Massively

DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Expansions, Previews, Free-to-play, Promotions

Speaking of Guinness World Records for video games, I wonder whether Dungeons and Dragons Online would be eligible for "Longest time between game release and launch of its first expansion?" Six years may just be the longest we've ever witnessed, as DDO released in 2006, and it wasn't until 2012 that Menace of the Underdark was revealed. The good news is that come June 25th, the drought will be over.

We asked Turbine why now seemed like a good time for an expansion. The devs said that Atari had made some noise back in the day about one, but it never came to fruition. With the success of free-to-play, Turbine wanted to see whether the expansion model was still viable, so Lord of the Rings Online was chosen as a test subject. When Rise of Isengard became the best-selling expansion for the company, the company felt secure letting DDO have a chance, although there was quite a lot of wrangling with Wizards of the Coast about the details and permissions.

Record or no, it's an exciting event for DDO players, and the today, Turbine has announced the two biggest details for the expansion's schedule. The first is that Menace of the Underdark has a release date, and the second is the opening of pre-orders. Read on to get all of the juicy infos.

Continue reading DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders

DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Keen Software House announces pre-order deals for Miner Wars MMO

Matt Daniel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

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

Czech studio Keen Software House has announced a pre-order sale for its in-development title, Miner Wars MMO. The game is described on its official site as taking place in "a post-apocalyptic inner Solar System, approximately 10 years after the destruction of Earth." Players must learn to deal with life in space with limited resources. All players control mining spaceships and can explore the galaxy, harvest valuable resources, upgrade their ships, engage in epic-scale battles, and more.

If this catches your fancy, the title is currently on pre-sale for $19.99 US. But wait, just like a good informercial, there's more. If you purchase the game as part of this early presale package, "you can play the game for at least two years (guaranteed) without any subscription fees." That's right, the studio is offering to nix subscription fees for two years for anyone who throws down cash on the game right here, right now. Why, though? Well, for one, it will allow the studio to gauge interest in the project (as compared to the MMO's single-player counterpart, Miner Wars 2081) while also providing the studio with funds to "hire a larger team [to] make the game earlier and better." For the full details on the pre-order deals, just head on over to the title's official site.

[Source: Keen Software House press release]

Keen Software House announces pre-order deals for Miner Wars MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated]

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, Patches, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It's almost the time that many players have been waiting for -- the opening of the gates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. According to the most recent news posts, mail will be sent out starting on December 13th to notify players of when their early access period will begin. But why wait that long when you can download the client now, making sure that you're patched up and ready to go when your early access goes live?

The pre-order page for player accounts now includes a link to download and install the client, assuming that you've entered the code you received when you ordered. Curiously, this latest announcement says that players can receive up to seven days of early access, although that may well be a typo. If you'd missed previous announcements, players who took part in a beta weekend prior to November 24th will need to reinstall the game, so go ahead and download the updated client and get ready for the early launch in a few days.

[Update: Darth Hater has collected several forum and Twitter posts that confirm the December 13th date is not a typo and is "different from previously advertised." Early-early-access, here we come!]

Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GAME announces exclusive SWTOR CE contract, Walmart accidentally cancels 'nearly all' pre-orders

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Whenever a major MMO nears launch, tensions and anxieties grow to a fever pitch among players -- particularly in regard to their pre-orders. There are worries that a game won't install right, ship on time, or allow proper access to one's account. Today, there are a few more issues to be concerned with in regard to Star Wars: The Old Republic if you've pre-ordered it.

Over in the UK, GAME (and Gamestation) has announced that it will be the sole retailer for SWTOR's physical Collector's Edition in the region, even though EA previously said that companies such as Amazon, Play.com, Zavvi and ShopTo were going to be selling them as well. UK players can also purchase non-CE versions of the game through EA's Origin service.

In other news, several players who secured their copy of SWTOR through Walmart found that their orders -- both regular and CEs -- were canceled over this past weekend. A Walmart customer service representative appeared on the SWTOR forums to say that this happened due to a "data error" that forced the company to nix most of the pre-orders. SWTOR's Stephen Reid said that BioWare is investigating the situation, but he confirms that any players who have already added their pre-order codes into their accounts will have locked in early access for the launch.

GAME announces exclusive SWTOR CE contract, Walmart accidentally cancels 'nearly all' pre-orders originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Old Republic pre-order head start 'up to five days' [Updated]

Matt Daniel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:25:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

As The Old Republic's release date draws ever closer, fans are starting to dig into the nitty-gritty of what they can expect from the game's launch. Well, one intrepid investigator over on the official forums has dug up this nugget from the official pre-order page:

CUSTOMERS WHO PRE-ORDER STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY THE GAME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH. EARLY GAME ACCESS IS THE PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL GAME LAUNCH WHEN PRE-ORDER CUSTOMERS MAY ACCESS THE GAME. EARLY GAME ACCESS MAY BE UP TO 5 DAYS. THE LENGTH OF YOUR EARLY GAME ACCESS DEPENDS ON THE DATE AND ORDER IN WHICH YOU REDEEMED YOUR PRE-ORDER CODE AT THE CODE REDEMPTION CENTER. SEE PRE-ORDER FAQ FOR MORE DETAILS.

So there you have it, folks. You can expect anywhere up to a five-day headstart with your pre-order. Of course, we expect we'll have confirmation on the matter from BioWare soon enough.

[Updated: The official site has updated to confirm the speculation, and we've tucked the full text behind the break. BioWare has also issued an official FAQ and chart to outline which pre-order benefits come with each edition.]

Continue reading The Old Republic pre-order head start 'up to five days' [Updated]

The Old Republic pre-order head start 'up to five days' [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest: Veil of Alaris preorder bonuses announced

Matt Daniel — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Economy, Expansions, News items

EverQuest's 18th expansion, Veil of Alaris, isn't too far off, and Sony Online Entertainment has announced that preorders are now open. The game comes in two flavors: standard and digital collector's edition. The former includes Veil of Alaris and all previous EverQuest expansions along with an exclusive mount, house decoration items (two paintings and a Resplendent Sword Ornamentation) and a traveler's rucksack.

The collector's edition includes all of that, plus another exclusive mount, another rucksack, and more paintings and house decoration items than you can shake a stick at. If you preorder before November 14th, the standard edition will run you $39.99 while the collector's edition costs $59.99. After the 14th, however, the collector's edition price goes up to a whopping $89.99, so if you're planning on grabbing it, you better act quickly.

EverQuest: Veil of Alaris preorder bonuses announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-order is live! [Updated]

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

After a few days of speculation, rumor, leaked images, and downright wishful thinking, the real pre-order for Star Wars: The Old Republic has officially gone live early this morning.

Along with the fact that the initial rumors were true (including that Gamestop price for the 150 USD Collector's Edition), we get information on a Digital Deluxe Edition (79.99 USD) and a Standard Edition (59.99 USD), for those who don't really care about the physical extras.

It's important to note that this pre-order is for US/EU players only; nothing for Oceanic players just yet.

So what are you still reading this for? I said the pre-order is live!

[Update: We asked BioWare about the Mac info on the Amazon pre-order page, and they said that's a mistake. It's not available for the Mac at this time.]

Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-order is live! [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR pre-order confirmed by Gamestop?

Larry Everett — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

As if to confirm the rumor from yesterday, GameStop's website briefly displayed a pre-order page for the Star Wars: The Old Republic collector's edition. According to the page, the full collector's edition will be priced at $149.99 US and chock full of CE goodness.

According to the rumor, the full collector's edition will contain these items physically in the box:

Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
Star Wars: The Old Republic game disks in collectible metal case
The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural annotated by Satele Shan
The Old Republic galaxy map
Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
High-quality Collector's Edition box

Also, when the game goes live your account will be granted these seven additional digital items:

Flare Gun: Fire flares into the air
Training Droid: Hovers at your side for combat assistance
HoloDancer: Project your own holographic dancer
HoloCam: Keep visual records of in-game adventures
STAP: Sleek and unique in-game vehicle
Exclusive Mouse Droid: Spunky Droid to join your adventures
Exclusive Collector's Edition Store: Unique in-game vendor with an assortment of items

If that was not enough, Gamestop's pre-order is said to grant early access to the game as well as a crystal that changes the color effect on your weapon. Perhaps tomorrow we will hear the official information at San Diego Comic-con.

SWTOR pre-order confirmed by Gamestop? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Road to Mordor: Packing for Isengard

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor, Guides

Isengard. Isengard. ISENGARD. It's all I can think about since last week's E3 reveal, and I know I'm not the only one. For some reason, having a firm launch date for Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion feels like a starting pistol's gone off, and we're beginning the race to the expansion in earnest.

Of course, we're not in that much of a hurry at this point. We still have well over three months to go, the beta has yet to begin, and something tells me that Turbine's got a few more tricks to pull out of its top hat before all is said and done. Still, I'm officially in "Go!" mode, and I bet I'm not the only one.

While I can't make September 27th come any sooner, I can think of six ways that we can prepare for our upcoming journey into Dunland and beyond. Seven, if you include putting together the absolute perfect outfit to slay Saruman in, but that's a given.

Hit the jump and I'll walk you through everything you should be doing this summer to get ready for Rise of Isengard!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Packing for Isengard

The Road to Mordor: Packing for Isengard originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nab your very own Gods & Heroes beta key! [Updated]

Brianna Royce — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Historical, Contests, New titles, Giveaways, Miscellaneous

Heatwave Interactive's mythology-driven MMO Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising is cresting toward its official launch on June 21st, but there's still time for you to dive in early!

Until June 12th, curious would-be players can sign up on the official Gods & Heroes site for an open beta key, free and clear. During this final open beta phase, testers will romp through the early levels of gameplay, boss their minions, and preview the estate system that impressed even our own Beau Hindman.

If you like what you see, then you'll want to preorder the game to access the Gods & Heroes head-start program, which will allow gamers to sail past the competition and enter the game officially a full week early. Have fun!

[Updated: It's June 12th, so the beta key giveaway has now officially ended. Hope you had a great time!]

Nab your very own Gods & Heroes beta key! [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bonus item event in Final Fantasy XIV's beta

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV's open beta is only going to last until the 19th, which is just a stone's throw away. This would be worse news if not for the fact that the collector's edition of the game will be launching three days after that, meaning that the game's fans will have other things to do shortly thereafter. (The game's detractors don't really need the game to run one way or the other.) But if you'd like to take part in one last hurrah before launch, Square-Enix is hosting a special event on the newly-added Karnak and Narshe servers.

All characters created on the special servers before 1:00 p.m. PDT on the 16th will have both the Onion Helm and Asuran Armguards added to their inventory. The former is the bonus for pre-ordering the collector's edition of the game, while the latter is the reward for also owning a copy of Final Fantasy XIII. It's not quite the potpourri of good news revealed from the pre-launch event yesterday, but it promises to still be a nice chance for Final Fantasy XIV beta testers to go out with a bang.

Bonus item event in Final Fantasy XIV's beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Exclusive Interview: DCUO's Game Director Chris Cao

Larry Everett — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Interviews, New titles, Comics, Massively Interviews, DC Universe Online

What gamer hasn't wanted to be a superhero at one time or another? Superheroes and comic books have been a part of gaming culture as long as computers. Of course, everyone has wanted to be Superman soaring through the skies of Metropolis, or Batman scaring the pants off the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Sony Online Entertainment has teamed up with Warner Bros. and DC Comics to bring this world -- nay, this universe -- to life. On November 2nd, DC Universe Online will blast its way to game store shelves everywhere.

DCUO gives fans of comic books, action video games, and MMOs a reason to come together and celebrate this incredible amalgam of genres. Create your own superhero! Thrill to the art of Jim Lee! Soak up the voice-acting of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy! On top of that, if you preorder this deliciously intense action RPG, you will have exclusive rights to a token that will allow you to join a 2v2 PvP arena as the caped crusader himself, using his abilities, gadgets, and fighting style. Plus you'll get all the other preorder bonuses like confetti bombs and batarangs.

Massively snagged an exclusive interview with DCUO Game Director Chris Cao about this groundbreaking game. Up, up, and away! (OK, that was cheesy. Just hit "read more" to read our lengthy interview after the break!)

Continue reading Exclusive Interview: DCUO's Game Director Chris Cao

Exclusive Interview: DCUO's Game Director Chris Cao originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Exclusive interview with SOE's John Smedley on the DCUO preorder and beta

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Interviews, DC Universe Online

MMO players looking forward to DC Universe Online got lots of exciting news earlier this week with the announcement of preorder bonuses and beta signups for the game.

As always, fans had plenty of questions as well as a few concerns here and there. We had some questions of our own here at Massively, so we went straight to the source. Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley took some time to sit down and chat with us, and we covered plenty of ground.

John gave us new closed beta details, discussed the PlayStation 3/PC crossover, and even gave some hints at possible upcoming content! Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say.

Continue reading Exclusive interview with SOE's John Smedley on the DCUO preorder and beta

Exclusive interview with SOE's John Smedley on the DCUO preorder and beta originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DCUO preorders available for North America, more to come

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Comics, DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online fans, are you ready to preorder? You'll have to think carefully about what retail outlet you use, because preorders are available for those in the US and Canada, and there are special bonus items depending on where you place that order.

Quite a few bonuses are up for grabs: an exclusive 2v2 arena battle in which you will play as Batman (Yes, you will actually be Batman), the first issue of the DCUO comic Legends, a Batman figurine, and a variety of in-game weapons. The collector's edition includes even more extra goodies.

If you're not in NA, sit tight because there are preorder options for Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, all labeled "coming soon." Check out the official preorder page on the DCUO site for all the details.

Updated: DCUO didn't stop with the preorder goodies! Open beta signups are now available, and we got a first look at The Joker. VIsit the site to sign up for beta, and check out the gallery below for a first look at DCUO's newest familiar face!

Gallery: DC Universe Online Joker

DCUO preorders available for North America, more to come originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NCsoft's strict server balance policy for Aion

Brooke Pilley — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, New titles, News items

As a result of some vague server messages and a confused player base trying to reserve their characters in Aion's preselect period, NCsoft tossed up an informative preselect server status page. This page lists all European and North American servers and labels them as either 'Temporarily Locked,' 'Elyos/Asmodian Only,' or blank.

Some of the servers are jam-packed, while others have plenty of room to grow (no labels). NCsoft has temporarily locked new character creation on the higher population servers until the lower population servers catch up. To maintain faction balance they are also keeping track of Asmodian and Elyos populations. If one side becomes too dominant, new characters of that faction are disabled until the other side can catch up.

This has led to some frustration from preorder customers who fear they may not be able to roll on a server with their guild mates. Apparently, everything will work out as the lower population servers start filling up, so our fingers are crossed. We've all seen what can happen when companies get too overzealous with their server launch plans. The situation could be worse.

Update #1 (Sep 19 @ 10:48am EDT): Looks like all servers have been unlocked, but 8/24 of them are 'Elyos Only.'
Update #2 (Sep 19 @ 12:30pm EDT): Some players are reporting they can make Asmodian characters on the 'Elyos Only' servers. This is probably due to a lag period between real-time server status and web updates.
Update #3 (Sep 19 @ 3:00pm EDT): It appears that restrictions have been lifted (see http://twitter.com/aion_ayase).

NCsoft's strict server balance policy for Aion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aion is the single most pre-ordered MMO this year

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Launches, New titles, News items

In a piece of news that we're betting surprises precisely nobody at all, Aion has just broken the 400,000 pre-order mark. What's notable about this number is that it's enough to make Aion the largest number of pre-orders on an MMO for 2009. As Aion is also holding strong in the Steam and Direct2Drive sales charts, we wonder how many more we'll see added to that number before the official launch next Tuesday.

With highly polished graphics, over two million words of quest text, and a series of tweaks to make Aion more Western-friendly, NCsoft seems to have finally hit the right stride with Western MMO gamers. That said, as we've learned from all the other games that have come before it, the real numbers that count are the retention numbers after the initial launch. Whether or not Aion is the goose that lays the golden egg - at least in terms of the Western markets - we'll have to wait and see.

Aion is the single most pre-ordered MMO this year originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Alganon sets October release date

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Forums, New titles, Alganon

Alganon is an upcoming fantasy MMO that we here at Massively have our eyes on. It is said to integrate more of an expansive social network than we may already be used to, as well as a new look at on and offline skill advancement.

But the real news here is that Quest Online, the makers of Alganon, have announced a launch date of October 31 of this year. In preparation for this launch, the forums have been completely revamped. Preorders will also be taken later this month, featuring a digital download option and special preorder bonuses, to be announced later. Check out the official Alganon website for more details.

Alganon sets October release date originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CrimeCraft's digital download options and bonuses

William Dobson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, New titles, Crime, MMOFPS, CrimeCraft

CrimeCraft's launch date is just around the corner now, and if you haven't pre-ordered yet but plan on doing so, there really isn't a lot of time left! While the retail distribution of the game in North America and Canada is exclusive to particular stores (Best Buy for NA and Future Shop in Canada), there are a few choices when it comes to making a digital purchase. Future players will be able to buy and download the title from CrimeCraft.com, Direct2Drive (IGN), Steam and Best Buy Digital. All of the digital downloads come with a few in-game perks (different from each other), and all of them bar Steam offer some extras for pre-ordering. No matter which way you go, the suggested price of US$49.95 includes two months of premium subscription, including a ration of gold bars that are used for in-game microtransactions.

All of the information you need to know in order to make your choice is just past the break -- be sure to check it out if you plan on getting CrimeCraft digitally.

Continue reading CrimeCraft's digital download options and bonuses

CrimeCraft's digital download options and bonuses originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed

Kyle Horner — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, Champions Online

Champions Online is only five weeks away and with it being so very close, Cryptic has finally announced their preorder bonus plans and partners. If that isn't exciting enough, you'll be happy to know they've also announced August 17th as day one of open beta. Keep in mind that preorders from any of the officially listed retail partners will guarantee access to the beta.

Looking over the preorder bonuses, which you can find after the break, there's some tough choices to be made. If you're the type of person who doesn't like to wait any longer than they have to, then you'll need to go with Gamestop in order to get early access. In addition to that ever-so-tempting early access, GameStop customers will have the chance to "battle an alien menace" and collect exclusive in-game items -- sounds like a world event to us.

However, Amazon is offering both three exclusive in-game items (Harlequin Headpiece, Black Knight Helmet, and Grenade Chest Strap) as well as five extra Cryptic points to be used for what we're assuming are cosmetic purchases. There's also Best Buy and Wal-Mart variations to consider, so choose wisely. We've got them listed after the break with links to the product pages for your convenience.

Continue reading Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed

Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gigamedia to launch Warhammer Online closed beta in Taiwan

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Warhammer Online, News items

The WAR is spreading! GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that on April 15, 2009, Gigamedia will be launching Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning closed beta in Taiwan. The game originally launched in North America, Europe, and Australia in September 2008 and Russia in February 2009. This new launch furthers Mythic GM Mark Jacobs' day-one goal of making WAR a "global phenomenon."

Much like Mythic's original WAR release, it appears Gigamedia made limited edition preorder versions of the game available. According to their gaming platform's GM, Yautian Chen, they have completely sold out these copies. They are now selling closed beta packs, which we can only assume are similar to the standard edition preorders sold in North America that guaranteed access to closed beta.

We have forwarded two questions along to EA/Mythic and are awaiting an official response:

Will WAR be subscription-based in Taiwan or use another income model (e.g., time cards)?
What other Asian countries are EA and Mythic considering for WAR in the future?

We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Gigamedia to launch Warhammer Online closed beta in Taiwan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mines of Moria pre-order now available in Europe

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world, Expansions, MMO industry, New titles

As announced today by Codemasters, the first Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Mines of Moria, is now available for pre-order in Europe. The website information gives us a complete run-down of what's available with this expansion and each boxed version, including the exclusive Special Edition content and special pre-order content as well. What's interesting about this is that on the Play.com site listing, it reports the release date as November 14th, which other online retailers such as Amazon UK had previously reported as well. Meanwhile, the official Codemasters online store lists the release date as only "Autumn 2008".

Where's the North American pre-order information? It hasn't officially been announced yet, but expect news to surface soon. When it does, we'll let you know!

Mines of Moria pre-order now available in Europe originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

How to get your WAR preorder code from Amazon

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online

If you're one of the many people who preordered Warhammer Online from Amazon.com, and you're confused as to where the access code is, EA Mythic has just posted complete directions on their main website. Since this process is a bit trickier than other preorder options, they thought it would be wise to cut through the confusion and point out that they will not be mailing those codes, as some have speculated. To access your game code after you've preordered through Amazon, simply follow these steps:

Select "Your Account" from the upper-right corner of the Amazon.com screen.
Select "View Your Media Library" from the right column in the "Where's my stuff" section near the top of the page.
Log in if necessary.
When the Media Library page appears, at the top of the screen you will see several tabs, one of which is called "Downloads". Click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the word Downloads.
Select Bonus Items.
You should see all the codes you have access to here.

How to get your WAR preorder code from Amazon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mythic publishes Warhammer Online pre-order FAQ

Samuel Axon — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Warhammer Online

Mythic has created the beginnings of a FAQ intended to help would-be-customers sort out all the details about pre-ordering Warhammer Online. Info included in the FAQ: how to pre-order in Canada, who to poke to get pre-order codes when you place your order through an online store, and details and definitions on the beta testing phases, among other things.

Mythic promises that the FAQ will be updated with new information in the future, but doesn't say what kind of information it'll be.

The FAQ has some helpful information if you have those specific questions, of course. If you want a more in-depth and badass guide to pre-ordering WAR, though, check out our WAR collector's edition pre-order guide. Which retailer distributes codes in the most helpful way? Which one gives you the best extra goodies? It's all there!

Mythic publishes Warhammer Online pre-order FAQ originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

German WAR box confirms CE and preorder info

Mike Schramm — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New titles, Warhammer Online, Rumors

We've already seen rumors about what might be coming in the Warhammer Online collector's edition, but now a German site (not the same one as before -- what's with the Germans getting this stuff early?) has apparently posted more information on the CE and what a preorder of the game will get you. The box apparently confirms the previous rumors of the exclusive miniature, the comic book, and the bonus quests (along with the player titles), and the preorder of the CE will net you "guaranteed access" to the open beta (so open beta confirmed, apparently), a head start to the live game, and two bonus in-game items.

A German-speaking friend of mine (who actually does professional translation) tells us that the in-game items are a "Knight's (?) Portable Camp," which, "receives your tired soul and heals your wounds between battles." And the other is the "Guards of the Amber Ring," or at least a ring of some kind, that "improves your attributes" and casts a spell called "Touch of Earth," which we're told adds a chance to hit. Sounds pretty cool, though there's no information on when the preorder will be available, or even if it will be in America (the box is obviously labeled for Europe).

Any of this entice you to jump in on Warhammer, or were you already convinced? The collector's edition stuff doesn't sound too exciting, but jumping into the beta and the live game is definitely worth a preorder, if you ask us.

[Via K&G]

German WAR box confirms CE and preorder info originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Things you wish you'd known about PotBS

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates of the Burning Sea, Culture, Forums, New titles, PvP, Tips and tricks, PvE

Potshot has an awesome roundup (from a post over on the official forums) just in time for today's Pirates of the Burning Sea release about "things you wish you'd known" (and that the in-game help didn't exactly tell you). From practical tips (you can CTRL-left click to set things on your action bar to autofire when they're available) to the should-have-been-obvious (ship position and wind direction when entering ship combat on open sea are the same in and out of battle), there's a lot of terrific insight here. And some of the tips even reveal stuff that make Pirates a much more attractive game-- did you know that you can train a skill to see what other nations say in chat, or that you could fire half-loaded guns?

If you're entering PotBS to host the mizzenmast and keelhaul some landlubbers today (or even if you've been playing in the preorder), it's definitely a must read. Every game has its hidden depth and player lore, and it's great to see players start digging into a game like Pirates as early as release day.

Things you wish you'd known about PotBS originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pirates preorder delayed, and that's bad

Mike Schramm — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Pirates of the Burning Sea, New titles

Pirates of the Burning Sea is coming out in January. That's good.

The preorder was supposed to happen this week, but it got delayed. That's bad.

SOE couldn't get it done in time, and they feel really sorry about it. That's good.

They couldn't get it done because they were running from the fires in California. That's bad.

Unfortunately, Flying Lab can't tell us where we can preorder, when preordering will happen online, or anything else about it besides that it will show up on November 13th. That's bad.

But they can tell us that answers are coming soon, and they even were nice enough to let us download four exclusive tracks from the preorder CD, four mp3s of the port music for each of the various nations. That's good!

Stay tuned for more info about the preorder. Hopefully SOE's employees will be able to get back to their homes safe and sound, and soon enough you'll be able to pick up the preorder box at a game store near you.

Can I go now?

[ via Tobold, with apologies to this obscure show ]

Pirates preorder delayed, and that's bad originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments