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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The War Z now known as Infestation: Survivor Stories]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/the-war-z-now-known-as-infestation-survivor-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/the-war-z-now-known-as-infestation-survivor-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/the-war-z-now-known-as-infestation-survivor-stories/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z now known as Infestation Survivor Stories
Remember The War Z? Hammerpoint Interactive is hoping that you don't, at least when it comes to the game's checkered development and customer service history that includes being temporarily pulled from Steam and suffering a major security breach.

At any rate, the firm is looking for a fresh start and has changed the zombie MMO's name to Infestation: Survivor Stories. The War Z's original URL now automatically redirects users to a rebranded website.

[Thanks Paul!]

MassivelyThe War Z now known as Infestation: Survivor Stories originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>b2pbuy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorinfestationinfestation-survivor-storiessandboxthe-war-zwar-zwarzzombiezombie-mmoWed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z devs to players: 'What should we do with cheaters?']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

WarZ devs ask players 'What should we do with cheaters'
The War Z devs are considering an interesting take on punishing exploiters. They've been tossing around the idea of allowing people who've been banned for in-game cheating to play on special "jail servers." These servers would be isolated from the game's general servers and would be populated entirely by cheaters. On these servers, cheats would not be interfered with -- that is, exploiters could keep on using their cheats.

This has the potential to help the dev team; being able to observe the cheats folks use and run "anticheat experiments" without worrying about banning innocent players would probably give the team a lot of valuable information. On the other hand, though, those cheaters are totally jerks and why should they keep getting to play, right?

So the dev team is putting the issue in the hands of the players by posting a survey to see whether the idea is even worth pursuing. You can read the full rationale on the official forums.

[Thanks to Paul for the tip!]

MassivelyThe War Z devs to players: 'What should we do with cheaters?' originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheaterscheatingexploitexploitersexploitshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivesurveythe-war-zwar-zwarzSun, 14 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hammerpoint acknowledges War Z security breach, emails and passwords compromised]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The War Z - Cleanup workers
Hammerpoint has officially responded to the security issues plaguing its War Z zombie shooter. The firm says that no payment information was accessed in the recent breach, but that email addresses and game and forum passwords have been compromised.
The data accessed included email addresses used to log in to the forum, forum passwords which we encrypt, email addresses used to log in to the game, encrypted game passwords, as well as in-game character names and the IP addresses from which players log in to the forum and to the game. If you posted other information to the forum it is likely that such data was accessed as well. We do not collect the names or addresses of our gamers so that information was not impacted unless you posted it on the forum. We are investigating whether additional information may have been obtained.
Hammerpoint says that it has "engaged outside experts and investigators" and is committing "substantial resources" to improving security. The company encourages The War Z users to change their passwords.

[Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]

MassivelyHammerpoint acknowledges War Z security breach, emails and passwords compromised originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackershammerpointhammerpoint-interactivethe-war-zwar-zwar-z-compromisedwar-z-hackswarzTue, 02 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z returns to Steam]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z returns to Steam
The War Z is back. On Steam. Apparently Valve no longer considers publishing the title on its ubiquitous digital download service a "mistake," and as such Hammerpoint's much-maligned exercise in surviving the zombie apocalypse is now available for 15 bucks.

Valve says that it has "collaborated to address community feedback" with Hammerpoint. The company has issued a patch that updates existing customers, and the special refund offering for initial War Z Steam buyers has now concluded.

MassivelyThe War Z returns to Steam originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorpost-apocalypticsteamthe-war-zvalvewar-zwar-z-steamwarzzombie-mmozombiesWed, 27 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DayZ standalone version jacks up graphics, player customization]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/dayz-standalone-version-jacks-up-graphics-player-customization/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/dayz-standalone-version-jacks-up-graphics-player-customization/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/dayz-standalone-version-jacks-up-graphics-player-customization/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

DayZ standalone version jacks up graphics, player customization
The race to a DayZ standalone version release is on, and creator Dean Hall is feeling excited and confident about the progress being made. Hall posted a list of improvements that the team is currently working on, from graphics to customization, and gave an update regarding the testing process.

DayZ standalone's graphics are clearly improved from the ARMA II-modded version, and Hall includes side-by-side comparison photos of a town to show just how big of a difference the new engine makes. He said that the team is working on vehicle, character, and weapon customizations, although players will find that the real avatar customization will come while engaging in the game proper.

One notable entry on Hall's list is the fact that the team is building the servers to be "MMO-like" so that hacking and cheating will be markedly more difficult. He also said that while external testers haven't been invited into the beta yet, this will happen once the full server/client architecture is completed.

MassivelyDayZ standalone version jacks up graphics, player customization originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armaarma-iibetabeta-testingcustomizationday-zdayzdayz-sadayz-standalonedean-halldelaysdev-diarydisease-trackinggraphicshammerpointhammerpoint-interactiveinventory-managementitemredditsaserverserver-architecturestandalonestandalone-versiontestingupdateupdate-letterFri, 25 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DayZ standalone version should arrive by April]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

DayZ creator updates on standalone version
What everyone seems to be clamoring for these days is a standalone version of DayZ, the hit zombie survival game by Dean Hall. The creator opened up to Reddit on the progress of the version and his feelings on being confused for the maker of The War Z.

Hall says that DayZ's standalone version should come out before April, although he allows for wiggle room if something comes up between now and then. The team is being cautious about pulling the trigger on testing, too: "Slowly we'll hand out the first keys and get a few servers running. Then we will reassess. It could go really well and we open up quickly, or it could go badly. Don't expect the tech test to be fun, or very pretty."

Past the release of the standalone version, Hall said that he has plans to create a new map that centers around a western city.

Hall also addressed his frustration at being confused with The War Z: "I am angry about The War Z. I'm very angry. I'm quite hurt personally because anyone can see how similar the words are, and while the average gamer knows the difference, individual people don't. I've had family members and close friends mistake the difference and confront me about what they believed was unethical behavior they thought I was making."

MassivelyDayZ standalone version should arrive by April originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armaarma-iibetabeta-testingday-zdayzdayz-standalonedean-halldelaysdisease-trackinghammerpointhammerpoint-interactiveinventory-managementitemredditsastandalonestandalone-versiontestingthe-war-zThu, 17 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why DayZ isn't a standalone title yet]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/why-dayz-isnt-a-standalone-title-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/why-dayz-isnt-a-standalone-title-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/why-dayz-isnt-a-standalone-title-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
You may have noticed that it's no longer 2012. (If not: Hello and welcome to the world of tomorrow!) You may also have noticed that, despite all expectations to the contrary, a DayZ standalone game has not yet been released.

That's because, according to creator Dean Hall, the dev team "had the chance to go from making a game that was just the mod improved slightly, packaged simply, and sold -- to actually redeveloping the engine and making the game the way [the team] dreamed it could be." The new plan is for a closed test of 500-1000 participants to happen in the near future, after which the internal release date will be adjusted as the team feels necessary.

As the team has taken extra time to polish things up, a great deal has changed. Items have more complexity now -- picking up a shirt from a player who suffered from cholera may well get you infected, and shooting a player in the head in an attempt to get his night vision goggles may result in damage to the goggles themselves. The UI is being streamlined and simplified to be "straightforward and functional just like in Minecraft." Map redesign and refinement is being slowed down by the continued imprisonment of the team's lead architect.

MassivelyWhy DayZ isn't a standalone title yet originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armaarma-iiday-zdayzdean-halldelaysdisease-trackinghammerpointhammerpoint-interactiveinventory-managementitemivan-buchtaMon, 07 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z attacked, then attacked again]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z zombie hackers
The beat continues for embattled zombie title The War Z. Last night, a Hammerpoint community rep posted on the game's forums regarding a series of ongoing hack attempts.

"First we were hit with an attack that would [reset] our DNS IP so that you could not connect," the company said. "This morning we are being hit, again, with a DDoS attack on our login server. We are implementing additional DDoS protection and hope to have this resolved asap. Unfortunately with these types of attacks it is very difficult to give a good time frame of when it will be resolved."

If you're still playing The War Z, there are further status updates to be found on the game's official forums.

MassivelyThe War Z attacked, then attacked again originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinghackshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivesandboxthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-ddoswar-z-hackedwar-z-hackszombie-mmozombiesFri, 04 Jan 2013 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension
A couple of days ago, Massively reported that The War Z looked as though the trademark for its name would be suspended by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, forcing the game to choose another title. The game's creator, Sergey Titov, is disputing the suspension, however.

Corresponding with Kotaku, Titov said that he had received no such notice and is investigating the situation. "I assume what you see is one of the preliminary applications since it said that it suspended because [the] other application exists," he said. "I've sent an email to our lawyer who filed [the] application and [is] working with us to to provide more details on all this."

The War Z has been in hot water as of late due to prematurely launching on Steam and then being forcibly removed by Valve due to accusations of fraud and missing content.

MassivelyThe War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsergey-titovthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-trademark-suspendedwarzworld-war-zzombie-mmozombiesWed, 26 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's trademark suspended, name change likely]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The War Z - Hazmat suits and zombies
The team at Hammerpoint Interactive isn't having the merriest Christmas, at least if their holiday happiness hinges on the development of embattled zombie MMO The War Z. The troubled game will likely be forced to change its name due to a trademark suspension handed down by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The organization says that the game's name is too similar to Paramount Pictures' World War Z, a Brad Pitt film slated for a 2013 release.

The decision comes on the heels of The War Z being pulled from Steam, as well as a bevy of fraud accusations from the game's disgruntled userbase.

[Thanks to Armond for the tip!]

MassivelyThe War Z's trademark suspended, name change likely originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-trademark-suspendedwarzworld-war-zzombie-mmozombiesMon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DayZ creator Dan Hall 'depressed' about The War Z controversy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- The War Z
The gaming community has had itself in a frenzy as of late thanks to the drama-ridden debacle of The War Z's "launch" on Steam. In case you haven't been following this particularly juicy little chain of events, here's the story so far: The War Z launched on steam (still in beta, though not marked as such) with a number of features listed on the store page that, surprise, weren't actually in the game. The interwebs went into full torch-and-pitchfork mode, and after an "apology" from the game's developer wherein the studio apologized "to all players who misread information about game features," the game has been yoinked from Steam for the time being.

But what does Dean Hall, creator of the similarly named ARMA II: Combined Ops mod DayZ, have to say about all of this? Not much, apparently, but in a post on the DayZ subreddit, he revealed that he has "been pretty depressed about the whole situation." He also confides that the entire debacle caused him to "seriously consider" whether he wanted to be involved in the game industry at all. Thankfully for the many DayZ fans, he hasn't thrown in the towel and development on DayZ continues. Whether this is the end of the whole The War Z debacle or just the beginning, however, remains to be seen.

MassivelyDayZ creator Dan Hall 'depressed' about The War Z controversy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>day-zdayzdean-hallhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivethe-war-zwar-zzombiegateThu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z launches on Steam]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

WarZ launches on Steam
While it might not be fully cooked, The War Z is now available on Steam for any and all to enjoy the delights of surviving in a zombie age. The title is currently on sale at 10% off for $13.49, with additional packages if you're looking to pick up some in-game currency.

If you previously purchased the title through The War Z's website, the developers said that there will be a method to link that game to your Steam account. The War Z's devs also promised that other key features will be added to the game shortly, including leaderboards and private server rentals.

You can watch the Steam launch trailer after the break for some rip-roaring zombie slaughter!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading The War Z launches on Steam

MassivelyThe War Z launches on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorlaunchreleasesteamthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-betawarzzombiezombie-mmozombiesTue, 18 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent
Zombie MMO The War Z has officially shed its alpha tag. The buy-to-play horror shooter has purportedly cultivated a community of more than 500,000 players, according to its latest press release, and those players can now enjoy the full game map, new playable characters, and a host of additional features as the title transitions into beta.

Hammerpoint Interactive has opened up the final sections of its "Colorado" map, which has in turn increased the size of the game world by 50 percent. The firm has also added new clan support features (tags, chat, and visual markers) as well as new marketplace items.

[Source: Hammerpoint press release]

MassivelyThe War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-betawarzzombiezombie-mmozombiesTue, 04 Dec 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hammerpoint delaying The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Hammerpoint pushing back The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers
The War Z is a hot topic in gaming circles these days, and Hammerpoint's zombie-centric sandbox is starting to see an increase in shady player activity as its user base grows. The dev team has acknowledged the need to devote time and resources to dealing with hackers, and as a result some of the title's feature development is temporarily going on the back burner.

"As I'm sure all of you are aware, there [have] been a lot of discussion lately surrounding the hackers," Hammerpoint wrote on its forums. "Over here we've been working round the clock on a solution -- however, that's meant we've had to push back clans a bit, so it's looking more like next week. We're also investigating a number of bugs, such as the ability to glitch onto roofs, and item duplication."

MassivelyHammerpoint delaying The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playhackershackinghackshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsandboxshooterthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-clanswar-z-hackingwarzzombiesWed, 07 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new content, special offers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new characters and new areas
Halloween might be the only time of the year when no one is surprised by streets full of zombies. And for players waiting to get into the spirit by destroying the ravenous flesh-eating hordes, The War Z's closed beta client is ready and willing. Today's launch features new content in the form of all-new zombies to slaughter, new skins, special holiday-themed items, and a map that has doubled in size.

And for folks who previously missed out on the Legend package, Hammerpoint Interactive is offering it again for a limited time. Purchasing this package will grant a player full access to the game, $30 of in-game funds, six months of server hosting, three weekend pass keys for friends, and special player recognition both in-game and on the forums. For more information, check out the official site.

[Source: Hammerpoint Interactive press release]

MassivelyThe War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new content, special offers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocalypsebetabeta-accessf2pfree-to-playfreemiumhalloweenHammerpoint-Interactivemicrotransactionmicrotransactionspost-apocalypticpremiumthe-war-zWar-ZzombiesTue, 30 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The War Z screenshot
Everyone loves zombies. We all enjoy shooting them to bits, pummeling them with a hammer, and watching them die... again. But I'd been feeling a bit tired of the zombie genre, even though some of my favorite titles are heavy on the zombs. Then I sat down and played through a bit of The War Z, a new post-apocalyptic horror shooter MMO that tosses players on servers up to 60 miles square and holding up to 250 players. Those zones are chock-full of zombies, so players who care to risk it all can hope to survive as they run, gun, and generally get their wits scared out of them.

I wasn't alone during my short time in the game, thanks to Alex Josef, Director of Communications for Hammerpoint Interactive We sat down for an interview and wound up smashing zombie heads with a flashlight. Ah, the perils of writing about games! Join me past the cut to read what I thought.

Gallery: The War Z GDC 2012 screenshot

Continue reading GDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z

MassivelyGDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-josefaustinbeau-hindmanconconferenceconventionfeaturedgalleriesgallerygame-developers-conferencegame-developers-conference-2012gdcgdc-2012gdc-onlinegdc-online-2012gdcogdco-2012hammerpointhammerpoint-interactivemmofpspost-apocalypticSandboxscreenshotscreenshotsthe-war-ztrailertrailersvideovideoswarzzombiesFri, 12 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[War Z closed beta launches on Halloween, pre-orders available]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

WarZ closed beta launches on Halloween
Players interested in checking out the new zombie apocalypse game The War Z will have the chance to participate in closed beta starting on October 31st by purchasing a special Survivor package for $19.49. If that's too long a wait, Hammerpoint Interactive has also announced that you can get into alpha on October 15th by purchasing the Pioneer package for $29.99. This bundle also includes in-game currency, a forum badge, and one month of Stronghold map server hosting.

Finally, there's the Legend package for $49.99, featuring October 15th access, $30 of currency, a forum badge, six months of server hosting, and three guest keys. Legend purchasers will also have their survivor names highlighted on leaderboards and in the game's chat

Package discounts will be in effect until October 20th.

MassivelyWar Z closed beta launches on Halloween, pre-orders available originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alpha-accessapocalypsebetaclosed-betahammerpointhammerpoint-interactivepost-apocalympticpurchasing-beta-accesssandboxThe-War-ZWar-ZzombiesThu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Here's more War Z gameplay footage that will remind you of DayZ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/heres-more-war-z-gameplay-footage-that-will-remind-you-of-dayz/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/heres-more-war-z-gameplay-footage-that-will-remind-you-of-dayz/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/heres-more-war-z-gameplay-footage-that-will-remind-you-of-dayz/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Here's more The War Z gameplay footage that will remind you of DayZ
FPSGeneral has posted six minutes of uncut alpha footage from Hammerpoint's upcoming zombie-centric sandbox MMO called The War Z.

We know, it looks like DayZ!

It also looks pretty cool, particularly the silenced M4, the barricading mechanics, and the glimpses of various items and UI functionality. Hammerpoint recently went on record with the fact that the game's cash shop items may be lost when other players loot your corpse. This, along with the The War Z's unforgiving survival-style gameplay, would seem to be the recipe for a niche title. We'll keep our eyes on it, though, and you can too via the video after the break.

Continue reading Here's more War Z gameplay footage that will remind you of DayZ

MassivelyHere's more War Z gameplay footage that will remind you of DayZ originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gameplay-videohammerpointhammerpoint-interactivethe-war-z-gameplay-videovideozombie-mmozombiesFri, 21 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released
What's new with zombie survival apocalyptic sandbox The War Z? That's hard to say since we haven't seen much of the game since its announcement. Any opportunity to get a further glance at its gameplay is a welcome one, though.

IGN delivers the goods in the form of seven minutes of video featuring sniping, stealth approaches, and general combat. You can also see plenty of The War Z's environments as well as occasional looks at the inventory and UI. The full clip is yours after the cut.

Continue reading Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released

MassivelySeven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gameplay-videohammerpointhammerpoint-interactivepost-apocalypticsandboxthe-war-zvideowar-zwar-z-gameplaywarzzombiezombie-sandboxSun, 16 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z allows cash shop items to be lost forever]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z allows RMT purchases to be lost
Imagine that you're playing the hot new zombie MMO, and you decide to splurge a few bucks on that shiny weapon you've been eying. You get your grubby mitts on it and go to town on a few living undead, only to find yourself over your head and quickly killed. When you wake up, your gun -- and the rest of your stuff -- is gone. Forever.

And the devs are totally OK with that.

This is about to become reality for players of the upcoming The War Z, as even cash shop-purchased items are not safe from being lost due to death. In a recent interview with Gaming Blend, Hammerpoint Marketing Director Alex Josef was unapologetic about that point: "You'll lose what you have in your backpack when you die in both in normal and hardcore modes. And yes, if you bought something using real money, you'll lose that item as well. This is a price you'll have to pay."

According to Josef, this level of item loss was a deliberate decision by the team to cause player to treat the game more seriously. "We've discussed that a lot," he said, "and at the end decided that this will provide a pretty good incentive for players to either be extra cautious while playing or just not spend too much money in the game and instead try to procure all items by finding them in the game world."

MassivelyThe War Z allows cash shop items to be lost forever originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-josefarktos-entertainmentcash-shopf2pfree-to-playhammerpoint-interactivehorrormicrotransactionspermalossrmtsandboxsurvivalthe-war-zwar-zzombiesMon, 10 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

PAX Prime 2012 - Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay
The War Z has generated a significant amount of fan interest since its initial hello-world announcement in July. The zombie-centric sandbox MMO boasts a large feature set and plenty of ambitious design goals. It's also generated some skepticism as to whether or not the development team can actually pull it all off.

Last weekend's PAX Prime event brought the first opportunity to see for ourselves, as the team from Hammerpoint showed off alpha-state gameplay and allowed GameTrailers to film it. The resulting clip is yours for the viewing after the cut.

Continue reading PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay

MassivelyPAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conconventionexpofpshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivemmofpspaxpax-2012pax-primepax-prime-2012penny-arcade-exposandboxthe-war-zwar-zzombie-mmozombiesTue, 04 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z gets a new website, 100,000 beta registrations in 24 hours]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The War Z logo
The War Z has a spiffy new website, but more importantly it also has more than 100,000 people banging on its closed beta doors. The newly announced zombie apocalypse MMO has generated a ton of interest in the gaming community over the last couple of weeks, primarily due to its survival simulation sandbox pedigree and its seeming similarity to white-hot mod darling DayZ.

The War Z is currently in alpha, and the devs say that closed beta is "planned for the very near future." There's also a pre-order link on the new website, but as of press time it leads to a beta registration box.

[Source: Hammerpoint Interactive press release]

MassivelyThe War Z gets a new website, 100,000 beta registrations in 24 hours originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arktos-entertainmentf2pfree-to-playhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsandboxsurvivalthe-war-zwar-zzombiesWed, 01 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview on The War Z outlines more on gameplay and design goals]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Wait... were zombies afraid of fire, or was I thinking of bears? I should really have thought this through more.
If you've been waiting patiently for your zombie survival kit in the basement to stop gathering dust, you're probably very interested in how the upcoming title The War Z will play out. The game's billed as a persistent open-world zombie survival sandbox, but how will that work in practice? According to executive producer Sergey Titov in a recent interview, the key is making a game that has a wide enough set of tools for a single objective and then allowing players to make most of the actual gameplay.

Titov elaborates that the game won't have any traditional quests or missions; instead, players are simply given the goal of surviving against hordes of zombies. Experiences emerge through interactions with environmental situations, such as dealing with "safe settlements" that have created hard rules to ensure the town's safety against zombies. Take a look at the full interview for more peeks at the game's development cycle, shooter style, and economic design.

[Thanks to Joseph for the tip!]

MassivelyInterview on The War Z outlines more on gameplay and design goals originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>designgame-mechanicshammerpoint-interactiveinterviewsopen-worldpost-apocalypsesandboxsergey-titovshootershooterssurvivalsurvival-sandboxthe-war-zzombiesFri, 27 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z zombie MMO coming soon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

no, this isn't about dayz
So how does a hardcore post-apocalyptic zombie sandbox experience grab you? No, we don't mean DayZ, although that one's pretty cool too. There's a new kid on this particular genre block, and it's an MMO called The War Z. It's brought to you by Hammerpoint Interactive and Arktos, and IGN has an interview scoop with a couple of the principals.

"We started thinking about doing a zombie game last year and began developing a quest-based MMO set in a large, zombie-infested world. Players would be able to explore and unlock new areas on the map as they progress through quests assigned to them in-game," explains executive producer Sergey Titov.

What about the DayZ connection? There really isn't one aside from coincidental timing. DayZ is a mod for an existing military sim title, whereas The War Z is a stand-alone MMO with a dedicated team behind it (and an upfront cost of $29.99). Is it really an MMO, though? That's in the eye of the beholder, we suppose, but it does have a huge open world, PvP, and the ability to support 250 players per server. The War Z also features dozens of skills and social niceties like bounties and in-game notes (no profanity, though; blowing off zombie heads should never result in inappropriate language).

If the War Z name sounds familiar, it might be because you're thinking of Paramount's World War Z property that we've talked about before. As with DayZ, though, the two projects are unrelated save for the similar names and the horror sub-genre.

The War Z is currently undergoing internal alpha testing, with a closed beta expected later this summer. IGN says the final game will be out "before the end of the year."

MassivelyThe War Z zombie MMO coming soon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arktosdayzf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorroropen-worldsandboxsergey-titovthe-war-zthe-warzwarzzombie-mmozombiesThu, 19 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST