriate venue for a favorite heavy tune? Boy, the looks some people give you; I mean, what's really so wrong with injecting a little more groove into a wedding march anyways?

Well, luckily there are no such social taboos for spouting random song snippets on Massively TV! I know you understand that urge to just let loose a tune or two, right? It could be that you've belted out a concert-worthy rendition yourself when playing or watching your favorite games. We here at The Stream Team fully support that. We even contribute to the official organization: BOSS (Belting Out Spontaneous Songs). So why not join us where you know you won't be judged. Who knows, you might find a song to sing along with in this weeks streams.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Wedding singer edition, June 10 - 16, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Wedding singer edition, June 10 - 16, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WildStar will pull in the exWoW crowd, says dev
Finding the sweet spot in an MMO that applies to both casual and hardcore players might be the holy grail of the industry, but Carbine is convinced that it can deliver with WildStar -- and do so in a way that World of Warcraft no longer can.

Game Design Producer Stephan Frost was bold in his statements to MCV, saying that WildStar will be a true success story. "We're making something that's different," he said. "We're coming out at a time when WoW is losing subscribers, and we can fill the void for people who want an MMO that's deep, hardcore but also accessible to people. We've found through betas and trade shows that MMO players understand our game. They can see the improvements we've made and notice that this game is something pretty cool."

MassivelyWildStar will pull in the ex-WoW crowd, says dev originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft
In the olden days of World of Warcraft, it took 40 dedicated people to down some of the game's toughest content. It wasn't easy to keep a guild stocked with the necessary number of people to make these raids possible, and Blizzard reduced raid sizes to 10- and 25-man encounters starting with the Burning Crusade expansion in the hopes of making raiding more accessible for smaller guilds and raid leaders working with busy real-life humans.

It is with this same accessibility in mind that Blizzard has just announced Flexible Raids, a new form of raid content that will debut with the game's upcoming 5.4 patch. In the simplest terms, these raids automatically adjust their difficulty based on how many players are present, supporting any number between 10 and 25. The difficulty resets week-to-week; if 22 people come one week and 13 the next, the new raiders won't be locked into last week's numbers.

A new tier of item that falls between the Raid Finder and Normal difficulties is being introduced for Flexible Raiders, and Flexible Raid lockouts will be separate from those of Normal and Heroic attempts. Blizzard has also promised additional rewards for those who participate in Flexible, Normal, and Heroic raids -- rewards that will be unavailable to Raid Finder groups.

Flexible Raiding will be made available piece by piece as Blizzard tweaks the formula. It should be launching on the test realm Soon[TM].

MassivelyFlexible Raids come to World of Warcraft with patch 5.4 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT tops Raptr's May mostplayed list
Is RIFT taking the charts by storm? At first glance when it comes to Raptr's most-played PC and Xbox 360 titles in May, it would appear so. However, just as with everything else associated with statistics, it's important to know the full story before jumping to conclusions.

RIFT jumped up 13 spots to garner a 7.76% share of player hours in May, topping even League of Legends and World of Warcraft. This was largely thanks to a reward campaign that quadrupled the number of players from March.

The company notes that Neverwinter was also a "big mover" in the month among Raptr players, netting 11th place.

MassivelyRIFT tops Raptr's May most-played list originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III coming to Xbox 360 right along with the PS3 and PS4
As reported by Joystiq, Diablo III is not only coming out for the Playstation 3, but also the Xbox 360 on September 3 of this year.

Aside from the fact that the Blizzard game will also be coming out for the PlayStation 4 when that launches, the hints at an Xbox 360 release weren't exactly a secret. Still, it' s nice to have it official now.

MassivelyDiablo III coming to Xbox 360 right along with the PS3 and PS4 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's still worth more than Darnassus.
Have you ever sat down with a realtor and tried to haggle down the price of a house based on the fact that it previously housed a scheming black dragon? Hopefully not, as black dragons do not actually exist. But if you have, you'll be happy to know that World of Warcraft's Stormwind Keep has now been priced out by what we are assured are reputable realtors with an eye toward setting this in-game structure's retail price in US dollars. About $10 million, as it happens.

So why? Well, based on how much space it seems to cover and the value of a comparable real-world castle in Wales, the Keep winds up with a fairly modest price tag for a castle. Then again, there's only one accessible floor, and as we mentioned it does have a bit of a problem with dragons. (Exterminators can never really get all the eggs out.) So if you find yourself transported to Azeroth with $10 million that becomes the equivalent in gold, you can walk up and... well... not buy it, because it's not for sale. But you'd know how much it was worth.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft's Stormwind Keep gets a price tag originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW character services and transfers half off this week
If you're looking to do any World of Warcraft race changes, name changes, appearance changes, or server transfers, there's no time like the present. More specifically, Blizzard is running a 50% off sale this week for all of those services.

WoW Insider notes that realm transfers involve a bit of logistics and planning. You'll need to empty your mailbox and make sure you're not heading up any arena teams. Also be aware that some of your add-ons may require some rejiggering after the transfer is complete.

MassivelyWoW character services and transfers half off this week originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-servicesactivisionappearance-changesblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcharacter-renamesfantasyserver-transferswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowwow-account-servicesTue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Elite galaxy lore, D3's Book of Tyrael, and Dota 2 chat bans]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/not-so-massively-elite-galaxy-lore-d3s-book-of-tyreal-and-do/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/not-so-massively-elite-galaxy-lore-d3s-book-of-tyreal-and-do/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/not-so-massively-elite-galaxy-lore-d3s-book-of-tyreal-and-do/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively
Star Citizen introduced new game designer Pete McKay in the latest episode of Wingman's Hangar, and mentioned plans for a planet-side module and an in-game social bar. Elite: Dangerous delved into the fiction of the Elite universe and confirmed that the entire Milky Way galaxy will be available for play and that humanity will have only explored a roughly 250 lightyear bubble around Earth.

Diablo III announced its new lore compendium, the Book of Tyrael, which tells the story of Sanctuary through the eyes of Tyrael himself and reveals unseen threats to humanity that may be part of the planned expansion. Path of Exile will open the doors on its new four-month-long Anarchy and Onslaught leagues this week, with a whole slew of challenges and a t-shirt prize for completing them.

In MOBA news, Valve clarified its stance on communication bans following accusations of false positives, and showed off stats highlighting the positive impact chat bans have had on the game. Warner Bros announced a live Infinite Crisis tournament to be hosted by Major League Gaming at E3, and fans of Cyborg got their wishes when the character was finally added to the beta. Finally, Heroes of Newerth released its new Stardust Aluna avatar for a character designed by US actress Paula Garces, and Sins of a Dark Age gave a sneak peek at its Realm Quest system.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Elite galaxy lore, D3's Book of Tyrael, and Dota 2 chat bans

MassivelyNot So Massively: Elite galaxy lore, D3's Book of Tyrael, and Dota 2 chat bans originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgalunaanarchybanbansbatmanbattlenetbehaviorbehaviourblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbookbook-of-cainbook-of-tyraelbook-of-tyrealbrabencloud-imperiumcommunication-banscyborgd3david-brabendcdc-comicsdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidogfightingdotadota-2e-sporteliteexpansionf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrontierfrontier-developmentsgalaxygalaxy-sizegothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshangarhangar-moduleheroes-of-newerthhoninfinite-crisisironcladjokerleagueleagueslightyearloremajor-league-gamingmichael-brookesmlgmlg-promlg-pro-circuitmobamoduklemultiplayeroffenseoffensiveonline-multiplayeronslaughtpath-of-exilepete-mckaypoerealm-questrealm-questsrpgs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fisins-of-a-dark-agestar-citizenstardustStardust-alunasupermanthargoidsthe-jokerturbinetyraelvalvewarner-broswingmanwingmans-hangarwonder-womanMon, 03 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft film set to shoot in 2014]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/world-of-warcraft-film-set-to-shoot-in-2014/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/world-of-warcraft-film-set-to-shoot-in-2014/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/world-of-warcraft-film-set-to-shoot-in-2014/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

World of Warcraft: The Movie
Rumors have swirled around the oft-delayed and reportedly troubled World of Warcraft movie for years, but Legendary Pictures finally appears to be ready to move forward with production. Producer Charles Roven confirmed to SlashFilm that World of Warcraft: The Movie 3D IMAX Experience (suggested title) begins shooting in early 2014.

Says Roven, "First quarter 2014 we're going to shoot that movie."

Duncan Jones, director of Moon and Source Code, is taking the helm. Legendary still hasn't announced a release date or any plot details, but we can assume that the release date is Soon[TM] and the plot will revolve around humans, orcs, and a whole lot of sparkleponies.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft film set to shoot in 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentduncan-jonesfantasylegendary-picturessparkle-ponywarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowwow-filmwow-live-action-filmWoW-movieMon, 03 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why MMOs stopped getting bigger]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/why-mmos-stopped-getting-bigger/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/why-mmos-stopped-getting-bigger/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/why-mmos-stopped-getting-bigger/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Why MMOs stopped getting bigger
If after looking over the state of MMOs lately you've been left singing, "Where have all the big games gone?" to yourself, Ramin Shokrizade has an answer just for you. A virtual world economist, Shokrizade states that up until EVE Online and World of Warcraft, games grew in size and scope and then stopped. Why? Because it was never about getting big; it was about protecting and ensuring the equity of the gamers.

Shokrizade delves into why equity -- the sum of gamers' in-game efforts, such as levels and possessions -- is so important in a game and why those games that ignore protecting this equity don't measure up when it comes to success. He discusses how microtransactions that deal in in-game content destroy equity as well as how expansions that make previous content (such as crafting tiers) obsolete do the same thing. He then goes on to discuss the games that get it right, like League of Legends and World of Tanks.

MassivelyWhy MMOs stopped getting bigger originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentccpccp-gamesdotae-sportesporteveeve-onlinef2pfantasyfree-to-playhistoricalinternet-spaceshipsleagueleague-of-legendslolmobapvpRamin-Shokrizaderiotriot-gamessandboxsci-fispreadsheets-onlinetanktankswarwarcraftwargaming.networld-of-tanksworld-of-warcraftwotwowMon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/the-stream-team-calorie-free-edition-june-3-9-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/the-stream-team-calorie-free-edition-june-3-9-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/03/the-stream-team-calorie-free-edition-june-3-9-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Stream Team Caloriefree edition, June 3 9, 2013
With summer right around the corner, a number of folks are thinking of ways to shape up a little more before hitting the beaches. Of course, as gamers we may not understand this strange desire to actually go out in the sunlight, but we, too, can be swept up in the fervor. So The Stream Team is here to offer you some calorie-free treats to help you through your week. Each and every tasty morsel on Massively TV is guaranteed to be 100% calorie-free.

Got cravings in between your livestream meals? Just click on a rerun and snack away anytime you like! Then just sit back and watch the hours just melt away.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard
When I took over Massively last fall, I made myself a little digital post-it note in Gmail Notes that read, "Remember: You work for Joystiq, not studios." Today, I've amended that to also read, "And not commenters."

I love commenters, even the trolls sometimes when you make me laugh. You guys provide instant feedback and adoration but also entertainment and skepticism of our ideas. You're the much-maligned vocal minority of readers, and interacting with you guys and being enlightened by your mad and witty and insane posts is a highlight of my work day.

But it has to be said that the most bizarre feature of working at Massively is that legions of commenters have deemed themselves better-equipped than we are to decide what we can cover.

Continue reading Ask Massively: You can't cover WoW because of reasons

MassivelyAsk Massively: You can't cover WoW because of reasons originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's not a screenshot of Titan, but if you're excited about Titan this is really what you're interested in.
Are you looking forward to Titan? It's a bit odd, since the game hasn't had so much as a screenshot released yet, but we can understand it. If that's the case, though, we've got some bad news for you, as the project is rumored to have been completely restarted. According to an unnamed GamesBeat source, the project has had 70 people taken off its previously 100-strong workforce, with the title's release delayed until at least 2016 as a result.

Those who have followed Blizzard Entertainment for a while will remember that the last project restarted more than once was the ill-fated Starcraft: Ghost, which doesn't bode well for the future of Titan. With World of Warcraft's subscription numbers in decline, it's possible that the company is moving in a different direction. No official statements have been issued regarding the development of Titan or any expected release window for the game.

[Update: ZAM reports that Blizzard has responded to that site's queries with the following statement: "We've always had a highly iterative development process, and the unannounced MMO is no exception. We've come to a point where we need to make some large design and technology changes to the game. We're using this opportunity to shift some of our resources to assist with other projects while the core team adapts our technology and tools to accommodate these new changes. Note that we haven't announced any dates for the MMO."]

MassivelyRumor: Blizzard's Titan has fallen, won't be getting up until 2016 [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentdevelopmentmmo-industrynewsproject-titanreductionrestartrumorrumorstitanworkforce-reductionTue, 28 May 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-stats-lol-all-stars-tournament-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-stats-lol-all-stars-tournament-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-stats-lol-all-stars-tournament-an/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively Diablo III stats, LoL AllStars tournament, and new MOBAs
Path of Exile revealed plans to expand its multiplayer options with new group loot options in the next patch, which should come as good news to anyone who runs endgame maps with other players. Blizzard continued its Diablo III anniversary celebrations with an interesting new infographic packed full of stats on the game's first year of operation.

The League of Legends All-Stars tournament was a huge success, with the massive event in Shanghai being streamed live around the world. In celebration, Riot Games also released a new cinematic trailer. Russian MOBA Prime World prepared for its upcoming second closed beta event, and Infinite Crisis expanded its roster with new champion Shazam.

Upcoming sci-fi sandbox Elite: Dangerous showed off redesigned ships in its latest development newsletter, and it's not the only new game in development. This week we heard of upcoming military-themed browser MOBA Merc Elite and MOBA Dawngate, the latter of which aims to bring RTS elements back to the genre.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs

MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgall-starsbatmanbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrabend3david-brabenDawngatedcdc-comicsdev-diarydiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiie-sportseliteesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrontierfrontier-developmentsgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesinfinite-crisisjokermilitarymobamultiplayernew-titlesnivalonline-multiplayerpath-of-exilepoeprime-worldpvevprpgsandboxsci-fishootersupermanthe-jokertournamenttrailerturbinevideowarner-broswaystonewaystone-gameswonder-womanMon, 27 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: Day off edition, May 27 - June 2, 2013]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/the-stream-team-day-off-edition-may-27-june-2-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/the-stream-team-day-off-edition-may-27-june-2-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/27/the-stream-team-day-off-edition-may-27-june-2-2013/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Stream Team Day off edition, May 27 June 2, 2013
Oh, glorious day! With the exception of those chaps (and chapettes) working in emergency services and the like, many folks all over the U.S. get the chance this week to experience that all-too-rare phenomenon: the Extra Day Off. And all I can say is Hallelujah!

Extra days off are free time to sit back and do nothing without a care in the world... oh, whom are we kidding? They are often filled with all those chores and tasks you just don't have time to get to during the work week and are too exhausted to deal with during the weekend. And in the case of holidays with special meaning, perhaps your thoughts and activities are turned toward some type of special observance.

Whether your day is filled with frolicking and festivities, food and family, some combination thereof, or even none of the above, Massively TV will be right here when you have a spare moment. With plenty of live shows and lively reruns, The Stream Team will help you make the most of your day off, not to mention help you get through the rest of the week as well!

Continue reading The Stream Team: Day off edition, May 27 - June 2, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Day off edition, May 27 - June 2, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots Home sweet home
It's easy to forget that in all of these game worlds that we're adventuring through, some people allegedly live and work in these lands! Even in the very, very scary places! Reader Xexanos found this run-down house in a dark corner of The Secret World and found himself entranced by the mystery of it.

"I stumbled upon this place during my exploration of the Shadowy Forest (the name really tells you everything)," he said. "I wonder what the history behind this is."

I had just found that last week myself and was wondering that too. If any lore experts want to fill us in, please do so, otherwise head past the jump and check out all of the other great reader screenshots we have in store for you this week!

Continue reading One Shots: Home sweet home

MassivelyOne Shots: Home sweet home originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbring-back-one-shotsbuy-to-playconquestfactionfantasyfuncomgalleriesgalleryhorrormortal-onlinemythologyone-shotsopen-pvppics-or-it-didnt-happenpvpreader-screenshotsreader-submissionsriftrift-literift-planes-of-telararvrsandboxsci-fantasyscreenshotscreenshotssecret-worldskill-basedstar-vaultstarvaultsubscriptionlessthe-secret-worldthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptriontrion-worldstswuser-submissionswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 26 May 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard congratulates itself on Diablo III's anniversary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/blizzard-congratulates-itself-on-diablo-iiis-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/blizzard-congratulates-itself-on-diablo-iiis-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/blizzard-congratulates-itself-on-diablo-iiis-anniversary/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Blizzard pats itself on the back for one year of Diablo III
Diablo III is a year old, and Blizzard's celebratory anniversary gesture is one of those mile-long infographic things featuring selected statistics designed to make you ooh and ahh.

Said statistics include 67.1 million characters created world-wide, 3.3 trillion monsters killed world-wide, and 22.4 million characters that have killed Diablo. Interestingly, Blizzard left off the number of hours lost to launch server login issues, nor is there any mention of D3's much-maligned real-money auction house. You can see the full graphic after the break.

Continue reading Blizzard congratulates itself on Diablo III's anniversary

MassivelyBlizzard congratulates itself on Diablo III's anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft patch 53 is up and running
Another World of Warcraft patch day has come upon us. Patch 5.3, Escalation, is hitting the game today, bringing with it a whole host of changes from loot specialization to increased pet battle accuracy. The patch introduces a new Battleground, Deepwind Gorge, as well as a new Arena called The Tiger's Peak. Four new scenarios are being added, plus six new Heroic difficulties. The Escalation quest campaign adds new tasks for Alliance and Horde members as they prepare to remove Garrosh Hellscream from Orgrimmar.

You can read the exhaustive patch notes on the official site, and you can catch up on all the nitty gritty details on patch 5.3 on our sister site, WoW Insider.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft patch 5.3 goes live today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5.3activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentescalationfantasypatchpatch-5.3patcheswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-soapbox-diablo-iiis-auction-house-ruined-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-soapbox-diablo-iiis-auction-house-ruined-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/the-soapbox-diablo-iiis-auction-house-ruined-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Soapbox Diablo III's Auction House ruined the game
After his departure from the Diablo III development team, Game Director Jay Wilson released a statement that the introduction of an auction house "really hurt the game." While players predicted doom the moment the Real Money Auction House was announced, Jay argued that the gold auction house was equally to blame for the game's fall from grace following its absolutely stellar launch sales. I don't normally agree with what Jay has to say on Diablo III, but in this case he does have a very valid point.

Diablo II was consistently popular for over a decade thanks to its immense replayability. At its core, D2 was a game about building new characters and gearing them up by any means necessary. Every enemy in the game was a loot pinata just waiting to be popped, and players farmed endlessly for a few sought-after unique items. You almost never found an item that was ideal for your particular class and build, but you could usually trade for what you needed via trade channels and forums.

Blizzard claimed that the auction house was intended just to streamline this process, but when Diablo III launched, it was clear that the entire game had been designed to make the auction house almost necessary for progress. The fault here lies not just with the concept of an auction house but with the game designers.

That's right: I'm here to argue not only that Jay Wilson was right about the auction house ruining Diablo III but also that it was his own damn fault.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Diablo III's auction house ruined the game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website
Dota 2 celebrated the incredible sales of its world championship interactive compendium with free gifts for all players; the compendium has now sold over 266,000 units, raising the prize fund in The International to over $2,000,000 US. Third-person MOBA SMITE has recently entered the competitive tournament scene with two new weekly $1,000 tournaments. Rise of Immortals also announced its first competitive tournament since the Battle For Graxia update and revealed details of its hilariously-named ranged centaur character Murderhoof.

League of Legends revealed the new custom item set feature coming in Patch 3.7 and published a new champion spotlight video on classic ranged carry Ashe. Guardians of Middle-Earth also released its latest paid DLC character, The Mouth of Sauron, based on a character who was originally cut from the cinematic release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Diablo III celebrated the first anniversary of its release on May 15th with anniversary livestreams and a magic-find bonus for all players. The latest patch also raised the increments in which money can be sold on the Real Money Auction House to ten million in response to massive oversupply. Path of Exile revealed details of its upcoming Patch 0.1.1.0 that will add new party loot options and other features, and Star Citizen showed off its new website with a special e-commerce section in which players can buy ships for cash.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpganniversaryanniversary-eventashebattle-for-graxiabattlenetbirthdayblizzardblizzard-entertainmentCompendiumcompetitive-gamingconsolecustom-item-setCustom-Item-Setsd3dawngatediablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgaslightgodgodsgothic-fantasygraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguardians-of-middle-earthinfinite-crisisInteractive-Compendiumisisjokerleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmouth-of-sauronmultiplayermurderhoofnewsnot-so-massivelynsmone-yearone-year-anniversaryonline-multiplayeropinionpath-of-exilepetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvpriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgskarasmitethe-jokerthe-mouth-of-sauronthird-personvalvevideovideoswarner-brosxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: Monocle Day edition, May 20 - 26, 2013]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-stream-team-monocle-day-edition-may-20-26-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-stream-team-monocle-day-edition-may-20-26-2013/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/the-stream-team-monocle-day-edition-may-20-26-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Stream Team Monocle day edition, May 20 26, 2013
Two weeks ago, y'all had the chance to select a new holiday to help add some cheer to the otherwise bland weeks in the middle of May. The choices teased and tantalized you, but you're a discriminating crowd. In a race fraught with nail-biting suspense, only one ultimately prevailed. And so it is with further ado we bring to you: Monocle Day!

This Tuesday, May 21st, has been selected to be the auspicious day of this most storied celebration. Why? Because 5/21 splits into 5 + 2 + 1, which of course = 8, and we all know that 8 is just two monocles stacked on top of each other! And as always, Massively TV is here to help you ring in the new holiday, with special shows throughout the entire week. Check out the full schedule of celebratory events hosted by The Stream Team after the break. Then let us know if you'll be wearing your own monocle in honor of the festivities.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Monocle Day edition, May 20 - 26, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Monocle Day edition, May 20 - 26, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots Looming death
Hey Gwen, how's it hanging? Find that flute yet? Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure it'll turn up around here somewhere. Don't get too near the river there, girl; those skale have a nasty bite! Say, what's that sulfurous smell in the air? And those distant screams that are drawing nearer at an incredible rate? And a sudden looming premonition that the property values around here are about to take a nosedive?

Reader Sharvis sent in this Guild Wars picture with a modicum of pity: "Here is Gwen moments before the Searing. Poor girl."

Don't feel too sorry for her, Sharvis! She gets an entire expansion, after all!

Continue reading One Shots: The many lives of Gwen Thackeray

MassivelyOne Shots: The many lives of Gwen Thackeray originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 video talks us through developing console controls
Diablo III, as you (savvy, informed reader that you are) surely know, is being released for the PS3 and PS4 at some point. Bringing the game over to a new platform has been an exciting challenge for the devs, which they discuss in this shiny new dev diary video. The crucial part of porting the experience, they say, is the controller. It acts as your connection to the character and really your agency in the game world.

Skip below the cut to hear the devs talk about giving console gamers dodging, a quick equip option, and use of the touchpad.

Continue reading Diablo III devs talk about creating console controls

MassivelyDiablo III devs talk about creating console controls originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sad pandas More sub losses expected in WoW
If you thought World of Warcraft losing 14% of its users -- over one million -- during the first quarter of the year was bad, just wait; according to Activision-Blizzard, subscription numbers are expected to dip even further. Of course, even with the loss, WoW is still the most popular sub-based game in the world, but shares in the studio still dropped after the announcement was made to investors, down by nearly 5% on Wednesday .

The loss of players is coming primarily from the East, and Activision-Blizzard points to the rise of free-to-play games as the culprit. Chief Executive Bobby Kotick stated to investors, "It's important to note that the nature of online games has changed, and with the environment becoming far more competitive." So what's to be done? "To address this," he continued, "we're working to release new content more frequently to keep our players engaged longer and make it easier for lapsed players to come back into the game."

MassivelySad pandas: More sub losses expected in WoW originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 May 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentBobby-Kotickfantasymore-frequent-content-the-curesad-pandassub-losseswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 14 May 2013 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen paytowin debate, and MOBA news
Diablo III was hit with yet another exploit this week as players discovered a way to duplicate gold via a bug in the auction house. Blizzard responded by shutting down the auction house but did not perform a server rollback to reverse the damage. Star Citizen clarified its stance on the lifetime insurance available to veteran backers amidst debate over whether it gives early adopters an unfair advantage over other players. Path of Exile also released a new Letters of Wraeclast lore feature in its latest update, and MechWarrior Online's update 15 added a new Misery mech.

Dota 2 began preparations for its biggest world championship tournament yet with the release of a new Interactive Compendium that players can use to stay up to date with the matches. Rise of Immortals has now officially launched its Battle For Graxia revamp, and Infinite Crisis officially entered closed beta this week with the release of new champion The Joker. Finally, Smashmuck Champions released its hilarious new community-designed champion that's half platypus and half unicorn.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news

MassivelyNot So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team May 13 19, 2013
Nothing beats an MLT, especially when the tomato is nice and ripe! Except maybe Massively TV. MMmm mmmm. Now there's something you can really sink your teeth into -- the wild and crazy antics of your favorite Stream Team hosts! And they've got a menu for all tastes this week, from space adventures to dragons to WWII planes. Of course, it all comes with a side of reruns and a dessert highlight to complete your meal.

So pull up a chair and grab yourself a helping or two... or 10. Hey, there's no limit here; enjoy as much as you like! While you're enjoying the spread, be sure to join in the after-dinner chat in Outtakes.

Continue reading The Stream Team: MLT edition, May 13 - 19, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: MLT edition, May 13 - 19, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III restores auction house, donates duped proceeds to charity
Is there a light at the end of Diablo III's auction house woes? Blizzard is putting its best foot forward in an attempt to make it so. After a nasty gold duping exploit and the subsequent suspension of all services, the Diablo III auction house is back online -- and Blizzard is looking to save face with its return.

Production Director John Hight gave a lengthy explanation of what happened with the situation and why Blizzard responded the way it did. "Only a relatively small number of players had the billions of gold necessary to exploit the bug, and only 415 of those players chose to use this exploit for personal gain," Hight wrote. "We elected not to roll back the servers in the Americas and are instead working to remove duplicated gold from the economy through targeted audits and account actions (as indicated above) without taking away progress that our players rightfully earned."

Hight said that the studio is donating all proceeds from auctions conducted by dupers to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

MassivelyDiablo III restores auction house, donates duped proceeds to charity originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft
There's only one Western subscription MMO that can stand to lose 1.3 million subs in three months and shrug it off: World of Warcraft. But shrug it off doesn't appear to what Activision-Blizzard is doing. During the investor call that revealed the heavy sub losses, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick acknowledged the changing market and his plans to adapt with speedier content. "It's important to note that the nature of online games has changed," he said, "and [that] the environment [is] becoming far more competitive, especially with free-to-play games." And Blizzard president Mike Morhaime suggested the company is "studying" the comings and goings of players and how to entice former players to return.

Well, we don't have to look much further than Star Wars: The Old Republic's recent rejuvenation to figure out that free-to-play is one of the better ways to entice gamers to return (and open their wallets). Surely, Blizzard has to be wondering whether F2P might be a huge boost to the game as it's approaching its ninth birthday later this year. What do you think -- will World of Warcraft eventually go free-to-play, and more importantly, should it?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should World of Warcraft go free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screenshot -- Diablo III
Diablo III's auction house continues to be the stuff of legends.

You may remember that a couple of days ago, the Diablo III auction house went down for a time due to a gold duplication bug that was being rampantly exploited by players. Thankfully, a patch was deployed in a nice, timely manner, and everything ended up all right.

Or did it? Rather than performing a server rollback, which would set all Diablo III players back, Blizzard has decided to perform a complete audit of the transactions made on the auction house in order to find players guilty of utilizing the gold duplication exploit. Unfortunately, Blizz was a bit conservative in its estimate of how long the auction house would be down. While there's currently no new ETA for the auction house's return, a post by Blizzard CM Lylirra states that the studio anticipates the AH being down for "at least another 24 hours" while the audits are in progress.

MassivelyDiablo III auction house down for 'at least another 24 hours' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft's Algalon
The world's most popular MMO has gotten a bit less popular in the last few months, it would seem. During today's quarterly investor call, Activision-Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft's subscriber numbers are down to 8.3 million. While that's still nothing to thumb your nose at, it does represent a significant decline from the 9.6 million subscribers the game was reported to have last February.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft loses over a million subs since February, now down to 8.3 million originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III gold dupe bug fixed with no rollback
Oh Diablo III's auction house, you are the stuff of legends.

Late last night, Blizzard took Diablo III's auction house offline to deal with a gold duplication bug that was discovered to be exploited by players. All gold trades were halted at the time, and Blizzard had a patch in place within 30 minutes.

But it's the later update that concerned many D3 fans as Blizzard announced that it wouldn't be rolling back the server, but instead, dealing with each individual offending account on a case-by-case basis. This is more time-consuming for the dev team, but has much less of an impact on the community as a whole.

MassivelyDiablo III gold dupe bug fixed with no rollback originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prepping for patch day in WoW
Are you anticipating World of Warcraft's 5.3 patch that's on the horizon? If so, Blizzard offers a handy preparation guide to help you get ready for it. Among the proffered hints is one to keep ahold of some of the currencies earned throughout patch 5.2 as the gear-upgrading Void Binders are returning. The guide offers a breakdown of associated costs for various gear and the different currencies. Also revealed is an 33% reduction in the XP needed to level from 85 to 90.

The guide continues with suggestions for item level requirements for various scenarios and dungeons, information on changes to lesser charms of good fortune, and an update on PvP Season 13. And if you haven't played in a while but intend to after the patch, save some time by making sure your game is up-to-date as well as any UI add-ons.

MassivelyPrepping for patch day in WoW originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentfantasygear-upgradespatch-day-preparation-guidePvP-Season-13upgrading-gearVoid-Binderswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowXP-requirement-reductionWed, 08 May 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/jukebox-heroes-wrath-of-the-lich-kings-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jukebox Heroes Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack
After my so-so review of The Burning Crusade's score a few months ago, I'm sure a few of you thought I was barking mad. World of Warcraft is well-known for great orchestra pieces, but I stick by saying that most of the brilliant stuff stayed the heck away from Outland. Fortunately, the sound quality got a lot better when we went up north for Wrath of the Lich King in 2008.

The score was composed and arranged by Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Matt Uelmen, Neal Acree, and Glenn Stafford. As to be expected by that name sandwich, the score features a lot of variety. While there are epic chants and the like that are to be expected from WoW, there's also a lonely, savage feel to the music that represents these far-off lands. There's also a lot of blowing wind that segues between tracks if you listen to the album straight through, and if that doesn't make you envision a snow-blasted landscape, I don't know what would.

The liner notes say that "this is the music of ice and despair, a dirge and a call to arms." I couldn't put it better myself. Let's dive into my picks for the best tracks from this score, shall we?

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack

MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Wrath of the Lich King's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset
This week is packed with MOBA news as almost every major title released a new patch. Infinite Crisis introduced new champions Poison Ivy and Gaslight Catwoman and announced that the game's closed beta will start in two days' time on May 8th. SMITE introduced new Norse god Fenrir the Unbound, and League of Legends released a champion spotlight on new Ice Witch champion Lissandra. Dota 2 also released new hero Elder Titan based on the original DotA hero Tauren Chieftain, and Heroes of Newerth released several months of balance changes at once in its colossal version 3.1 update.

Star Citizen celebrated hitting $9 million US in its ongoing crowdfunding campaign, and to celebrate, developers controversially gave all current backers free lifetime insurance on their ships. The title's success has also spurred EVE Online developer CCP Games to show off its own virtual reality dogfighter called EVR that uses the upcoming Oculus Rift headset.

Diablo III's first anniversary is just over a week away; details of any celebrations haven't yet been released. Developers confirmed that the PlayStation 4 version will not be getting mouse and keyboard support and that the PC version won't be getting support for analog controllers. For those of you up for some oldschool dungeon-crawling, Diablo II also announced that its ladder will be reset on May 14th this week and all players will start the game fresh again.

Continue reading Not So Massively: MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset

MassivelyNot So Massively: MOBA patch week, Star Citizen hits $9 million, and Diablo II ladder reset originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team Seis de Mayo edition, May 6 12, 2013
You have to agree, May is one month that's full of holidays. The first week alone contains May Day, (unofficial) Star Wars Day, and Cinco de Mayo. But the party doesn't stop there! Following quickly on the heels of these is perhaps one you are less familiar with: Seis de Mayo.

Not unlike its cousin the day before, Seis de Mayo is a day of celebration; however, this celebration centers on freedom from boredom via visual entertainment. No, really! And to commemorate the day, we're releasing an all-new Massively TV schedule, giving you the means to celebrate the whole week through with The Stream Team. If you can't celebrate live, just tune into a rerun and party whenever.

Well, even if you don't believe us, you can still commemorate the occasion with us. Just check out the past the cut for a heaping helping of daily festivities.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Seis de Mayo edition, May 6 - 12, 2013

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Seis de Mayo edition, May 6 - 12, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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