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James Phinney discusses Guild Wars 2 classes, events, and combat at Comic-Con

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2

Comic-Con may be over, but the news keeps rolling in. The newest video over at GameTrailers is of a chat with ArenaNet's Design Director James Phinney.

James gave a brief rundown of what we know about Guild Wars 2 so far, explaining the combat roles of the classes we know: elementalist, warrior, and ranger. He also covered the dynamic event system that we've heard so much about, as well as the reasoning behind it.

Finally, he addressed the burning question of "When?" Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait for that coveted date a bit longer: "When it's ready."

For now, you can look after the jump to see the video for yourself.

Continue reading James Phinney discusses Guild Wars 2 classes, events, and combat at Comic-Con

James Phinney discusses Guild Wars 2 classes, events, and combat at Comic-Con originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon grows as MapleStory hits 7 million registered users

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Mabinogi

It must be said that Nexon is having a good year. A very, very good year indeed.

As free-to-play titles are on the rise in the MMORPG genre, Nexon is reaping the benefits of this trend as more people flock to its titles like Mabinogi. As a result, the company has seen a 26% jump in revenue for the second quarter this year, and its profits are trending up compared to the same time last year.

Even for F2P MMOs, Nexon's games boast impressive numbers: MapleStory has crossed the seven million registered user line, Combat Arms four million and Mabinogi one million. "Our player base and revenues continue to expand, which tells us that gamers find that our free-to-play business model fits their play needs," said Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim.

Nexon is also looking forward to releasing Vindictus, a promising title that we most recently previewed at San Diego Comic-Con last month.

Nexon grows as MapleStory hits 7 million registered users originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: Part two of our DCUO panel report

Dan O'Halloran — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Massively Event Coverage, DC Universe Online

Today we have more from the question-and-answer portion of the DC Universe Online panel at the San Diego Comic-Con last week. (Part one of the panel was posted earlier this week.) Panelists included Creative Director Jens Andersen, Game Director Chris Cao, legendary comic book writer Marv Wolfman, Jim Lee, and the voice of the Joker, Mark Hamill.

Will there be a mechanic for switching from hero to villain or vice versa?

No. You make the choice of hero or villain at character creation, and it can't be changed after that. This is so it is clear to other players in PvP who is on what team.

Will current storylines in the DC comic universe affect the MMO?

The game will launch "pristine"; that is, the DC Universe in the game will be the popular, well-known one. Wonder Woman will be in her classic costume; Bruce Wayne will be Batman; etc. From there, storylines from the comics may start altering the MMO universe, but at least from the get-go, the game will start with a clean slate.

DCUO will be getting its own bi-weekly comic as well.

Continue reading SDCC 2010: Part two of our DCUO panel report

SDCC 2010: Part two of our DCUO panel report originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: You can play as iconic characters: Massively's interview with DC Universe Online

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, real-world, Interviews, PvP, News items, DC Universe Online

Last week we had a chat with Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley about preorders and beta for DC Universe Online. We talked quite a bit about the ability to play as Batman via a preorder bonus, and one of the questions we asked was "Will there be more opportunities in the future to play as familiar DC Universe villains or heroes?"

John replied that they were thinking about it, but it sounds like the DCUO team has been doing a lot more than just thinking about it. We caught up with DCUO Studio Art Director Mike Daubert at Comic-Con this weekend, and he had some pretty exciting news for us.

Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say!

Continue reading SDCC 2010: You can play as iconic characters: Massively's interview with DC Universe Online

SDCC 2010: You can play as iconic characters: Massively's interview with DC Universe Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: Our interview with Guild Wars 2's Jeff Grubb

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Interviews, Guild Wars 2

The hype for Guild Wars 2 seems to get bigger every week, so it was a natural choice for the Massively staff at Comic-Con to seek out some time with Guild Wars 2 designer and Ghosts of Ascalon author Jeff Grubb.

If you're relatively new to the Guild Wars world, Jeff provides a nicely detailed overview of what's been happening with Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, and the first tie-in novel. If you're a firmly established citizen of Tyria, you'll enjoy the look back, and you'll certainly enjoy the hints he drops here and there for upcoming events and reveals.

Follow along after the jump to see what Jeff had to say.

Continue reading SDCC 2010: Our interview with Guild Wars 2's Jeff Grubb

SDCC 2010: Our interview with Guild Wars 2's Jeff Grubb originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SDCC 2010: Massively's interview with Aion producer Lani Blazier

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Events, real-world, Expansions, Interviews

San Diego has been the place to be for the past few days, with developers bringing out all the latest and greatest to show off at Comic-Con 2010. We at Massively have been pretty busy, in part with Aion's web producer Lani Blazier.

Aion's free expansion Assault on Balaurea is just over a month away, so Lani had plenty to talk about. She gave us a look at what we can expect with 2.0, and spent a bit of time answering our questions afterward. Follow along after the jump to see what she had to say.

Continue reading SDCC 2010: Massively's interview with Aion producer Lani Blazier

SDCC 2010: Massively's interview with Aion producer Lani Blazier originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space combat has been confirmed for SWTOR! [Updated]

Larry Everett — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:15:00 EST

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

While at Comic-Con, the fan site Mos Eisley Radio tweeted a rumor that there will be space combat in SWTOR. Space combat has been strongly suspected since the announcement of player ships at E3, but there was nothing to confirm our suspicions. According to the folks at Mos Eisley Radio, James Ohlen said that each ship will be customizable, and, of course, that the player will be able to use this ship in space combat.

Not moments later, this rumor was completely confirmed by SWTOR's community manager, Sean Dahlberg, on the official forum. He confesses in his announcement, "While we didn't quite make the numbers [of Facebook and Twitter followers], we definitely saw how excited the community is about this and how everyone came together. After all of that, there's no way we could hold back with our special reveal at Comic-Con!" So it seems the devs did not punish the fans for not reaching the social media goal after all. He reveals that further details will be available in the October edition of PC Gamer.

[Thank you, Mos Eisley Radio, for keeping your ears open!]

[Editor's Note: Brooks from Mos Eisley Radio just mailed us to say that all of his information is coming from Darth Hater's liveblog, so props to Darth Hater, and thanks for letting us know, Brooks! ~Sera]

Space combat has been confirmed for SWTOR! [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Hero Squad Online video highlights fun and accessibility

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Video, Game mechanics, Super Hero Squad Online

Yesterday brought the news that Super Hero Squad Online will be playable at Comic-Con this week, but what if you can't attend, or simply can't wait to get a good look at the game?

Well, the fine folks at The Amazing Society have you covered with their new walkthrough video of SHSO, which takes a look at character creation, character progression, and some of the more lighthearted aspects of Super Hero Squad Online.

Characters will play in the familiar Marvel world; if you want to have a dance party on top of the Daily Bugle or fly around Oscorp, you can. And speaking of dancing, the character emotes are something that the team obviously had a lot of fun creating. From dances to "snow angels" in the concrete, each character has his or her own unique emotes to enjoy.

Finally, the game is all about accessibility. You're a superhero, and the developers want you to feel like one from character creation on. There will be character progression, but you'll have some powers to reckon with right away.

Check out the video after the jump for the full tour!

Continue reading Super Hero Squad Online video highlights fun and accessibility

Super Hero Squad Online video highlights fun and accessibility originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel Super Hero Squad Online playable at Comic-Con

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, real-world, News items, Kids, Family, Super Hero Squad Online

If you're attending Comic-Con later this week, make sure you leave some time in your schedule to visit the Marvel Entertainment booth.

Marvel and Gazillion Entertainment will be fully unveiling Super Hero Squad Online for the first time, allowing attendees to play the game. Super heroes, combat missions, and social spaces will be available for play, and the game's headquarters system will be revealed as well. Players can customize their headquarters based on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, adding trophy collections to dress it up even more.

Amazing Society Vice President and Studio Manager Jason Robar thinks attendees will like what they see: "Combining hundreds of items, realistic physics and the unique personalities of the Super Hero Squad members makes an unforgettable experience. We're looking forward to sharing it with all Comic-Con attendees."

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online playable at Comic-Con originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE makes big plans for Comic-Con

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, real-world, DC Universe Online

Comic-Con is just a handful of days away, and Sony Online Entertainment has announced its lineup for the event. It's a hefty schedule, but there are several highlights for MMO fans.

Saturday the 24th will feature a panel discussion including Jim Lee, Mark Hamill, Marv Wolfman, and members of the DC Universe Online dev team. They'll be going behind the scenes of DCUO, discussing the backstory and giving fans a first look at the game's intro cinematic. Those attending the panel will receive a DCUO VIP beta key.

Saturday evening there is a fan event for attendees to meet Jim Lee and Marv Wolfman, have another chance at a DCUO beta key, and participate in a Q & A with the development team.

Finally, the SOE block party is a free event on Saturday that welcomes fans into the SOE studios for music, food, tours, previews, prizes, and kids events. Shuttle buses will provide transportation to Comic-Con as part of the event.

If you're attending Comic-Con, be sure to visit the SOE booth for the full schedule!

SOE makes big plans for Comic-Con originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft announces Comic-Con schedule for Aion, City of Heroes, and Guild Wars 2

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Super-hero, Aion, City of Heroes, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, Guild Wars 2

Comic-Con is just over a week away, and if you're a fan of any of NCsoft's games you'll be happy about the latest news: NCsoft has released the full schedule for its Comic-Con presence.

Fans will be treated to some merchandise giveaways and signings, and there will be speaking sessions centered around Guild Wars 2 and City of Heroes: Going Rogue. While we can't play Guild Wars 2 quite yet, NCsoft will have stations set up to experience Aion and Going Rogue.

Events are scheduled daily from the 22nd through the 25th, so check out the NCsoft events calendar to be sure you don't miss anything!

NCsoft announces Comic-Con schedule for Aion, City of Heroes, and Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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