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Not So Massively: Diablo III launch and DreamHack Summer 2012

Brendan Drain — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III

Diablo III became potentially the most pre-ordered PC game in history this week, breaking both Blizzard's personal pre-order records and online retailer Amazon's. The game is set to launch at midnight tonight, unlocking physical copies and digital installers. Diablo-inspired free-to-play dungeon crawler Path of Exile approaches its own launch this week with the release of its penultimate version 0.9.9 patch.

League of Legends announced its upcoming MSI Beat IT tournament at DreamHack Summer 2012, with a prize fund of $40,000 US and a series of public online qualifiers. Bloodline Champions revealed its own $10,000 DreamHack tournament, with open in-game qualifiers scheduled for next weekend. Valve announced details of the second Dota 2 world championship, a series that started with last year's $1.6 million US tournament.

Blizzard settled its lawsuit with Valve this week, renaming Blizzard DOTA to Blizzard All-Stars but securing the continued non-commercial use of the DotA name for the fan community. Heroes of Newerth released its incredibly successful new Midwars game mode, and Rise of Immortals put forth its official immortal spotlight for new immortal Nauria.

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Not So Massively: Diablo III launch and DreamHack Summer 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Hero spotlights and Diablo III confirms PvP arenas in 2012

Brendan Drain — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III

This week, League of Legends revealed plans to buff support tanks in the Varus patch and change several ability power items. Riot also plans to buff Master Yi and nerf Ryze's ability to tank and deal damage at the same time. Dota 2 released an updated user interface designed to take all the pain out of using the courier, and Bloodline Champions revealed its massive $10,000 DreamHack Summer 2012 tournament.

Diablo III revealed the Witch Doctor this week, giving Diablo II necromancer fans a peek at the closest replacement they'll get in the upcoming title. Blizzard's Jay Wilson also confirmed that PvP arenas will be released long before the end of the year. Heroes of Newerth released its new support hero Ellonia, an ice mage whose abilities focus around a stacking slow debuff. Rise of Immortals released a new immortal spotlight video on popular area-effect damage-dealer Netheurgist and encouraged players to start guilds with a contest to win 1,000 prestige points for every guild member.

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Not So Massively: Hero spotlights and Diablo III confirms PvP arenas in 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011

Brendan Drain — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA

League of Legends launched season two this week and announced some pretty big changes to jungling with the upcoming Volibear patch. Developers have also removed the dodge stat from the game completely and refunded players the full price of dodge runes purchased. Despite the lack of official reveals for Diablo III this week, the news train kept chugging along as fansite DiabloFans dug around in the data files to discover details of the gem system. The first part of the game's official comic Sword of Justice was also released this week, with a limited 100,000-print run.

Bloodline Champions officially released Metal Warden this week and celebrated a successful tournament at Dreamhack Winter 2011. Heroes of Newerth was also at Dreamhack this weekend, with the finals of MSI's massive Beat It tournament and news released of a new HoNTour tournament series. Rise of Immortals released a spotlight on new immortal Pycon this week, and Facebook MMO Dungeon Overlord published a trailer to celebrate the game's official launch. BioWare's Wrath of Heroes celebrated its third closed beta event this weekend, and I was there to get some first-hand experience. Keep an eye out this week for my first impressions of this upcoming MOBA.

Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs.

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Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Old Republic opens the beta blast doors for its final testing weekend

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Star Wars: The Old Republic

On the Massively staff there are the Haves and the Have Nots of the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta. The Haves use their glorious position to grind the morale of the Have Nots into the dirt, leaving these poor saps weeping while the Haves go to a bar and high-five each other with Wookiee paws. It's enough to make you feel like you're in a high-tech trash compactor of emotions.

If you're like our Have Nots and have yet to get into the SWTOR beta, BioWare has good news for you today. The next beta testing weekend, which is scheduled for sometime later this month, will open up to everyone who's applied before November 11th. If that's not you, there's still a good chance you can get in, as BioWare will be handing out additional beta keys via sites like Massively in the near future.

According to an additional FAQ covering this event, this will probably be the final beta testing weekend for the MMO prior to its December 20th launch. Even if you're not in a SWTOR launch country, as long as you have signed up or get a key, you'll be invited to test this season's hottest ticket.

BioWare also announced that SWTOR will be available to play at this month's Dreamhack gaming event, from November 24th through the 27th.

The Old Republic opens the beta blast doors for its final testing weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Diabetic champions edition

Brendan Drain — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Culture, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, News items, War, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

Last week we brought you the exciting news that Valve's eagerly awaited MOBA Dota 2 would be demonstrated at August's Gamescom convention. League of Legends finally released its first female tank champion, Leona the Radiant Dawn, last week, leaving only Skarner to be released from the trio of champions revealed at E3. Aida Arenas had its closed beta unexpectedly postponed indefinitely, with no reason given or timeline for when the beta schedule might resume. Finally, we got some hands-on time in the Rise of Immortals open beta and delivered our first impressions of this promising new MOBA.

In this week's Not So Massively, we get a first look at League of Legends' mysterious upcoming champion Wukong the Monkey King and check out two more awesome LoL parody songs. S2 Games dropped the price of Heroes of Newerth to $10 this week, but inexplicably failed to state when the deal will end or if the price drop is permanent. We take a look at HoN's latest hero Revenant, revisit Realm of the Titans' unique Titan's Eye map, and check out some new Bloodline Champions tournament changes coming in the game's next competitive season. This week we also briefly introduce World of Battles: Morningstar, an innovative new take on MOBA gameplay using traditional RTS style unit control and huge armies.

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Not So Massively: Diabetic champions edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: E-sports are serious business

Brendan Drain — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

E-sports are becoming increasingly popular in the West, with top teams receiving corporate sponsorship deals and tournament organisers fielding prize funds worth thousands of dollars. Last week saw the start of Dreamhack 2011 in Sweden, featuring competitive tournaments for MOBAs like LoL, HoN, Bloodline Champions and more. Last week we also checked out Aida Arenas' Arena Hustle mode and got the first information on new online World War II RTS Operation Gamma 41.

In this week's Not So Massively, the Dreamhack tournaments come to a close as their winners carry giant sacks with dollar signs on them to the nearest bank. For those of you who have always wanted to know what high-end competitive play looks like in League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth or Bloodline Champions, videos of the tournament action are now available. This week we also check out League of Legends' new champion spotlight on Yorick to gravedigger and Realm of the Titans' hero spotlight on HaZ'zard. Finally, we get a look at a new dev interview with Rise of Immortals' lead designer Amanda Flock and more server troubles for Heroes of Newerth.

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Not So Massively: E-sports are serious business originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Dreamhack tournament edition

Brendan Drain — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, New titles, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Saturday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions, and more.

Last week was massive for gaming, with a ton of exciting news pouring out of E3. We shared news of the next three champions coming to League of Legends and got talking to developers at Riot Games to find out what's on the game's horizon. We also got an in-depth look at Vorp!, the Asteroids-esque shooter by END Games. We heard about plans to add a new DotA mode to Vorp! and found out that the game could feasibly be ported to smartphones and other platforms in the future. We also looked at Realm of the Titans' crystal upgrade system and showed a MOBA Champions interview with Rise of Immortals' community manager Matthew Anderson.

Following last week's deluge of news, this week's Not So Massively offerings are a little more muted as most of the current MOBAs prepare for competitive tournaments at Dreamhack 2011 in Sweden. Competitive online gaming as a profession is an old idea, but it's one that has seen growing support in the West over the past few years. Dreamhack is the world's largest LAN party and possibly the biggest event in the competitive gaming calendar, with dozens of companies sponsoring tournaments with massive cash prizes. We also get a look at Aida Arenas' Arena Hustle gameplay mode and new online World War II RTS Operation Gamma 41.

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Not So Massively: Dreamhack tournament edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic lists 2011 event appearances

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Are you ready for the Star Wars: The Old Republic Hyperdrive or Bust World Tour 2011? OK, that might not be an official thing (and seriously, wouldn't you love a t-shirt with that on it?), but BioWare has announced the community events that TOR will be attending this year.

So if you're willing to make the journey and eager to get some face-time with both the game and the developers, here's where you can make it happen:

E3 in Los Angeles, CA (June 7-9)
San Diego Comic-Con, CA (July 21-24)
Gamescom in Cologne, Germany (August 17-21)
PAX Prime in Seattle, WA (August 26-28)
Eurogamer Expo in London, UK (September 22-25)
New York Comic Con (October 13-16)
Paris Games Week (October 21-25)
DreamHack in Jönköping, Sweden (November 24-27)

You can read all of the details of The Old Republic's worldwide journey on the Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Events page.

Star Wars: The Old Republic lists 2011 event appearances originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Magnets, how do they work?

Brendan Drain — Sat, 07 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Saturday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Defense of the Ancients, Bloodline Champions, and more.

Online gaming has taken off in a big way in recent years, but not every online game fits neatly into the category of MMO or session-based slugfest. A growing number of online multiplayer games fall somewhere in between, with ongoing development and even microtransaction-based payment schemes.

Last week we got a first look at Metal Assault, a new Metal Slug-style online game from Aeria Games. Bloodline Champions also announced a massive tournament with $5,000 US in prizes, Darkspore celebrated its official release worldwide, and Defense of the Ancients received some much-needed updates. Finally, we took a look at the gameplay behind the new League of Legends champion Rumble, the Mechanized Menace.

In this week's edition of Not So Massively, we take a first look at upcoming online multiplayer brawler Aida Arenas, introduce the first Rise of Immortals developer podcast, and announce the massive League of Legends Your DreamHack contest. We also get to grips with the HoN's magnetic new hero Flux, who went live yesterday.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Magnets, how do they work?

Not So Massively: Magnets, how do they work? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion's first Eye On Community for December

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Forums, News items

The Aion team had plenty to say in the latest Eye on Community segment, released on Friday.

The question of the week, unsurprisingly, centered around the nine-minute "Visions of the Future" trailer released recently. Fans have had a million questions, mostly different versions of "What is this, and when will I get to play it?" Since it's a work in progress, specific answers are unfortunately few. "Some of the features highlighted in the trailer are further along in the development process than others. Because of this, we aren't ready to share or speculate on timeframes."

While it was exciting, the trailer wasn't the only recent news. The Aion team returned from DreamHack with photos and stories galore last Monday, the same day that they banned 26,000+ bot accounts. It looks like they had a bit of fun with the bot accounts, to which we say "more power to you!"

The Aion community was active recently too, creating quite a few things that are worth looking into if you're an Aion player. The full Eye on Community entry can be read here.

Aion's first Eye On Community for December originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW 3v3 tournament ended, videos from the finals

Louis McLaughlin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, PvP

The Dreamhack Winter festival in Sweden ended last week, and video footage of the Electronic Sports League World of Warcraft 3v3 arena tournament that took place right there in freezing Northrend Northern Europe is now online. The series went right down to the wire in a best-of-five between MoB-TurtleForce and team Pandemic. The videos are a little blurry (see below), but the grand final is definitely worth watching if you're at all interested in seeing competitive gaming in an MMO, with five extremely close games and amazing teamwork. Check them out!

As we covered previously, the tournament itself arose from the ashes of the deceased WSVG, and whilst the high quality feed of the event was broken, it's nice to see it went off without *too* many hitches. And it gets better -- the commentary was almost passable.

WoW 3v3 tournament ended, videos from the finals originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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White Lions are the last career for High Elves?

Mike Schramm — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Classes, Lore, New titles, Previews, Warhammer Online, Races

Just a little bit of fun speculation about the last class for Warhammer Online's High Elves-- GOA, the company co-publishing WAR in Europe, apparently put up this big display picture at Dreamhack, and Warhammer know-it-alls have identified that High Elf on the right as a "White Lion," supposedly a career straight from the miniatures game.

Of course, we have no idea what this means-- previous speculation has called the White Lion career a DPS-based pet class (wielding a melee-two hander and fighting with pets?), and while the miniatures class looks completely different, there's no doubt that there is definitely a white lion fighting alongside the Elf in the picture above. All of this is still just rumors, however -- we won't know what that last High Elves career is until they announced it -- but hey, at least it's a cool looking display.

White Lions are the last career for High Elves? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW tournament resurrected at Dreamhack, $75,000 in prizes

Louis McLaughlin — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, real-world, PvP, News items

Electronic Sports League have announced a "new" World of Warcraft 3v3 tournament to be held at this year's Dreamhack Computer festival in Sweden, between the 29th and 30th. The tournament will be 8 top-ranked teams, invite only.

Prize money is as follows:

First place: $45,000
Second Place: $22,500
Third Place: $7,500

This seems to be the replacement for the now-deceased WSVG a few months ago, but ESL have picked up the reins, along with the usual sponsors -- Dell, Intel, Blizzard. A new spectator system has also been unveiled, DreamArena, which should mean there'll be decent coverage of the competition for those who want to watch it. Here's hoping this one goes ahead!

[Via Curse.com]

WoW tournament resurrected at Dreamhack, $75,000 in prizes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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