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 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Introducing Shadowrun Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/introducing-shadowrun-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/introducing-shadowrun-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/introducing-shadowrun-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shadowrun Online
Cliffhanger Productions, the makers of the upcoming Jagged Alliance Online, has announced another title in progress: Shadowrun Online. Based on the popular pen-and-paper game, Shadowrun will share a similar top-down strategy format with Jagged Alliance. Shadowrun takes place in a dystopian 2070 where magic and technology clash, and where hackers and street samurai are commonplace.

Shadowrun Online players will split their game time between prepping missions and carrying them out. While some of the maps will require all-out action efforts, others will require stealth, hacking, and even magic. Between fights, players will seek out contacts, prepare spells, and purchase gear to improve their odds when the time comes.

Shadowrun Online is in pre-production and the team hopes to get it into full development by November. It is planned to be a browser-based title, and Cliffhanger is drawing from Shadowrun alumni efforts to keep the game in line with the franchise. The company is still looking for partners to help with publishing and distributing.

MassivelyIntroducing Shadowrun Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser-basedcliffhangercliffhanger-productionsdystopiahackersjagged-alliance-onlinenew-titlenew-titlespen-and-papershadowrunshadowrun-onlinestrategystreet-samuraitop-down-strategyThu, 13 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise wallpapers show Eastern Gardens denizens and tamed mutants]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/28/earthrise-wallpapers-show-eastern-gardens-denizens-and-tamed-mut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/28/earthrise-wallpapers-show-eastern-gardens-denizens-and-tamed-mut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/28/earthrise-wallpapers-show-eastern-gardens-denizens-and-tamed-mut/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Masthead Studios just got in touch with us and sent over two new wallpapers for their upcoming post-apocalyptic game Earthrise. One image shows off a group of kabuki-masked freaks denizens of the Eastern Gardens, one of the more outwardly utopian zones to be found in Earthrise's island setting of Enterra.

Continue reading Earthrise wallpapers show Eastern Gardens denizens and tamed mutants

MassivelyEarthrise wallpapers show Eastern Gardens denizens and tamed mutants originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continomadystopiaearthriseeastern-gardensimagesmasthead-studiosmutantmutantspost-apocalypticsci-fiutopiawallpaperwallpapersSun, 28 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/massively-interviews-masthead-studios-ceo-on-earthrise-and-freed/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


There is a slow but steady shift in direction in the MMO industry from being dominated by fantasy titles to one where gamers have other options, namely in terms of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic games. The smaller game studios producing these titles have some big challenges ahead of them, not the least of which is whether or not MMO gamers will embrace settings and gameplay elements that depart from the fantasy MMO paradigm. One of those newcomers to the MMO scene is Masthead Studios who are developing the post-apocalyptic Earthrise.

This first title from Masthead Studios will present gamers with a futuristic, dystopian setting where two major factions struggle for control over the island of Enterra, the last refuge of humanity after the burn. Continoma are the technocratic elite; they hold the keys to genetic immortality and enforce their ordered societal views on the population they've resurrected. The game's other major faction, Noir, is a shadow government -- the resistance. Earthrise's setting and factional struggles aren't limited to simple right-and-wrong scenarios, though, and this carries over to the gameplay. Players or guilds may align with one faction or another for their own benefit, but the game's numerous sub-factions provide other options for allegiances, or even the possibility of shifting those allegiances.

We had the opportunity to see Earthrise firsthand at GDC 2009 but we've always got more questions. Fortunately, Masthead Studios was willing to oblige. We've had another chance to speak with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov about some of the core concepts and lore behind Earthrise, and how their approach to the game and the genre should allow a great deal of freedom for players.

Gallery: Earthrise

Continue reading Massively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice

MassivelyMassively Interview: Masthead Studios' CEO on Earthrise and freedom of choice originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atanas-atanasovbackstorychoicecontinomadystopiaearthisefactionsfeaturedgame-mechanicsguild-vs-guildguildsinterviewsloremassively-interviewsmasthead-studiosnoirpost-apocalypticsandboxsci-fisettingWed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise devs shed some light on skill advancement]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/earthrise-devs-shed-some-light-on-skill-advancement/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/earthrise-devs-shed-some-light-on-skill-advancement/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/02/earthrise-devs-shed-some-light-on-skill-advancement/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The latest bit of info we've come across about the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise sheds some more light on how skill advancement will work in the game. We've known that Earthrise will have a mix of both online and offline character advancement. The Masthead Studios response to the latest Question of the Week regarding skills, via Earthrise community manager Moll, explains their approach to progression. Moll writes: "Skills improvement is one of the pinnacles of Earthrise's sandbox gameplay. Players in Earthrise will gain skill points by killing monsters and completing quests. Those skill points can be invested in abilities, which are used in combat. The abilities interface dialog is interactive with options to buy and combine abilities by using tactics."

Beyond this system of combining abilities Moll also writes that players won't be limited in terms of their skill choices and that a player can choose any skills in the game, in addition to combining all types of abilities into tactics. Moll says, "The skill advancement system is easy to learn and offers numerous possibilities for character customization, much more than many other games on the market." You can find the Question of the Week and feedback from the Earthrise community on the game's official forums.

MassivelyEarthrise devs shed some light on skill advancement originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bulgariacommunity-managerdystopiaearthrisegame-mechanicsmasthead-studiosmollpost-apocalypticqotwquestion-of-the-weeksci-fiskillssofiaTue, 02 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earthrise question of the week is a call to crafters]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/earthrise-question-of-the-week-is-a-call-to-crafters/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Earthrise is the post-apocalyptic MMO being developed by Masthead Studios that will have a game setting quite different from the crumbled, burned out world we'd typically associate with global armageddon. Earthrise is set in a utopian future that's quickly turning dystopian, one that's still rather crumbly on the outskirts to keep that aftermath feel to the game. Beyond the guild warfare and sandbox elements of gameplay Massively has looked at in the past, Masthead Studios is putting a great deal of emphasis on the game's crafting system.

In fact, this is the focus of the Earthrise Question of the Week on the game's forums, posted by the game's community manager Moll. However, instead of simply doing a brief Q&A as in other weeks, Moll explains the concepts behind the crafting system before eliciting feedback from Earthrise fans.

Gallery: Earthrise

Continue reading Earthrise question of the week is a call to crafters

MassivelyEarthrise question of the week is a call to crafters originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>community-managercompetitioncraftingdystopiaearthriseeconomyguild-vs-guildguildsmasthead-studiosmollpost-apocalypticqotwquestion-of-the-weeksandboxsci-fispecializationutopiaMon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest Earthrise newsletter updates on game's progress]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/latest-earthrise-newsletter-updates-on-games-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/latest-earthrise-newsletter-updates-on-games-progress/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/latest-earthrise-newsletter-updates-on-games-progress/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Sofia-based Masthead Studios has released the March `09 newsletter for their upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise. As with their previous newsletters, Issue IX points out where Earthrise has been discussed in the gaming press over the past few weeks, and shows off some of the game's concept art. This month, Masthead Studios is showing off concepts for the mutated Nathura zone.

In addition, the developers write about what they love about Earthrise and working on the title -- ranging from the game's epic scale to the extensive combat system. Issue IX also expands upon the game's lore, with the struggle between the factions of Noir and Continoma, a clash between utopian idealism and anarchy. Have a look through the latest Earthrise newsletter and see how their vision of a post-apocalyptic future is turning out.

MassivelyLatest Earthrise newsletter updates on game's progress originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchybulgariacontinomadystopiaearthrisefactionsloremasthead-studiosnathura-zonenewsletternewslettersnoirpost-apocalypticquestssci-fisofiautopiaWed, 04 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST