Massively

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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Bigpoint and gPotato join forces, host contest to celebrate

Matt Daniel — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Battlestar Galactica Online

Two of the big players in the F2P MMO industry, publisher gPotato and Battlestar Galactica Online developer Bigpoint, have teamed up with one another in order to bring Bigpoint's browser-based titles to gPotato's ever-expanding library of titles. Bigpoint titles such as BSGO and more will be available at gPotato's game portal site, and in order to celebrate the arrival of the new games, gPotato is giving away $900 US in prizes. Ten Facebook fans will receive $50 in gPotato currency just for telling the folks at gPotato which new browser titles are their favorites. Five others will win a SUMO beanbag chair or a Razer mouse.

For the full details, check out the link below and head on over to gPotato's official site to try the new game selections for yourself.

[Source: gPotato press release]

Bigpoint and gPotato join forces, host contest to celebrate originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Smedley: EverQuest II seeing 'amazing growth' following F2P

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Business models, MMO industry, Free-to-play, DC Universe Online

Following a rocky and often-troubling year for Sony Online Entertainment in 2011, it's got to be good to have a clear win for the team. So we certainly can't begrudge SOE President John Smedley from climbing to the mountaintops to trumpet EverQuest II's success following its full free-to-play transition last month.

According to a series of tweets, Smedley says that the numbers are looking impressive: "We are seeing some amazing growth in EQII. 40% increase in daily logins since going F2P, 300% increase in new players, and 200% increase in item sales. Plus we have added a lot of new subs. All during the time that some really good competition hit the market."

Smedley also says that SOE is "very excited" with its partnership with ProSiebenSat.1, which grants exclusive publishing rights in Europe to eight of the studio's titles, including EverQuest, DC Universe Online, and Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures.

John Smedley: EverQuest II seeing 'amazing growth' following F2P originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect World Entertainment teams up with Nexon Korea

Matt Daniel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Chinese MMO powerhouse Perfect World Entertainment has teamed up with Nexon Korea in order to expand Perfect World's games to Korean players. Nexon CEO Min Seo says that "[Nexon is] very excited about establishing this New Company with Perfect World to bring more of their titles into the Korean market." Perfect World CEO Michael Chi believes that the pairing will help the studio to "further expand [its] user base and provide the highest quality services to local players in the Korean market."

Perfect World Entertainment teams up with Nexon Korea originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Burning Dog announces cross-platform plans for Origins of Malu

Jef Reahard — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

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

We've got some more Origins of Malu news today courtesy of the team at Burning Dog Media. A new press release on the sandbox MMORPG's official website is touting a partnership with Dell and Alienware that will generate awareness of the sci-fi title as it heads into its beta phase and eyes a 2012 launch. The release also mentions cross-platform functionality, and though it doesn't elaborate, we contacted lead developer Michael Dunham for clarification.

As it turns out, the Origins team is aiming for both PC and Mac clients, and some sort of mobile/tablet functionality is in the works as well.

We'll keep you up to date on that as we learn more, and in the meantime you can head to the Origins website to read up on the game. Before you go, be sure and check out Massively's exclusive interview with the dev team.

Burning Dog announces cross-platform plans for Origins of Malu originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix invites Championship Manager into the MMO club

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sports, MMO industry, New titles, Miscellaneous

The incredibly popular football (read: soccer) video game franchise Championship Manager is about ready to take the jump into MMO-space -- and Square Enix will be there to hold its hand all the way.

The studio announced today that it will be publishing Championship Manager: World of Football, a free-to-play browser-based title for sports fanatics. Developed by Beautiful Game Studios and Shanda Games, Championship Manager will initially launch in China with a possible international release later down the road. A beta for the title is to be announced shortly.

This is a further indication of the shape of the partnership between Square Enix and Shanda Games, which we reported on last year. The Championship Manager franchise dates back to 1992, with recent versions created by Beautiful Game Studios.

Square Enix invites Championship Manager into the MMO club originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP partners with Nexon to release EVE Online in Japan [Updated]

Brendan Drain — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Launches, MMO industry, News items, DUST 514

The Japanese games market can be difficult for western companies to break into, with accurate client localisation and translation acting as a huge potential roadblock. In an unexpected press release today, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced a strategic partnership with Japan-based MMO publisher Nexon to bring both EVE Online and DUST 514 to the Japanese market. EVE is currently available in English, German and Russian, and Japanese players have so far found considerable difficulty in playing the game.

Unlike EVE's Chinese release, the Japanese client will connect to the main Tranquility game server. Nexon will add the game to its portal website and use its own billing system for Japanese subscribers. As we've seen with EVE's sizeable Russian playerbase, it's likely that entire alliances and communities will build up within the game once it hits the shelves in Japan. While the language barrier between players from different parts of the world can limit social interaction, it turns out that everyone understands the language of smashing internet spaceships to bits with lasers. The PC release of EVE Online in Japan will appear later this year.

[Update: CCP has informed us that this deal with Nexon does not apply to anything DUST-related.]

CCP partners with Nexon to release EVE Online in Japan [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bigpoint and Mail.Ru partnering for global distribution deal

Jef Reahard — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Battlestar Galactica Online, Miscellaneous

Bigpoint and Mail.Ru Group have just announced a corporate partnership that aims to bring titles from each publisher to new prospective markets. Bigpoint, a browser MMO specialist most famous for its free-to-play Battlestar Galactica title, will bring its games to Mail.Ru's Russian-speaking audience via the latter's existing portal delivery service.

Similarly, Bigpoint users will find Mail.Ru titles like GodsWar Online accessible via the Bigpoint website. Bigpoint games will also be making their way to Mail.Ru's Odnoklassniki and My World social networking services.

"As successful browser-game providers, Bigpoint.com and Mail.Ru are a match made in heaven. We're happy to expand both our game portfolio and our international network of partners at the same time," said Bigpoint CEO Nils Holger Henning in a recent press release.

Bigpoint and Mail.Ru partnering for global distribution deal originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: F2P?

Edward Marshall — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Game mechanics, Opinion, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

There are some big changes coming to Fallen Earth in the very near future. Sector 4's Alpha County is looming on the horizon. There is a new skills-and-abilities system coming. We don't know when we're going to get it, but we are going to get it. But the biggest news is the game's new partnership with GamersFirst. GamersFirst is the company responsible for the rejuvenation of APB: Reloaded and its conversion to the free-to-play format (F2P). I've heard mixed reviews on what's going on with APB, but without any first-hand experience, I'll withhold judgment.

Nobody has come out and said that Fallen Earth is going to convert to the F2P business model, but it's a pretty safe assumption at this point. Every GamersFirst title is F2P, so why would FE be any different? I haven't tried APB, so I'm in no position to judge the performance of GamersFirst on what has been done with that title. F2P can be a two-edged sword, and the FE community is strongly divided on this subject (at least on the forums). I am a member of the optimistic side, and after the cut, I'll tell you why I think this move could be a very good thing for Fallen Earth.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: F2P?

Wasteland Diaries: F2P? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth gets cozy with GamersFirst [Updated]

Larry Everett — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Rumors, Post-Apocalyptic

In a recent USTREAM announcement, the developers at Icarus studios explained that the post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth is on the move. GamersFirst, which is well-known for having purchased and resurrected third-person shooter MMO All Points Bulletin, is taking the sandbox MMO under its wing. The full video has not been posted as of yet, but we are prodding GamersFirst and Icarus for more information. Will this mean that Fallen Earth is moving to a free-to-play model? Or is GamersFirst just helping the indie studio gain industry exposure?

The Fallen Earth website is currently down and is due back online at 11 p.m. EDT. Hopefully, when the site comes back online everything will be revealed. Massively will stay on top of this story, and we will relay it all back to you as soon as more comes to light, so stay tuned!

[Update: As of 8 p.m. EDT, the Fallen Earth team is once again broadcasting live over USTREAM and answering questions about the game and the transition. We've also got the video from earlier in the day. Check out the embeds after the cut!]

Continue reading Fallen Earth gets cozy with GamersFirst [Updated]

Fallen Earth gets cozy with GamersFirst [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE partners with Affinion to offer identity protection for EU players

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

European players who were waiting to hear how Sony Online Entertainment is going to safeguard their identities as it did for U.S. residents can now rest easy. SOE has announced a partnership with Affinion International to offer a 12-month protection program for customers' identities.

This program will provide a number of services to safeguard the compromised identities of Sony players affected by the recent hacking intrusion. These services include monitoring, surveillance, reporting, and insurance, and they cover players in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

If you qualify and want to take advantage of this program, you'll need to sign up by July 13th. SOE says that it will release details soon about how to do just that. Affinion's PrivacyGuard program is a well-known and comprehensive service designed to shield customers from all manner of identity theft, including unauthorized credit card usage and phishing scams.

SOE partners with Affinion to offer identity protection for EU players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth rocks the future with a Nuclear Blast

Larry Everett — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Post-Apocalyptic

Today's news from the wasteland is like the introduction of the peanut butter cup: two great tastes that taste great together. The post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth has partnered with recording label Nuclear Blast. The heavy metal and extreme music studio has supported a multitude of independent rockers for over 24 years, and its pairing with the grungy MMO from Icarus Studios could be the best fit the game has seen yet.

In a press release issued by the developers of Fallen Earth, Senior Game Designer Marie Croall stated, "We listen to so much of Nuclear Blast's music at the office. This is an awesome opportunity to share our favorite music with our players." To help with this goal, the developers will open an underground bunker bar next month, a bar that will feature Nuclear Blast Radio and rotate through many of the recording label's greatest artists like Meshuggah, Soilwork, and Testament.

Tune your radio dial to Massively for an upcoming Q&A session from artists and developers from Fallen Earth. As Nuclear Blast's Label Manager Gerardo Martínez said, "Get ready to hear the sounds of Fallen Earth on tour buses across the country!"

Fallen Earth rocks the future with a Nuclear Blast originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runes of Magic Chapter III adds marriage, raises level cap

Jef Reahard — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

Frogster and Runewaker Entertainment have announced that Runes of Magic is adding even more content to its recent Chapter III publish, in the form of tomorrow's 3.0.3 update. The patch boasts an entirely new zone, the Northern Janost Forest, which also adds over 100 new quests to the free-to-play fantasy title. In addition to the new high-level content, the player level cap is being raised to 60.

The patch is also introducing a new relationship system whereby players can bind themselves as lovers, friends, or as a master and an apprentice. Each pairing grants buffs to players when grouped with their significant others, and marriage is also possible via a wedding ring and a special chapel in the city of Varanas.

Finally, Frogster is implementing a new beginner pet to ease the newbie transition into the world of Taborea. The pet manifests itself in the form of a pixie and grants buffs and heals in addition to providing gameplay hints.

Runes of Magic Chapter III adds marriage, raises level cap originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windstorm Studios announces partnership with 226 Productions for an upcoming MMO

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

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

While Windstorm Studios has been very tight lipped regarding what they're currently working on, they certainly have been offering up a few glimpses into what looks to be a retro-future themed MMO they have in production.

The art of the game has recently been entrusted to 226 Productions, a Russian based art company that has done work on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, NBA '07, and TimeShift. 226 is no stranger to the IP that Windstorm has been brewing -- some of the pre-production artwork was completed by them.

As to what exactly Windstorm will bring to the MMO table remains to be seen, but if these pictures are any indication, it looks to be something fresh, exciting, and filled with laser shooting scooters.

Windstorm Studios announces partnership with 226 Productions for an upcoming MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO

Mike Schramm — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews

Trion World Network is quite a company -- without releasing a single game, they've put together millions of dollars in venture capital and compiled a staff list that's got team members from across the history of MMO games, from EverQuest and Ultima Online to World of Warcraft and City of Heroes.

This week, they sent waves through the MMO community by announcing that not only were they working on a fantasy MMO to be helmed by Jon Van Caneghem (original creator of the Might and Magic series of RPG strategy games and co-founder of the company along with Lars Buttler), but that they were forming a groundbreaking partnership with the SCI FI Channel to develop and publish and MMO to live alongside a television show. Finally, we had a small glimpse of just what Trion, with all of their money and experience, were up to.

To find out more, Massively sat down with Van Caneghem (a busy man since the news dropped on Monday) to chat about both the fantasy MMO and the SCI FI project, and what Trion's been working on since they formed. Van Caneghem told us why Trion wants to make a different kind of MMO, and how they'll balance an online game with a television series from the network that's running Battlestar Galactica. The interview starts right after you click the link below.

Continue reading Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO

Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Multiverse partners with Vivox to bring voice to virtual world developers

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Metaverse development company Multiverse has announced a partnership with Vivox, the voice service provider for virtual worlds and MMOs of many stripes. Being able to provide integrated voice chat, 3D positional audio, presence, speaking indicators, and management tools right out of the box will be a definite selling point for developers who are interested in using Multiverse's platform to create their virtual worlds.

Vivox is keeping influential company -- other partners include Wizards of the Coast, IBM, metaverse developers Electric Sheep Company, and EVE Online's CCP Games. With strong strategic alliances like these, they're quickly rising to the top of voice provider solutions for the industry. Let's hope their grasp doesn't exceed their reach.

[Via Business Wire]

Multiverse partners with Vivox to bring voice to virtual world developers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GigaMedia partners with XLGames for world-rocking new MMO

William Dobson — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Lineage, MMO industry, New titles, News items

GigaMedia Limited has issued a press release to say that they are investing in and partnering with XLGames, a development studio headed by Jake Song. Song is known for being the creator of Lineage and also The Kingdom of the Winds. GigaMedia has gained board representation and some strategic rights to XLGames after their investment.

President of GigaMedia Thomas Hui said, "We are thrilled to partner with such a tremendously talented team and look forward to working closely with them on their new MMORPG, which should rock the world." There are no other details yet on this new MMO, but Song brings quite a pedigree to the project with the aforementioned games and having been NCSoft's Executive Vice President at one point, so we will fortify nearby buildings in anticipation of further announcements.

[Via Yahoo Finance]

GigaMedia partners with XLGames for world-rocking new MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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