Massively

Dark Legends launches on Apple devices, hits 500K players

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Launches, Free-to-play, Mobile

The tortured souls of the underworld Apple users have twiddled their thumbs and sharpened their canines for over a month now, a month that Android and Chrome users have played Dark Legends to their hearts' content. After that long wait, iOS owners can stop penning brooding poetry on Livejournal and start playing the game proper: Spacetime Studios has released Dark Legends on the App Store.

Apple users can now joining the 500,000-plus Dark Legends community by simply downloading the game from the store and getting their vamp on. Edward-wannabes have a daunting task in front of them, however, as all of the darker fantasy forces are out to be a serious pain in their neck.

Dark Legends follows in the wake of Spacetime's enormously popular Pocket Legends and Star Legends. It's available as a free download with optional in-app purchases and can be played over wifi, edge, 3G, and 4G networks.

Our own Beau is livestreaming Dark Legends today on Massively TV, so be sure to see what he thinks of the game!

[Source: Spacetime Studios press release]

Dark Legends launches on Apple devices, hits 500K players originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple releases Star Legends: The Blackstar Chronicles to the app store

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, Free-to-play, Mobile

It's been a long time winding its way through the Apple approving process, but Star Legends: The Blackstar Chronicles is now available for iOS devices. The game, which is free with optional microtransaction purchases, is a universal app, so it will play on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad.

Apple users have had to wait significantly longer to get their hands on Star Legends than Android players, as the Android version was released much earlier this month. Spacetime Studios promises gamers that a "majority" of the content of the game is completely free-to-play, and characters can reach the level cap without having to pay a dime.

If you're interested in our impressions of this sci-fi blastathon, check out our Rise and Shiny Recap of Star Legends!

Gallery: Star Legends

Apple releases Star Legends: The Blackstar Chronicles to the app store originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Order & Chaos Online available in Canadian App Store [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Mobile

We took a brief look at Order & Chaos Online last month courtesy of a trailer on the game's Facebook page. Now, it looks as if the mobile World of Warcraft knockoff could be coming to an iOS device near you in the very near future.

Touch Arcade is reporting that Gameloft has released the pocket MMORPG to the Canadian App Store, a move the publication says is "standard operating procedure for a wide-scale beta of sorts." Apparently other mobile dev outfits have used the Canadian market as a barometer both for how their games will be received and as a testbed for necessary tweaks.

Gameloft has set Order & Chaos' price point at $6.99, which includes three months' worth of subscription time. You read that right: It's a sub-based mobile game, with single-month rates of $.99 while three-month and six-month packages go for $1.99 and $2.99 respectively. Head to Touch Arcade for more details.

[Update: The game is now available in the U.S. market as well!]

Order & Chaos Online available in Canadian App Store [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard adds WoW guild chat to iPhone Mobile Armory app

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

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

If you're hopelessly addicted to guild chat -- and you've got an iPhone or iPod Touch -- Blizzard has a new app designed to make sure you never miss another moment of drama. A new remote guild chat feature has been added to the World of Warcraft Mobile Armory app, and players are now able to chat and send whispers via their Apple mobile device.

You'll pay $2.99 per month for the privilege, and the WoW remote subscription also grants you access to the game's auction house functionality while you're on the move. Blizzard is demoing the service -- and waiving fees -- for a limited time, during which the guild chat feature will be enabled on select servers (currently Fizzcrank and Lightbringer). More details are available at the official announcement page.

There's no official word on an Android version, though ZAM reports that it "should be released soon."

Blizzard adds WoW guild chat to iPhone Mobile Armory app originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS MMO commercials draw attention

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

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

As our own Beau Hindman knows well, mobile MMOs are on the verge of taking off in a big way, and now they have the commercials to prove it.

Pocket Legends, the hit iOS and Android MMO from last year, may be the first mobile online RPG to release a nation-wide commercial. The ad, which features a high-schooler with a not-so-embarrassing secret in his pocket, will air on G4, Cartoon Network and Comedy Central, to name just a few venues.

As Pocket Legends is often described as "World of Warcraft in your hand," it's kind of ironic that developer Gameloft is also making pretty much that. Gameloft is renowned for releasing thinly disguised copies of hit games, so it stands to reason that it would take a crack at the reigning champion. The studio just released an online teaser for Order & Chaos Online on its Facebook page, and it's hard not to see the inspiration-slash-knockoff.

You can check out both commercials after the jump!

Continue reading iOS MMO commercials draw attention

iOS MMO commercials draw attention originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congratulations to the winner of our Kingdom Conquest contest!

Rubi Bayer — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Contests, Free-to-play

Last week we brought you a contest courtesy of SEGA that offered two pretty great prizes: an 8GB iPod Touch, and the chance to check out a game you might not have before. Yes, according to those who took a look at it, Kingdom Conquest is indeed a prize and proof that good things come in small packages.

As promised, we've got the best entries lined up below for you, but first comes the winning screenshot! Several players with no access to an iOS devise used game screenshots from the site per our suggestion, so while we got a few duplicates, the eye of the beholder saw something different in each case.

Our winner Vin says of the above image: "One of my friends actually has the game on his iPod. I've watched him play it a couple times, and I can honestly say that it looks like a really good MMO. I love the idea of being able to play with other players as well as building a city, but I really like the aspect of getting monsters in the dungeons, which is why I chose this screenshot! It's like bringing a PC game to a portable system!"

Congratulations to our winner! Follow along after the jump to see what else our readers had to say about Kingdom Conquest.

Continue reading Congratulations to the winner of our Kingdom Conquest contest!

Congratulations to the winner of our Kingdom Conquest contest! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win an iPod Touch from Massively and Kingdom Conquest!

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Free-to-play, Giveaways

iOS games are making a big impression on MMO gamers, with one of the newest contenders coming from SEGA.

Kingdom Conquest is a free-to-play fantasy game for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, a game that SEGA would love to see you play. It's been growing steadily since the mid-November launch, fixing bugs and adding more worlds to accommodate the growing number of players (the game began with only a few and is now up to 11). SEGA will be helping one lucky Massively reader enjoy the game even more with a special Kingdom Conquest-branded 8GB iPod Touch.

How do you get your hands on such a prize? It's simple: give Kingdom Conquest a whirl and show us what you've been doing in the game! Send a Kingdom Conquest screenshot with a couple of sentences letting us know what's going on in it to rubi@massively.com by 11:59 p.m. on EST January 3rd. On January 4th we'll post them all in an image gallery for an extensive look at Kingdom Conquest and choose the owner of the best one to receive the iPod Touch.

Don't have access to an iOS device? No problem, just enter by using one of the screenshots from the Kingdom Conquest launch day blog. There are several to choose from, so pick the one that interests you the most and let us know what caught your eye!

Check out our contest rules, and best of luck!

Win an iPod Touch from Massively and Kingdom Conquest! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEGA's Kingdom Conquest hits iPhone and iPod Touch

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, New titles, War, Free-to-play

Game studios have been eying Apple's pocket prodigies as a platform for MMOs for some time now, so it's no surprise that SEGA has stepped up to deliver its own hybrid strategy/RPG MMO in hopes of gaining a foothold on this market. It's called Kingdom Conquest and should feel familiar enough to both the MMO dungeon crawling crowd and the Facebook strategy app fans.

Kingdom Conquest is split into two modes that work in synergy with each other. In the kingdom building mode, players will construct a city from the ground up, form alliances with other players, build armies and wage war to control territory. This is augmented by the action mode, in which anywhere from one to four players may group to tackle dungeons, which not rewards them with not only armor and weapons but items to use in their cities.

While it bills itself as a free-to-play title (and it is certainly free to download), Kingdom Conquest makes no bones about its reliance on microtransactions. Players looking to create an edge for their city and alliance can spend real money on buffs and shorter building queues to boost their progress ahead.

If you want to check it out, it's one quick trip to the iTunes App store away!

SEGA's Kingdom Conquest hits iPhone and iPod Touch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: Pocket Legends

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions

On paper, Pocket Legends is just one of many free-to-play fantasy MMOs that litter the gaming landscape, a little blip that is otherwise drowned out by the noise of its peers. On paper, Pocket Legends is skimpy in standard MMO features: only three classes, no customizable avatars, completely instanced, and a maximum of four skills on your hotbar. On paper, it might be a passing diversion, except for one little detail: Pocket Legends is the first truly successful 3D MMORPG for mobile devices.

And that makes all the difference, my friends.

Several of us here at Massively have been devouring Pocket Legends since it was released this past week, first for the iPad, then for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The general consensus is that for what it lacks, this micro-MMO has the most important quality of all: it's genuinely fun and addictive. Hit the jump for more detailed first impressions!

Continue reading First Impressions: Pocket Legends

First Impressions: Pocket Legends originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XI players get a little help from their iPhone

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles

There's a lot of information to keep track of in Final Fantasy XI, much of it not covered by the in-game interface. There's no easy way to access the all-important airship schedules or the often-loathed Race Specific Equipment quest eligibility. Since the game has been out for several years, there are naturally more than a few applications to track these events... but due to the game's issues with alt-tabbing, they require a bit of a workaround for the player. Now there's another option available to anyone with an iPhone or an iPod Touch -- a new app from Duodyne Studios.

Although not officially affiliated with Square-Enix, the application is aimed at giving players easy access to the most commonly needed timers. That includes a recast timer feature that allows players to simply tap the ability when they use it, followed by an alert on the phone when it becomes ready again. It's not as useful as simple macro checks for short abilities like Provoke, but longer abilities will benefit from having the timer feature. At $0.99 for players in the US and comparable prices for other markets, Final Fantasy XI players might want to take a look.

Final Fantasy XI players get a little help from their iPhone originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trickster Online's Spring Poppuri Olympics flings out prizes

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Trickster Online

They all laughed at you when you told them you were playing a 2D sprite-based MMORPG with characters cuter than The Smurfs, Rainbow Brite and Pokémon all rolled into one. Now you have the chance to wave a brand-new iPod touch in their faces and crow "Who's laughing now? Who's laughing now?" as they fall to their knees and scream to the sky.

Ntreev's Trickster Online continues to roll out special events and contests for its playerbase, as it just announced their Spring Poppuri Olympics, which starts March 18th and runs through April 7th. Players can net some snazzy prizes through this event, including an in-game pet, an iPod Touch 32G, an autographed 2010 World Cup soccer ball, and more.

To win, players are tasked to drill for special "Poppuri Boxes" hidden across Caballa Island. If you are level 40 and find at least 200 of these boxes, you will be eligible to win the goodies. "We love to watch the fierce drilling spirit of our players during these Poppuri events," said Chris Lee, CEO of Ntreev USA. "Players will be rewarded nicely with some fabulous prizes for this exciting event and we hope to deliver more events in the future with even greater in-game and real-world prizes."

Since Trickster Online is a free-to-play title, there's no reason why you shouldn't head on over to their website, and check it out to see if it's up your alley. And with the lure of a free iPod touch, there's no time like the present!

Trickster Online's Spring Poppuri Olympics flings out prizes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizard101 introduces iPhone minigame

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Launches, News items, Free-to-play, Kids, Wizard101

We've gotten quite an infusion of side applications for mobile devices of late, but Wizard101 has released one that might set a somewhat dangerous new precedent. It's one thing to be able to surf your auctions or your character builds, but it's another to be able to earn gold and potions in-game through diligent play of the mobile app. But just such a thing is possible in the new WizardBlox app, for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. High scores give you access to in-game rewards, thereby making your goofing around between classes or during breaks at work all the more productive.

In terms of gameplay, it's a fairly standard puzzle game format -- slide blocks around on the bottom, match three or more to destroy them, avoid crossing the top of the screen. It's based off the in-game minigame Sorcery Stones, so gameplay will be familiar for any Wizard101 fan. The official page doesn't give any information on how large the rewards that you can earn for the main game will be, so it's safe to bet they're not going to be enormous. Still, this means players on the go can do more than usual in the game... even when they're not in the game.

Wizard101 introduces iPhone minigame originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online announces iPhone app: Champions Companion

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Champions Online

It seems like these past two days have been "everyone gets an iPhone app" days. Developers, we love you, but did you all have to release your apps at the same time?

Anyway, back to the original point, Champions Online is on your iPhone. Thanks to the Champions Companion app, you can take CO wherever you go. Much more than a simple "armory" application that lets you look at your character's stats and show your hero off to friends, the Companion lets you view the in-game news, view your friends list and friend activity streams, and even send and receive in-game e-mails. Companion is free for all account holders, so jump over to the iTunes store and grab yourself the app today.

So, next time you're out at the mall and your best friend logs into Champions, you can shoot them an e-mail while you're sitting in front of the Express and waiting for your girlfriend. Be super, wherever you go.

Champions Online announces iPhone app: Champions Companion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Life sparkles on the iPhone

Tateru Nino — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, News items, Second Life, Mobile, Virtual worlds

Tokyo startup Genkii has released a new text communication app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, called Sparkle IM that allows messaging with Second Life (and opensim style) virtual environments. Essentially the application appears to be a lightweight viewer application not unlike SLeek (currently on hold, development-wise), AjaxLife, and similar, in that it essentially logs your avatar in, and gives you a non-graphical interface to communicate with others.

Genkii are also working on a lightweight graphical 3D environment for the iPhone, also part of the Sparkle umbrella brand, called (rather simply) Sparkle 3D, that may in future be integrated with other virtual environments.

Sparkle IM is priced variously, depending on where you are, but at about 4-5 dollars (for the special, introductory price) might be a little expensive compared to many of your existing apps.

Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.

Second Life sparkles on the iPhone originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three words that sound like crack: Watchmen iPhone MMO

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, New titles, News items, Mobile

As with just about every group of comic book geeks out there, the Massively offices have been positively abuzz with discussion of the Watchmen movie coming out this Friday (or Thursday at Midnight, if you're like us and already have your tickets). Of course, with any hot movie property comes a video game, and it appears that Watchmen is to be no different. Well, no different, save that the Watchmen: Justice is Coming game is getting the MMO treatment - on the iPhone and iPod touch.

In a special edition of the MMO Report on G4, details have been released on this new portable-platform MMO that's been developed by Last Legion Games in conjunction with Warner, Paramount and Legendary Pictures. The idea is that in Watchmen: Justice is Coming, players start out as regular everyday people out to combat crime in a 1970's pre-movie New York, who gain better items to gear themselves up. (Sound familiar?) While the combat appears to be old-school basic Street Fighter style, the general concept could be pretty cool. But really, who are we kidding? We'll probably buy it just to play an MMO with Rorschach in it and to check out this new iPhone tech. Since it goes live in the App store on the 6th, it will give us something to do while we're waiting in line to see the movie again.

Be sure to check out the video behind the jump, or head on over to the official Watchmen: Justice is Coming site for some more screenshots.

Continue reading Three words that sound like crack: Watchmen iPhone MMO

Three words that sound like crack: Watchmen iPhone MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Track EVE skill training on your iPhone

James Egan — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, News items

Having a pared-down, mobile version of the EVE Online client has been on the wish list of many players, as well as the to-do list of the CCP Games developers. Unfortunately, EVE mobile doesn't yet exist. The closest thing to this currently offered are mobile applications that monitor skill training and the market. However, there seem to be more and more of them lately, perhaps largely driven by the popularity of the iPhone and iPod touch.

One of the shinier apps out there for the iPhone is EVE Tracker from Saggy Software, an application that also runs on the iPod touch. As its name implies, EVE Tracker can track a pilot's stats and training status; it displays your avatar and isk balance, in addition to your attributes and skillpoints. You can review your character's skill progression (skills previously trained) and flip through related info with a skill browser. EVE Tracker can handle multiple characters and multiple accounts, which could be handy for those who took advantage of EVE's Power of Two subscription offer a little while back.

Continue reading Track EVE skill training on your iPhone

Track EVE skill training on your iPhone originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates of the Caribbean's Blackjack contest

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Contests, Events, in-game, PvP, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, News items, Free-to-play

As this post over at FileFront points out, you have until January 6th to try for an 8GB iPod Touch, one of which will be offered every day until the contest runs out. How can this be? Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online is offering an iPod Touch each day to the person who has won the most Blackjack games. To play, visit either King's Arm in Tortuga, or the Rowdy Rooster in Port Royal.

Blackjack for an iPod? Isn't that gambling? Regardless, the 'Aces Need Faces' contest ends soon, so if you're feeling lucky, get on over there and start playing.

Pirates of the Caribbean's Blackjack contest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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