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The Perfect Ten: MMO tributes to real-life people

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest II, Culture, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, Guild Wars 2, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

When a beloved friend, family member, hero, or role model dies, we feel the pain of that loss and grieve in many different ways. Part of that grieving and healing process is often entails those left behind constructing some sort of tribute to the dearly departed. Sometimes this comes in the form of a shrine of flowers, sometimes it's the establishment of a charity, and sometimes it's creating an in-game memorial that thousands if not millions of people will see over the course of years.

So while death and illness are depressing topics to dwell upon, I find the many MMO tributes that studios and even gamers have erected to be inspiring and a celebration of individual players' lives. With the help of my fellow Massively staffers, I researched 10 wonderful in-game tributes that serve to honor the lives of fellow gamers.

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The Perfect Ten: MMO tributes to real-life people originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Hero Squad Online wishes you a merry X-Men Month

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Casual, Family, Super Hero Squad Online

If you're gearing up for Xmas, then why not invite the X-Men over for some casual MMO gaming? Gazillion has declared that December is "X-Men Month" in Super Hero Squad Online, as the title turns its attention to Professor X's extraordinary students and their action-packed outings.

Enrollment is open for the School for Gifted Youngsters, and signing up for superhero mayhem are several brand-new heroes for the game. The MMO is also unleashing four new quests -- two for Wolverine and two for Rogue -- to go with its signature card battles.

Vice President Jay Minn is (sorry) super-psyched for the theme month: "X-Men month has been a long time coming since the launch of our game. Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Angel, Iceman and Shadowcat have always topped our list of most-requested Marvel heroes. We are very excited that our fans will finally be able to show off and fight evil as the X-Men! Happy holidays everyone and Hero Up!"

[Source: Gazillion press release]

Super Hero Squad Online wishes you a merry X-Men Month originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Referee Ruby plays Treasure War in Free Realms

Brianna Royce — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play, Browser, Trading card games, Humor, Free Realms, Kids

Referee Ruby is back again this week with another exclusive Free Realms video, this time showing off the Treasure War card game. Accessible through Greenwood Forest, Treasure War is a simple, card-styled rock-paper-scissors game in which players pit their cards against opponents' cards in an attempt to steal -- you guessed it -- treasure. The game features three modes: Quickplay, for low-risk, speedy, and fun matches vs. other players; Campaign, which requires the participant to face off against increasingly difficult NPCs for prizes; and Tournament, a competitive version of Quickplay that offers lucrative rewards.

Ruby notes that Treasure War isn't a standard TCG in which you build a custom deck; instead, your cards are chosen at random from your collection by the game itself. Of course, the Free Realms cash shop sells gems that can boost your odds of winning if you really need that extra edge. You can also purchase card packs for a chance at rare prizes like the glowy phoenix mount Ruby's riding at the end of the trailer.

Enjoy the full video just behind the break!

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Exclusive: Referee Ruby plays Treasure War in Free Realms originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos Europe launches!

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

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

Like a digital phoenix rising from the ashes of a failed company, Mythos has come back from the dead to finally launch. Under the care of HanbitSoft and Frogster, Flagship's former Diablo-style MMO has been retooled and finally pushed out of the doors in Europe.

Mythos Europe's Arne Freund is understandably excited: "We are very pleased with our rapidly growing community, whose support shows us that they, like us, have become really invested in the world of Mythos. We will continue to put all of our effort into supporting the game after release and to provide players with enough monsters to hack and slash their way through in the years to come. Talking of which, I've got a grudge to settle..."

Mythos is free-to-play with optional item shop purchases and is available in five languages: English, German, French, Polish and Turkish. In addition to the digital download, there's a retail box version that includes an item voucher for a variety of exclusive goodies.

Get into the action by downloading it from the official site, but before you do that, make sure to hit the jump and watch the launch trailer -- it'll get you pumped up for sure!

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Mythos Europe launches! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fly with the bears in Moonlight Online

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, Free-to-play, Moonlight Online

Have you ever dreamed of a truly special mount in your MMO, perhaps a half-lion, half-tiger that you name a Liger? While Ligers may be a dream of the future, Moonlight Online has plenty of fanciful mounts now that don't easily fit in typical MMO stereotypes.

Coming soon to the game are a plethora of bizarrely beautiful mounts that run the spectrum from dinosaur (Megalosaurus), Harry Potter pal (Phoenix), combustible lupine (Flaming Wolf), round (Crystal Ball), blind (Bat), and two of the most unstoppable forces of nature combined into one (Angel Bear).

Players will be able to "evolve" these special mounts over time as well. Every time a mount levels up, it increases its attributes, gains faster speed, and even has the chance to gain a cool new skill, such an an AOE attack. Mounts also change in appearance as they evolve, which means that Angel Bear just got 100% more awesome.

Check out the new mounts as well as the game over at IGG's Moonlight Online forums.

Fly with the bears in Moonlight Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RuneScape introduces new phoenix combat pet and more

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, RuneScape, Free-to-play

Mod Mark, the Lead Designer for Jagex's RuneScape, has written a new Behind the Scenes article for January in which he describes the changes coming down the pipe for RuneScape.

There's mention of a new phoenix combat pet that will have the ability to fire ashes at your enemies. The Achievement Diaries are also releasing this month; this time set in the peaceful Seer's Village and the surrounding areas. As with previous Achievement Diaries, this one was created to show the hidden or non-quest activities in the area. In addition to these large additions, some minor changes will be made to the game. Check out the complete article for more information on all changes that have arrived or will be arriving in the month of January.

RuneScape introduces new phoenix combat pet and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: Albatross 18

Akela Talamasca — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sports, Galleries, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, First Impressions, Albatross 18

Have you been pining away for a great golf MMO? We have, too! Look, even if you haven't, let's just go along with this, okay? Albatross 18 is an engaging, colorful, whimsical game that doesn't disappoint. When one considers golf, there really isn't too much to it -- hit the ball into the hole, rinse, repeat. The beauty of its simplicity is that a developer can go crazy with that concept and add all sorts of madness to it, and it can only improve the game.

And that's exactly what's going on with Albatross 18: beautiful environments, useful power-ups, crazy caddies, mascots, costumes -- this game is hilarious. Will you like it? Let's find out. As always, we remind you that this is not meant to be a full review of everything in the game; these are the first impressions we got after spending an hour or so playing. Excelsior!

Gallery: First Impressions: Albatross 18

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First Impressions: Albatross 18 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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