Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Early access pre-order hooray edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/ask-massively-early-access-pre-order-hooray-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/ask-massively-early-access-pre-order-hooray-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/ask-massively-early-access-pre-order-hooray-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We could pretend that the important story of last week was something other than the launch of pre-orders for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but that would be a lie. I know I went straight down to pre-order my copy as soon as I was done with some work in the morning. As usual, it wasn't without controversy -- issues over staggered pre-order releases, limited quantities, and my personal favorite, the fear that it might include some sort of microtransactions in its business model. You know, like every other major subscription game on the market.

Before you ask, I got the regular edition. I'm not paying three times the price for a statue.

Anyway, this week's Ask Massively is pretty heavily tied into the pre-order talk, what with questions about release dates and the state of no-trial launches. As always, you can feel free to ask a question for a future installment of the column via mail to ask@massively.com, or you can just toss your question in the happy comment field below.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Early access pre-order hooray edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: Early access pre-order hooray edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelybiowarebioware-mmobioware-mmorpgbioware-star-warsbioware-swtorcolumneaelectronic-artsfeaturedgame-trialslucas-artslucas-arts-mmolucas-arts-mmorpgopinionpre-ordersreleaserelease-datesstar-wars-gamestar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstarwarsstarwars-the-old-republicsw-torswtorthe-old-republictrialsThu, 28 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: There's no such thing as a Brontosaurus edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/ask-massively-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-brontosaurus-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/ask-massively-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-brontosaurus-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/ask-massively-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-brontosaurus-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Here's the problem -- pop culture has latched onto the Brontosaurus as a species of dinosaur, when the sample originally identified as such has since been acknowledged as a different subspecies within the Apatosaurus genus. It's telling that my spellchecker recognizes the former as a word but doesn't recognize the latter, which is the actual correct name for this type of dinosaur. So if you see an enormous herbivore with a long neck, a whiplike tail, and a slow lumbering gait, don't misidentify! Make sure to inform all fleeing passersby that that dinosaur is an Apatosaurus, not a Brontosaurus.

Assuming that you aren't encountering massive phantom dinosaurs storming through the street of your home town, you'll have no problem moving past our discussion on the taxonomy of extinct lizards and onto this week's installment of Ask Massively. This time, we're tackling a whole lot of insanity revolving around starships, and if you paid the slightest attention to what was going on last week, you can probably guess the games under discussion. As always, if you'd like to see your question in a future installment of the column, mail it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments.

Continue reading Ask Massively: There's no such thing as a Brontosaurus edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: There's no such thing as a Brontosaurus edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelybusinesscolumneveeve-onlinefeaturedmicrotransactionsopinionreleaserelease-datesshutdownsstar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswgswtortorThu, 30 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Massively: Sort of like literary criticism edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/ask-massively-sort-of-like-literary-criticism-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/ask-massively-sort-of-like-literary-criticism-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/ask-massively-sort-of-like-literary-criticism-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

For those of you not familiar with Irish literature and the nonsensical ditherings of some more famous examples of same, you might not realize that today is Bloomsday, a day celebrating the novel Ulysses. If you've never read Ulysses, you're in for a treat... if your idea of a treat is a phone-book sized tome whose plot leaps and bounds like an inert lump of granite. It's a heartwarming tale of a man's growth into boyhood, a boy's growth into surrogate sonhood, and an author's growth into the sort of man who would submit Finnegan's Wake as a serious literary work with a straight face.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively. And today's questions aren't going to lie down and take it, since we're fielding questions about Defiance as well as the sometime-this-year-probably release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. As always, if you've got a question you want answered next week, you can send it along to ask@massively.com or aim it toward the comment field.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Sort of like literary criticism edition

MassivelyAsk Massively: Sort of like literary criticism edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask-massivelybiowarecolumndefiancefeaturedopinionreceptionreleaserelease-datesstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorsyfysyfy-channeltelevisiontriontrion-worldsThu, 16 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE's Smedley says MMO copycats incoming, drops hints on PlanetSide Next release]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/soes-smedley-says-mmo-copycats-incoming-drops-hints-on-planets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/soes-smedley-says-mmo-copycats-incoming-drops-hints-on-planets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/soes-smedley-says-mmo-copycats-incoming-drops-hints-on-planets/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Big things are happening at SOE these days, and whether you're talking about the newly minted DC Universe Online or the company's PlanetSide followup and spy-centric The Agency, it's an exciting time to be a fan. Eurogamer brings us a bit of info regarding potential release windows for both PlanetSide Next and The Agency, and the former looks to be gracing our desktops much sooner than we expected given the general lack of information to date.

"We're looking at late first quarter, early second quarter [2011]," says SOE head honcho John Smedley in regard to the long-awaited PlanetSide sequel. Players will have to wait a bit longer to get their espionage fix, as The Agency is still slated to arrive "late this year."

Why so long? It boils down to SOE's desire to differentiate itself from the competition. "There's some stuff coming out in the next two or three months, MMO-wise, and a lot of it is generic copycats of other games," Smedley tells Eurogamer. He also talks a bit about the impending arrival of Free Realms on the Playstation 3, intimating that the free-to-play title will spread its console wings in early February.

MassivelySOE's Smedley says MMO copycats incoming, drops hints on PlanetSide Next release originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eurogamerf2pfree-realmsfree-to-playinterviewjohn-smedleyplanetsideplanetside-2planetside-nextrelease-datesrelease-windowssci-fishootersoeSony-Online-Entertainmentthe-agencyMon, 17 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CCP delaying Incursion to ensure excellence]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/ccp-delaying-incursion-to-ensure-excellence/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/ccp-delaying-incursion-to-ensure-excellence/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/ccp-delaying-incursion-to-ensure-excellence/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With the Sansha set to descend on EVE Online en masse, a new character creator that is the precursor to Incarna (when all will be blessed with feet), and a plethora of other goodies large and small, Incursion has been garnering a lot of attention from both active and retired capsuleers. According to a dev blog posted today by EVE's Senior Producer, CCP Zulu, the company has made a tough decision about the release date for its eagerly anticipated expansion. Rather than push it out with potential bugs and issues, CCP is opting to split up Incursion into a three-part deployment. The important part is that by doing so, CCP expects to be able to give each particular chunk of the expansion the time it needs to be "excellent."

The first chunk, which will release on November 30th, offers a host of requested and needed tweaks. While CCP isn't willing to confirm the exact list of features at this time, the list of potentials is expansive, including changes to rockets, T2 ammo, 80 new storyline missions, faction ships' addition to the market, and more. From there, the second patch will be released in December and will contain wonders that "only Santa knows." January 2011 is when the company plans to release the third chunk, which should deliver Incursion's new character creation tool to the masses. If you're curious about more details on the reasons for the change in deployment dates as well as a bigger listing of all the things to come, pop on over to the EVE Online site and check out the devblog.

MassivelyCCP delaying Incursion to ensure excellence originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpCCP-Gamesccp-zuluccp-zuluparkdelldeploymenteve-onlineexpansionexpansion-dateincarnaincursionrelease-daterelease-datessanshasanshas-nationsenior-producerThu, 11 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[More details on weekly episodes in Star Trek Online's Season 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/more-details-on-weekly-episodes-in-star-trek-onlines-season-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/more-details-on-weekly-episodes-in-star-trek-onlines-season-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/more-details-on-weekly-episodes-in-star-trek-onlines-season-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you're playing Star Trek Online, odds are good that you've come by your affection for the game via a prior love of the series. While we haven't had a new show on television in several years, almost every fan has fond memories of sitting down each week for the latest installments of the story. According to a new 10-question interview with Daniel Stahl, that's exactly what the team hopes to replicate (pun intended) with the weekly episodes that are coming along with Season 2. Each one is meant to give players something new to look forward to on a weekly basis, ranging from first contact with an alien race to placing your ship in perilous situations.

Speaking of first contact, there's more information on diplomatic missions, which seem as if they'll not simply be standalone ventures but also components of existing content. (The once-dreaded planetary aid missions, for example, fall under their aegis.) One of the rewards for progressing through the diplomatic ranks is the chance to make first contact and define the first impression the Federation makes -- something that any fan of the series will tell you is an important event. Star Trek Online players eager for more information on Season 2 can read the full list of questions, which include a preliminary target of the last week in July.

MassivelyMore details on weekly episodes in Star Trek Online's Season 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosdaniel-stahldiplomacydiplomatic-missionsinterviewinterviewspatchpatchesrelease-datesseason-2st-onlinestar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestotarget-releasetrek-onlineupdatesweekly-episodesWed, 14 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cities XL announces delay, new October 8 and 9 European launches]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/cities-xl-announces-delay-new-october-8-and-9-european-launches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/cities-xl-announces-delay-new-october-8-and-9-european-launches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/cities-xl-announces-delay-new-october-8-and-9-european-launches/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It looks like our European readers are going to have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on Cities XL, a new title that will bring MMO elements to a city-building game. Cities XL developer Monte Cristo Multimedia announced today that they're pushing back that September launch date to early October.

The game will release on October 8th for these European countries: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria. The French and German language versions of the game will be distributed by Focus and Flashpoint. October 8th will mark the Australian and New Zealand launches as well, with Namco Bandai Partners distributing the English language version of Cities XL. The English version will also launch the following day, October 9th, in the UK, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and Italy.

Continue reading Cities XL announces delay, new October 8 and 9 European launches

MassivelyCities XL announces delay, new October 8 and 9 European launches originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiacities-xlcity-buildercity-buildingdelaydelayseuropelaunchesmonte-cristomonte-cristo-multimedianew-titlesnew-zealandrelease-datesWed, 15 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cities XL gets September 3 launch date for French and German-speaking countries]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/cities-xl-gets-september-3-launch-date-for-french-and-german-spe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/cities-xl-gets-september-3-launch-date-for-french-and-german-spe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/cities-xl-gets-september-3-launch-date-for-french-and-german-spe/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've been seeing MMO developers prepare to fill different niches in the industry with a number of science fiction, post-apocalyptic, and even horror titles in the works, to name just a few avenues that are being explored. One area that seems unique to us is the concept of a city-building MMO which is on the way with Cities XL, currently in development at Monte Cristo Multimedia. Is this game an MMO (or virtual world) as we would typically define it? Perhaps not. But it will offer persistent world gameplay as well as economic interaction between player-created cities, further enabled by social networking options, which we think may be of some interest to our readers.

While we don't have release dates for the North American market yet, Monte Cristo Multimedia got word to us today about the game's European release dates. They state: "Monte Cristo is very happy to announce that Cities XL, the next generation city builder, will be released on September 3rd 2009 on PC DVD in the following countries: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria, in French and German languages. A release is planned for other countries, we will announce a precise date as soon as possible."

Gallery: Cities XL

MassivelyCities XL gets September 3 launch date for French and German-speaking countries originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cities-xleuropefrenchgermanmonte-cristomonte-cristo-multimediarelease-daterelease-datessocial-networkingTue, 19 May 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should companies announce release dates?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/the-daily-grind-should-companies-announce-release-dates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/the-daily-grind-should-companies-announce-release-dates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/the-daily-grind-should-companies-announce-release-dates/#commentsFiled under: , ,


This weekend brought us news of a new announced release date for Warrior Epic after having the game go through three iterations of closed beta. We also got news that Champions Online has been pushed back as well. Of course, these two companies are far from the only ones who have wound up pushing release dates back after announcing them. Blizzard has done it several times, Aventurine did it for Darkfall, the list goes on and on and on. While we appreciate it when time is extended to continue polishing the games, we're left to wonder - would it be better just to avoid naming a date at all to anyone outside of your own employees and shareholders?

Do you think it would be better if companies didn't announce release dates, instead just saying "when it's ready"? Or do you prefer some advance notice - even if it keeps getting changed around on you? Does it impact your interest in a game when a release date is pushed back repeatedly?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should companies announce release dates? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementdates-changedpushed-backrelease-daterelease-datesSun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Next EVE Online expansion named Apocrypha, launches March 10]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/next-eve-online-expansion-named-apocrypha-launches-march-10/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/next-eve-online-expansion-named-apocrypha-launches-march-10/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/next-eve-online-expansion-named-apocrypha-launches-march-10/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


The other day we picked up on a video interview with the CEO of CCP Games, who announced a firm March 10th release date for the next EVE Online expansion -- but until today, that expansion wasn't given a name. CCP Games announced the "Apocrypha" expansion this morning, and a bit of what it'll bring to EVE.

The Apocrypha feature page isn't up yet -- so more details are likely to emerge -- but thus far they've confirmed two new game mechanics will be coming to EVE in March. Wormhole exploration is an upcoming feature that will allow EVE's explorers to discover new technology, used to create the next iteration of ships in New Eden -- Tech III. These modular ship designs will potentially allow for thousands of different configurations of ships to suit different purposes, and are a far cry from the Tech I and Tech II ship hulls currently flown in New Eden. In addition, Apocrypha will bring Epic Mission Arcs. The release states: "These branching, far-reaching mission strings are full of meaningful stories and more intelligent and deadly adversaries."

Continue reading Next EVE Online expansion named Apocrypha, launches March 10

MassivelyNext EVE Online expansion named Apocrypha, launches March 10 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaatariboxbreakingccpccp-gamesciderepic-mission-arcepic-mission-arcseveeve-onlineexpansionsgame-mechanicslaunchesmacmac-clientmmo-industrynew-edennew-featuresnew-player-experiencepremium-graphicsrelease-daterelease-datesretailretail-releasesci-fiThu, 08 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST