Massively

German studio SilentFuture resurrecting Earthrise

Matt Daniel — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, News items, Free-to-play, Earthrise, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Fans of Masthead Studios' late sandbox MMO, Earthrise, have cause to rejoice today. The Wuppertal, Germany-based studio SilentFuture announced in a press release today that it will be taking over development and operation of the title, which was shut down in February earlier this year.

According to the press release, the studio is currently working on a complete overhaul of the game, from backstory to gameplay to technology. SilentFuture plans to have the game up and running again sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Earthrise will return as a free-to-play title in which players "no longer find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world" but rather are "part of the apocalypse itself." Sounds promising! Hopefully we can look forward to more details in the coming weeks, but at least we know one thing for sure: Earthrise is back!

[Source: SilentFuture press release]

German studio SilentFuture resurrecting Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Launches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play

Star Trek may feature universal translators, but the crew at Cryptic has to make do with old fashioned techniques until the future catches up with us. As such, the studio has announced that it is relaunching Star Trek Online in Europe to support its French- and German-speaking players.

Starting right now, the game, website, forums, and game support will be available in all three languages. To further cater to European players, Cryptic has vowed to add more EU-friendly event timeslots.

Executive Producer Dan Stahl hopes this will spread STO across the world: "The launch of Star Trek Online in Europe is the culmination of our efforts over the past several years to bring gamers the Star Trek universe on a truly massive scale."

All players can benefit from this European relaunch, as Q's coming back to celebrate with a double-XP bonus weekend. Anyone who logs in from today through Monday, April 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, will not only benefit from the a skill point and bridge officer point boost but can claim a free IDIC Tribble of his or her very own. The Tribble provides a unique buff to your character based on his, her, or its class -- and if you manage to get all three buffs on you at once, you'll be granted an additional boost to damage, resistance, and health regen.

[Source: Cryptic press release]

Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silkroad-R R-elaunches

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Launches, Silkroad Online, Free-to-play

Don't let the fancy title fool you: Silkroad-R (the R is for "rebirth") isn't a completely new game but an updated version of Joymax's previous Silkroad. Brought into the shop for some body work and a new paint job, Silkroad-R is back and better than ever.

Silkroad-R will exist on its own servers, seperate from its Silkroad ancestor. Joymax is particularly proud of a "buffed-up" cash shop, as CEO Nam-chul Kim explains: "There's many aspects of Silkroad-R that we changed or improved based on user feedback, and we took a long time investigating the cash shop and evaluating each item."

To celebrate the relaunch, Joymax is sponsoring a string of giveaways through February 7th. Players who reach specific levels have a chance at Amazon gift cards and in-game boosts and items. Other launch events include a special XP-boosting NPC and a player-submitted wallpaper/greeting card contest.

You can check out the official trailer for Silkroad-R after the jump!

[Source: Joymax press release]

Continue reading Silkroad-R R-elaunches

Silkroad-R R-elaunches originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively hosts Star Trek Online free-to-play launch event

Terilynn Shull — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Launches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage

On Tuesday, January 17th, Star Trek Online will be officially free-to-play!

In celebration of the launch, Massively will be joining Cryptic Studios in welcoming all new and veteran captains. The team is hosting several fun events ranging from costume and trivia events to livestreamed character creation tutorials and dance parties!

Please join me, Massively's humble STO columnist, as I pair up with STO's Community Manager Brandon Felczer to stream our way through all the fun. You could win up to 5000 STO Promotional Points! All livestreamed events can be viewed during and after the event on Massively's Twitch channel, and all other communications can be monitored on the "F2PLaunchParty" chat channel in-game. The fun begins at 1:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, so check out the official schedule of events after the break.

Continue reading Massively hosts Star Trek Online free-to-play launch event

Massively hosts Star Trek Online free-to-play launch event originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silkroad-R adding new server, gearing up for re-launch

Jef Reahard — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Silkroad Online, Free-to-play

When we heard about Silkroad-R, our first thought was buhwhat? Is Joymax getting into race cars or something? As it turns out, the "R" stands for rebirth, and the free-to-play fantasy MMO is being groomed for a new launch in 2012 (sans some of the problems that plagued it in its original run).

A new Joymax press release describes the leaner, meaner Silkroad as "the all-new, light and easy- to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game that picks up where the original left off." The company is also touting a "bot-free and lag-free experience" that includes a new server to cope with the expected new-user demand.

Open beta testing is going on now through January 17th, 2012, and you can learn more about the reboot at the official Silkroad website.

[Source: Joymax press release]

Silkroad-R adding new server, gearing up for re-launch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Launches, Free-to-play, Hands-on, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

On June 29th, 2010, Realtime Worlds launched All Points Bulletin, an MMO that was highly anticipated for its character customization options, open-world "gang warfare" PvP, and similarity to the wildy popular Grand Theft Auto series of video games. In fact, the original APB's lead designer was David Jones, creator of such classics as Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto.

But six weeks later, Realtime Worlds entered administration, which essentially means that the company was having financial troubles but was allowed to continue running while looking for a new owner. That new owner didn't materialize quickly enough, forcing the company to announce the game's closure during what may be the shortest MMO lifespan of all time.

But who should come to save the day on November 11, 2010? None other than K2 Network, parent company of free-to-play publisher GamersFirst, which swooped in to rescue the game under the new title APB: Reloaded.

Today marks the official re-launch of the crime MMO on Steam, and I've been spending entirely too much time with the game, rediscovering why I both loved and hated the original version. Follow along after the cut for our second look at a First Impressions of APB.

Continue reading First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day

First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall devblog addresses Darkfall 2.0 progress, lack of communication

Matt Daniel — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, News items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

Darkfall fans, rejoice! More news about Darkfall 2.0 is upon us. Tasos Flambouras stopped by the game's blog today to mention that the team does "notice the anxiety on the forums concerning development progress, timing of Darkfall's re-launch, speculation about a wipe between Darkfall and the re-launch, and our spotty communication as of late." He then set out to make amends for these transgressions by giving fans an update on Darkfall 2.0's development progress. Flambouras noted that "the remaining work is broken down... and supported with a clear timeframe... so at this point we know exactly when we're done with the development." More details on Darkfall 2.0 will be revealed in upcoming updates.

But Darkfall 2.0 isn't the only thing on the Aventurine head-honcho's agenda. He also takes some time to talk about whether or not there will be a full wipe when 2.0 launches (the team hasn't decided yet), business deals (the studio is in "final stages of cooperation with several partners"), and the studio's lack of communication (the studio says it's sorry and promises to do better). For the full, unabridged dev blog update, just head on over to the game's official site.

Darkfall devblog addresses Darkfall 2.0 progress, lack of communication originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos returns as Mythos Global, closed beta starting December 1st

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Mythos, Free-to-play

Is Mythos truly becoming the game that would never die? It might appear so, as this twice-nixed title is being rezzed for another go-around with players. Will this prove to be the success where others have failed?

While Frogster's European version of the game was recently canceled, Hanbitsoft and T3Fun are bringing it back as Mythos Global and are already gearing up for a four-day closed beta test next month. The test will commence on December 1st through the 5th, with keys going out through various media outlets in the near future. Hanbitsoft has plans for more extensive beta tests along with related in-game events.

The Mythos Global website is now open with a place to sign up for the closed beta, unsullied forums for potential players to discuss the game, and an awe-inspiring copyright notice. Truly, you'll want to break out your Print Screen key just for the occasion. The game also has a more informative Facebook page with plenty of screenshots and videos for the taking.

Mythos returns as Mythos Global, closed beta starting December 1st originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prime Battle for Dominus plans website relaunch, new title

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, PvP

Prime Battle for Dominus may be a mouthful to say, but after this weekend it will be no more. No, not because of the 2012 apocalypse or that it's entering the witness protection program, but because it's getting a new name. You're silly, stop assuming the worst!

In a brief tweet to the game's followers, the devs posted the following: "The guilds page on our site is down until Monday, when we relaunch our website. Not changing the game, just changing the name."

Considering that the official forums now say "Welcome to Prime Online!" we have a pretty good guess as to what that new name might be. That's right: World of PrimeCraft.

[Thanks Johannes for the tip!]

Prime Battle for Dominus plans website relaunch, new title originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth launches F2P, postpones world events

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Economy, Patches, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox

Fallen Earth has barreled over the falls today into the wild rapids of free-to-play, opening up the game for anyone who wants to experience what the post-apocalypse tastes like (slightly leathery). Current subscribers will find that their accounts have been upgraded to Commander-level status, and all previous subscribers and purchasers of the game will have a brand-new Spiked Chopper waiting for them by the end of the week.

As part of the F2P launch, patch 2.0 has hit the servers, and with it came several changes and hotfixes. Loot drop rates from mobs have been increased and crafting has been tweaked as GamersFirst continues its efforts to rebalance the economy. In a new dev blog, GamersFirst discusses what's going on with the economy and why these changes are taking place. The primary reason that the devs are monkeying with this system is to get players interacting more and to introduce an element of challenge for crafters.

Unfortunately, the world events that were scheduled to go live today have been postponed until next week, following the discovery of several bugs and performance problems.

Fallen Earth launches F2P, postpones world events originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX 2011: On the (re)starting line with APB: Reloaded

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Interviews, Free-to-play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous

There's nothing like a car crash to slow down traffic as everyone rubbernecks at someone else's misfortune. Likewise, gamers and media alike were fascinated with the premature demise of last year's All Points Bulletin, craning their heads to see how extensive the damage was.

But out of the wreck a new and improved version of the game was born, and now the crowds are equally taking notice of this resurrection. Not every canceled MMO gets a second chance at life, after all. This is why we were glad to sit down with GamersFirst's Jon-Enee Merriex at PAX to discuss how APB's reloading is going, what the devs have planned between now and launch, and what other projects they're tackling.

Put the pedal to the metal and hit that jump -- this interview can't drive 55!

Continue reading PAX 2011: On the (re)starting line with APB: Reloaded

PAX 2011: On the (re)starting line with APB: Reloaded originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

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

Legend of Edda, the free-to-play title from GamesCampus, is temporarily closing its doors to the gaming public on August 26th until early next year. This isn't because of a dying population or financial difficulty, but rather to overhaul and relaunch the game with a much-improved version.

According to a letter left on the website, EU's EYASoft developed a superior version of the game that went into open beta in Europe. Apparently this version was both so good and so incompatible with the North American version that GamesCampus decided to halt progress on the current edition of Legend of Edda in favor for the new and improved one. "Unfortunately," the letter says, "because of the extreme differences between the US version and the new version, it is impossible to update the US servers to the new game."

To compensate Legend of Edda fans, GamesCampus is creating compensation packages to refund in-game currency and encourage players to try out on of the studio's other titles. We covered Legend of Edda earlier this year in our Rise and Shiny column.

Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ether Saga Odyssey relaunching on April 27th

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Ether Saga Online

Big changes are coming to the world of Ether Saga Online -- so big, in fact, that Perfect World Entertainment is relaunching the title as Ether Saga Odyssey. The free-to-play MMO will re-open its doors on April 27th sporting a new graphics engine, a new UI, additional races and starting locales, and new pets.

Ether Saga's pet system is one of the more complex in the massive genre, and the revamp looks to add to the fun with hundreds of tamable creatures that may be combined to create stronger breeds with new abilities. ESO provides "an atmosphere to enjoy free-form wrestle and play; players get to create different looking pets that even transform into the monster that they defeat," says Perfect World's Aaron Potter.

Head to the game's official website for more, and be sure to have a look at the new trailer after the cut.

Continue reading Ether Saga Odyssey relaunching on April 27th

Ether Saga Odyssey relaunching on April 27th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall activity report highlights game-changing revamps, recent patch

Jef Reahard — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

The March 31st patch was a big step for Darkfall, with everything from skill gain rates to the meditation system to the alignment and crafting systems on the receiving end of some developer love. Aventurine is just warming up, though, and the latest activity report illustrates what's next for sandbox PvP fans all over the world.

Work continues on racial area revamps; the Mirdain and Alfar sections of Agon are nearly complete. Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras also hints at some exciting PvE updates, including trap doors and various gameplay physics tweaks designed to delight Agonian dungeoneers. There's also a good bit of info on NPC and monster AI revamps and re-population, new player character and armor models, and a mention of new sound, lighting, and GUI systems, all of which are building toward the game-changing revamp that Aventurine has mentioned previously. Check out all the details on the Darkfall epic blog.

Darkfall activity report highlights game-changing revamps, recent patch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirate Galaxy refreshes its website

Larry Everett — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, News items, Free-to-play, Browser

The hardcore MMO connoisseur is always looking for the next great adventure in the online space, right? Well, have you thought about piracy? We don't mean the Dread Pirate Roberts; we mean space pirates. We mean spinning around in your own spaceship, pillaging the galaxy.

Splitscreen Studios just relaunched the website for its browser-based MMO Pirate Galaxy, and the team wants you to check out the new features: a new forum, improved support, fresh community management, and more details about the game, all in one revamped site. While you're there, join the game. It's completely free-to-play, and you can jump in any time you want.

What are you waiting for? We know you like pirates; we know you like spaceships. Why not jump over the Pirate Galaxy and give it a try? If you need more inspiration, we received some new sceenshots that we placed in the gallery below.

Gallery: Pirate Galaxy

Pirate Galaxy refreshes its website originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated]

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Champions Online, Giveaways

Since Champions Online's relaunch as a free-to-play title a little less than a month ago, any player who has logged into the game has undoubtedly noticed the sheer number of folks running around Millennium City and environs. There are spandex-clad super-people everywhere you look, and groups are significantly easier to get. These are all good things for MMO players! Today we're also treated to the first official word on the success of the relaunch from Cryptic Studios and Atari, which both declare that the move to free-to-play has been -- as we suspected -- a huge success. To celebrate, they're offering all players, both subscribed and free-to-play, a thank-you gift for helping to make the game's reboot so great!

The present offered is a free experience-boosting item that can be picked up from the Champions Online C-Store for at least the next little while. While the companies have not released any specific subscriber or traffic numbers, they have noted that unique logins, concurrent users, and revenue totals have increased by "over 1,000 percent" since Champions Online went free-to-play. As John Needham, CEO of Cryptic Studios, stated in the release: "We're extremely proud of what the Champions team has accomplished with the Free for All launch. It's a pleasure to thank our fans and welcome new ones with this gift." ~~As for how long the gift will be around and whether it is one per account or one per character is currently anyone's guess as the item does not appear to be in the C-Store as of this writing.~~ The gift appears to be a one-hour, 20% experience boost that you can acquire once per account. They also appear to be tradable!

[Update: We've updated this post as the gift is now available in the C-Store, and we've also added the most recent trailer behind the cut. Enjoy! And guys... remember to keep the comments clean and on track with our CoC!]

Continue reading Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated]

Champions Online gains profits and players as a free-to-play [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everything you need to know about Champions F2P

Patrick Mackey — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Expansions, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Champions Online

It's no secret that Champions Online is rolling out with its free-to-play update tomorrow. In addition to everything offered for free members, there's just a ton of new stuff. While this patch isn't quite Revelations in terms of content, it is one of the biggest full expansions Champions has seen.

Whether you're a returning player giving CO another shot, a new player checking out all the free stuff, or a current player itching for a rundown of all the added features, we've got you covered. With this full review of all of CO's latest features, you'll be well-equipped to start your new adventures in Millennium City and beyond.

Continue reading Everything you need to know about Champions F2P

Everything you need to know about Champions F2P originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: An insight on indie from Alganon

Beau Hindman — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Alganon, Free for All

Recently I decided that I wanted to ask different indie developers how their world revolves and what it's like to exist within that world. Development is a funny thing and often much more difficult than many of us will ever know. In my experience, the budget doesn't change the basic goings-on in the development studio, but it can effect what developers are willing to talk about. I would never expect certain mainstream developers to ever open up to certain questions, while many indie developers seem more than willing.

Last time, I asked the developers of Istaria what they thought, which you can read here. This time, I decided to send some questions to Quest Online, the maker of Alganon. I received my answers from Derek Smart, president of QOL. Alganon has been one of my surprise favorites of the last year, so I was eager to ask some questions -- after all, he says exactly what's on his mind.

Continue reading Free for All: An insight on indie from Alganon

Free for All: An insight on indie from Alganon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythos inches closer to closed beta

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items

It's been a few months since we've heard a peep about Mythos, and even longer since we've heard any type of news about a potential beta or release date. Many of us who played it during Flagship's original beta have been patiently waiting for some kind of sign as to when we could get back to all the dungeon-running goodness we'd enjoyed. Well, word is out that beta signups are now live for the EU version of the game, and players can expect things to get rolling soon.

For those who have never seen the game before, or perhaps would like a refresher, we've tucked a short teaser trailer behind the break for you to check out. With the ability to switch between ground-level and isometric views, Mythos was a game with great potential that was gone too soon. So if you ever liked Diablo or other isometric fantasy hack-and-slashers, be sure to head over to the Mythos site and get signed up for closed beta!

Continue reading Mythos inches closer to closed beta

Mythos inches closer to closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates of the Burning Sea now sailing the free-to-play seas

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Pirates of the Burning Sea, News items, Free-to-play

The time has come for freewheeling free-to-play fun on the seas of adventure. Today marks the official relaunch of Pirates of the Burning Sea after a long period of bug fixing, tons of beta testing, and a series of upgrades to the game. If you're in the mood for some seafarin' scalawag scuffles, you risk nothing beyond a download and some gaming time. Definitely can't beat that pricetag for pirate goodness.

For those who haven't been keeping up on the news from Pirates of the Burning Sea, have no fear! We've gathered up a handful of articles behind the break that offer a look at dev blogs, interviews, and even our own super-secret tests of customer service. Click on the link, mateys, and get ta readin' while Flying Lab finishes patchin' the servers against Davy Jones' evil.

Continue reading Pirates of the Burning Sea now sailing the free-to-play seas

Pirates of the Burning Sea now sailing the free-to-play seas originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamersFirst to resurrect APB: Reloaded as a free-to-play title

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Free-to-play, Legal, All Points Bulletin, Crime

The saga of All Points Bulletin has become one of the dominating MMO stories of 2010, with its buggy launch, premature shutdown, hunt for a new owner, and rescue by free-to-play publisher GamersFirst last week. Displaced APB fans who are wondering what plans GamersFirst has in store for the game should find themselves bouncing with glee today: The publisher is definitely planning to bring back the game, now entitled APB: Reloaded, as a F2P version.

GamersFirst's Bjorn Book-Larsson sees the move as a win-win for both the publisher and players: "APB was a game that had several exceptional features and some brilliant ideas, even though it was plagued by some initial balance and monetization issues. We want to take all the unique features of this title, such as its unparalleled character, weapon and car customization systems, and convert the game to a true free-to-play game. We are deep into the planning and early execution stages for this next chapter of APB and we will share more details in the near future."

The purchase of APB's assets means good news for ex-Realtime Worlds employees, who will now receive any outstanding wages and promised holiday pay.

APB: Reloaded should be coming back online in the first half of 2011.

GamersFirst to resurrect APB: Reloaded as a free-to-play title originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: What's old is new again

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, One Shots

The day has come! Lord of the Rings Online is relaunching as a free-to-play title here in the States, and legions of new adventurers are setting off to follow in the footsteps of the Fellowship. For those new to the lands of Turbine's take on Middle-earth, we wish you many exciting adventurers and frothy mugs of ale at the end of the day. We can't wait to see your One Shots as you get a chance to travel through this picturesque world. One such example is today's screenshot, which was sent in to us by Bronson. He writes in to explain this image from Lord of the Rings Online: "My rune-keeper was leaving Duillond and crossing the bridge to The Shire, and I thought the scenery was pretty darn... well pretty."

Are you one of the myriad players who are headed into Middle-earth? Why not snap a screenshot of your adventures for us! We love to see what everyone's up to. All you have to do to take part is to email us here at oneshots@massively.com with your image, your name, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit. Easy!

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: What's old is new again originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alganon re-release: worth all the hype?

Beau Hindman — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Reviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions, Alganon

For starters, there are two things that I will not cover in this look at the Alganon re-launch:

Derek Smart: I am still not that familiar with the man. I am familiar with his games, and familiar with the snarky jokes made at his expense, but I do not feel it has any bearing on how much or how little I enjoy a product that he is involved in. His religious beliefs probably affect his life and thus his work more than most things, yet I do not care to read about them either. To put it as he does in his forum signature: "Game developers are just human beings who happen to make games for a living. If you want to hold us up to higher standards of conduct, then go ahead...but don't be surprised if we don't uphold them."
"WoW clones:": If we spend any amount of time comparing user interfaces, monster types and general looks, we will be here all day. I am a fan of 30's crime novels, a genre that definitely "borrows" stylistically from itself, but I do not dismiss the use of subtle details that separate different authors from one another simply because they sometimes feel the same or are set in the same universe. Let's not compare vehicles for the content, let's discuss the actual content.

Continue reading Alganon re-release: worth all the hype?

Alganon re-release: worth all the hype? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Face of Mankind opens the gates for open beta

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Face of Mankind, New titles, News items, Roleplaying, MMOFPS

If you've been on the fence about trying out Face of Mankind in its earlier iterations, now might be the perfect time to jump in and try the game out. The roleplay heavy MMOFPS is back in action as it launches into open beta and calls for new recruits to join the ranks of the game's eight factions.

The game has undergone significant changes to its in-game systems since the initial release of the game back in 2006 and the subsequent closure of the game in 2007. Faction systems, penalty systems, territory control, and many more aspects of the game have been tweaked to ensure proper function and fun for the players involved. However, even with all of these changes, the publisher of the game, Duplex Systems, has stated that things are not as balanced as they wish it to be but they wish to iron out more problems with the help of players in open beta.

If you're interested in the single, persistent universe game, jump on over to the website, sign up for an account, and grab yourself the client.

Update: Nexeon Technologies has clarified that the game is no longer carrying the "Rebirth" subtitle, and is simply called Face of Mankind once again.

Face of Mankind opens the gates for open beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Launches, MMO industry, News items

While World of Warcraft China remains in turmoil, the government has loosened their grip on the game slightly, allowing former account holders to jump back into Azeroth once more.

The Chinese government has given NetEase, the new operator of World of Warcraft, the ok to re-open the servers on July 30th. This relaunch is being labeled as a "testing phase," however, as no new accounts will be allowed until the government completes their review of the game. NetEase is also barred from changing the cost of the subscriptions during this phase to ensure a smooth transition from the former operator, The9.

Continue reading World of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China

World of Warcraft allowed a "partial relaunch" in China originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryzom devs describe plans, promise free play through October

Samuel Axon — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Ryzom, News items

Ryzom (or the game formerly known as The Saga of Ryzom), came back to life a little over a month ago. Rumors of its death had apparently been greatly exaggerated. Now the development team has published a document detailing its plans for the immediate future.

The first item on the agenda is "to get profitable." Good plan! Money will surely be helpful. The second item: "To get all our new Developer Teams up to date with the Ryzom code," a task that is apparently quite difficult because there are millions of lines of code to get used to. Finally, the team is putting together a development schedule for adding new missions, content, and features to the game.

Our first impressions of the re-launched game were positive. It's a bit laid-back compared to other titles. We're glad to see that some clear goals are being set for the game's future, but of course until the dev team manages "to get profitable," that future will remain uncertain. If you want to give it a try, though, the devs say it will remain free at least through the end of October.

Ryzom devs describe plans, promise free play through October originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The rebirth of Ryzom

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Launches, MMO industry, Ryzom, News items

After the recent onslaught of bad news coming from the MMO industry, with layoffs, cutbacks and closures, it's uplifting to finally hear some good news on the return of an MMO. Nevrax's Ryzom has pulled itself up through the ashes and announced its return to the MMO playing field. For the past few weeks, they've re-launched the website and re-opened the servers to all former Ryzom subscribers with completely free VIP access. Now they've decided to open this VIP access to anyone who had an active account, including free trials. However, Ryzom is still closed to new accounts at this time, but they plan to reopen the account activation pages shortly.

If you're not familiar with Ryzom and its history, now is a great time to do some research before the new account activation begins. Keep your eyes glued to Massively for all the latest information on when new accounts are allowed and the game is completely re-opened.

The rebirth of Ryzom originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Puzzle, Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, Opinion, Hands-on

Shorah, readers! Kehnehn rahm b'yihm shehm!

Myst Online: Uru Live seems to be one game that not only continually gets the proverbial shaft, but also knows how to come back from the dead better than the Scourge of the Eastern Plaguelands. Ubisoft canned it, Cyan Worlds brought it back via a shard system in "Until Uru", GameTap brought it back officially, GameTap canned it after one season, and now Cyan Worlds is once again attempting to put life back into their only online Myst game thanks to the extremely active and vocal community.

Mike Fahey over at Kotaku might think Uru should die already, but this blogger is currently squealing in glee in his computer chair. In an attempt to pass the glee on to you, loyal readers of Massively.com, I've compiled not only what Myst Online: Uru Live is all about, but why you should turn your attention to this massive online adventure game.

Continue reading The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live

The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official website teases the return of Ryzom

Samuel Axon — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

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

The Saga of Ryzom met an untimely end in February. Its players were scattered around the MMO universe -- a diaspora of Ryzomites without a country to call home. History has shown us that not all MMO deaths are final, though, and Ryzom might be coming back.

The official website relaunched with the message "Ryzom will be back soon!" hastily typed in three languages (English, German, and French) over a screenshot from the game. Researching the site's domain reveals that the last known owner was Nevrax -- the original creator of Ryzom. Thing is, Nevrax no longer exists. It's likely that the whois data hasn't been updated yet.

A couple months ago, we reported that an organization called Spiderweb International Unlimited had placed a bit for the Ryzom property, and that fans of the game were trying to raise enough money to outbid them so the source code could be released to the public. We haven't seen any news since then, so we're not sure what ended up happening, but we'll let you know as soon as new info comes up.

[Via WarCry]

Official website teases the return of Ryzom originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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