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SWTOR welcomes Collector's Edition arrivals and suffers credit farmers

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Economy, Launches, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It was the best of times in The Old Republic, it was the worst of times. Even though BioWare's freshman MMO has yet to officially launch, so-called "credit farmers" are already hard at work setting up operations to sell in-game currency via third party sources. Shacknews identified one company, IGXE, as spearheading the assault on SWTOR's economy, although that company certainly is not alone in attempting to bypass the EULA.

On a brighter note, the Collector's Edition of the game has already shipped to many (but not all) customers, and Darth Hater has a massive 20-minute unboxing video to show off all of the physical goodies that come inside. If you're curious or are still waiting for your own CE to arrive, you can view the action-packed video after the jump.

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SWTOR welcomes Collector's Edition arrivals and suffers credit farmers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Millennium Online has conflict of interest with potential Space Marine sequel

Brendan Drain — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Warhammer 40k

If you've been waiting for the upcoming Warhammer 40k MMO Dark Millennium Online, you may have checked out recent single-player title Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. In an interview on the two games with Shacknews last night, THQ's VP of Core Games Danny Bilson described a potential conflict of interest between the upcoming MMO and any potential Space Marine sequel. When asked whether the single-player title deserved a sequel, Bilson described an interesting creative overlap between the game and its upcoming MMO counterpart.

Revealing that the MMO would contain more action-based gameplay than the MMO norm, Bilson painted a picture of Dark Millennium Online as an online spiritual successor to Space Marine but with the other 40k factions similarly explored. "It may be that the next iteration of Space Marine is a much bigger universe, where if you love Space Marines you can play that way," he told Shacknews, adding that "there was a creative overlap going on with Dark Millennium Online's development" and "there's not room in the world for that overlap."

Dark Millennium Online has conflict of interest with potential Space Marine sequel originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefall adds pets for you to cuddle... and kill

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Previews, Free-to-play, MMOFPS

Just in case you thought Firefall was going to be nothing but guns, ammo, and models toting guns and ammo, Red 5 wants us to know that there's a softer side to the game for those who love fluff. Talking with Shacknews, Mark Kern revealed that the shooter MMO will include a pet system for grizzled combat veterans who can't bear to leave the base without the security of Rygel and Princess Pebbles.

Of course, this being a red-blooded shooter, Firefall's pet system can't stop with extended grooming and cuddles. "We had had to do little things to actually make it interesting," Kern explained. "Not only can you get a pet, but we're thinking that there's actually an item you can buy in the store to load your gun with special ammunition so you actually shoot the other guy's pet."

Red 5 will be hosting an upcoming promotion starting on Wednesday called Crystite Challenge that will give fans a chance to get into the beta and unlock a Penny Arcade "The Merch" pet.

"The Merch is awesome because he's all about merchandising and he fits with our item-based theme," Kern said. Firefall is currently in beta and gearing up for a December launch. Curious onlookers would do well to check out Massively's hands-on impressions of the title from PAX.

Firefall adds pets for you to cuddle... and kill originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Previews, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Dev Diaries

Using tongue-in-cheek stick puppets, the folks at Age of Empires Online have emerged to give us a quick overview of the gear system in a new dev diary. Yes, even empire-building titles rely on good ol' fashioned MMO gear to equip armies.

Once attached to an army, gear changes the appearance and stats of your troops. The more rare the gear, the tougher they become. Gear can be found, purchased, and crafted as you may expect. You have to purchase the civilization with real-world money in order to be able to equip the very best items, however.

And if you're curious about Age of Empires Online's pricing structure, ShackNews has the full skinny. Some of the purchases are merely cosmetic, although it looks like there's bad news for those looking to avoid a "pay to win" scenario: "Unfortunately, Microsoft's approach to monetising Age of Empires Online seems to be one of placing non-paying players at a significant disadvantage."

Age of Empires Online is slated for an August 16th launch. You can watch the dev diary on gear for a chuckle or two after the jump!

Continue reading Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods

Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slumming in DCUO is part of the adventure

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Video, Previews, DC Universe Online

Metropolis, one of the key cities in DC Universe Online, has a reputation for being the shiny, bright antithesis of Gotham City's dark and dungy environment. However, don't let preconceptions fool you -- Metropolis has its seedier side, especially with the cheerfully-named "Suicide Slums."

In a video posted over at Shacknews, DCUO Game Director Chris Cao takes us on a brief tour through the Suicide Slums, pointing out how this isn't a place you'd want to casually visit. It's an "iffy-dodgy place" according to Cao, home to both criminal and superhero elements that revel in urban decay. Think downtown Detroit on a good day, perhaps, or the industrial quarters of SimCity.

The slums are also home to the Steelworks, where John Henry Irons, aka Steel (famously played by Shaq in the motion picture), wages a daily battle to clean up the neighborhood. Travelers to Suicide Slums can check out another Metropolis landmark, the famous Ace-O-Clubs bar run by Bibbo Bibbowski. For the full travelogue, head over to Shacknews and get a gritty eyeful.

Slumming in DCUO is part of the adventure originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Crytek Hiring for MMO Project

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Rumors

We here at Massively like to keep our ear to the ground when it comes to potential new MMOs, and one of the indications that a company is moving in that direction comes from job wanted ads, believe it or not. Crytek, the makers of Far Cry and the Crysis series, recently put up a job posting for a Senior IT Manager that suggests they are looking into online gaming.

ShackNews reported on this ad, noting that the company is looking for someone who would help in "designing, testing, and implementing as part of the development team, the systems infrastructure for an MMO online game." Ding ding ding, them are the magic words, so start the speculation. Of course, this may just be Crytek testing the waters and not a serious commitment on their behalf, especially considering that the mention of an MMO in this ad is only a small part of the responsibilities mentioned.

ShackNews also noted that Crytek filed for three trademarks over a year ago: Gface, Carvatar, and Kingdoms. Whether or not these have anything to do with a possible MMO project is anyone's guess, but it is a tantalizing possibility. We'll be sure to keep a close eye on Crytek to see if they make any more moves toward an online title. One thing is for sure: if they did create a MMO, you can bet the letters "cry" will be part of the title.

Rumor: Crytek Hiring for MMO Project originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic rumored for spring in 2011

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, New titles, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

A long time from now, in a game store probably not too far away... you might be getting your copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Well, all right, spring of 2011 might not be all that far along, but if you're one of the many eagerly looking forward to Bioware's entry into the MMO arena, it certainly feels like an eternity.

ShackNews has recently reported on a rumor that John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, mentioned that they were looking forward to their next big MMO launch in spring of 2011 while discussing the company's financial outlook. Although he was cautious and stated they had not announced a launch date, he did mention that the team was making "great progress" toward that timeframe.

Obviously, the game was not specified by name, which does technically mean he could have been referring to another game. But unless they've secretly been developing Warhammer Online II: The Warhammering, in all likelihood we can expect to see Star Wars: The Old Republic early next year. Which might be good news if you're a Bioware fan anyway, since Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2 are making enough of a dent on your wallet this year.

Star Wars: The Old Republic rumored for spring in 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: SOE to launch casual browser MMO for Clone Wars

James Egan — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, Browser, Casual, Rumors

We're chalking this one up as a rumor for now, but word has it that Sony Online Entertainment is developing another Star Wars MMO property, a casual browser game specifically based on the Clone Wars IP. The info comes from Ten Ton Hammer's Cody Bye, who writes:

"Ten Ton Hammer has learned from an inside source that Sony Online Entertainment has once again partnered with LucasArts to do another Star Wars MMO. While we have not yet learned the title of the upcoming game, it sounds like SOE is planning to use the browser-based Free Realms engine to power the game, and the game's setting will be the Clone Wars."

Massively has not heard anything yet to corroborate this as fact, but let's face it -- this was just too juicy to ignore. If we hear more on this while we're at PAX and Dragon*Con, we'll be sure to let you know.

[Via Shacknews]

Rumor: SOE to launch casual browser MMO for Clone Wars originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atari calls Turbine lawsuit frivolous

James Egan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Business models, MMO industry, Legal

Massively reported last week that MMO developer Turbine had filed a lawsuit against Atari over the publisher's handling of Dungeons and Dragons Online. Turbine alleges that Atari did not meet their contractual obligations, forcing the developer to also act as the title's publisher, and seeks $30 million in damages from Atari.

Atari, however, is not taking this lying down and claims the lawsuit is "frivolous." The publisher made a statement to Shacknews about their stance on the matter: "Last week, with no warning, Turbine filed what can only be viewed as a frivolous lawsuit against Atari. This action can ultimately do a great disservice to D&D fans and to the MMO community at large."

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Atari calls Turbine lawsuit frivolous originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online on Xbox 360 later this year, Star Trek Online by April 2010

Kyle Horner — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items, Star Trek Online, Champions Online

We knew that Champions Online was heading to the PC on September 1st, and that hasn't changed. What has been altered however, is the release date for the Xbox 360 version of Cryptic's second superpowered MMO -- that date is now sometime between September 1st and December 31st of this year. A bit vague, we know, but it's a whole lot better than being unannounced entirely.

Another piece of news is the projected release date for Star Trek Online, which according to Cryptic, will come out no later than March 31st. So mark your calendars boys and girls, because you'll be boldly going where no man has gone before well within a year.

But wait, there's more! The final piece of announced news is that Cryptic is hard at work on a, "series of new games based on Atari's existing and historically successful IPs," which covers quite a few games. Still, with the release dates of their only two projects not that far off, it's good to know they've got plans for the immediate future.

Champions Online on Xbox 360 later this year, Star Trek Online by April 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom to reveal The Secret World at GDC '09

James Egan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, The Secret World

There's clearly an imbalance in the genres represented in massively multiplayer online games in the current market climate. Fantasy reigns supreme, but fans of sci-fi are going to see more MMO titles geared towards their interests in the coming years. One genre that's still underrepresented, though, is horror. The Secret World is a horror MMO in development at Funcom that we've heard precious little of. That is, until now.

Reporting for ShackNews, Chris Faylor writes that Funcom's Ragnar Tørnquist, game director for The Secret World, will present at the Game Developers Conference later this month. We're hoping his presentation will explain more of the game's premise. Presently, it's rumored to have secret society and Cthulu-esque elements to it, but we're excited that we'll finally be able to hear more about The Secret World when we cover GDC later this month.

Funcom to reveal The Secret World at GDC '09 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Further details emerge on the canceled Halo MMO

Kyle Horner — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:30:00 EST

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

Shacknews had the chance to speak with Ensemble director of technology Dave Pottinger, who had quite a bit to say about the Halo MMO. The biggest surprise revealed was that the game had gotten a green light and was in development for a good length of time before leadership changed at Microsoft, and the title was canceled. Pottinger also acknowledge the fact that conceptual screens leaked were in fact designed with a very World of Warcraft mentality, although he stressed that what Ensemble actually ended up with internally at the time had more emphasis on feeling like the traditional Halo universe.

Combat was also a topic of discussion. Pottinger says the game's combat had a very classic MMO feel to it, but there was a leaning towards an "actiony" feel. Whether or not Ensemble's Halo MMO was or is a good idea, there's no denying the fact that a properly made title could still appeal to a lot of people.

Further details emerge on the canceled Halo MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic: Warhammer Online contributors to go uncredited

Kyle Horner — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Warhammer Online, News items

Mythic's version of Warhammer Online has been in development for around three years now and many people have worked on it over that period of time. The random nature of life has meant that there have been individuals who actually worked on the title for some time, but are no longer with Mythic Entertainment. Recently, Mythic made the statement that those people will not be accredited for their work on the game.

Mark Jacobs told Shacknews, "Accreditation in Warhammer Online recognizes the incredible team that has poured their heart and soul into making WAR an amazing MMORPG experience." The problem is that apparently -- once again, according to Shacknews -- there are many developers who've put in countless days-worth of menial work to help make Warhammer Online a reality. They're not getting credited. This isn't a localized problem with Electronic Arts either, it's happened before, and is common in the games industry.

An excuse given says that hundreds of people have worked on the game over the years. That's no excuse, if you ask us. Something as trivial as having "hundreds of people" doesn't stop movie credits from listing everyone involved in the creation process.

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Mythic: Warhammer Online contributors to go uncredited originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quake creator repeatedly turned down MMO opportunities

Samuel Axon — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, News items, MMOFPS

John Carmack, co-founder of id Software and lead programmer of the historic first-person-shooter games Doom and Quake, told Shacknews that id has been approached by multiple publishers interested in releasing an MMO version of Quake. Each time, the company turned them down.

It was implied that id has not pursued (and will not pursue) the idea because of the etreme challenges of developing a triple-A MMO.

There's a good point here. It's not as if Carmack and friends were throwing a money printer in the trash compactor by passing on the opportunity. The concern seems valid: MMOs are expensive, risky endeavors. Even with a team of experienced developers and a well-known intellectual property, there's always a risk that id could get in over its head.

[Via Joystiq]

Quake creator repeatedly turned down MMO opportunities originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official word: Perpetual lives, STO "still a triple-A game"

Samuel Axon — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:30:00 EST

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

There has been a lot of confusion with regards to the fate of Perpetual Entertainment and Star Trek Online over the past few days. First, an SEC report was filed by Gravity that appeared to say that Perpetual Entertainment was liquidating all assets and would cease to exist as a company. Then, Shacknews ran a story claiming that STO had been bought and would be re-invented as a "more casual" experience.

Star Trek Online's Executive Producer Daron Stinett addressed panicked fans, saying that not all is as it seems. We have the lowdown here for you. The heart of the matter: it appears that STO has not been canceled or nerfed after all --at least not to the degree that we feared. That said, here's the full story so far.

Continue reading Official word: Perpetual lives, STO "still a triple-A game"

Official word: Perpetual lives, STO "still a triple-A game" originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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