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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The War Z devs to players: 'What should we do with cheaters?']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/warz-devs-to-players-what-should-we-do-with-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

WarZ devs ask players 'What should we do with cheaters'
The War Z devs are considering an interesting take on punishing exploiters. They've been tossing around the idea of allowing people who've been banned for in-game cheating to play on special "jail servers." These servers would be isolated from the game's general servers and would be populated entirely by cheaters. On these servers, cheats would not be interfered with -- that is, exploiters could keep on using their cheats.

This has the potential to help the dev team; being able to observe the cheats folks use and run "anticheat experiments" without worrying about banning innocent players would probably give the team a lot of valuable information. On the other hand, though, those cheaters are totally jerks and why should they keep getting to play, right?

So the dev team is putting the issue in the hands of the players by posting a survey to see whether the idea is even worth pursuing. You can read the full rationale on the official forums.

[Thanks to Paul for the tip!]

MassivelyThe War Z devs to players: 'What should we do with cheaters?' originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cheatcheaterscheatingexploitexploitersexploitshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivesurveythe-war-zwar-zwarzSun, 14 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hammerpoint acknowledges War Z security breach, emails and passwords compromised]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/hammerpoint-acknowledges-war-z-security-breach-emails-and-passw/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The War Z - Cleanup workers
Hammerpoint has officially responded to the security issues plaguing its War Z zombie shooter. The firm says that no payment information was accessed in the recent breach, but that email addresses and game and forum passwords have been compromised.
The data accessed included email addresses used to log in to the forum, forum passwords which we encrypt, email addresses used to log in to the game, encrypted game passwords, as well as in-game character names and the IP addresses from which players log in to the forum and to the game. If you posted other information to the forum it is likely that such data was accessed as well. We do not collect the names or addresses of our gamers so that information was not impacted unless you posted it on the forum. We are investigating whether additional information may have been obtained.
Hammerpoint says that it has "engaged outside experts and investigators" and is committing "substantial resources" to improving security. The company encourages The War Z users to change their passwords.

[Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]

MassivelyHammerpoint acknowledges War Z security breach, emails and passwords compromised originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackershammerpointhammerpoint-interactivethe-war-zwar-zwar-z-compromisedwar-z-hackswarzTue, 02 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: War Z forums compromised, user game accounts might be affected]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rumor-war-z-forums-compromised-user-game-accounts-might-be-aff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rumor-war-z-forums-compromised-user-game-accounts-might-be-aff/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rumor-war-z-forums-compromised-user-game-accounts-might-be-aff/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

War Z forums compromised, user game accounts might be affected
Hooboy, it's been a while since we've had a proper War Z clusterfunk, hasn't it? Unfortunately for the zombie shooter's playerbase, the latest brouhaha involves some potential account security issues.

What we know for sure is that a Hammerpoint forum admin account was compromised, and the company says that "many posts were unable to be restored as a result." There are also rumors that producer Sergey Titov's admin account was affected and that those responsible are now in possession of War Z user info including account and email data.

We've contacted Hammerpoint for clarification and will update this post if we receive a response.

[Thanks Nephi and everyone who tipped us!]

MassivelyRumor: War Z forums compromised, user game accounts might be affected originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhorrorrumorrumorssergey-titovthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-compromisedwar-z-forum-hackwar-z-hackedzombiesFri, 29 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z returns to Steam]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/the-war-z-returns-to-steam/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z returns to Steam
The War Z is back. On Steam. Apparently Valve no longer considers publishing the title on its ubiquitous digital download service a "mistake," and as such Hammerpoint's much-maligned exercise in surviving the zombie apocalypse is now available for 15 bucks.

Valve says that it has "collaborated to address community feedback" with Hammerpoint. The company has issued a patch that updates existing customers, and the special refund offering for initial War Z Steam buyers has now concluded.

MassivelyThe War Z returns to Steam originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorpost-apocalypticsteamthe-war-zvalvewar-zwar-z-steamwarzzombie-mmozombiesWed, 27 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DayZ standalone version should arrive by April]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dayz-standalone-version-should-arrive-by-april/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

DayZ creator updates on standalone version
What everyone seems to be clamoring for these days is a standalone version of DayZ, the hit zombie survival game by Dean Hall. The creator opened up to Reddit on the progress of the version and his feelings on being confused for the maker of The War Z.

Hall says that DayZ's standalone version should come out before April, although he allows for wiggle room if something comes up between now and then. The team is being cautious about pulling the trigger on testing, too: "Slowly we'll hand out the first keys and get a few servers running. Then we will reassess. It could go really well and we open up quickly, or it could go badly. Don't expect the tech test to be fun, or very pretty."

Past the release of the standalone version, Hall said that he has plans to create a new map that centers around a western city.

Hall also addressed his frustration at being confused with The War Z: "I am angry about The War Z. I'm very angry. I'm quite hurt personally because anyone can see how similar the words are, and while the average gamer knows the difference, individual people don't. I've had family members and close friends mistake the difference and confront me about what they believed was unethical behavior they thought I was making."

MassivelyDayZ standalone version should arrive by April originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armaarma-iibetabeta-testingday-zdayzdayz-standalonedean-halldelaysdisease-trackinghammerpointhammerpoint-interactiveinventory-managementitemredditsastandalonestandalone-versiontestingthe-war-zThu, 17 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z attacked, then attacked again]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-war-z-hacked-then-hacked-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z zombie hackers
The beat continues for embattled zombie title The War Z. Last night, a Hammerpoint community rep posted on the game's forums regarding a series of ongoing hack attempts.

"First we were hit with an attack that would [reset] our DNS IP so that you could not connect," the company said. "This morning we are being hit, again, with a DDoS attack on our login server. We are implementing additional DDoS protection and hope to have this resolved asap. Unfortunately with these types of attacks it is very difficult to give a good time frame of when it will be resolved."

If you're still playing The War Z, there are further status updates to be found on the game's official forums.

MassivelyThe War Z attacked, then attacked again originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinghackshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivesandboxthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-ddoswar-z-hackedwar-z-hackszombie-mmozombiesFri, 04 Jan 2013 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What was the MMO screw-up of the year?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-mmo-screw-up-of-the-year/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-mmo-screw-up-of-the-year/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/the-daily-grind-what-was-the-mmo-screw-up-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

SWTOR facepalm - because this is the best screenshot of the year by far
I almost miss the carefree days 2011, when the MMO screw-up of the year was such an easy call: the time when a studio deleted an entire MMO from existence by accident and without any backups. Oops!

But 2012? 2012 is trickier. I mean, you've got charging for hotbars, $50 hobby-horses, pandas, NCsoft closing a profitable game, the TERA lawsuit, the implosion of 38 Studios, the clownshoes of The War Z, innumerable banning scandals... we have a lot to choose from. So let's get busy choosing. What do you think was the MMO industry screw-up of 2012?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What was the MMO screw-up of the year? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012-screwups38-studiosbrianna-royce-tdgcity-of-heroes-sunsetclownshoesdaily-grindhobby-horsehotbarsm2mists-of-pandariammo-screwup-of-2012opinionpollpollsscrew-upscrew-upsscrewupscrewup-of-the-yeartdgtera-lawsuitthe-daily-grindthe-war-zFri, 04 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/the-war-z-executive-producer-blames-problems-on-the-games-succe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/the-war-z-executive-producer-blames-problems-on-the-games-succe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/the-war-z-executive-producer-blames-problems-on-the-games-succe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The War Z executive producer clears the air
Sergey Titov, executive producer for The War Z, sent out an email to the controversial MMO's playerbase today addressing the recent problems with the game and the public's opinion of the game.

Titov states that there are "hundreds of thousands of players" on the game's servers each day and blames the overwhelming early success of the game for its eventual negative impressions. "I was too focused on how great we are and how a small independent team got their first game to over 700,000 users in a two-month period," Titov says in the email.

Admitting that the team made many mistakes in communication and rushing the game out before the holidays, Sergey says that they'll soon be hiring additional community managers and moderators to properly respond to any problems that might arise in the future.

You can read the email in its entirety after the cut.

Continue reading The War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success

MassivelyThe War Z executive producer blames problems on the game's success originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playhammerpointsergey-titovthe-war-zwar-zzombie-mmozombiesThu, 27 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/the-war-zs-creator-disputes-trademark-suspension/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension
A couple of days ago, Massively reported that The War Z looked as though the trademark for its name would be suspended by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, forcing the game to choose another title. The game's creator, Sergey Titov, is disputing the suspension, however.

Corresponding with Kotaku, Titov said that he had received no such notice and is investigating the situation. "I assume what you see is one of the preliminary applications since it said that it suspended because [the] other application exists," he said. "I've sent an email to our lawyer who filed [the] application and [is] working with us to to provide more details on all this."

The War Z has been in hot water as of late due to prematurely launching on Steam and then being forcibly removed by Valve due to accusations of fraud and missing content.

MassivelyThe War Z's creator disputes trademark suspension originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsergey-titovthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-trademark-suspendedwarzworld-war-zzombie-mmozombiesWed, 26 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's trademark suspended, name change likely]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/the-war-zs-trademark-suspended-name-change-likely/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The War Z - Hazmat suits and zombies
The team at Hammerpoint Interactive isn't having the merriest Christmas, at least if their holiday happiness hinges on the development of embattled zombie MMO The War Z. The troubled game will likely be forced to change its name due to a trademark suspension handed down by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The organization says that the game's name is too similar to Paramount Pictures' World War Z, a Brad Pitt film slated for a 2013 release.

The decision comes on the heels of The War Z being pulled from Steam, as well as a bevy of fraud accusations from the game's disgruntled userbase.

[Thanks to Armond for the tip!]

MassivelyThe War Z's trademark suspended, name change likely originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-trademark-suspendedwarzworld-war-zzombie-mmozombiesMon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DayZ creator Dan Hall 'depressed' about The War Z controversy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/dayz-creator-dan-hall-depressed-about-the-war-z-controversy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Screenshot -- The War Z
The gaming community has had itself in a frenzy as of late thanks to the drama-ridden debacle of The War Z's "launch" on Steam. In case you haven't been following this particularly juicy little chain of events, here's the story so far: The War Z launched on steam (still in beta, though not marked as such) with a number of features listed on the store page that, surprise, weren't actually in the game. The interwebs went into full torch-and-pitchfork mode, and after an "apology" from the game's developer wherein the studio apologized "to all players who misread information about game features," the game has been yoinked from Steam for the time being.

But what does Dean Hall, creator of the similarly named ARMA II: Combined Ops mod DayZ, have to say about all of this? Not much, apparently, but in a post on the DayZ subreddit, he revealed that he has "been pretty depressed about the whole situation." He also confides that the entire debacle caused him to "seriously consider" whether he wanted to be involved in the game industry at all. Thankfully for the many DayZ fans, he hasn't thrown in the towel and development on DayZ continues. Whether this is the end of the whole The War Z debacle or just the beginning, however, remains to be seen.

MassivelyDayZ creator Dan Hall 'depressed' about The War Z controversy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>day-zdayzdean-hallhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivethe-war-zwar-zzombiegateThu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z yanked from Steam, Valve apologizes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/the-war-z-yanked-from-steam-valve-apologizes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/the-war-z-yanked-from-steam-valve-apologizes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/19/the-war-z-yanked-from-steam-valve-apologizes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z yanked from Steam, Valve apologizes
The brief and baffling run of The War Z on Steam is over... for now. Valve called the release of the title on its digital distribution platform a "mistake" and "premature" and has since removed it. "We apologize for this," the company said, "and have temporary removed the sale offering of the title until we have time to work with the developer and have confidence in a new build."

The furor over The War Z's launch on Steam centered around its status as an early beta build and a list of misleading features on the Steam page that were either partially implemented or absent from the game altogether.

Hammerpoint also issued a short statement saying, "We're making sure that our Store page is 100% correct. Bottom line: Our end goal is to have satisfied and not angry customers, so this is more important for us than everything else."

Steam said that players who purchased it may choose to continue to play it or can get a refund.

MassivelyThe War Z yanked from Steam, Valve apologizes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>absent-featuresapologybetacontroversyfeaturesfraudfraud-accusationshammerpointlaunchreleasesteamthe-war-zvalvewar-zWed, 19 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z launches to a flurry of fraud accusations]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-into-a-flurry-of-fraud-accusations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-into-a-flurry-of-fraud-accusations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-into-a-flurry-of-fraud-accusations/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

We're zombies, dude. We just want your brains. That's all.
The release of The War Z on Steam earlier this week is causing quite a stir today in the MMO-verse. Some purchasers are accusing the game's developers of outright fraud, noting that the store page and the official site are claiming features that simply do not exist in the released version, such as the promise of large persistent worlds (the only map currently available is 75 square km compared to claims of 100-500 square km) and population viability (while the game's servers can supposedly host 100 people, players claim that they cannot host more than 50).

Some of the complaints are subjective -- whether or not the true challenge in the game comes from zombies or other players -- but even the game's defenders admit that the title is still arguably in beta. It's currently the top seller on Steam, which is good news for Hammerpoint, but it also means that whatever the developers do next will be subject to some rather harsh scrutiny.

MassivelyThe War Z launches to a flurry of fraud accusations originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>absent-featurescontroversyfeaturesfraudfraud-accusationsgajme-mechanicshammerpointlaunchreleasesteamthe-war-zwar-zTue, 18 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z launches on Steam]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/the-war-z-launches-on-steam/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

WarZ launches on Steam
While it might not be fully cooked, The War Z is now available on Steam for any and all to enjoy the delights of surviving in a zombie age. The title is currently on sale at 10% off for $13.49, with additional packages if you're looking to pick up some in-game currency.

If you previously purchased the title through The War Z's website, the developers said that there will be a method to link that game to your Steam account. The War Z's devs also promised that other key features will be added to the game shortly, including leaderboards and private server rentals.

You can watch the Steam launch trailer after the break for some rip-roaring zombie slaughter!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading The War Z launches on Steam

MassivelyThe War Z launches on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorlaunchreleasesteamthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-betawarzzombiezombie-mmozombiesTue, 18 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/the-war-z-is-officially-in-beta-world-map-increased-by-50-perce/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent
Zombie MMO The War Z has officially shed its alpha tag. The buy-to-play horror shooter has purportedly cultivated a community of more than 500,000 players, according to its latest press release, and those players can now enjoy the full game map, new playable characters, and a host of additional features as the title transitions into beta.

Hammerpoint Interactive has opened up the final sections of its "Colorado" map, which has in turn increased the size of the game world by 50 percent. The firm has also added new clan support features (tags, chat, and visual markers) as well as new marketplace items.

[Source: Hammerpoint press release]

MassivelyThe War Z is officially in beta, world map increased by 50 percent originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-to-playf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-betawarzzombiezombie-mmozombiesTue, 04 Dec 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: Giving thanks edition, November 19 - 25, 2012]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/the-stream-team-giving-thanks-edition-november-19-25-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/the-stream-team-giving-thanks-edition-november-19-25-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/the-stream-team-giving-thanks-edition-november-19-25-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Stream Team Giving thanks edition, November 1925, 2012
Thankfulness. We all know that it isn't just for one day a year, but that doesn't diminish the significance of the holiday! Not to mention, it's a day off to game all we want while indulging in great food! So let's take a break from our busy lives and really reflect on all those reasons we have to be thankful: sandboxes, focus on emergent gaming, more sandboxes, livestreaming... did I mention more sandboxes?

Honestly, I am more thankful for family, friends, and a totally awesome job, but I am not ashamed to admit that I am also grateful for this pastime of ours, the community it has introduced me to, and the close relationships I have built because of it. I am thankful for a variety of games to fit many individual tastes, a surge of indie developers willing to push the envelope and try new things, the increasingly amazing graphics, and the chance to livestream it all for you on Massively TV!

Yes, folks -- I am grateful for the The Stream Team and all the amusing antics that happen live, right before your very eyes. And this week has plenty of shenanigans on the schedule, including two games in beta, so be sure to tune in! In between the live versions, you can take a peek at past streams. And feel free to share what you are thankful for in the comments past the break as well as cast your vote for the best holiday food.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Giving thanks edition, November 19 - 25, 2012

MassivelyThe Stream Team: Giving thanks edition, November 19 - 25, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetccpccp-gameschampionschampions-onlinechampscocrypticcryptic-studioseq-2eq-iieq2eqiieveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iif2pfactionfallen-earthfamilyfantasyfefeaturedfpsfree-to-playfuncomg1gamersfirstgiving-thanksgratefulgratefulnessguild-wars-2gw2hi-rezhi-rez-studioshistoricalhorrorinternet-spaceshipskid-friendlykids-mmokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentlivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamsmassively-metamassively-tvmetammo-shootermmofpsmobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvmythologyncsoftperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpiratepirate101piratesplanetsideplanetside-2pollpost-apocpost-apocalypticps2pvppweROSE-Onlinesandboxsci-fantasysci-fisecret-worldshooterskill-basedSmitesoesonysony-online-entertainmentspreadsheets-onlinestreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamsuperherosuperheroesTaikodomtanktankstelonthankfulnessthanksthanksgivingthe-secret-worldthe-stream-teamThe-War-Ztswtwitchtwitch-tvvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgwarwargaming.netwastelandsworld-of-tankswotMon, 19 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stream Team: RUSH edition, November 12 - 18, 2012]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/the-stream-team-rush-edition-november-12-18-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/the-stream-team-rush-edition-november-12-18-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/the-stream-team-rush-edition-november-12-18-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Stream Team RUSH edition, November 1218, 2012
I can't help it... I have Rush on the brain. Not even Sandy and her airport-closing ways could detour me from heading out to see what is possibly the greatest musical trio of all time (I say possibly because I didn't personally hear what was going on back during Aristotle's time!). Anyone who knows me knows I live, breathe, and think music. And that is great music. It didn't matter that my extremities went numb from the cold; it was worth every minute. The energy, the interaction -- nothing can beat that!

It's kind of like Massively TV! Of course the show itself is great, but being there live to watch the antics of The Stream Team and be a part of the audience interaction can't be matched. So to make sure you don't miss any shows, here's the schedule for this week. And to fill that time in between performances, there is also a handy guide for the previous week! Weigh in with your opinion about what music you prefer and what you'd add to games.

Continue reading The Stream Team: RUSH edition, November 12 - 18, 2012

MassivelyThe Stream Team: RUSH edition, November 12 - 18, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionanetankamaarenanetascensionccpccp-gameschampionschampions-onlinechampscocrypticcryptic-studiosDAYZeq-2eq-iieq2eqiieveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iif2pfactionfallen-earthfamilyfantasyfefeaturedfiesta-onlineFleckfree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactivefuncomg1gameforgegameforge-berlingamersfirstguild-wars-2gw2heroes-of-newerthhi-rezhi-rez-studioshistoricalhorrorinternet-spaceshipskid-friendlykids-mmokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentlivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamsmassively-metamassively-tvmetamobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamusicmv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvmythologyncsoftperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpiratepirate101piratespoliticspollpollspost-apocpost-apocalypticpvppweromROSE-onlinerunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentRUSHsandboxsci-fantasysci-fisesecret-worldskill-basedSmitesoesonysony-online-entertainmentsountracksspreadsheets-onlinesquare-enixsquenixstrategystrategy-mmostreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamsubsubscriptionsuperherosuperheroestaboreataikodomtanktankstelonthe-secret-worldthe-stream-teamThe-War-Ztruly-freetswturn-based-combattwitchtwitch-tvvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgwakfuwarwargaming.netwastelandsworld-of-tankswotMon, 12 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hammerpoint delaying The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/hammerpoint-delaying-the-war-z-clan-features-focusing-on-hacker/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Hammerpoint pushing back The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers
The War Z is a hot topic in gaming circles these days, and Hammerpoint's zombie-centric sandbox is starting to see an increase in shady player activity as its user base grows. The dev team has acknowledged the need to devote time and resources to dealing with hackers, and as a result some of the title's feature development is temporarily going on the back burner.

"As I'm sure all of you are aware, there [have] been a lot of discussion lately surrounding the hackers," Hammerpoint wrote on its forums. "Over here we've been working round the clock on a solution -- however, that's meant we've had to push back clans a bit, so it's looking more like next week. We're also investigating a number of bugs, such as the ability to glitch onto roofs, and item duplication."

MassivelyHammerpoint delaying The War Z clan features, focusing on hackers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playhackershackinghackshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsandboxshooterthe-war-zwar-zwar-z-clanswar-z-hackingwarzzombiesWed, 07 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new content, special offers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/the-war-zs-halloween-beta-launch-includes-new-characters-citie/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new characters and new areas
Halloween might be the only time of the year when no one is surprised by streets full of zombies. And for players waiting to get into the spirit by destroying the ravenous flesh-eating hordes, The War Z's closed beta client is ready and willing. Today's launch features new content in the form of all-new zombies to slaughter, new skins, special holiday-themed items, and a map that has doubled in size.

And for folks who previously missed out on the Legend package, Hammerpoint Interactive is offering it again for a limited time. Purchasing this package will grant a player full access to the game, $30 of in-game funds, six months of server hosting, three weekend pass keys for friends, and special player recognition both in-game and on the forums. For more information, check out the official site.

[Source: Hammerpoint Interactive press release]

MassivelyThe War Z's Halloween beta launch includes new content, special offers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocalypsebetabeta-accessf2pfree-to-playfreemiumhalloweenHammerpoint-Interactivemicrotransactionmicrotransactionspost-apocalypticpremiumthe-war-zWar-ZzombiesTue, 30 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you hold developers accountable for what they say?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/the-daily-grind-do-you-hold-developers-accountable-for-what-the/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/the-daily-grind-do-you-hold-developers-accountable-for-what-the/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/24/the-daily-grind-do-you-hold-developers-accountable-for-what-the/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

War Z
Yesterday, Gamespot broke a story about an executive producer for zombie MMO The War Z who took to his game's forums to rant about gankers in the beta test. The developer, Sergey Titov, used a homophobic slur to describe those beta testers, which caused some commenters to erupt in a fury. He later altered his comments and issued an "apology" for the rant, expressing astonishment that anyone would take his homophobic slur as a homophobic slur. "I don't know where they [are] coming from," he wrote, "but I used it as a curse."

The sad thing is Titov's probably right: Far too many gamers think nothing of careless insults based on gender, race, and sexual orientation. But to see it from a developer and then see it dismissed by the game's supporters as something trivial and all good in fun between bros is embarrassing for the community. I'm glad he (or more likely, the game's PR) rescinded the slur, but I also know that subconscious and conscious bias seeps into gaming at the design, culture, and corporate levels, and I'm far less likely to pony up for a game whose developers just don't seem to get that the MMO demographic stretches beyond the privileged straight white male 20-something stereotype.

So today I'm wondering how you hold devs accountable when they say something that exposes their prejudices or blind-spots or just poor business sense. Do you expect heads to roll? Do you vote with your wallet and pick games where customers aren't subjected to unprofessional tirades by devs, or are you resigned to the suspicion that most studios are saddled with this mentality?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you hold developers accountable for what they say? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgcommentersdaily-grindforumforumshomophobiaopinionsergey-titovslurtdgthe-daily-grindthe-war-zwar-zzombiezombie-mmoWed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/gdc-online-2012-a-severed-hands-on-with-the-war-z/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The War Z screenshot
Everyone loves zombies. We all enjoy shooting them to bits, pummeling them with a hammer, and watching them die... again. But I'd been feeling a bit tired of the zombie genre, even though some of my favorite titles are heavy on the zombs. Then I sat down and played through a bit of The War Z, a new post-apocalyptic horror shooter MMO that tosses players on servers up to 60 miles square and holding up to 250 players. Those zones are chock-full of zombies, so players who care to risk it all can hope to survive as they run, gun, and generally get their wits scared out of them.

I wasn't alone during my short time in the game, thanks to Alex Josef, Director of Communications for Hammerpoint Interactive We sat down for an interview and wound up smashing zombie heads with a flashlight. Ah, the perils of writing about games! Join me past the cut to read what I thought.

Gallery: The War Z GDC 2012 screenshot

Continue reading GDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z

MassivelyGDC Online 2012: A (severed) hands-on with The War Z originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-josefaustinbeau-hindmanconconferenceconventionfeaturedgalleriesgallerygame-developers-conferencegame-developers-conference-2012gdcgdc-2012gdc-onlinegdc-online-2012gdcogdco-2012hammerpointhammerpoint-interactivemmofpspost-apocalypticSandboxscreenshotscreenshotsthe-war-ztrailertrailersvideovideoswarzzombiesFri, 12 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[War Z closed beta launches on Halloween, pre-orders available]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/04/war-z-closed-beta-launches-on-halloween/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

WarZ closed beta launches on Halloween
Players interested in checking out the new zombie apocalypse game The War Z will have the chance to participate in closed beta starting on October 31st by purchasing a special Survivor package for $19.49. If that's too long a wait, Hammerpoint Interactive has also announced that you can get into alpha on October 15th by purchasing the Pioneer package for $29.99. This bundle also includes in-game currency, a forum badge, and one month of Stronghold map server hosting.

Finally, there's the Legend package for $49.99, featuring October 15th access, $30 of currency, a forum badge, six months of server hosting, and three guest keys. Legend purchasers will also have their survivor names highlighted on leaderboards and in the game's chat

Package discounts will be in effect until October 20th.

MassivelyWar Z closed beta launches on Halloween, pre-orders available originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alpha-accessapocalypsebetaclosed-betahammerpointhammerpoint-interactivepost-apocalympticpurchasing-beta-accesssandboxThe-War-ZWar-ZzombiesThu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/seven-minutes-of-the-war-z-gameplay-footage-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released
What's new with zombie survival apocalyptic sandbox The War Z? That's hard to say since we haven't seen much of the game since its announcement. Any opportunity to get a further glance at its gameplay is a welcome one, though.

IGN delivers the goods in the form of seven minutes of video featuring sniping, stealth approaches, and general combat. You can also see plenty of The War Z's environments as well as occasional looks at the inventory and UI. The full clip is yours after the cut.

Continue reading Seven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released

MassivelySeven minutes of The War Z gameplay footage released originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gameplay-videohammerpointhammerpoint-interactivepost-apocalypticsandboxthe-war-zvideowar-zwar-z-gameplaywarzzombiezombie-sandboxSun, 16 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z allows cash shop items to be lost forever]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/10/the-war-z-allows-cash-shop-items-to-be-lost-forever/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The War Z allows RMT purchases to be lost
Imagine that you're playing the hot new zombie MMO, and you decide to splurge a few bucks on that shiny weapon you've been eying. You get your grubby mitts on it and go to town on a few living undead, only to find yourself over your head and quickly killed. When you wake up, your gun -- and the rest of your stuff -- is gone. Forever.

And the devs are totally OK with that.

This is about to become reality for players of the upcoming The War Z, as even cash shop-purchased items are not safe from being lost due to death. In a recent interview with Gaming Blend, Hammerpoint Marketing Director Alex Josef was unapologetic about that point: "You'll lose what you have in your backpack when you die in both in normal and hardcore modes. And yes, if you bought something using real money, you'll lose that item as well. This is a price you'll have to pay."

According to Josef, this level of item loss was a deliberate decision by the team to cause player to treat the game more seriously. "We've discussed that a lot," he said, "and at the end decided that this will provide a pretty good incentive for players to either be extra cautious while playing or just not spend too much money in the game and instead try to procure all items by finding them in the game world."

MassivelyThe War Z allows cash shop items to be lost forever originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-josefarktos-entertainmentcash-shopf2pfree-to-playhammerpoint-interactivehorrormicrotransactionspermalossrmtsandboxsurvivalthe-war-zwar-zzombiesMon, 10 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/pax-prime-2012-hammerpoint-shows-off-the-war-z-gameplay/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

PAX Prime 2012 - Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay
The War Z has generated a significant amount of fan interest since its initial hello-world announcement in July. The zombie-centric sandbox MMO boasts a large feature set and plenty of ambitious design goals. It's also generated some skepticism as to whether or not the development team can actually pull it all off.

Last weekend's PAX Prime event brought the first opportunity to see for ourselves, as the team from Hammerpoint showed off alpha-state gameplay and allowed GameTrailers to film it. The resulting clip is yours for the viewing after the cut.

Continue reading PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay

MassivelyPAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conconventionexpofpshammerpointhammerpoint-interactivemmofpspaxpax-2012pax-primepax-prime-2012penny-arcade-exposandboxthe-war-zwar-zzombie-mmozombiesTue, 04 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z gets a new website, 100,000 beta registrations in 24 hours]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/the-war-z-gets-a-new-website-100-000-beta-registrations-in-24-h/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The War Z logo
The War Z has a spiffy new website, but more importantly it also has more than 100,000 people banging on its closed beta doors. The newly announced zombie apocalypse MMO has generated a ton of interest in the gaming community over the last couple of weeks, primarily due to its survival simulation sandbox pedigree and its seeming similarity to white-hot mod darling DayZ.

The War Z is currently in alpha, and the devs say that closed beta is "planned for the very near future." There's also a pre-order link on the new website, but as of press time it leads to a beta registration box.

[Source: Hammerpoint Interactive press release]

MassivelyThe War Z gets a new website, 100,000 beta registrations in 24 hours originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arktos-entertainmentf2pfree-to-playhammerpoint-interactivehorrorsandboxsurvivalthe-war-zwar-zzombiesWed, 01 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview on The War Z outlines more on gameplay and design goals]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/interview-on-the-war-z-outlines-more-on-gameplay-and-design-goal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Wait... were zombies afraid of fire, or was I thinking of bears? I should really have thought this through more.
If you've been waiting patiently for your zombie survival kit in the basement to stop gathering dust, you're probably very interested in how the upcoming title The War Z will play out. The game's billed as a persistent open-world zombie survival sandbox, but how will that work in practice? According to executive producer Sergey Titov in a recent interview, the key is making a game that has a wide enough set of tools for a single objective and then allowing players to make most of the actual gameplay.

Titov elaborates that the game won't have any traditional quests or missions; instead, players are simply given the goal of surviving against hordes of zombies. Experiences emerge through interactions with environmental situations, such as dealing with "safe settlements" that have created hard rules to ensure the town's safety against zombies. Take a look at the full interview for more peeks at the game's development cycle, shooter style, and economic design.

[Thanks to Joseph for the tip!]

MassivelyInterview on The War Z outlines more on gameplay and design goals originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>designgame-mechanicshammerpoint-interactiveinterviewsopen-worldpost-apocalypsesandboxsergey-titovshootershooterssurvivalsurvival-sandboxthe-war-zzombiesFri, 27 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z zombie MMO coming soon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/19/the-war-z-zombie-mmo-coming-soon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

no, this isn't about dayz
So how does a hardcore post-apocalyptic zombie sandbox experience grab you? No, we don't mean DayZ, although that one's pretty cool too. There's a new kid on this particular genre block, and it's an MMO called The War Z. It's brought to you by Hammerpoint Interactive and Arktos, and IGN has an interview scoop with a couple of the principals.

"We started thinking about doing a zombie game last year and began developing a quest-based MMO set in a large, zombie-infested world. Players would be able to explore and unlock new areas on the map as they progress through quests assigned to them in-game," explains executive producer Sergey Titov.

What about the DayZ connection? There really isn't one aside from coincidental timing. DayZ is a mod for an existing military sim title, whereas The War Z is a stand-alone MMO with a dedicated team behind it (and an upfront cost of $29.99). Is it really an MMO, though? That's in the eye of the beholder, we suppose, but it does have a huge open world, PvP, and the ability to support 250 players per server. The War Z also features dozens of skills and social niceties like bounties and in-game notes (no profanity, though; blowing off zombie heads should never result in inappropriate language).

If the War Z name sounds familiar, it might be because you're thinking of Paramount's World War Z property that we've talked about before. As with DayZ, though, the two projects are unrelated save for the similar names and the horror sub-genre.

The War Z is currently undergoing internal alpha testing, with a closed beta expected later this summer. IGN says the final game will be out "before the end of the year."

MassivelyThe War Z zombie MMO coming soon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arktosdayzf2pfree-to-playhammerpointhammerpoint-interactivehorroropen-worldsandboxsergey-titovthe-war-zthe-warzwarzzombie-mmozombiesThu, 19 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST