Massively

Project Copernicus 'racial' screens leak from 38 Studios

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Previews

While 38 Studios remains in dire straits, fans are getting a bittersweet treat of Project Copernicus reveals. It's sweet because we've been dying to see more information on this game, but bitter because its fate is still up in the air.

Today fan site 38 Watch posted a trio of official-looking screens straight from Copernicus' world. In the screens, three races are revealed: the human-looking Almain, the dwarven Dverga, and the orcish Jottun. The game's art style and lush color palette are on full display, opting for more of a stylized than realistic approach.

We recently heard that Project Copernicus has a possible June 2013 launch window and got our first look at the game in a flyby video. You can scope out the new screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: Project Copernicus

Project Copernicus 'racial' screens leak from 38 Studios originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games CEO issues letter of apology to EVE Online players

Brendan Drain — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

Just over three months ago, fans of EVE Online looked on in disbelief as the game they loved faced its biggest crisis of confidence since 2007's T20 developer scandal. The long-awaited Incarna expansion was pushed live with no multiplayer environments and only one race of captain's quarters. Players were forced to use the feature every time they docked, and it seemed that its only purpose was as a display case for overpriced cash-shop clothing. While players debated the controversial cash shop prices, a leaked company newsletter titled "Greed is Good" and a leaked memo from CCP Games CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson threw additional fuel on the flames.

In a letter to the EVE Online community today, Hilmar delivered a humble apology for everything that happened. "The estrangement from CCP that many of you have been feeling of late is my fault, and for that I am truly sorry," he began. "In short, my zeal for pushing EVE to her true potential made me lose sight of doing the simple things right. I was impatient when I should have been cautious, defiant when I should have been conciliatory and arrogant when I should have been humble."

The letter goes on to tackle everything from the removal of ship spinning and the release of the captain's quarters as a full expansion to CCP's plans for the future. In an accompanying devblog, CCP Zulu provided an impressive list of in-space features aimed for the winter development period. The list includes the long-awaited hybrid weapon balance changes, assault ship bonus reworks, capital ship rebalancing, and even iteration on faction warfare.

CCP Games CEO issues letter of apology to EVE Online players originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Diablo III's beta leaks and Rise of Immortals gets a release date

Brendan Drain — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

It seems like it's beta week this week, with the first round of invites already out on Firefall's public beta and the Diablo III public beta closing in. A short video of Diablo III and a series of screenshots were leaked by a member of the current "friends and family" beta stage, giving us a look at the character select screen and game creation options. This week Blizzard also opened the official Diablo III beta website, hinting that the beta will soon be accepting selected members of the public.

Bloodline Champions reveals plans for development in September, including first details on the revamped user interface, the updated new player experience and some new bloodline customisation options. The League of Legends crew returns from PAX this week to deliver more details on its upcoming Dominion game mode. Rise of Immortals finally gets an official release date of September 12th, leaving just one week for players to get into the open beta and claim their free prize for participation. In its first immortal spotlight video, the RoI team also gives details on area-effect nuker Vezin this week.

Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other online games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III's beta leaks and Rise of Immortals gets a release date

Not So Massively: Diablo III's beta leaks and Rise of Immortals gets a release date originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview with CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson discusses recent events

Brendan Drain — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Interviews, MMO industry, News items

The recent EVE Online controversy over the direction CCP is taking with the game's development took the game's developer CCP Games completely by surprise. What started as a quirky story about virtual clothing being sold for more than real clothing rapidly got out of hand with the leak of an internal company newsletter discussing previously rejected ideas for gameplay-affecting microtransaction options. The ensuing controversy quickly escalated with the convenient leak of global company email from CEO Hilmar Petursson and CCP's abject silence in response to player concerns.

CCP eventually released joint statements on the contentious issues with EVE's democratically elected player advisory council, followed by a thorough press conference to address any concerns not handled in the statements. The only person we haven't heard from yet is Hilmar Petursson himself. In an interview with gamesindustry.biz today, Hilmar answered some frank questions on recent hot topics ranging from feelings inside CCP following the leaks to the company's reasons for implementing microtransactions now.

At popular EVE fansite Failheap Challenge, players have posted a transcript of the interview and have begun discussing the issues it addresses. The discussion highlights that this interview was performed the day before the CSM met in Iceland for its emergency meeting and so represents Hilmar's views before that event. Among the important answers is confirmation that CCP has a commitment to discuss all future microtransaction options with the CSM before implementation, something players have been asking for since the initial statement came out.

Interview with CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson discusses recent events originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online press conference answers vital questions, transcript inside

Brendan Drain — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, News items

After what should have been the celebrated release of the long-awaited Incarna expansion last week, the EVE Online community erupted into flames. The controversy began when players realised that the vanity clothing items in the game's new cash shop were ridiculously overpriced. The $68 monocle became a centerpiece that the media latched onto, in the same way that World of Warcraft made the headlines when Blizzard had the audacity to sell a $25 mount.

The story should have ended there as a piece about a crazy Icelandic game company selling virtual clothing for more than real clothing. Unfortunately, some conveniently timed leaks from inside CCP caused this simple issue to escalate to the point of panic, causing in-game riots and a significant number of subscription cancellations. The company's silence on the simple question of whether non-vanity microtransactions would be introduced was seen as an admission that gameplay-affecting items would end up in the cash shop.

CCP flew the Council of Stellar Management, EVE's democratically-elected player representative body, out to Iceland for an emergency meeting last week. The result of the meeting was a joint statement between CCP and the CSM addressing all of the major concerns players had. Last night, CCP ran two press conferences over Skype to give EVE fansites and the gaming media a chance to ask additional questions that weren't covered in the official statement. Skip past the cut for our in-depth three-page transcript from the gaming media press conference, including answers to several pressing questions sent in by Massively readers and some great issues raised by other participating members of the press. Comments can be posted on page 3.

Continue reading EVE Online press conference answers vital questions, transcript inside

EVE Online press conference answers vital questions, transcript inside originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The day that EVE Online died

Brendan Drain — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Events, in-game, Expansions, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, EVE Evolved

I think it's safe to say that this week has been an unmitigated disaster for CCP Games. Following last week's $99 license fee fiasco for third-party developers, CCP Zulu managed to claw back some player support with a segment addressing the issue during the alliance tournament. This week CCP followed up with the release of Incarna 1.0 and its long-awaited captain's quarters. Players logged in to walk around their private rooms and check out the various cosmetic items available for purchase in the new microtransaction store.

It didn't take long for people to realise that something was fundamentally wrong with the prices on the Noble Exchange. At around $40 for a basic shirt, $25 for boots, and $70 or more for the fabled monocle, items in the Noble Exchange were priced higher than their-real life counterparts. As players made some noise about the ridiculous prices, an internal CCP newsletter all about the company's microtransaction plans was purportedly leaked. In it, plans to sell ships, ammo, and faction standings for cash were revealed, plans that strictly contradict previous promises on gameplay-affecting microtransactions. Shortly afterward, all hell broke loose as a private internal memo from CCP CEO Hilmar was leaked to the press.

In the past few days, I've been contacted by dozens (if not hundreds) of concerned EVE players who are afraid that the game they love is coming to an end. I've even been in contact with an insider who is scared of the risks CCP is taking with the jobs of over 600 employees in four countries, scared enough to leak internal documents and emails. In this week's colossal EVE Evolved, I delve into EVE's latest controversy and shed some light on the biggest community flashpoint since the T20 developer corruption scandal.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The day that EVE Online died

EVE Evolved: The day that EVE Online died originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP issues brief mea culpa, EVE CSM to meet with devs

Jef Reahard — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

It seems as if an olive branch has been extended in the escalating conflict between CCP and hardcore fans of the company's EVE Online MMORPG. Arnar Hrafn Gylfason, otherwise known as CCP Zulu, has issued an apologetic blog post as a followup to the controversial piece he penned last Friday.

Zulu chalks up the confrontational tone of the previous post to the stresses surrounding CCP's recent data leaks and also advises fans that the company is flying the Council of Stellar Management to Iceland for meetings on June 30th and July 1st. More importantly for players chaffed by CCP's assumed about-face regarding game-altering microtransactions, Zulu finally answers the burning question regarding whether or not EVE Online will eventually see pay-to-win cash shop items.

"There are not and never have been plans to sell 'gold ammo' for Aurum," Zulu writes, alluding to fan reactions to the Fearless newsletter leak. While CCP certainly isn't out of the woods yet with regard to this public relations nightmare, the fact that the company is acknowledging a serious breach of customer trust, coupled with the "no gold ammo" quote, seems to be having a calming effect on the community as it waits for details to emerge from next week's emergency CSM summit.

CCP issues brief mea culpa, EVE CSM to meet with devs originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumour: Leaked document shows CCP's microtransaction plans [UPDATED]

Brendan Drain — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, News items

In the wake of controversy surrounding EVE Online's new microtransaction store and its not-so-micro prices, a document has surfaced that has raised more than a few eyebrows in the EVE community. The PDF is reported to be a copy of CCP's internal company newsletter Fearless. Ex-CCP employee and current CSM member Seleene was able to verify that the company does circulate an internal newsletter by that name and that the style is very similar to the leaked document. However, the absolute authenticity of the document can not at this time be proven.

The document dates back to May 2011 and discusses how microtransactions will be integrated into EVE Online, DUST 514 and World of Darkness. Most of the document is fairly harmless, but a few parts have stood out to players. According to the document, "Not all virtual purchases [in EVE Online] will focus on customization: some will simply be new items, ammunition, ships, etc. that can be purchased outright." Also mentioned is the possibility of buying faction standings. Both of these would be in complete contrast to earlier promises from CCP not to allow microtransactions that influence gameplay.

Authenticity of the document is still in question, but we can reveal that the leaked PDF has had several pages removed before being made public. A link to the full version was later leaked on twitter. Page 2 of the document, which was omitted in the originally leaked file, contains a disclaimer stating that the views presented are personal opinions and not company policies or decisions. This adds further confusion as players attempt to make sense of the file's contents. We reached out to CCP to ask about the document's authenticity and to request clarification on the discussions presented in it. We'll update this post with any response we get.

[UPDATE: The document's authenticity has been confirmed by CCP Pann from CCPs PR department. Massively has a hard-hitting interview in the works with CCP Zulu on the issue]

Rumour: Leaked document shows CCP's microtransaction plans [UPDATED] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked memo says Pottermore is an online game

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Rumors

We've been on mystical pins and needles for the past week as the countdown continues to tomorrow's full reveal of Pottermore, a mysterious website bearing J.K. Rowling's name. The Atlantic reports that a leaked memo making the rounds spells out the truth: Pottermore will be an online game of sorts.

The memo "suggests that [Pottermore.com] is a sophisticated online game that contains clues to prizes that are hidden in the real world. These are an unstated number of magic wands secreted in Britain and America, and possibly other countries."

This sounds more like an ARG -- alternate reality game -- than an MMO, although we're not prepared to rule out the possibility until all is said and revealed. The article mentions that this could be a marketing tool tied into Pottermore instead of Pottermore proper.

Fans who'd love to see a Harry Potter MMO still have hope that this could be the real deal, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow's announcement.

Leaked memo says Pottermore is an online game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh my! A Jumpgate Evolution leak -- not really

Larry Everett — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Jumpgate Evolution, New titles

Earlier today an unannounced video slipped onto YouTube claiming to be a "Jumpgate Evolution Play Test." The JGE forums lit up with speculation as to the source of the video, yet the true source was not even known to the JGE forum moderator, Alpha. In the thread regarding the leak, Alpha said, "I don't know where this video is from (or how old the footage is, or indeed anything about it), but really, given that the team is really small right now, the devs are going to know who shot that footage."

She was correct, because just a few hours later, OhSnap (Kara Kroupa, Marketing Coordinator at NetDevil) replied with a detailed explanation of what exactly happened. According to OhSnap, the video "showed up on youtube first because I asked the emissaries to spread it around before I made the video announcement. With all intention to explain the details here later." Unfortunately, Alpha had not read the information regarding the video when she first replied to the post, so she treated it as a breach of the NDA. Fortunately, there was no real issue, and no damage was done save to Alpha's keyboard, which now has OJ sprayed on it from her laughing at finding out the "leak" was intentional.

Now, after months of quiet, we have some Jumpgate Evolution footage! Take a look after the break at this "leaked" real footage of gameplay of the citadel.

[Thank you, Notturno for the link to the video]

Continue reading Oh my! A Jumpgate Evolution leak -- not really

Oh my! A Jumpgate Evolution leak -- not really originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FFXIV music leaked

Jef Reahard — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

Ah, the perils of digital distribution (or, if you're a fan, the joys). The hotly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV alpha starts tomorrow, and enterprising nerds have managed to rip data from Square-Enix's alpha client download, including portions of the soundtrack by celebrated composer Nobuo Uematsu.

The score looks to evoke that classic Uematsu Final Fantasy feeling, and if you're partial to that sort of thing, we'd suggest giving the leaked files a listen while you still can.

The music is currently hosted over at MediaFire as well as a couple of spots on YouTube. You can also check out the original announcement over at Reddit.

[Thanks to Kyle Horner for the tip!]

FFXIV music leaked originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Bioware might have tipped their hand accidentally today as they briefly updated the Star Wars: The Old Republic website with a call for testers for the highly anticipated MMO. The announcement only lasted a few minutes before being taken down off of the site, indicating an accidental posting.

While the news announcement has been removed from the website, some screenshot happy community members have snapped pictures of their RSS feeds, which still show the call for testers. This has, of course, sent the community into an uproar of anticipation for the ~~intended date of the announcement.~~

Update: The intended date of the closed beta signups is today! We have all of the details over in this post!

Continue reading Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online fansite kit holds some interesting secrets

Brooke Pilley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

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

Due to the closed beta NDA restrictions for Champions Online, we know very few specifics about the game. Luckily, Cryptic released a fansite kit last week that contains plenty of hidden gems for fans to speculate about and Candor, a board member on the Champions forums, compiled a list of all the goodies.

We now have an idea of what some of the abilities from the power lines of fire, ice, electricity, munitions, supernatural, and martial arts might do. We are also given a glimpse of some mission locations around the game world and unreleased comic book panels.

This is by no means a comprehensive listing of all skills and abilities, but it does give you an idea of the direction Cryptic is taking with their super powers.

The 345MB ZIP file is jam-packed with other goodies, including concept art, wallpapers, and individual heroes and villains in various poses. One could make a stellar fansite based on all this eye-candy, so why don't you give it a shot? A cursory Google search with the criteria of "Champions Online fansite" and "Champions Online blog" doesn't yield many results. Starting up early is truly beneficial to building a strong community.

[Via: Candor's forum post]

Champions Online fansite kit holds some interesting secrets originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exemplary conduct: WoW expansion adds over 80 new emotes

Samuel Axon — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST

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

There have been some leaks from the "friends & family" alpha test for World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Our sister site WoW Insider has kept up with some of the finer details from the leak, but one recent bit of info got us thinking.

The info: WotLK will add over 80 new emotes to WoW players' social repertoire. That's awesome, but it leads us to ask a question: why don't social emotes get more attention in the MMO genre? In general, things like that are sporadically tacked on as small bonuses, if they get added at all. Developers don't make them a big priority. We understand the reasons; gameplay always comes first, right?

Well, maybe not always. MMOs are unique in gaming because of their social and community aspects. Emote animations play a part in social interactions. Maybe developers should think about more than just raid mechanics. Maybe they should consider devoting resources to expanding social interaction features. You don't have to be a Bartle Socializer to appreciate emotes, do you?

[Via WoW Insider]

Exemplary conduct: WoW expansion adds over 80 new emotes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1UP thinks the Force is with the BioWare MMO (again)

Samuel Axon — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Rumors

We cannot foresee the details of BioWare's MMO; shrouded in mystery they are. The biggest rumor has always been that it's based on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic IP. And what a ride that rumor has been. Just since the beginning of this year it's already been falsely confirmed once and denied twice.

It's the most popular nonexistent game in the known universe, but is it really nonexistent after all? Oh no, here we go again! As our own Mike Schramm commented after the most recent denial: "If you strike this rumor down, it will only come back more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Prophetic words, those.

A tipster sent 1UP an excerpt from an MMO script, allegedly from within BioWare. The script doesn't sound very MMO-like, but according to 1UP's Steve Watts, it resembles dialogue in previous BioWare works, and it's "set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe." Sounds like KotOR to us! 1UP poked LucasArts for a comment, and basically got the "no comment" comment.

1UP thinks the Force is with the BioWare MMO (again) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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