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[Fabled Lands: The MMO that almost was]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/fabled-lands-the-mmo-that-almost-was/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/fabled-lands-the-mmo-that-almost-was/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/fabled-lands-the-mmo-that-almost-was/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Bit Tech has an interesting look at the Fabled Lands MMORPG that almost was. Authors Jamie Thompson and Dave Morris initially set out to create an expansive, explorable world with their RPG-inspired gamebook series before being hired to turn the property into an MMO. "We liked the idea of being able to freely roam around a game world, not having to run on the rails of one single storyline like in most gamebooks. In Fabled Lands you can get involved in multiple quests, traveling back and forth between cities, trading, having random encounters. Everything you can do in a regular RPG really," Morris tells Bit Tech's Joe Martin.

Though the MMORPG became mired in development hell while the pair were working at Eidos in the early 2000s, both authors are adamant that the series will eventually see the light of day in a video game format. "We'll be reviving Fabled Lands and Abraxas, hopefully," says Thompson. "We've just raised a six-figure sum and we're actively looking for the right partner. Frankly, most publishers have been slow to recognize the potential of e-books; that they can be much more than an old-fashioned book on a glowing screen. We understand both."

Head on over to Bit Tech for the full article.

MassivelyFabled Lands: The MMO that almost was originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dave-morriseidoseidos-interactivefabled-landsfantasygame-bookjamie-thompsonSun, 11 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix posts an 83% drop in operating income]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/square-enix-posts-an-83-drop-in-operating-income/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/square-enix-posts-an-83-drop-in-operating-income/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/square-enix-posts-an-83-drop-in-operating-income/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The headline may seem like doom and gloom in the land of Final Fantasy, but it's important to note that the Eidos purchase price is included in this latest report. The silver lining here is that the company's game business sales saw a 7.2 percent increase in the last quarter, so even with the operating loss there's a strong chance of quick recovery due to sales.

For one thing, Square Enix's mobile sales have seen a record sales increase. Additionally, new titles like Dragon Quest IX are raking in the cash and probably won't stop for a while.

Then there's that impending release of Final Fantasy XIII in Japan, so we're really not surprised that Square Enix is predicting a full year net income even now. Next year should be even bigger for the company, as Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIV both release globally. After that? Why, they're going to buy the moon, Clarice -- the moon!

MassivelySquare Enix posts an 83% drop in operating income originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eidosffxiiiffxivfinal-fantasy-xiiifinal-fantasy-xivsquare-enixMon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom speaks out openly about Age of Conan criticisms]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/funcom-speaks-out-openly-about-age-of-conan-criticisms/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/funcom-speaks-out-openly-about-age-of-conan-criticisms/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/funcom-speaks-out-openly-about-age-of-conan-criticisms/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, Funcom's Jørgen Tharaldsen speaks surprisingly frank about the many criticisms Age of Conan has been dealt. Topics cover everything from the current state of the game to what Funcom is doing to bring back players with a "come back and play for free" invite sometime in 2009, according to Jørgen. The whole read is just generally very interesting and well worth your time if you've any interest in Age of Conan and where it's headed in the coming months.

At the end of the interview, the question of Warhammer Online and Wrath of the Lich King come up in relation to any possibly concerns for Funcom. Jørgen delivers one of his most lucid comments about AoC when he says, "I don't think anything is easy in the world of MMO's, and fighting to get new subscribers is a constant challenge. Now it's 'WAR' and 'Lich King' - going forward there will be many others." The list of other contenders is indeed longer than a Dream Theater solo and in a couple of weeks we may have to add yet another large contender to that laundry list.

MassivelyFuncom speaks out openly about Age of Conan criticisms originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardage-of-conanaocbiowareblizzardeaeidoselectronic-artsfuncomjorgen-tharaldsenlucast-artsmtv-multiplayermythicmythic-entertainmentwarwarhammer-onlinewrathwrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 08 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Character creation freezes up in Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/character-creation-freezes-up-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/character-creation-freezes-up-in-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/character-creation-freezes-up-in-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Apparently if you're in the mind to make a new Age of Conan character you may want to wait little a while. Players making the attempt to fashion themselves a new avatar are met with a message from Funcom informing them that the feature is having some problems and will thus be deactivated until the issue can be solved. The problem does not seem to be persistent across all servers, however. As of right now the only server we were having this problem on was the Set sever, so hopefully it's an isolated issue that shouldn't last very long.

We're honestly surprised it took this long for any real headaches to happen, especially with how many people have been buying up the game. Now the real test will be how long it takes Funcom to solve the problem and get everything back to normal.

MassivelyCharacter creation freezes up in Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbreakingbugcharacter-creationeidosfuncomSun, 08 Jun 2008 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you feel about load screens?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-load-screens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-load-screens/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/28/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-feel-about-load-screens/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've all experienced them: long and short loading screens. Some MMOs have just one when you log into the game and maybe one or two extra on the rare occasion. A great example of this type of MMO would be World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Online where you have your initial load screen and additional loading screens only for specific instanced content (Dungeons, Battlegrounds, etc) or whenever you move between large bodies of land. The other example would be City of Heroes or the recently released Age of Conan. These games contain several loading screens, some examples being first entering the gameworld, whenever you enter or exit building, dying and choosing to revive as a rez point, moving between a zone, etc.

Certain players would contend that they prefer an open world, as that type of experience feels more engrossing to them -- or in other words it helps maintain interest in long play sessions. While other players are willing to forgo such a world for gussied-up graphics, faster combat or some other game enhancement a multi-instance world offers. So which do you prefer: the large-scale worlds or the heavily instanced worlds?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you feel about load screens? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardage-of-conanaocblizzardcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcoxeidosfuncominstancesloadinglord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromidwayncsoftturbineworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 28 May 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan and the question of next-gen MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/age-of-conan-and-the-question-of-next-gen-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/age-of-conan-and-the-question-of-next-gen-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/age-of-conan-and-the-question-of-next-gen-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer is wondering out loud whether or not it's fair to point at Age of Conan's combat system as its true next generational feature. He wants to know if -- like the Nintendo Wii -- what make's something truly next generational is the way you interact with it. His point being that the way Age of Conan's combat system works causes the player to become much more invested in what's happening on their screen.

We do wonder if it's just the combat system that makes AoC so much fun. As Darren mentions in his post, there's something to be said for the game's graphical prowess and visual feel that makes it so unabashedly Conan.

Continue reading Age of Conan and the question of next-gen MMOs

MassivelyAge of Conan and the question of next-gen MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoceidosfuncomgrand-theft-auto-ivgta-ivthe-common-sense-gamerwiiSat, 24 May 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: Conan's little quirks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/the-digital-continuum-conans-little-quirks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/the-digital-continuum-conans-little-quirks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/the-digital-continuum-conans-little-quirks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I've been enjoying my time with Age of Conan, but to be honest there are some design choices -- mostly related to the user interface -- that truly confuse me. I'm forced to decide between scratching my head or pulling my hair out. Although I don't want to tempt fate, so I think leaving my hair intact is probably the best choice.

So here's an example: Did you know about both skill points and feat points? I'm sure a lot of you have discovered at least one of these, especially since the feats have their own tab to click within the user interface. But I'm willing to bet that many of you didn't discover skills right away. The big problem is that there's nothing on the screen to jump out and inform you that some super-important new skill points or feat points are in need of assigning. When did this design document get accidentally knocked off the meeting room table and into the garbage?

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Conan's little quirks

MassivelyThe Digital Continuum: Conan's little quirks originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 May 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocconsoleconsoleseidosfeaturedfuncomthe-digital-continuumuser-interfaceSat, 24 May 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Play City of Heroes for free this weekend]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/play-city-of-heroes-for-free-this-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/play-city-of-heroes-for-free-this-weekend/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/play-city-of-heroes-for-free-this-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you've got a deactivated City of Heroes account and that brand new Issue 12: Midnight Hour content is looking incredibly tempting, then fear not. NCsoft has given every City of Heroes account an automatic free weekend pass that started Thursday, May 22nd at 11am and will continue on until Sunday, May 25th at 8:59 PM Pacific. This is by no means something new for CoX players, but the timing is incredibly nice as there's a bunch of new content to check out.

We're just curious if there's any crossover between people playing Age of Conan and those who've played City of Heroes. When your time is limited by a busy schedule, it can be hard deciding between just one or two games for your weekend entertainment. Both games definitely have a lot to offer players for a weekend of play, but we have a feeling that the recent outbreak of barbarian fever might just be too strong for some.

MassivelyPlay City of Heroes for free this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccity-of-heroescity-of-villainscoxcox-issue-12eidosfree-weekendfuncomncsoftFri, 23 May 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[An interview with Age of Conan's Andrew Griffin]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/an-interview-with-age-of-conans-andrew-griffin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/an-interview-with-age-of-conans-andrew-griffin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/an-interview-with-age-of-conans-andrew-griffin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Not too long ago Gamespot AU got the opportunity to sit down with Andrew Griffin, the senior systems designer for Age of Conan. They took the chance to pick his brain on a myriad of topics ranging from class archetypes to the ever-looming topic of the MMO grind. Of course, most of you know by now that Age of Conan's method of dealing with grind largely comes from its focus on story-driven quests and an active combat system.

Our experiences have shown us that the real-time combat certainly helps alleviate grind-fatigue. Then there's the quests, which are actually pretty interesting in the first 20 levels. Whether or not the combat and quest experience changes beyond the early levels is the big question. Will it change for the better or for the worse? Age of Conan's servers are only about a week away from going live, so we'll all be finding out these answers soon enough.

MassivelyAn interview with Age of Conan's Andrew Griffin originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanandrew-griffinaoceidosfuncomgamespot-auSat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet Michael McCarry, a Champions Online programmer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/meet-michael-mccarry-a-champions-online-programmer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This week's installment of Cryptic's ongoing "Meet the Team" is all about Michael McCarry and his role as a programmer on the team. He spends most of his work time on the powers and advancement system in Champions Online. It's worth noting that Michael is also one of the only two Canadians currently on the team -- a fact that he's quite proud of. We have to mention that his gaze makes us wonder if he's got some kind of evil plot for those of us planning on eventually leveling up our heroes.

Michael cites Champions Online's combat system as the feature he's personally most excited about. What's interesting about that is his current game obsession happens to be Age of Conan. While it probably doesn't mean much for the game he's working on, it does go to show that people at Cryptic are paying attention to similar games -- if only because they look pretty fun in their own right.

MassivelyMeet Michael McCarry, a Champions Online programmer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocchampionschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studioseidosfuncommeet-the-teammichael-mccarryThu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: Single-player MMO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/the-digital-continuum-single-player-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/the-digital-continuum-single-player-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/the-digital-continuum-single-player-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Injecting the single-player special sauce into MMOs is hardly a new idea. In fact Phantasy Star Online has done it more than once in the past. It's also been done in small amount, though. Nobody has taken the chance to go all out and merge the single-player and massively multiplayer styles of gaming together like a tasty digital version of peanut butter and chocolate.

My recent excursion into the Age of Conan closed beta has made me realize that I really enjoy having some singleplayer flavor in my massively multiplayer online games. There is definitely something to be said for a game that can give you the best of both worlds: solo story and grouping experiences.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Single-player MMO

MassivelyThe Digital Continuum: Single-player MMO originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardage-of-conanbaalblizzarddiablodiablo-2diablo-3eidosfeaturedfuncomrpgsingleplayerthe-digital-continuumSat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan beta guide: The mages]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/age-of-conan-beta-guide-the-mages/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/age-of-conan-beta-guide-the-mages/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/age-of-conan-beta-guide-the-mages/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've given you some hands-on impressions from our time with Age of Conan's mages from the Gamespot PvP weekend, but over the past few days we've had a chance to play these classes in the beta proper. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen (and very trying) performance issues that were out of our control, our finely crafted plans of digging deep into these classes were viciously assassinated like a Necromancer in Age of Conan's PvP.

That didn't stop us from prying further information on the Herald of Xotli, Demonologist and Necromancer classes. So if you'd like the expanded low-down on these magic-manipulating mages, read on!

Continue reading Age of Conan beta guide: The mages

MassivelyAge of Conan beta guide: The mages originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-guideaocbetademonologisteidosfeaturedfuncomherald-of-xotlimagemagesnecromancerThu, 01 May 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jørgen Tharaldsen explains the Age of Conan open beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/jorgen-tharaldsen-explains-the-age-of-conan-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/jorgen-tharaldsen-explains-the-age-of-conan-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/jorgen-tharaldsen-explains-the-age-of-conan-open-beta/#commentsFiled under: , ,


A lot of Age of Conan fans have felt slighted over the recent Fileplanet "Open Beta" happening on May 1st. The reason? You have to be a Fileplanet subscriber to have access to the beta, which means you have to pony up some cash. We feel it's important for Funcom to explain the reasoning behind the Fileplanet beta and apparently, so does Jørgen Tharaldsen, Funcom's product director.

Jørgen begins his explanation by citing the fact that up until this point, nobody has been charged in any way for beta access. It's true, in fact thousands of players have participated in the Age of Conan beta without paying a cent. The reason being that these players are supposed to be helping Funcom out with testing and not only playing the game for their enjoyment.

Continue reading Jørgen Tharaldsen explains the Age of Conan open beta

MassivelyJørgen Tharaldsen explains the Age of Conan open beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoceidosfileplanetfuncomopen-betaWed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Eidos closes down their marketing department]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/eidos-closes-down-their-marketing-department/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As a result of the recent deal with Warner Bros., Eidos has now announced it will close down its North American marketing, sales and PR departments completely. This coming after their parent company SCi's announcement to cut 25% of its worldwide workforce earlier this year. It hasn't been an easy year for the publisher of such successful titles as Hitman, Deus Ex and the Tomb Raider series, but this may just be the restructuring they've needed.

Most importantly for us though, we wonder what this means for Age of Conan, which is handled by Eidos. SCi mentions the fact that they have discontinued development on 14 different game projects in an effort to stem the company's financial losses, including a $161 million deficit in the second half of 2007, and a refocus on high profile games likely to generate a larger return. We can only hope they're talking about Age of Conan.

MassivelyEidos closes down their marketing department originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conaneidoseidos-interactivemarketingpublic-relationssalessciwarner-brosMon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[AoC answers from 'Ask Kalanthes' #2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/19/aoc-answers-from-ask-kalanthes-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/19/aoc-answers-from-ask-kalanthes-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/19/aoc-answers-from-ask-kalanthes-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The second batch of answers from Age of Conan's "Ask Kalanthes" have appeared. This time around we're treated to a large batch of pre-launch questions such as system requirements, RP-PvE servers, what happens when you die and various class-related questions.

RP-PvE servers are an interesting topic, as the forums have been in hot debate over the subject of whether or not AoC should have them. Some players insist that such servers are an absolute necessity, while others contend that players who want to role play can simply do so in specialized guilds.

Continue reading AoC answers from 'Ask Kalanthes' #2

MassivelyAoC answers from 'Ask Kalanthes' #2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardage-of-conanask-kalanthesblizzardeidosfuncomrp-pverp-serverssocworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 19 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: AoC collectors or regular edition?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/the-daily-grind-aoc-collectors-or-regular-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/the-daily-grind-aoc-collectors-or-regular-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/the-daily-grind-aoc-collectors-or-regular-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've asked if you were a collector or not, but now we're curious about one specific title. Namely, are you going to buy the CE for Age of Conan or will you be settling for the regular edition?

Lets review what you can expect to get for your extra 40 dollars in Age of Conan:

  • Big, metal embossed game case * 128-page art book
  • The Conan soundtrack
  • Leatherette map of Hyboria
  • Exclusive DVD with bonus material, trailers, interview and "making of" features
  • Buddy card for five friends
  • Ring of Asheron which gives you a 2% XP Modifier
  • Drinking Cape that gives free drinks in all of Hyboria's taverns
  • Cost: $89.99
The only in-game benefits are the two items, which are both arguably worth owning. The drinking cape will play into the PvP minigame where players can get drunk at bars and brawl with each other. As for the stuff in the box, we're always appreciative of soundtracks (especially so, since AoC has great music) and the exclusive DVD is something we could see popping into the computer at least once -- if only to check it out.

The map, art book and big game case (with embossed glory) all sound neat, but definitely are something that will only see the light of day once or twice in most cases. However, the buddy keys are pretty nice. There are definitely some Age of Conan-cautious friends we can see ourselves tempting with five free trails.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: AoC collectors or regular edition? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccollectors-editiondrinking-capeeidosfuncomring-of-asheronxp-modifierFri, 18 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan hits exclusively open beta on May 1st]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/age-of-conan-hits-exclusively-open-beta-on-may-1st/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/age-of-conan-hits-exclusively-open-beta-on-may-1st/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/age-of-conan-hits-exclusively-open-beta-on-may-1st/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This is it! Funcom, in partnership with Eidos and IGN have announced the Age of Conan open beta, available at FilePlanet.com and other IGN partner sites. Now, being available on FilePlanet means it's more of an 'exclusively open beta' -- you will have to be a member to receive the download.

Additionally, from the press release: 'Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the Open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. This means that Funcom will not make the entire game available to the Open Beta testers, and a level 13 cap will be applied.' So no matter how quickly you progress through the content, you're not going to be able to see any of the higher-level stuff; this might mean no siege warfare, or city building, or ridable mounts. But you've waited this long for decapitation-related joy, and here it is!

MassivelyAge of Conan hits exclusively open beta on May 1st originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbreakingcity-buildingdecapitationeidosfileplanetfuncomignlevel-capopen-betaridable-mountssiege-warfareThu, 17 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Win a chance to play Age of Conan PvP [updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/win-a-chance-to-play-age-of-conan-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/win-a-chance-to-play-age-of-conan-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/09/win-a-chance-to-play-age-of-conan-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


So would you like to play some Age of Conan PvP non-stop starting on April 18th and going through to the 20th? If so then Funcom, Eidos and GameSpot have just the beta event for you -- with a catch. You've got to go through the GameSpot website to sign up for the chance to be one of 15,000 lucky winners, which means you also need to have a GameSpot account to sign up in the first place. We're not all too happy about the GameSpot side of this awesome beta event, but read on to find out why we think it's still very much worth it to sign up.

Update: It looks like the sign-up page is having technical issues that are being worked on.

Continue reading Win a chance to play Age of Conan PvP [updated]

MassivelyWin a chance to play Age of Conan PvP [updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocaprilbetabeta-eventbreakingeidosfuncomgamespotpvpWed, 09 Apr 2008 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[AoC Lore: Boat Captain Amyr]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/aoc-lore-boat-captain-amyr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/aoc-lore-boat-captain-amyr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/aoc-lore-boat-captain-amyr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Down in Stygia there's a river called Styx. Of all the boat captains in the Khopshef Province the most well known is Amyr, master of the Pride of Luxor. Unlike most of the other boats the Luxor is old, but so well maintained that you'd swear it was better than new. Decorated with bright colors, she glides across the lapping waves with little effort. No matter what it is (people or cargo) -- when it absolutely, positively has to get there... Amyr will get it there.

The captain is a barrel chested, imposing man with a booming voice who has the command presence that even King Conan would admire. Blunt and forthright are his hallmark characteristics. While he may be stern he's also very shrewd, and can haggle with the best of them.

There may be one (and only one) weakness. Rumors suggest that he has soft spot for a woman named Semira, a priestess of Derketo who lives on the island of Pashtun. No soul alive would openly suggest such a thing to Amyr's face.

MassivelyAoC Lore: Boat Captain Amyr originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanCaptain-Amyrconaneidosfuncomhyboriahyborian-adventuresstygiastyxMon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[An all things Age of Conan interview with Jørgen Tharaldsen]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/an-all-things-age-of-conan-interview-with-jorgen-tharaldsen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/an-all-things-age-of-conan-interview-with-jorgen-tharaldsen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/an-all-things-age-of-conan-interview-with-jorgen-tharaldsen/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


There's been a lot of discussion here at Massively about Age of Conan -- it's a given that you probably know we're just a little excited about its impending release. So when we recently got the chance to interview Funcom's own Jørgen Tharaldsen on several subjects concerning the upcoming barbarian invasion, our minds were instantly exploding with questions to ask -- it was difficult not to overload the poor man with endless queries. Rest assured that our craniums are still in one piece and Jørgen hasn't sent barbarians to lop off our heads -- at least for the moment.

The end result turned out fairly well, we think. Within this interview you'll discover the skinny on matters of whether or not pre-order customers really are getting early access, user interface customization, system requirements and all sorts of other topics that we're sure you'll find very interesting.

Gallery: Age of Conan Artwork

Thirsty Dog Inngore 4yetiguardiangore 1

Continue reading An all things Age of Conan interview with Jørgen Tharaldsen

MassivelyAn all things Age of Conan interview with Jørgen Tharaldsen originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbarbarianeidosfeaturedfuncominterviewjorgen-tharaldsenjoystiqfeaturesThu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Which PvP do you want more: AoC or WAR?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/the-daily-grind-which-pvp-do-you-want-more-aoc-or-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/the-daily-grind-which-pvp-do-you-want-more-aoc-or-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/the-daily-grind-which-pvp-do-you-want-more-aoc-or-war/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Both Warhammer Online and Age of Conan have a pretty big focus on the player vs player gameplay -- with their own unique twists. So we thought it would be interesting to see which of the two titles you -- our readers -- would want more strictly in terms of PvP content.

Do you want the controlled chaos that is WAR's RvR system, coupled with its instanced scenarios and open world PvP combat? If not, then maybe the player-controlled Border Kingdoms system where victory means your very own city to rule over in AoC is what you're after. Both games will certainly have PvP servers, where death is hiding behind every rock, tree and level 9 bear -- but which is the one for you?

View Poll

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Which PvP do you want more: AoC or WAR? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocea-mythiceidoselectronic-artsfeaturedfuncompvptdgthe-daily-grindwarwarhammer-onlineThu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Lions of Kheshatta eat people]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/the-lions-of-kheshatta-eat-people/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/the-lions-of-kheshatta-eat-people/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/the-lions-of-kheshatta-eat-people/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As with all things in Age of Conan, the lions of Kheshatta are not to be taken lightly -- or in otherwords don't mess with these cats. They're big, mean and have no issue with turning your body into a bloodied, mangled, vulture magnet. Should you decide to confront one of these lions, it would be a good idea to keep in mind that they hunt in packs -- or prides -- and will generally fight in numbers. Fair? No, but who said anything about primal beasts being good sports?

We're pretty big on lore here at Massively, it's something of a passion for us -- especially when it's Robert E. Howard related lore. So to say we get a kick out of reading these new lore bits is like saying dragons are kind of popular among fantasy fans.

MassivelyThe Lions of Kheshatta eat people originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoceidosfuncomlions-of-kheshattalorerobert-e-howardvulturesMon, 17 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's defense system detailed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conans-defense-system-detailed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conans-defense-system-detailed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conans-defense-system-detailed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Everyone is familiar with the tried-and-true combat systems found in just about every MMO to date, although more games are becoming the exception as time goes on. Age of Conan happens to be one of those exceptions and with its very active directional combat system comes some new ways to manage your defenses during the heat of battle.

Funcom has gone and made an informative overview of all the different ways to 'defend thy self' in their upcoming Hyborian online adventure. It's a good thing they have too, because there is a lot to consider when keeping your head firmly attached to your body in this game.

Continue reading Age of Conan's defense system detailed

MassivelyAge of Conan's defense system detailed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccollision-detectiondefenseeidosfuncomshield-systemshieldsMon, 17 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Age of Conan trailer drops Thursday]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/new-age-of-conan-trailer-drops-thursday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Ten Ton Hammer is reporting this morning that Funcom and Eidos have announced that a new Age of Conan trailer will appear on Gamespot.com Thursday. According to the announcement on the AoC official forums, the video will launch at 1700 California time ( -8 GMT). Since I'm bad with that whole international time thing, the TTH guys have done my work for me... apparently "1700 California time" translates to roughly 12pm EST. If it's as bloody as the above pic - wow!

We'll let you know when the ball drops so you can make a beeline for Gamespot.

MassivelyNew Age of Conan trailer drops Thursday originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age-of-ConanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventuresAoCConanConan-the-Barbariandeveloper-blogEidosFuncomgamespotHyborian-Adventuresten-ton-hammertrailerWed, 05 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[500,000 have signed up for Age of Conan]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/500-000-have-signed-up-for-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/500-000-have-signed-up-for-age-of-conan/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/500-000-have-signed-up-for-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Funcom and Eidos spun Age of Conan's high level of anticipation in the community by announcing that more than half a million people have signed up for either the game's beta test or its fan club.

That's a fairly impressive number, although it doesn't necessarily predict sales. After all, beta testing is free; who knows how many people will actually drop $50 (or €40, or £30, or whatever other currency) for the box and then 15 bucks a month thereafter?

Hopes must be high at Funcom, though, given the financial pressure the game's development has put on the company. Next Generation reported that Funcom's Q4 2007 losses were over three times those of Q4 2006 ($3.1 million vs. $1 million respectively) due in part to the cost of AoC's development. Don't let that add to your fears about the development status, though; the company still has $52.4 million to spare.

Massively500,000 have signed up for Age of Conan originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbetaeidosfinancesfuncomlossesnext-generationrevenueThu, 07 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan preview makes mention of women, animations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/age-of-conan-preview-makes-mention-of-women-animations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/age-of-conan-preview-makes-mention-of-women-animations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/age-of-conan-preview-makes-mention-of-women-animations/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Curse has a new write-up about their recent trip to FunCom where they go over some key issues fans of the upcoming Age of Conan might want to know about. One such thing is in regards to the severe lack of a female presence in the world of Hyboria up to this point. We're told that the main reason we haven't seen any female player characters is that FunCom wanted to do it up right. After all, you only get to make first impressions once. Well, apparently now that females are ready for the spotlight, beta testers can expect to see them as soon as the next patch even. This bodes well for the rest of us seeing the lovely ladies of Hyboria sooner rather than later.

If FunCom takes their armor sets as seriously as they take their Hyborian women, then it sounds like we're in for some satisfying sets of equipment. We're told to expect over 500 unique armor pieces, which in terms of sets doesn't tell us too much. Although a very rough guess on our part would be somewhere in the ballpark of 70-90 armor sets, which would span over three races and twelve classes. If they keep their word then hopefully we won't have a bunch of clones running around.

What really interested us the most, however, was that after hearing lots of concerned feedback on the run animations the developers are going back to the motion capture, uh -- board. Sure, you can expect all sorts of custom fatality animations for different classes, but FunCom continues to impress us with their ability to listen to the community. There's nothing worse than an unnatural looking run animation when you have to stare at it constantly for hours on end.

MassivelyAge of Conan preview makes mention of women, animations originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananimationaocarmorarmor-setseidoseidos-interactivefuncomMon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FunCom decides Age of Conan needs more time, aka delay]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/funcom-decides-age-of-conan-needs-more-time-aka-delay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/funcom-decides-age-of-conan-needs-more-time-aka-delay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/funcom-decides-age-of-conan-needs-more-time-aka-delay/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Many massively game developers make mistakes during the development of a title; both minor and major. Sometimes they can be financial, while other times they can be launching with technical bugs -- like Anarchy Online back in the day -- and then sometimes it's launching too early. That's why even though it may seem like the most terrible thing in the world to people already tired of waiting, Age of Conan getting pushed back eight weeks to May 20th is probably for the greater good of the game and its future community.

It's not like there's too much competition in terms of new massively games this half of the year. Some people have been speculating that we may end up seeing a fall release for Warhammer Online as opposed to one sometime in the spring. From what we can tell, FunCom is betting on the same prediction and taking more time to make sure players feel like they've purchased a well polished game at launch.

[Thanks, QforQ]

MassivelyFunCom decides Age of Conan needs more time, aka delay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananarchy-onlineaocbreakingdelayeaea-mythiceidoseidos-interactivefuncomrelease-datewarhammer-onlineMon, 21 Jan 2008 06:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with Age of Conan's Barbarian class]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/17/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-barbarian-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/17/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-barbarian-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/17/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-barbarian-class/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Last week at CES, I was able to do a hands on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class. I also spent a good couple of hours ignoring the dirty looks of conventioneers as I hogged the Barbarian class demo machine as well. I was able to take a couple of shaky videos of gameplay (I blame the excitement) and write down some of the abilities of the class currently in beta.

Before you dive in after the jump, you might also want to check out Michael Zenke's hands-on impression of the game, his interview with with Conan Designer Jason Stone about the graphic upgrades recently introduced to the closed beta and Age of Conan's newly announced Collector's Edition information, And if that's not enough information, you can also check the extensive tour and interview Akela Talamesca had of the game in December with more video coverage than you can shake a DV cam at.

Now, on to the details of my test drive with AoC's Barbarian class.

Gallery: Age of Conan CES 2008 Gallery

Continue reading Hands-on with Age of Conan's Barbarian class

MassivelyHands-on with Age of Conan's Barbarian class originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocarmageddon-fallsbarbarianberserkerces-2008eidosfeatsfeaturedfuncomgameplay-videojoystiqfeaturesno-escapereaverThu, 17 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan: There will be an open beta]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/age-of-conan-there-will-be-an-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/age-of-conan-there-will-be-an-open-beta/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/age-of-conan-there-will-be-an-open-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


At this year's CES, an Age of Conan Developer stated they would forego the traditional open beta process and would instead draw more players from their applicant pool as the beta expanded. We know that a month ago over 10,000 invites were pushed out, that number is currently at 15,000 according to the AoC beta fairy. With over 100,000 in signups finding testers isn't a problem, and as word from CES spread the AoC forums erupted in nerd-fury. Today, a new happy day, Shannon 'Pharamond' Drake, AoC's community manager posted that it was all a misunderstanding.

"We are planning to have an open beta for the game as we get closer to launch, however, it will be through specific partners and require an application/registration process, much like most of the other betas for most other games."

So there will be some type of an open beta. Well, this message stinks of Fileplanet. It seems to be the cool thing to do nowadays for those looking to run an 'open beta.' I'd prefer some early type of pre-order beta or early launch that Pirates of the Burning Sea are doing, and Hellgate: London did. Age of Conan's beta is definitely one of the more secretively run in the past few years. I don't know anyone in the beta, nor do my friends know anyone in the beta either. Do you?

It should be interesting to see whether or not a smaller beta test is more beneficial than larger open betas that normally last for several months on end. I hope so. It sucks not getting into a MMOG beta you want to play, but the negative buzz created by players early-on is not helping traditional pay-to-play MMOGs succeed in a genre dominated by World of Warcraft. Age of Conan is due to launch on March 25, 2008. Let's hope that is not when the real open beta begins. Be sure to check out our AoC coverage from CES if you are looking for our latest infos and some exclusive videos.

MassivelyAge of Conan: There will be an open beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoceidosfuncomopen-betashannon-drakeMon, 14 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-dark-templar-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-dark-templar-class/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/hands-on-with-age-of-conans-dark-templar-class/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


The Consumer Electronics Show has hit Las Vegas in full force. The Massively team is here to roam the corridors of shiny, shiny, shiny gadgetry and ignore it all to to focus entirely on the content that is important to you. And that would be the shininess of Age of Conan.

Funcom is on hand with live connections to their AoC beta servers and two classes available for demo play. Before diving in, you should check out Michael Zenke's hands-on post he wrote for our mother site, Joystiq. It explains how combat works. Then come back here to read about my experiences with the Dark Templar. And a little later, I'll have another post detailing my Barbarian play.

Video of Dark Templar gameplay and Talent descriptions after the jump!

Gallery: Age of Conan CES 2008 Gallery

Continue reading Hands-on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class

MassivelyHands-on with Age of Conan's Dark Templar class originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblood-for-aidbreakingces-2008dark-templardepravitydesecrationeidosfatalityfeatsfeaturedfuncomjoystiqfeaturesleech-lifesoul-for-a-feastThu, 10 Jan 2008 09:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan Product Developer interview, with gameplay video]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/age-of-conan-product-developer-interview-with-gameplay-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/age-of-conan-product-developer-interview-with-gameplay-video/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/age-of-conan-product-developer-interview-with-gameplay-video/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On December 5th, I was invited to the Eidos/Funcom Age of Conan press event, where I was privileged enough to be granted access to both the game itself and the development team. I was able to play the opening area, leading into the first town. I sussed out the combat and the conversation interface. I spoke with Jørgen Tharaldsen, the Product Developer, and he let drop a metric ton of knowledge upon my fevered noggin. I reprint here our conversation, interspersed with my handheld-shot video pieces, the first of which is shown above, which is where the game starts, with you as a survivor of a shipwrecked slaver ship. I'd like to thank Jørgen and the entire Eidos/Funcom team, all of whom I found to be gracious, witty, and enthusiastic about their game, which is refreshing to see. My take? The game looks incredible, and it's extremely immersive from the get-go. They say they're on schedule for an early 2008 release, so this is something to anticipate indeed.


More videos and the interview after the jump!

Continue reading Age of Conan Product Developer interview, with gameplay video

MassivelyAge of Conan Product Developer interview, with gameplay video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5.1-surroundage-of-conananarchy-onlineaquiloniaarcherarchitectarnold-schwarzeneggerbarbarianbreakingcimmeriacommandercromdark-templardidrik-tollefseneidosfeaturedfuncomgameplay-videogermanyguardianhour-of-the-dragonhyboriainterviewjorgen-tharaldsenjoystiqfeatureskushitesmagemammothmarvel-comcsmassivelymitramtvnorwaypictsprestigepriestrobert-e-howardshadowlandssiegestygiathe-longest-journeythoth-amonvanirFri, 14 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST