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Blood, guild emblems and more returning to EU TERA next week

Matt Daniel — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Patches, News items, TERA

European TERA players, it's time to get your violence on. Frogster has announced that a patch coming to the game next week will herald the return of the blood detail slider, so you sadistic freaks can finally revel in the spilled blood of your enemies.

In addition, the patch is bringing back the guild emblem feature, which will allow players to once again upload their own unique icons to represent their guilds. The game's chat filter is also going to see some changes, which will hopefully stop the unnecessary censorship of certain words and phrases (and in some cases, linked item names) while ensuring that inappropriate language is properly censored. Eurogamer has further information, including a few words with Frogster's community manager Lucile Le Merle, so click on through to the full story for the full details.

Blood, guild emblems and more returning to EU TERA next week originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA Europe offers bonus items and skins to prepurchase customers

Matt Daniel — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, TERA, Promotions

What with all the hullabaloo about TERA Europe's sex-and-violence-reducing changes to the game, some European players have professed to having second thoughts about whether or not to actually purchase the action-focused title. Frogster, the game's European publisher, announced today a new promotion for players who have purchased (or plan to purchase prior to launch) the European version of TERA.

To get in on the promotion, players must have purchased the full version of TERA (not the mini pre-order version, which can be upgraded to the full or collector's edition) prior to the game's May 2nd launch. Any players who fall into that category will be rewarded with the Legendary Legacy item package, which includes an exclusive weapon skin for each class, plus three accessories: a pirate eye-patch, a pirate face-mask, and... a pair of horn-rimmed glasses? What is this, sexy pirate librarian cosplay? At any rate, for the full details, head on over and check out the official post at the TERA EU official site.

TERA Europe offers bonus items and skins to prepurchase customers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frogster responds to community uproar over European TERA changes

Matt Daniel — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News items, TERA

European TERA fans have been up in arms lately due to decisions on behalf of the game's European publisher, Frogster, to remove a notable amount of the game's mature content in hopes of receiving a PEGI 12 rating. Today, the game's lead community manager, Raven, took to the forums to explain the logic behind some of these decisions and to elaborate on what players can expect moving forward.

The post begins with an apology for the lack of transparency in the matter of removing the blood effect slider from the game without mention; it goes on to promise that "the gore slider will be back with the original three different graduations and blood will still be spread on the ground during combat," though it's important to note that the feature will be patched back in shortly after launch. Raven also clarifies the reasons behind some of the changes made to the childlike Elin, stating that the changes were made "not to comply with a demand from any official board, but because those characters in particular could have attracted to the game a population of unsavoury users, and it is part of [Frogster's] responsibility to protect [TERA's] younger audiences from them."

As far as the changes made to other character models (such as the reduction of female breast size and some changes that made certain pieces of armor less revealing) are concerned, Raven points out that those changes are present in all versions of the game, including the Korean version, so it's not a case of the game's being censored purely for Western audiences. To get the full details and put forth your tuppence on the matter, just head on over to the official TERA EU forums.

Frogster responds to community uproar over European TERA changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Launches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play

Star Trek may feature universal translators, but the crew at Cryptic has to make do with old fashioned techniques until the future catches up with us. As such, the studio has announced that it is relaunching Star Trek Online in Europe to support its French- and German-speaking players.

Starting right now, the game, website, forums, and game support will be available in all three languages. To further cater to European players, Cryptic has vowed to add more EU-friendly event timeslots.

Executive Producer Dan Stahl hopes this will spread STO across the world: "The launch of Star Trek Online in Europe is the culmination of our efforts over the past several years to bring gamers the Star Trek universe on a truly massive scale."

All players can benefit from this European relaunch, as Q's coming back to celebrate with a double-XP bonus weekend. Anyone who logs in from today through Monday, April 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, will not only benefit from the a skill point and bridge officer point boost but can claim a free IDIC Tribble of his or her very own. The Tribble provides a unique buff to your character based on his, her, or its class -- and if you manage to get all three buffs on you at once, you'll be granted an additional boost to damage, resistance, and health regen.

[Source: Cryptic press release]

Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE opens up about multi-year European partnership

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, MMO industry, Legal, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2

While we heard about Sony Online Entertainment's partnership with ProSiebenSat.1 Games Group to publish MMOs in Europe last month, the specific details of this deal were lurking under a cloud cover of mystery and speculation -- until now. SOE has posted a quite lengthy FAQ about this partnership and what it entails for the future of the studio in the Old World.

According to the deal, ProSiebenSat.1 has the license to officially publish eight of SOE's titles in 40 countries. These MMOs include DC Universe Online, EverQuest II, Free Realms, PlanetSide 2, and EverQuest Next (although not, oddly enough, EverQuest itself). SOE hopes that ProSiebenSat.1's location and expertise will result in in a greater audience for its games as well as more support and better localization for those under ProSiebenSat.1's umbrella. SOE even hopes that the partnership will result in "special content" for European players.

Previously, SOE had distribution agreements for Europe but nothing on the scale of what it now has with ProSiebenSat.1. It looks like EU players will need to transfer their accounts and characters over to ProSiebenSat.1's domain, although SOE promises that this will be an easy process. It's also important to note that these games and their servers will not interact with their North American counterparts, effectively separating the communities.

SOE opens up about multi-year European partnership originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft answers questions on Aion's F2P transition

Matt Daniel — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

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

NCsoft announced earlier today that it has partnered up with Gameforge to transition Aion Europe to a F2P model. Now Gamespot UK has a new question-and-answer session with NCsoft that explains a bit about the reasons behind the transition. For instance, what can players expect when Aion goes F2P, considering it already had a cash shop to begin with? In the F2P version, the shop will be accessible from inside the game itself, allowing players to make purchases on the fly instead of exiting the game to do so.

Gamespot also asks the company's opinion on the ongoing F2P-vs.-subscription war. The company believes that "more and more games will directly launch into a free-to-play business model in the future," but for now it's also "shown that transitioning to free-to-play has become a valid option to extend a game's life cycle." For the full Q&A, head click on over to Gamespot UK.

NCsoft answers questions on Aion's F2P transition originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vindictus EU updates with Lost Artifact episode

Jef Reahard — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Vindictus

Vindictus may be a relatively new arrival on the European gaming scene, but Nexon is wasting no time updating the hack-and-slash game with a new episode. The Lost Artifact content pack comes loaded with a level cap increase, new bonus missions, and a new area called the Hilder Forest.

Players will journey to the "icy caverns of Hoarfrost Depths and face fearsome foes," among them various Yeti clans, Formors, and new raid boss monsters. New skills are also the order of the day, and abilities like shield charge and reverse gravity are designed to decimate foes and add a bit of oomph to the game's combat visuals.

Finally, new gameplay styles are coming to the EU client, and Hero Mode bumps up the difficulty level while Gauntlet Mode pits players against their "most dreaded enemies, one right after another." Surviving the gauntlet brings several rewards including a rare title. More info is available at the EU Vindictus website.

If you're an American Vindictus player and all this is sounding a bit familiar, well, it should. The Lost Artifact update went live in the States back in February.

[Source: Nexon press release]

Gallery: Vindictus Gallery

Vindictus EU updates with Lost Artifact episode originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR's EU launch moved up to December 20th

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:15:00 EST

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

For all of you European Star Wars: The Old Republic fans out there who were planning to be sick from work on December 22nd for the game's launch, you'll now be doing it two days earlier. That's right -- if you plan to play the game at retail launch, you'll be doing it on the same day as the Yanks in North America: December 20th.

The announcement was made today during BioWare's New York Comic-Con panel, where our sister site Joystiq grabbed the news. Stay tuned to Massively for more from SWTOR and NYCC as it becomes available.

SWTOR's EU launch moved up to December 20th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

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

Legend of Edda, the free-to-play title from GamesCampus, is temporarily closing its doors to the gaming public on August 26th until early next year. This isn't because of a dying population or financial difficulty, but rather to overhaul and relaunch the game with a much-improved version.

According to a letter left on the website, EU's EYASoft developed a superior version of the game that went into open beta in Europe. Apparently this version was both so good and so incompatible with the North American version that GamesCampus decided to halt progress on the current edition of Legend of Edda in favor for the new and improved one. "Unfortunately," the letter says, "because of the extreme differences between the US version and the new version, it is impossible to update the US servers to the new game."

To compensate Legend of Edda fans, GamesCampus is creating compensation packages to refund in-game currency and encourage players to try out on of the studio's other titles. We covered Legend of Edda earlier this year in our Rise and Shiny column.

Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alganon opens European servers

Matt Daniel — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play, Alganon

Quest Online announced today that its free-to-play MMORPG Alganon is expanding! The game's reach grows just a wee bit longer with the launch of the Aeon server, located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Players on either continent can choose to play on either server, so there's nothing stopping North American players from throwing down with their friends across the pond.

As a result of this new addition to the Alganon family, players will have a week (until July 19th) to transfer to the Aeon server free of charge. To do so, all you have to do is log into the Alganon website, choose the My Account option, and click My Transfers. Voila! The new server also comes just in time for the upcoming GM vs. Player battles taking place on July 16th and 17th. For more information, head to the official Alganon site.

Alganon opens European servers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Updates on migration issues for Lord of the Rings Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, News items, Free-to-play

It's been about a week since European players of Lord of the Rings Online began the migration over to Turbine's servers, and the transition has not been nearly as smooth as one could hope. That having been said, the team is working diligently behind the scenes to try to address the issues many players are experiencing, with community manager Sapience making a post today outlining the two major fixes coming up to try to alleviate the issues.

The first fix will be a simple patch to the migration tool itself, which is expected to be live on Friday or shortly thereafter. The other fix will require some server downtime as the team works at fixing some database issues. Sapience also explains that Codemasters had previously flagged some accounts incorrectly with the database migration, and he promises that the players missing VIP time will be addressed sometime next week. While it won't remove the Lord of the Rings Online migration issues, it's at least a step in the right direction.

Updates on migration issues for Lord of the Rings Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allods Online shows off Isle of Revelation prior to European launch

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 09 May 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Launches, Free-to-play, Allods Online

While Allods Online's European players may be surfing behind their North American comrades in terms of updates, their long wait is almost over. On Wednesday, Allods Online will launch in Europe, bringing with it the mega-patch that gPotato's excited to show off. The delay for the European launch was due to a number of factors, including market adjustments, localization, and an additional pass for polish.

The launch patch not only comes with two new zones but also includes a welcome revamp to the rune system, which allows players to utilize and swap them much more efficiently than before.

While we can't make Wednesday come any sooner (trust me, we tried, but Stephen Hawking sent us a cease-and-desist for tampering with the space-time continuum), we are able to bring to you seven intriguing screenshots from Allods Online's Isle of Revelation. You can check out these pictures in the gallery below!

Gallery: Allods Online

Allods Online shows off Isle of Revelation prior to European launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB Reloaded prepping for open beta

Jef Reahard — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Real life, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Dev Diaries

The beta train for APB Reloaded is rolling right along, according to the latest dev blog update. As of March 20th, GamersFirst has welcomed 25,000 testers to the title's closed beta, with 250,000 waiting in the wings -- and apparently champing at the bit.

GamersFirst is also looking to the future, and Bjorn Book-Larsson writes that "the dev, design and art teams are still working on a few minor tweaks in [closed beta], but are mostly now focused on the open beta build that's coming up." While there's no word on an open beta date as of yet, we're not anticipating a lengthy wait given the speed at which GamersFirst is powering through updates and the enthusiasm permeating the entire enterprise.

Book-Larsson also gives fans an update on the European closed beta, which has suffered a slight delay thanks to a pair of crucial networking components that were held up by EU customs. He notes that at least 25,000 testers will be needed when the EU servers are up and running, and "anyone already playing closed beta in the US can also play on the EU location, just for the heck of it."

APB Reloaded prepping for open beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIFT adds 31 additional servers for launch

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, RIFT

If you thought Trion Worlds was running out of hardware for RIFT after the previous week's onslaught of new realms brought online, think again. In anticipation for tomorrow's official launch, the studio is bringing a whopping 31 additional servers to bear between the North American and European markets.

RIFT's US side is getting 11 new PvE and eight PvP servers, while EU is due for six of each. This brings the grand total to 58 North American and 41 European servers.

While the role-playing realms have repeatedly boasted high queue times since the head start, it's interesting to note that none of these 31 new servers are the RP or PvP-RP ruleset.

You can follow the status of the servers -- including if they're up, how full they are and how many players (if any) are in the queue -- by using Trion's shard status page (also available in German and French varieties).

RIFT adds 31 additional servers for launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Prophecy throws a European open beta shindig

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Free-to-play, Browser, Black Prophecy

Put up or shut up. Lock and load. Light the fires and kick the tires. Warp speed now, mister!

Whatever phrase gets you in the mood for some good ol' fashioned space dogfighting, dust it off and get it ready for use. Gamigo's announced that Black Prophecy has launched its open beta for European participants.

While Black Prophecy has been in closed beta in both North America and Europe, this new phase of testing represents the first time the game's been available to everyone. In anticipation for the rush to check it out, gamigo's opened two open beta servers in Europe: Kemmura (English) and Shinava (German).

To help new pilots get settled into the war, gamigo's provided a starting guide on the community forums with information about setting up an account, how to play, and how to post bug reports.

With the NDA down and the open beta starting, Black Prophecy's launch hopefully isn't far away. In the meanwhile, check out our first impressions of the game, and let us know what you think when you give it a whirl!

Black Prophecy throws a European open beta shindig originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When is "ready"? SWTOR's Community Manager discusses player concerns

Larry Everett — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST

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

Many fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic have been concerned about the amount of information released in the last few updates, especially considering the fact that a lot more information was released during the summer. Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid hopped on the forums to address these and other concerns the SWTOR community had.

BioWare's line for the last couple of years has been, "We will talk about it when it's ready." According to Reid, the mantra still holds true, but the explanation is a bit deeper when considering what it actually takes to be "ready." Presentation is the first on his list, as Reid explains in a post, "While some of you might say 'But I don't care! I'm sure it'll be good in the final game! I can totally forgive you this time!' I'm afraid we don't get that latitude with, oooh, pretty much 90% of the rest of the world." Another reason is some systems that are ready depend on other systems that aren't ready. And lastly, there are public relations and marketing considerations.

In another post, Reid addressed other specific community concerns, such as EU testing and, as one community member put it, "We in the EU do feel like second rate citizen here sometimes." Other concerns like the low amount of developer posts on the forums, in general, and the community's influence on the final game are engaged as well.

The full posts are located on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic forum, in the developer tracker. Be sure to check there for more information.

When is "ready"? SWTOR's Community Manager discusses player concerns originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Players speak and devs deliver: LotRO's new vault system and EU preview event on the way

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Promotions, Dev Diaries

Quite often the mark of a good company is how it responds to player dissatisfaction. While it may be riding high on cloud money as of late, Lord of the Rings Online's recent decisions have not made all of its players happy, and both Turbine and Codemasters are taking steps to rectify these situations.

Although Turbine touted the revised "Vault 2.0" bank system as superior to the old inventory system, many found it difficult to organize and sort. As a result, a new dev diary is showing off the third iteration of the vault system, which uses a cleaner interface of tabs and rows to help players keep their hundreds of items in the proper place. LotRO's Vault 3.0 is far more customizable, can auto-sort items, and even offers tabs to allow players to switch between the vault, wardrobe and shared storage within the same interface.

On the European front, it seems as if there's finally movement toward the promised free-to-play launch with a new preview event. Starting next Monday, October 25th, EU players are invited to hop on to the test server and give it a whirl. As a reward for participating, Codemasters will be gifting 500 points toward the store to all testers. Interested parties may trek over to the preview sign-up page to be a part of this momentous occasion.

Players speak and devs deliver: LotRO's new vault system and EU preview event on the way originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, Patches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." In light of recent events, we might turn that phrase to become, "Do not meddle in the affairs of players, for they are outspoken and very, very quick to anger."

I'm referring, of course, to the outright debacle that's been happening on the Lord of the Rings Online European front. While Turbine released LotRO's F2P version along with the latest patch a month ago in North America, Codemasters has yet to follow suit, citing numerous problems on its end.

When we first heard of the delay, I assumed it would be shortly resolved -- perhaps no more than a week or two at the most -- which is why I've mostly kept from discussing it in this column before now. Tech problems happen, there's always legal traps waiting, code can be glitchy, and regionalization is an ever-present obstacle. But at this point it feels as though the EU "Have-Nots" community has been under siege from lack of information and a frustrating view of the "Haves" across the pond.

When will it be their turn? Why didn't Codemasters see this coming? How is the EU team trying to mollify the community as the devs scramble to get this puppy to live? Let's take a journey, you and I, through the past month and into the near future. Don't mind the hobbits picketing the Shire -- I'm sure it'll all work out.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum

The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Gimme

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Entropia Universe, One Shots, Virtual worlds

While Entropia Universe tends to only make major headlines when players buy or sell something that can translate into a bunch of real-world cash, we still like to keep up with what's going on in this interesting virtual world. For example, we noted that vehicles were coming to Entropia Universe recently -- and that freebies would be given out. Today, we have a screenshot from reader Vivian K., who was there, and tells us more about the giveaways:

"Entropia was a madhouse as scores of players dashed from teleporter to teleporter today searching for Emma, who was handing out vehicles to a few lucky players. I caught up with her a few times - and in this shot she's buried under a crowd of rowdy Entropians and I'm just about to crash. I never did get a vehicle but it was fun haring after her, even though, as one player said, the amount of sheer begging was somewhat sickening. I've got other screenshots, including players making offerings and the cars themselves, but this sums up the day's event nicely."

One Shots needs you! While we try to cover as many worlds as we can, we don't always get to see the interesting events. That's why we love to hear from readers who can give us the insider scoop! If you'd like to tell us more about your favorite MMO or something interesting that's happened there, then email your screenshot to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: Gimme originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: Forum diving

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, The Road to Mordor

[Special note: Obviously, the news that LotRO is going free-to-play hit after this article was already written, so stay tuned as we dissect what it means for existing and potential new customers next week!]

Lately, it feels like we're in a holding pattern for Lord of the Rings Online. The last major content patch, Volume III: Book 1, is fading into distant memory, and we're pushing into summer without definite news of the next update -- or better yet, the next expansion. Players are also nervous about any changes or new directions the game may take after the recent acquisition of Turbine by Warner Bros., and the silence certainly doesn't help any.

However, there's always hope in the darkest places of Middle-earth, and the same can be said for the game itself. The Summer Festival should be around the corner, and as for new news, Sapience handed out a bit of vague encouragement on the forums: "You guys know we're preparing an announcement. I can't give you a specific date as to when we'll make it, but I can say I just ran into Adam Mersky coming out of an E3 planning meeting and he was pretty stoked!"

While we continue the wait for the next step forward for LotRO, I thought it'd be a good idea to head over to the official forums and do a little diving for some of the more interesting topics and discussions bouncing around the LotRO community today.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Forum diving

The Road to Mordor: Forum diving originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion test servers to open for NA and EU

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion

This is a test of upcoming content, this is only a test... server, that is. Aion's quality assurance team is proud to announce a pair of bug-stomping, issue-resolving, feedback-spurring test servers -- one for North America and one for Europe. These servers are primed to open on April 29, so that players can preview patches and engage in some winged QA.

Aion testers won't be given a fancy pre-made character, but instead will see a MMO in fast-forward: XP, Abyss Points and drop rates will be jacked through the roof to allow for rapid progress (in the name of testing, of course). The Aion team specifically notes that any test server characters won't be included against character limits.

As public test servers (PTS) are always a great way for studios to involve the playerbase in making the game better, Aion subscribers should be happy to be included in the process. You can read the entire announcement over on the Aion forums.

[Thanks Nick!]

Aion test servers to open for NA and EU originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indian company purchases fifty percent stake in Codemasters

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Jumpgate Evolution, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items

While some gamers in the US may not be immediately familiar with Codemasters, we know our readers across the pond will immediately recognize them as the company with the rights to publish Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and (the "who-knows-when-it-will-release") MMO Jumpgate Evolution overseas. With that said, last year we heard that the COO at Codemasters, Tony Williams, decided to step down from Chief Organizational Officer. Not too long after that, there were rumors that Warner Brothers was looking into buying the company. Today, it seems that a company from India called Reliance Big Entertainment has pounced, and now owns a 50% stake in Codemasters.

Apparently, Reliance Big Entertainment is very well known in India. It's subsidiary company, Zapak Digital Entertainment, owns the largest online gaming portal in the country as well. This gaming-specific company will be the one in charge of overseeing the investment in UK-based Codemasters.

As to what this could mean for MMO gamers in the EU, we'll have to wait and see. Perhaps Reliance/Zapak will see fit to close the gap in differences from the Turbine-controlled version of Lord of the Rings Online. Or perhaps this new company will finally roll the Codemasters version of Dungeons and Dragons Online over to the same free-to-play model that has been such a huge success for Turbine in the States. No matter what, this is going to be interesting to watch.

[via Joystiq]

Indian company purchases fifty percent stake in Codemasters originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Drakos Tower returns to Dragonica with all new challenges

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Dragonica Online

Dragonica -- the EU version of the game -- is gearing up to add the darkly sinister Drakos Tower back in to the game. Word is that the entire area has been completely redesigned from the previous incarnation, when only the first three floors were available. Now, players will have access to 20 floors of horrible, adorable monsters, great for Level 53-70 players. Of course, if you haven't made it that far in the game, don't worry! The team at gPotato (EU) have also started a "massive EXP event" until the update launches on the 4th, just perfect for players looking to level up.

Those brave inhabitants of Dragotaka who decide to take on the challenge will find themselves facing off against a half-robot, half-human creature; a spider crab; and a winged demon; all hell-bent on your destruction. Players will also learn more about the sinister secret lore of Dragonica as they quest through the revamped area. With that said, if you're not quite to that level yet, the update will additionally introduce the brand new crafting system -- ensuring a little something for everyone.

So, be sure to get those Dragonica patchers ready, and jump in to enjoy some bonus experience while you wait for the update on Thursday. Spooky surprises await!

The Drakos Tower returns to Dragonica with all new challenges originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CABAL Online releases their third chapter tomorrow

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Cabal Online, Expansions, Free-to-play

European CABAL Online fans will be happy to hear that their second major update of the year, Soul & Siena, will go live tomorrow. This is only three months after the previous expansion, which introduced us to new hunting grounds, a title system and many new items. This newest expansion will continue the trend of new content by adding a new raiding dungeon, high level armors and a unique bonus skill system.

In addition, CABAL is implementing a new security feature for players' accounts with the sub-password system. This allows players to create an additional four-digit code to protect their equipped items, storage and even their character. Sounds like something a few other major MMOs should take a look at.

Remember, this expansion is 100% free, as is the game itself, so all EU players can head on over to their site and download the client starting tomorrow!

[Edit: We're informed by OGplanet that the US version will be coming soon as well, so stay tuned for more news on that.]

CABAL Online releases their third chapter tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragonica enters open beta in Europe

James Egan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play, Casual

The free-to-play game Dragonica has entered open beta in Europe as of June 10th. Dragonica is a 3D side-scrolling MMO developed by Barunson Interactive and operated by gPotato (Gala Networks Europe Ltd.). The title is currently offered in English, French, and German languages and has very low system requirements, so it should run well on older hardware or even on netbooks from what Gala Networks Europe states.

Just for additional clarification, this open beta is for the EU's Dragonica operated by gPotato, not to be confused with the North American version of the game titled Dragonica Online, which we previewed at E3 2009.

Dragonica enters open beta in Europe originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters giving away 2000 copies of LotRO

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Contests

It's hard to believe, but there may still be some hold-outs who have not yet experienced how cool it is to wander around in Middle-earth MMO territory. Shocking! That said, if you are one of those hold-outs who have never gotten a copy of Lord of the Rings Online and you happen to live in the EU, then you will want to get in on this! On the 24th - this upcoming Friday - at at 3pm UK time (2pm GMT), Codemasters (in conjunction with Eurogamer) will be giving away 2,000 fully-paid for digital copies of the Lord of the Rings Online.

Why give out 2000 copies? Simple - April 24th is the second 'birthday' of LotRO - and 2,000 is a nice big number to better share the Middle-earth love.Even Smeagol looks excited, no? We'd note that these are basic copies of Angmar without the Moria expansion. Even so, you really can't beat a free month of MMO goodness; especially for such a great game. Be sure to mark your calendars and get your commenting fingers ready for this Friday so you can land a free EU copy of LotRO.

Codemasters giving away 2000 copies of LotRO originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Fools 09: WoW EU wants to Pimp your Mount

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, News items, Humor

Blizzard have always been serious pranksters, so we've been patiently awaiting their World of Warcraft prank for today. So far, however, we've only seen this one particular one come up on the Blizzard EU WoW site. This new page in the Underdev category tells players just how they can look forward to pimping out their in-game mounts. With options like "ejector seat", "nodding dog" and "cup holder" we're calling shenanigans on this one. That said, we'll continue looking out for any more World of Warcraft pranks, as the US site is due for its own brand of silliness soon.

April Fools 09: WoW EU wants to Pimp your Mount originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man in the box

Brooke Pilley — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Politics, Virtual worlds

People usually play MMOGs as a way to escape real life. Well, according to The Guardian, real life may just be trying to push its way into MMOGs. Several EU government bodies recently came together and released a report titled, Virtual Worlds, Real Money: Security and Privacy in Massively Multi-Player Online Games and Social and Corporate Virtual Worlds. Sound heavy? It is.

It seems the impetus for creating this agency position paper was that "2007 was the year of online gaming fraud." The executive summary states that malware targeting MMOGs increased by 145% and over 30,000 new programs emerged with the aim to gain access to accounts and steal virtual goods to sell for real money. The report describes 14 key risks in detail, including avatar identity theft/identity fraud, harassment, problems with online dispute resolution, and security risks for minors just to name a few. The agency also makes 12 recommendations to governments and MMOG developers to address these risks.

It seems inevitable that one day we'll have Big Brother looking over our shoulders as we peck away at our keyboards pwning n00bs. It also raises a couple big questions. How far will they go? Will it improve things or make them worse? Time will tell.

Man in the box originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chronicles of Spellborn scores 8/10 in an early review

William Dobson — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New titles, Reviews, The Chronicles of Spellborn

Although a great deal of the world is still playing the beta version of The Chronicles of Spellborn, continental Europe has had access to the retail copy since the 27th of November. Since Eurogamer has had a couple of weeks to put the game through its paces, they've posted a review. Now, we're sure you know the various problems with MMO reviews in general -- the two biggest being that most (good) MMOs are updated frequently post-launch, and that there's usually too much content to get through to provide accurate insight to all levels and areas of a game -- but it's worth nothing that this one comes with a rather healthy eight-out-of-ten score at the end.

The art style and environments get an approving nod in the review, and so do the action-based combat mechanics. The "Skill Deck", which is the replacement for the traditional action bar you might be used to from a huge number of other MMOs, is both praised and knocked for its complexity. The primary criticisms that the review levels against TCoS are that it can be a bit generic at times, and that it lacks the glossy polish that you see in big-budget titles. Obviously these complaints were not significant enough to stop the reviewer from enjoying the game, and we look forward to seeing how it shapes up by the time it's released to the rest of the world in January.

The Chronicles of Spellborn scores 8/10 in an early review originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chronicles of Spellborn's open beta impressions

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Game mechanics, New titles, Hands-on, Chronicles of Spellborn

Since the launch of open beta in Europe and removal of the NDA this weekend, The Chronicles of Spellborn has now entered the public eye on a much larger scale. MMORPG has been providing some in-depth coverage of the game recently, including one of the first extensive looks at the character creation process.

However, sometimes it's good to get a "regular-guy" perspective on these first impressions, so we're particularly interested in a recent run-down from the A Ding World blog. In this thorough look at the current state of open beta, Sente runs through character creation, control, user interface, questing and much more. It's a great read if you're interested in learning more about this upcoming MMO, set to launch on November 27th in Europe and in January for the US.

The Chronicles of Spellborn's open beta impressions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion: Tower of Eternity breaks all beta test records in Korea

James Egan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, MMO industry, News items

While we had some grim news related to NCsoft's dip in profits yesterday, there may be a silver lining to this, in the form of Aion: The Tower of Eternity. A press release from NCsoft states that the Aion beta has surpassed all previous records for a beta test in Korea: "Concurrent user numbers have already jumped to more than 170,000 players, making it the most popular beta event in Korean history." That's a significant achievement, given how mature the market is in Korea. 11,000 people were logged into the Aion beta only two minutes after service began and hit 40,000 players within an hour. The rapid influx of players necessitated NCsoft having 25 servers running to accommodate them.

David Reid, president of publishing for NCsoft West in Seattle said, "The response we're seeing in Korea is incredibly exciting. Our Aion community in North America and Europe is rapidly growing. We've got aggressive plans for the western launch in 2009." On the subject of Aion's launch, the press release lists Korea's commercial launch as being just a few weeks away. As Reid stated, the North American and European Aion launches are set for 2009, but NCsoft hasn't nailed down a specific launch date for these markets at this time.

Aion: Tower of Eternity breaks all beta test records in Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 is...

Samuel Axon — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, News items

Nymh, Human Warlock of the EU server Drek'thar (and the real-world country of France) became the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 by working with an out-of-group Priest to spam area-of-effect attacks against rapidly-spawning mid-70s mobs, inspired by the technique of another World of Warcraft Warlock player named Jynxx, who eloquently explained the concept in a video (Note: probably won't make much sense if you're not a WoW addict already).

Time from 70 to 80: 27 hours.

Nymh did a lot of research and trial-and-error exploration of options in the Wrath of the Lich King beta test in order to be ready for the gauntlet after the EU launch, which of course came a little bit before the North American one. We'll note that the first-to-level-70-after-launch trophy went to another French player last year. Vive la France, no?

[Via WoW Insider]

And the first World of Warcraft player to reach level 80 is... originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half

James Egan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items

MMO industry giant NCsoft has seen better weeks than this. First there was Richard Garriott's announcement that he's leaving the company for new horizons. Then came the news that NCsoft's third quarter profits fell by 50 percent.

Gamasutra reported today: "In the three months ending September 30th, the South Korean company's profit was down from 10 billion won ($7.2m) in 2007 to just 5 billion ($3.6m) in this year's third quarter." Gamasutra goes on to cite some additional figures in regards to NCsoft's operations, namely that its Korean titles are still the big earners, with Lineage and Lineage II comprising roughly 84 percent of its overall revenues. MMO titles popular in North America and EU account for roughly 15 percent of NCsoft's revenues. For further details, be sure to check out Gamasutra's piece on NCsoft's third quarter revenues for more statistics linked to the company's revenue dip.

NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion

James Egan — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Expansions, MMO industry, Hellgate: London, Rumors

The Hellgate: London IP saga continues. While we had some dire news that the servers will go dark at the end of January, we also know that development for the title is still being done in Redbana's California office... just not for which region. The latest word we've received on this seems to indicate the continuity of Hellgate: London, but to date this is only confirmed for service in Asia -- so we cannot (yet) offer a definitive, "Yes, HG:L will continue for North America and EU." That being said, Gamasutra has picked up on company blog posts by HanbitSoft's Global PR Manager, Janelle. One is a definitive announcement that HanbitSoft owns both the Hellgate: London and Mythos IP, while the other is more telling.

Janelle republished an email sent from Hellgate: London's Product Manager about the future of the title.The message in its entirety, as shown on the Game Espresso site for HanbitSoft, is reprinted below the cut.

Continue reading HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion

HanbitSoft plans Hellgate: London relaunch and new expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAR battles Spore, The Force Unleashed for top of EU sales charts

Samuel Axon — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online, News items

Warhammer Online pulled off some impressive sales figures in the European market this past week. The Swedish sales chart shows WAR at the #1 and #4 (for the Collector's Edition) spots in that country, beating out the highly anticipated Will Wright project Spore. WAR also topped the charts in Spain. In Germany it came in second behind the heavily marketed console game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Of course an MMO dominating sales charts is nothing new. World of Warcraft has done so on and off since its launch four years ago, and Age of Conan debuted at #1 in many regions, even defeating the critically acclaimed BioWare tactical RPG Mass Effect which launched in the same month. It's also worth noting that the Warhammer IP is very popular in Europe, perhaps more so than in North America.

This news jives well with the report that half a million users have registered for the game. On the other hand, similar numbers were thrown out around AoC shortly after its launch. It's doing okay, but it didn't turn out to be a landscape-altering success that some folks projected, and that some are expecting from WAR as well

WAR battles Spore, The Force Unleashed for top of EU sales charts originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online CE head start launches, revs up the buzz

Kyle Horner — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Warhammer Online, News items

The first day of the Warhammer Online head start is over and several servers are already full of players picking sides and clashing foreheads. Another thing that's already started is the reaction around the wider web. The buzz is strong with this one. Here's a round-up of news bits relating to Mythic's newest MMO that you may find a bit surprising:

Something Awful's Goon Squad takes to Warhammer Online like Chaos flies to a smoldering pile of Orc poo. Is this a good or a bad sign?
For the extreme completionists out there that need to know how to unlock everything in the Tome of Knowledge, you may want to check out the newest Allakhazam site. It should be interesting to see how/if Mythic evolves the ToK to compete with websites like these.
If you bought the Collector's Edition and gotten your head start code, then you were part of the group who got in today. Wondering where that special racial head for your character is at and how you can get it? Mythic would like to tell you.
The ever-vigilant Mythic community reps have posted a bit more information on the how and where of getting your CE quests, which come with special titles and other rewards.
GOA sort of makes up for earlier slip-ups by getting EU players into their CE head start nice and smoothly. Let's hope this is the start of a pattern for the EU WAR service.
Mark Jacobs writes letter of thanks and excitement to everyone involved in the official beginnings of WAR.

Warhammer Online CE head start launches, revs up the buzz originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Runners announces an EU server

Shawn Schuster — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeon Runners, PvP, Free-to-play

For over a year now we've enjoyed Dungeon Runners without a specific European server. This means that Europeans had to put up with Americans for all that time! We're not sure how they did it either, but NCsoft has announced that their newest server -- World 8 -- is optimized for European players. This doesn't mean anyone else from around the world can't play on it, but they might not enjoy the low ping rates as they've had on the American servers, if they are American.

This eighth world is a PvP world, making it the second such PvP server in addition to World 5. For PvE players, you have several server choices for free players, plus World 2, which is only open to those who pay the $5 monthly membership fee. One of the beautiful parts of the Dungeon Runners server system is the fact that your characters are available on any of the servers, so you can feel free to check out the new-server smell at the European server any time you'd like.

Dungeon Runners announces an EU server originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia Universe Ambassador interview: Why play EU?

Shawn Schuster — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds

So what is it about Entropia Universe that has kept players hooked for five years now? What sets it apart from the other virtual worlds or MMOs out there? Well, according to one of EU's Ambassadors, Buzz Erik Lightyear, the game is about much more than simply playing a game. It's about playing a game that actually gives something back. "I'm not paying to play. I'm profiting from playing," he says.

This real-world money system is not unique to EU, as it's seen in other virtual worlds, such as Second Life. In most other online games, the exchange of in-game currency for real-world currency is against the terms of service. But EU is seen as more of a venture into the MMO space than Second Life, using skills, crafting and auction houses as you would in something like WoW or LotRO. In addition to this, EU is updated monthly, with word of new planets on the horizon and the new CryEngine2 platform being introduced soon.

Entropia Universe Ambassador interview: Why play EU? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU gives Activision-Blizzard a big thumbs up

Samuel Axon — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO industry, News items

After reviewing Activision-Blizzard's case for a few weeks, the European Commission announced its approval of the huge merger yesterday. The EU had final say approving the merger because Vivendi is a French company. Officials decided the deal wouldn't threaten the fairness of the market.

The commission made a statement, saying that Activision Blizzard "would continue to face several strong, effective competitors, such as Electronic Arts, and the game console manufacturers, such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft." There were some concerns that the company could have an unfair advantage in licensing music for games because Vivendi owns Universal Music Group, but they were set aside because "competing game publishers would continue to have access to a sufficiently large portfolio of music rights from alternative suppliers."

The lesson: Activision Blizzard is officially not a monopoly, thanks to EA. We could go into extreme detail weighing the pluses and negatives of the decision, but we've analyzed this merger plenty enough already. At some point, you just have to decide to sit back and see what happens.

EU gives Activision-Blizzard a big thumbs up originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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