Massively

Earthrise shutting down today

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Earthrise, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Bulgarian developer Masthead Studios has announced that it's shutting down the servers for its post-apocalyptic sandbox MMO, Earthrise. Said Atanas Atanasov, Director of Masthead Studios:

"One year after the launch of the game, we have decided to stop the Earthrise servers. Earthrise was released too early and did not meet the expectations of its fans. We did our best to revive the game in 2011, but the time was not enough to keep up with the user requirements. There is a huge interest in high quality open world sandbox MMORPGs, unfortunately the big publishers do not show any interest in the genre. It is unfortunate that low budget companies like ours are trying to bring innovativeness in the already saturated MMO market. I hope that one day an independent studio will be able to release the long anticipated open world sandbox MMO, which everyone is talking about, but no one is making. We tried, but did not succeed. We would like to apologize to those who were disappointed from Earthrise and to thank everyone who supported us during the years."

The studio does mention that the planned free-to-play version for this year may still launch if any investor interest is shown, but there has been no word on this yet.

[Source: Masthead Studios press release]

Earthrise shutting down today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Closed beta sign-ups begin for DUST 514

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, New titles, DUST 514

The time has come! CCP has announced earlier today that sign-ups are now open for DUST 514's closed beta.

Dubbed Mordu's Private Trials, this closed beta test is currently only open to active EVE Online subscribers, and is only available on the Playstation 3, as the game will be exclusive to that platform.

If you're an active EVE Online subscriber and you'd like to sign up, head on over to the sign-up page for your chance.

Closed beta sign-ups begin for DUST 514 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect World Entertainment confirms Star Trek Online going F2P this year

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online

File this one under "Stuff we Missed from Last Week": Thanks to the keen eye of reader The First Avenger, we've learned that Perfect World Entertainment plans to turn Star Trek Online free-to-play by the end of this year.

"And also Star Trek Online, after the acquisition, in fact Cryptic is working on the free-to-play model for Star Trek Online," Perfect World Entertainment's CEO, Kelvin Lau, said in a recent earnings call for Q2 2011. "This is going to be launched by the end of this year as well. So I think free-to-play model we have a bigger potential in US market and also in China market."

This news should be no surprise to anyone who knows that PWE's portfolio consists of F2P games, and it was inevitable that STO would follow in the footsteps of its older brother, Champions Online. We'll keep you posted on more details as they become available.

Perfect World Entertainment confirms Star Trek Online going F2P this year originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Massively Interviews, Post-Apocalyptic

After last month's announcement by GamersFirst that the company is taking over the hardware side of Fallen Earth, most of us made the obvious connection that the post-apocalyptic MMO would be heading into free-to-play territory. Even while hinting at it in a recent E3 interview, GamersFirst never really came out and said anything definitively.

Well, it has now. Today, GamersFirst has given us the exclusive news that it will be taking over the operations of Fallen Earth immediately. Of course, following all other games in the GamersFirst library, Fallen Earth will also adopt a F2P business model.

But what does this mean for the development of Fallen Earth? Will GamersFirst take over production and content design? Just how free will the game be? Follow along after the jump for answers to those questions and more.

Continue reading GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model

GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR's Sith Inquisitor shows unlimited power!

Larry Everett — Thu, 12 May 2011 23:30:00 EST

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

In the new video released by BioWare, we are shown that brute force is not the ultimate power in the universe. Sometimes the power of the mind carries far greater dominion over your enemies than a physical assault. The Sith Inquisitor commands the Force with a thought and defeats her foes with a wave of her hand.

The Sith Inquisitor is one of the most diverse classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Not only can she wield the Force to destroy her opponent, but she can also use it to heal and deflect incoming attacks, making her great for tanking.

Gamespot revealed the latest class trailer from SWTOR, which you can catch after the break. Follow the journey of the Sith Inquisitor from her humble start on the Sith homeworld of Korriban to her influence over political leaders of the galaxy. Then hop over to read Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller's words about this class-that-fills-all-roles.

Continue reading SWTOR's Sith Inquisitor shows unlimited power!

SWTOR's Sith Inquisitor shows unlimited power! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 May 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft reveals juicy details on Aion 2.1, item drop rates substantially increased

Jef Reahard — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, News items

Aion is the lucky recipient of "the single biggest change ever implemented by NCsoft across its entire portfolio of games." Version 2.1 is hitting the Public Test Server (PTS) today, with a launch date for the live shards currently scheduled for November 17th. What's so special about 2.1, you're probably asking?

In a nutshell, loot, and lots of it. More specifically, significantly increased drop rates are the order of the day. Now, we've heard the jokes as well. "Significant" means an increase from .01 to .02 percent, right? Wrong, as this time NCsoft means business. Aion's devs have offered up some specific statistics via press release, and you'll want to check out the tables after the cut for all the details.

If you've spent much time in the lands of Atreia, you're probably familiar with Beshmundir's Temple and the named bosses contained therein that players often farm for loot. Over a period of 20 Perilous Path Temple runs, testers collected 138 total loot items. Of these, 121 were fabled quality (including wings), and 17 were eternal. Similarly, NCsoft testers cataloged 20 runs through the famed Dark Poeta dungeon, recording all loot items acquired from Spiritmaster Atmach to Brigade General Anuhart. A total of 68 fabled items dropped, which averages out to 3.4 per run. This was also sans the final boss, so the actual numbers will likely be higher.

Finally, NCsoft is also gifting players with the new Aion Adventure Guide. According to the press release, the guide will "give players advice on where to find level-appropriate in-game content that will help with progression and reward them with items along the way. Crafted in-game messages and guides let players know where to go to find game content (quests, instances) that help progress them to the next level and give them hints on how to use new areas, such as the Abyss, and systems, such as Stigma Stones to their advantage."

Don't forget to fly past the cut for a detailed breakdown of the Beshmundir Temple runs in table format.

Continue reading NCsoft reveals juicy details on Aion 2.1, item drop rates substantially increased

NCsoft reveals juicy details on Aion 2.1, item drop rates substantially increased originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More jobs cut from Fallen Earth

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, MMO industry, News items, Post-Apocalyptic

It's always heartbreaking to hear of a company's being required to lay off staff, especially so when it's in a game one really enjoys. Fallen Earth, long a favorite with a handful of the staff members here at Massively, has just laid off three very well-known and well-loved members of its team. The impacted members who have been laid off today are Producer Dave "Archangel" Haydysch, Marketing Director Jessica "Circatrix" Orr, and Director of Content Development Wes "Canticle" Platt.

We reached out to the team over at Fallen Earth, LLC/Icarus Studios for an official statement about the layoffs, considering we saw the last round of layoffs and restructuring in April this year. While there are no greatly illuminating details to the reply, today's announcement, coupled with the prior layoffs, doesn't generally bode well for this gritty indie MMO. For those curious about the team's reply, we've posted it behind the break.

Continue reading More jobs cut from Fallen Earth

More jobs cut from Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online going F2P

Patrick Mackey — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, Free-to-play, Champions Online

It's a pretty wild day for fans of Champions Online. In a surprising move, executive producer Shannon Posniewski announced in his most recent State of the Game that Champions will be adopting a free-to-play model.

This announcement isn't the only shocker for fans of the superhero MMO. New heroes in CO will be able to choose an "Archetype," a class-like build that streamlines the character creation process and makes the elaborate power selection mechanics a little easier to use. Existing superheroes and new fully-customized Champions will require a paid subscription, but the majority of the game's content, including the costume editor, the zones and expansion packs will be completely free.

Cryptic has included a full list of all the various features that Silver (free accounts) and Gold (subscriber accounts) will be able to access. This is definitely a bold move by the game's producers, and only time will tell if it pans out for them. What can be sure is that it will get a lot of new users to take the plunge and try the game out.

Champions Online going F2P originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: The Old Republic space combat on rails?

Jef Reahard — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:15:00 EST

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

Those of you looking for levels of complexity and immersion comparable to X-Wing Vs. TIE Fighter or Star Wars Galaxies' Jump to Lightspeed might want to hold your horses prior to pinning your hopes on BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. The forthcoming MMORPG is rumored to feature space combat "on rails," which basically means it could be nothing more than a mini-game or a "tunnel shooter" that severely restricts player movement in the form of pre-set paths and goals.

While this is currently unofficial information, you can find a detailed write-up at the German fansite known as Online Welten. Purportedly, site contributors were privy to an upcoming article in PC Action magazine which goes into detail about some of the mechanics.

Check out the original article (auf Deutsch) or the Google-translated version.

Rumor: The Old Republic space combat on rails? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth mobile app goes live

Jef Reahard — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Fallen Earth, News items, Massively Interviews, Massively Hands-on, Post-Apocalyptic

Those hard-working wasteland crafters over at Icarus Studios are taking the wraps off their latest creation, as today not only brings the new Patch 1.5, but also marks the launch of the Fallen Earth Companion App for Android and iPhone mobile units. Developed in a partnership with AFK Interactive, the app allows real-time access to the Fallen Earth game server and gives players the ability to perform a number of in-game functions on the go.

While life for your post-apocalyptic clone characters couldn't be much tougher, the Companion App makes your out-of-game life a breeze by allowing you to:

View the world map
Examine character pages and gear
Check active crafting recipes
Browse auction house bids
Chat with clan members and online friends
Check in-game mail
View Achievements (iPhone version only)

"The degree of mobile interactivity is unparalleled. Players now have the ability to interact with the live game server in ways that, until now, weren't possible without a PC," said Icarus CEO Phil Hall. In addition to the launch day functionality, Icarus and AFK are already planning future upgrades, including the ability to buy and sell from the auction house, send in-game mail and attachments and craft new items.

You can pick up the Companion App via iTunes or the Android App Store for $1.99 (USD). The Blackberry version will be available in the coming weeks for $2.99.

Want to see it for yourself before buying? Check out our exclusive video presentation of the app on the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms right after the jump.

Continue reading Fallen Earth mobile app goes live

Fallen Earth mobile app goes live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Updated] Lord of the Rings Online going free-to-play this fall

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play

There's been a lot of speculation that was largely wishful thinking, but it's been confirmed this morning: Lord of the Rings Online is going free-to-play.

Yes, you heard that right. "LOTRO will introduce Turbine's innovative new pricing model that allows players to download the game and play for free, purchase expansions, quest packs, items, and account services a la carte from the new LOTRO Store, or join the VIP program to get unlimited access to all of the game's content for one low price."

The news gets even better, as the offer is not restricted to Turbine players. The update will launch this fall across North America and Europe -- Codemasters will also be adopting the pricing structure.

The beta program for the new free-to-play model will launch June 16th, and anyone interested in participating can sign up on the LotRO site.

[Update] The Loyalty Rewards Program has been updated to reflect the upcoming free-to-play model.

[Update 2] We've caught up with Turbine and scored an interview with them, answering many of your burning questions!

[Updated] Lord of the Rings Online going free-to-play this fall originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DCUO release window announced

Jef Reahard — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, News items, DC Universe Online

Break out the underoos, superhero fans, as another tights-flavored MMORPG is nearing release. Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe Online is flying your way this November, and will be launching simultaneously on the PC and PS3 platforms.

IGN has a preview of the game, including a brief look at DC notables like Harley Quinn, Robin, and Nightwing. If you've ever wanted to take missions from Bruce Wayne, or explore the streets of Metropolis, SOE has your game. They also apparently have some notable voice actors lined up to breathe life into the virtual DC-flavored playground. "A Sony Online Entertainment rep said that the company wasn't ready to announce voice actors yet but that you should expect familiar folks behind the characters you know," IGN writes.

Check out the original article, as well as the official DCUO website.

DCUO release window announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Secret World Q&A with Ragnar Tornquist

Jef Reahard — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, News items, The Secret World

Funcom Senior Assistant Community Manager Glen "Famine" Swan has dropped a gem of a post on the official forums for the forthcoming MMORPG known as The Secret World. The development team has been collecting questions from the community for some time, and the answers are being rolled out in a series of Q&A-style posts.

Game Director Ragnar Tornquist fields the questions for this first installment, and talks about a wide range of topics including social events, open versus linear game design, and magical variety in the game world. "There's going to be tons of variety in terms of what kind of magic players can learn and how they can use it - both in terms of visuals and gameplay - and that also goes for the magic weapons players get to wield. But it's still magic of our world, not a world of elves and dwarves and dragons (well, um, sort of), and it'll feel as such. There's voodoo, illusionism, demonology - magics that belong in the darkest corners of Earth, not in some high fantasy world," Tornquist says.

Check out the full session over at the official forums.

The Secret World Q&A with Ragnar Tornquist originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB payment model, launch date, and pre-order revealed

Jef Reahard — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, New titles, News items, All Points Bulletin, Crime

Realtime Worlds' forthcoming urban crime MMORPG All Points Bulletin has finally been dated. The title will launch in North America on June 29 and on July 2 in Europe.

In addition to the street date, Realtime Worlds has unveiled the payment model, which looks to parcel out sections of game play via micro payments. The retail client will be available digitally or in stores ($49.99/£34.99/€49.99) and will include 50 hours of 'action' game play plus unlimited time in the social districts. These districts include character customizing, socializing, and marketplace trading. Once you burn through your initial 50 hours of action play, you can purchase an additional 20 hours for $6.99 (£5.59, €6.29) or opt for the 30-day 'unlimited' package at $9.99 (£7.99, €8.99). There will also be 90 and 180 day discounts available.

Your retail box (or download) will also include 100 RTW points which can be put towards additional game time and other perks to be announced. Players will be able to convert their in-game customizations into items that can be traded to friends or put on the marketplace. RTW points can also be converted to game time or in-game currency.

Realtime Worlds also announced the pre-order perks for All Points Bulletin. Early customers will get 10 hours of additional action game time, a key to the city which allows pre-launch event access, exclusive clothing, decals, emotes, and a custom vehicle. Check out the pre-order video as well as the launch press release.

[Thanks to APB-evolved.com for the heads up!]

APB payment model, launch date, and pre-order revealed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC10: Hands-on with the Fallen Earth iPhone app

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Events, real-world, Interviews, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage

Ever since hearing last November that Icarus Studios was working on an iPhone app for Fallen Earth, we've been starving for details. Count it as a road warrior's dream fulfilled, then, as Massively sat down with Associate Project Manager Dave Haydysch at GDC for a hands-on demo of this beefy application.

"My goal was to make this mirror the experience in Fallen Earth as closely as possible without moving around in the game," Haydysch said. "Whatever is going on in the game right now, is going on in the background [of this app]." Designed to keep players connected with the MMO no matter where they may be, the app has an astounding array of functionality for Fallen Earth's players.

After logging in through 3G or WiFi, the familiar Fallen Earth UI offers you several options to check out your character, crafting, maps, social, auction house, inventory and help. Hit the jump and we'll give you the skinny on each of these functions!

Continue reading GDC10: Hands-on with the Fallen Earth iPhone app

GDC10: Hands-on with the Fallen Earth iPhone app originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gods & Heroes returns from the dead

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Gods and Heroes, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Massively Interviews

How many here remember Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising? We're hoping most of you, as the highly-anticipated MMO was near completion before it was scrapped in 2007. Perpetual Entertainment, who was also developing the first incarnation of Star Trek Online at the time, officially shut its doors in 2008, presumably killing any chance that Gods & Heroes would see the light of day. Until today.

Heatwave Interactive has announced today that it has acquired the intellectual property rights and all assets for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising to further production and pick up where Perpetual left off. We were able to sit down for a brief interview with Heatwave co-founder and CEO, Anthony Castoro, on this acquisition news. Keep reading after the jump for more information on Heatwave's plans for the game and more like it in the near future.

Continue reading Gods & Heroes returns from the dead

Gods & Heroes returns from the dead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allods Online responds to player concern over cash shop

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Allods Online

As we reported earlier this morning, the Allods Online item shop went live during open beta today, but the player feedback wasn't exactly positive. The main issue here being what fans felt were unusually high prices for in-game items.

Tonight, gPotato officially responded to the outrage, literally apologizing for the communication breakdown that happened today. "We made a mistake by not letting you, our most passionate players know when the item shop was going to go live and we didn't make the effort to learn more about how all of you feel regarding the contents of the item shop." Later in the statement, they've clarified a major concern on the minds of those interested in making Allods their main MMO: "You can still enjoy the entire game without ever having to spend a single cent."

When asked for a comment, Associate Producer Darren Allarde said to Massively, "We really appreciate the support from Massively.com and its readers. Again, we read every piece of feedback, so if there are comments anyone would like to make regarding Allods Online, please send it our way!"

Be sure to take a look at the entire official response for more on how the Allods team hopes to rectify the situation, and how you can contact them with any concerns you may have.

Allods Online responds to player concern over cash shop originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runes of Magic Chapter III to arrive in May

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

Runes of Magic fans will be happy to hear that Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms will be launching in May to whisk them away to a brand new continent with a shiny new level cap.

The kingdom of Dalanis is in an uproar, with a young king on the throne and a horde of schemers behind it. As players arrive to try and sort things out, they'll find a wealth of new content and features, beginning with a new level cap of 60. Players level 55 and over will learn the history of the ancient kingdom as they explore hundreds of new quests, beginning with the area of Thunderhoof Hills.

Quite a few old familiar features will be expanded and improved, and May suddenly seems pretty far off for level 55 players anxious for new challenges. An extensive sneak peek is available now, so pass some time exploring what Frogster has released so far. If you are still impatient, we're sure the Demon Lord will be happy to occupy your time until then.

Runes of Magic Chapter III to arrive in May originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allods Online set to enter open beta on February 16th

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Allods Online

Allods Online surprised us last November, seeming to come out of nowhere and offering an extensive, polished game even in beta. The game has been cycling through several rounds of closed beta since then, adding more content with each round and allowing beta testers to further explore their world.

Fans of the game who didn't manage to score a closed beta key during that time have something to be happy about today: open beta for Allods Online in Europe and North America will begin next Tuesday, February 16th. Not only that, but all characters created during the open beta will not be deleted.

If you're curious about the game, check out our previous coverage and prepare yourself for the awesomeness the right way.

[Thanks Kane!]

Allods Online set to enter open beta on February 16th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, News items, MetaPlace

The Metaplace development team made the announcement today that no fan of a game likes to hear: "Today we have unfortunate news to share with the Metaplace community. We will be closing down our service on January 1, 2010 at 11:59pm Pacific." The bottom line to the reasoning behind the decision is that Metaplace simply is not making enough headway to be a viable (read: profitable) product. Fans will surely have a number of questions about this, and the community team has provided a FAQ to answer most of them.

While it's sad news for both staff -- a significant number of whom have been laid off due to the closure -- and fans of Metaplace, the community team is holding their heads up and maintaining an optimistic outlook. The goodbye party on January first is being treated as a celebration of the fun that's been had, rather than a gathering to mourn the ending. Community Manager Tami Baribeau also shared some hopeful news in a blog post: "Metaplace, Inc. as a company (and as a tool) isn't going away. We have whole new shift of focus ahead of us and a smaller team set out to accomplish some big goals."

Our sympathies are with the staff members affected by this, and with everyone who has invested their time, creativity, and effort in Metaplace. However, we join their team in looking forward to the good things anticipated by the company.

Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA releases new information on their upcoming MMO

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, New titles, News items, Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond

Back in November, we talked about an exciting space MMO in the works from NASA, called Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond. The information they had at the time was pretty extensive, and left us anxious to find out more and try it out.

We're getting our wish, as NASA has announced that Moonbase Alpha, a "mini-demo game', will be available on Steam around January of 2010. Moonbase Alpha gives a real look at NASA Constellation program design details that are planned by NASA for 2020.

The full game is set farther in the future -- around the year 2035 -- "but the ability to explore our own near-future moon missions are in scope in the much-anticipated STEM-learning game sponsored by NASA Learning Technologies."

NASA releases new information on their upcoming MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyzing the newest Guild Wars 2 trailer

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Races

ArenaNet has a very early, very wonderful holiday gift for Guild Wars fans this morning: a brand new Guild Wars 2 trailer. (Take a moment to cheer, then we'll move on.) The trailer is amazingly beautiful, something we've come to expect from ArenaNet and particularly Guild Wars 2. But if you don't let yourself get distracted by the eye candy -- something that is admittedly hard to do -- there is a lot of new information here, including more details on people and places we've already heard of, and some fascinating possibilities to explore.

Take a look at the video here, then follow along with us as we explore this new information from ArenaNet. If you're unfamiliar with Guild Wars 2, this will help you get acquainted, but we also have some deep lore speculation for current Guild Wars fans. (The video can also be found at the official Guild Wars 2 site.)

Continue reading Analyzing the newest Guild Wars 2 trailer

Analyzing the newest Guild Wars 2 trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allods Online closed beta begins today and we have more keys!

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, News items, Giveaways, Allods Online

Last week, we announced an upcoming closed beta test for Allods Online, with 500 keys to give out to the Massively readers. Since that went so well (the keys were gone in less than two hours!), we've been given 1k more to kick off the official CBT1, which starts at 2pm ET today. This first stage of closed beta covers levels 1-10 for both League and Empire sides, including all races, classes, and relevant zones. The beta test will run from November 10th through November 24th.

To grab your key, head on over to our giveaway page and follow the directions there. Remember, it doesn't start until 2pm ET today, so you have plenty of time to download and be ready!

Allods Online closed beta begins today and we have more keys! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's Allods Online closed beta key giveaway

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Massively Meta, Giveaways, Allods Online

North American Closed Beta Test 1 is beginning on November 10th for Allods Online, and we're happy to throw a few keys out to our loyal readers. We have 500 to give out, thanks to our friends at gPotato, so they may go quickly. Simply head on over to our giveaway page and follow the directions there.

You can download the game from this link, but it won't be available until 2pm EDT today. You can also take a look at their main website to find out some interesting tidbits about the expansiveness of the game and its award-winning development team.

[Update: Make sure to only enter the numbers after the comma in the beta code you receive. Thanks!]

Massively's Allods Online closed beta key giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interplay's in-house lawyer corrects Fallout MMO injunction rumors

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

Interplay and Bethesda are continuing to tussle in court over the proposed Fallout MMO, and you may have heard news earlier this week about Interplay's triumph over Bethesda in regards to a preliminary injunction. Well, don't get too excited just yet, because unfortunately it looks like reports got misinterpreted.

Interplay's in-house lawyer jumped in today to correct the rumors that have been flying around for the past few days at various Fallout fansites. Read what he had to say after the jump.

Gallery: Fallout MMO Concepts

Continue reading Interplay's in-house lawyer corrects Fallout MMO injunction rumors

Interplay's in-house lawyer corrects Fallout MMO injunction rumors originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Spy, Global Agenda

Good news for you Global Agenda fans out there, as Hi-Rez Studios announced their pricing structure today for the upcoming spy-fi MMO. In a phone call this morning to Executive Producer Todd Harris, we learned that the game will have a few options, depending on your playing style. If you'd like to play Global Agenda as a multi-player, hub-based shooter, all you need to do is buy the box. There will be no subscription fees at all.

If you'd like to take part in large-scale Alliance vs. Alliance battles throughout a persistent world, then the subscription model would be for you. This sub model also opens up other features, like the Auction House, mail system and more. This is what any MMO player would want, while the subscription-free option would cater more towards your average Call of Duty fan. Keep reading after the jump for complete details on Global Agenda's payment model, feature comparison and details and their newest projected launch window.

Continue reading Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda

Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cryptic confirms Star Trek Online first quarter 2010 release

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios unveiled Star Trek Online over a year ago, and since then we've had lots of questions. One of the foremost is the same with any highly anticipated game: When? The answer we've been waiting for is finally here: Craig Zinkievich, Star Trek Online's executive producer, confirmed the news to Videogamer.com. "Without giving you the date, which I'm not allowed to give out or else the marketing people will come and smack me in the back of the head, I can tell you that the game will be out the first quarter of 2010."

Possibly risking that smack on the back of the head anyway, Zinkievich went on to give a little more information, mentioning the closed beta. "The closed beta is really just right around the corner. I think that there's a press release that's going to go out in just a couple of days."

We're just as excited as you are, so we'll be keeping a very close eye out for that announcement.

Cryptic confirms Star Trek Online first quarter 2010 release originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win yourself a Guild Wars 2 art book from Massively

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Contests, Lore, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Giveaways

During PAX this summer, ArenaNet announced a new art book, showcasing the amazing talent that they've somehow been able to harness all in one studio. This book was given away at the convention and is now sold at their Penny Arcade or NCsoft online store, but will not be available anywhere else. That's why we're extra happy to announce that we're giving one away to a lucky winner this week.

As part of our commitment to never accept gifts from publishers, we're giving away this art book (valued at $30) in a random drawing. To enter, simply reply to this post between now and Friday, October 16th at 8am EDT. At that time, a winner will be chosen and contacted. Limit one entry per person. Winners must 18+ and live in the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Check out our complete contest rules page for more information on eligibility.

Before we pry our hands from this coveted hardcover book, we took some photos of a few pages to let you know what you're trying for. Follow along in the gallery below for only a sample of what to expect.

[Update: Comments are now closed, winner to be contacted shortly]

Gallery: Guild Wars 2 Art Book

Win yourself a Guild Wars 2 art book from Massively originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Runners shutting down in January

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeon Runners, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

In the No-Surpise-to-Anyone category, we have news that NCsoft's Dungeon Runners will be closing its doors on January 1, 2010. We only say no surprise because of the fact that the game has been running on a handful of devs for quite a long time now, which is a shame, because Dungeon Runners is actually a fun little game.

Staying true to their wonderful sense of humor, Stephen Nichols, DR's Producer and Lead Programmer, released a statement yesterday detailing the closure. He certainly doesn't butter it up at all as he explains that the game just isn't turning a profit, regardless of their efforts over the last year. They're now down to a 3-man team, which is near impossible for any studio to use in maintaining a game.

Luckily, for those currently subscribed to the game, some treats are coming your way, including free City of Heroes Architect Edition and Guild Wars Chapter 1: Prophecies. So if you've never played Dungeon Runners before, you have a little over three months to jump in for free and check it out before the game shuts down for good.

Dungeon Runners shutting down in January originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms officially hits 5m users

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Massively Event Coverage

Even though Free Realms had been rumored to hit 5 millions users last month, it was made official today at the Austin Game Developer's Conference. During John Smedley's keynote, the SOE President discussed the history of the game's development, as well as some demographic numbers. As you might imagine, it's difficult to create an MMO for kids, with an average MMO player age at 33.

There was also some interesting data released about the top five marketplace items and jobs in the game. Not surprisingly, all of these top five jobs are available to free players, with Brawler taking that number one spot. Look for our complete write-up of Smed's keynote, which involves much more than just Free Realms, coming soon.

Gallery: AGDC09: John Smedley keynote

Free Realms officially hits 5m users originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's Star Trek Online beta key giveaway

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Contests, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Star Trek Online, Giveaways

The gods of Star Trek are shining down on us! Or maybe it's just Cryptic Studios being extra generous to the readers at Massively! Either way, we have five Star Trek Online beta keys to give out to you!

Starting today and running until next Tuesday, September 22nd, you will have your chance to win one of five exclusive closed beta keys for Star Trek Online. To enter, simply add a comment (only one per user) to this post describing what you anticipate most from STO. Then, next Wednesday, we will choose five random commenters as the winners. Keep in mind that this closed beta doesn't start until ~~next month~~, but your beta key will secure a spot in that beta. Best of luck!

[Edit: Cryptic clarified with us that the exact date of the closed beta is not certain at this point.]

[Edit 2: Comments are now closed, the winners will be contact by Cryptic soon.]

Massively's Star Trek Online beta key giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: North American Aion servers to be located on east coast

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, New titles

One of our keen-eyed readers tipped us off as to a forum post by Ayase, aka Sebastian Streiffert, Aion's community manager, which confirmed an original email stating that North American servers will be located on the east coast. Forum-goers whipped themselves up into a frenzy quite quickly over this news, especially those residing in the Oceanic region.

Gamers from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are often faced with crippling latency issues when playing on servers located stateside. This is usually mitigated by having some west coast servers or actual dedicated Oceanic servers. Since Aion has such a focus on PvP(vE) where lightning fast reflexes and speedy server responsiveness matter especially, you can kind of understand their concerns. Ayase's response after the cut confirms this news and tries to assuage their fears.

Continue reading Breaking: North American Aion servers to be located on east coast

Breaking: North American Aion servers to be located on east coast originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth launch date moved up to September 15th

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, New titles, News items

The Fallen Earth team has announced today that they will be pushing the launch day of their post-apocalyptic MMO up to September 15th. Originally, the launch date was to be six days earlier, but because of some concerns over server and client optimization issues, they've decided to push it back.

"We've seen a lot of new beta testers online recently and we've gotten insight into things that need to be tweaked," said Colin Dwan, project manager for Fallen Earth. "Our primary concern is making sure game play experience is as smooth as possible on launch day."

Open beta testers will still be able to play as usual, but those who pre-ordered the game will begin on September 9th instead of the previously-announced early start date of September 4th.

Fallen Earth launch date moved up to September 15th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 news coming this week?

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2

It has been such a long time since we've heard anything on ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2. In fact, the game has been so quiet over the years (yes, it has been over 2 years) that we often find ourselves reporting on every single tidbit we find, and then some.

Well, now we get official word from ArenaNet's president himself that solid news is coming. According to Mike O'Brien's wiki talk page, we should expect some information on Guild Wars 2 in what he's calling "an exciting week ahead". With PAX coming in two short weeks, could this be an announcement of GW2 being shown there? We're excited to find out ourselves, but in the mean time, check out the animated logo on the main Guild Wars 2 website, and follow along after the jump for Mike O'Brien's exact quote.

Continue reading Guild Wars 2 news coming this week?

Guild Wars 2 news coming this week? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: ArenaNet co-founder leaves NCsoft

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aion, Guild Wars, MMO industry, Guild Wars 2

MMORPG.com is reporting that both Jeff Strain and David Reid have recently departed NCsoft West. Strain, the President of Product Development for the newly-restructured NCsoft West and Reid, the President of Publishing are both said to have left for "unrelated" reasons.

Jeff Strain has always been much more than just a co-founder of ArenaNet, as his visions have driven the company to spectacular feats with their blockbuster title Guild Wars. David Reid was brought on last year with the newly-announced NC West, which aimed to re-structure the company on the tails of Tabula Rasa's closing. Does this spell even more bad news for NCsoft, only a month before they launch Aion? According to a press release from NCsoft West Public Relations Director Ryan James, "These changes do not influence any other teams, development schedules or other launches." That may be true, but it's the reputation that seems to be in the most trouble now. We wish Mr. Strain and Mr. Reid the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Breaking: ArenaNet co-founder leaves NCsoft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE Seattle staff departures shouldn't affect The Agency

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, The Agency, Spy

In the wake of the recent layoffs at SOE, we're now getting word from Eurogamer that some voluntary departures had happened at the beginning of the month as well. Studio Director and Executive Producer Matt Wilson, Art Director Corey Dangel, and Producer John Smith had all left the Seattle studio to form a new venture called Detonator Games. This Seattle studio is currently producing the upcoming espionage MMO The Agency.

Eurogamer also states that a source "in the Seattle game development community" suggested to them that this means some major changes to The Agency, possibly delaying it beyond its projected 2010 release date. SOE responded to that rumor by saying, "The Agency is not undergoing a reboot of any sorts - that is incorrect. The team in Seattle is still working diligently on this project and we're looking forward to showing you new content in the future."

Whether these departures will affect the production of The Agency or not, we'll just have to wait and see. What we do know for sure is that the game is playable and looks quite good, according to a demo we saw at E3 earlier this year. Best of luck to the SOE Seattle team and to Detonator Games for whatever project they may be developing.

SOE Seattle staff departures shouldn't affect The Agency originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online pre-orders delayed by two weeks

James Egan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, New titles, News items, Mortal Online

We announced some details about the Mortal Online pre-order which was slated to kick off today in the game's online store. However the Mortal Online developers, Star Vault, announced there will be a two-week delay with the launch of the Mortal Online online store.

Star Vault CEO Henrik Nystrom announced: "On the 25th of June we brought you some good stuff, but today we have to bring you bad news. We have been working very hard to get the shop up and for it to accept different methods of payment, however it's not obvious we have been too optimistic this time as we have encountered several last-minute problems.

More information and a new schedule will be announced on the Mortal Online game store soon."

(Thanks for the tip, Rhys)

Mortal Online pre-orders delayed by two weeks originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square-Enix sued over "hidden fees" in Final Fantasy XI

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Business models, MMO industry, Consoles, Legal

A class action lawsuit has been filed earlier this week against Square-Enix North America for intentionally deceiving customers regarding hidden penalties and fees associated with the PlayOnline and Final Fantasy XI service.

The suit, filed on behalf of Esther Leong of San Francisco, is seeking over 5 million in damages. The suit also goes on to specifically list the penalties for the late payment of fees, the interest charges for unpaid fees, charges that occur while the game account is suspended, termination of game service for unpaid fees, and the termination of game data due to the late payment of fees as the specific causes of this lawsuit.

In Square-Enix's defense, however, the suit also lists the standard monthly subscription as being intentionally decieving. Final Fantasy XI's case does, in fact, say that additional online fees would be required and it also has a large sticker announcing "Free subscription for 30 days!" on the front of the box -- something more than most online games provide regarding their subscriptions.

We have contacted Square-Enix, and are currently waiting for their response to this matter.

[Via IGN.com]

Square-Enix sued over "hidden fees" in Final Fantasy XI originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic's Mark Jacobs leaves EA

Lesley Smith — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items

Mark Jacobs, the former General Manager of Mythic Entertainment and Lead Designer of Warhammer Online, has left EA on 23rd June, the company announced today. This comes as part of restructuring plans within EA which includes both Mythic and BioWare and have culminated in the formation of a new, as-yet-unnamed, studio which will focus on RPGs and MMOs.

The new studio will be led by BioWare co-founder and General Manager Ray Muzyka, who will become Group General Manager. BioWare's other co-founder Greg Zeschuk will become Group Creative Officer while Rob Denton will succeed Jacobs as General Manager.

You can certainly expect more from us as this story develops.

[Via The Examiner]

Mythic's Mark Jacobs leaves EA originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LotRO Book 8 releases June 23, pre-patching offered

James Egan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

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

Massively has been following the latest content update for Lord of the Rings Online, which is Volume II Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm. We've now learned via MMeOw that Scourge of Khazad-Dûm will release on June 23 (US/Oceanic)! As a bonus, players can already download the patch; the update weighs in at a fairly hefty 600mb and links can be found in the official announcement on the LotRO forums. The patch notes are epic in length, and it might just be quicker to re-read one of Tolkien's works, but they seem to cover everything that's changing in Lord of the Rings Online.

If the 23rd and the release of Scourge of Khazad-Dûm can't come soon enough for you, have a look through the dev tour that Turbine gave us, showing a bit of the content you'll soon be playing in Volume II Book 8.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8 Dev Tour

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8

LotRO Book 8 releases June 23, pre-patching offered originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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