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ChangYou plans to bring Shadowbane back in China

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Shadowbane

MMOs die. It's a very sad reality, but a reality just the same. And more often than not, there's no chance for a revival. But every so often the stars align just right and fans get lucky, which is almost the case with Shadowbane. Nearly three years after the game's shutdown, it looks like it'll be getting a new lease on life... as the basis for a new title developed by ChangYou.

There are no firm details on what the new game will look like, although it appears to have been in development for roughly a year at this time. Preliminarily titled World of Shadowbane, the game is still too far in the future for any sort of launch information, much less discussion of whether or not the game will see an American release. Still, it's closer to a chance at revival than the game has had in the past three years, and that's something.

ChangYou plans to bring Shadowbane back in China originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line.

Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition

The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Aiming to misbehave

Jef Reahard — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, The Firing Line

Hello folks, and welcome to my Christmas list (well, the Massively portion of it, at any rate). For this week's edition of The Firing Line, I decided to take a look at a few of the more obscure titles coming down the development pike.

Now, when I say obscure, I don't necessarily mean shoe-string budget indie productions. The games I've got for you after the cut feature a cross-section of both big IPs and big-name development studios, but for whatever reason, they're still a bit under the radar when compared to the likes of PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, and Firefall. Turn the page to read about four online shooters you should be excited about. There might even be some video involved if you play your cards right.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Aiming to misbehave

The Firing Line: Aiming to misbehave originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Hangover edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

This week on The MMO Report, Casey stumbles in from the office Christmas party to report on Ubisoft's rumored triple-AAA Wii-U MMO, Marvel Universe Online's endless parade of character art, and the politics of Minecraft's design (psst... Minecraft -- sandbox? Yes. MMO? Not really!). He also jokes about Star Wars: The Old Republic's two million beta testers, suggesting that the number proves "nerds will flock to anything with a Star Wars or BioWare logo on the box." We're sure he speaks from personal experience.

Finally, The Beard dips into Uncle Casey's Mailbag to recount some harrowing tales of MMO deflowering. Enjoy the full MMO Report past the cut!

Continue reading The MMO Report: Hangover edition

The MMO Report: Hangover edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft may be working on a Wii U MMO

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Consoles, Rumors

Could Ubisoft be developing an MMO for Nintendo's upcoming Wii U, of all platforms? There are a few indications that, yes, the studio is indeed doing just that.

The first step in the puzzle comes from Ubisoft's Emile Gauthier, who posted the following tweet yesterday: "Ubisoft Quebec is working on a NEW AAA MMORPG Game and we need people to fill these very strategic positions."

The link attached sends readers to Ubisoft's Facebook page, where a number of recently posted job descriptions are listed. These jobs include Senior Engine Programmer (Wii U -- AAA title), Network Programmer (Wii U -- AAA title), Tools Programmer (AAA MMO), Online Game Design Project Manager, Programmer Gameplay (MMO AAA), and Animation Art Director (MMO AAA). Since all of these have been lumped together and added within a few days of each other, one might come to the conclusion that it is for the same game -- a Wii U MMO.

Of course, the MMO and Wii U title may turn out to be two separate projects, but in any case we're interested to see what Ubisoft has planned for our favorite game genre.

Ubisoft may be working on a Wii U MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragons gone wild: Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdom's third season reveals all

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, Free-to-play, Browser

The browser-based strategy MMO Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdom (winner of the "We want to write that title in a completely different order" award) has cracked a peek into its third season, and soon the doors will be flung wide open for all to see.

Season three launches on Thursday, September 15th, and will introduce a host of new challenges for both PvE and PvP players. It appears that the air dragon Ylath has aroused from his slumber looking for a good meal while those nasty Dark Elves are on the prowl for an unprepared hero or two. Runic fortresses also have appeared out of thin air, begging players to battle over these swanky summer homes. Finally, fans of the title should enjoy the enhanced character customization coming with the update.

The free-to-play title will add an in-game store with this update to help monetize the game. You can check out what we thought of the title with our First Impressions series.

Dragons gone wild: Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdom's third season reveals all originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Join the Castle Empire closed beta with our key giveaway

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMORTS, Giveaways

Castle Empire, the upcoming free-to-play title from Ubisoft, has had a fair amount of time to settle into closed beta. The development team has made plenty of progress and is ready to welcome even more testers in to check things out.

To that end, Ubisoft has passed along 1,000 closed beta keys for us to share with our readers. So if you're ready to start exploring the land and building your empire, visit our giveaway page to grab your key. Once you've got it, simply fill out the "register for free" section of Castle Empire's front page and enter your key when prompted. That's it -- you're ready to join the beta test of Castle Empire! Keep in mind that currently Castle Empire is only available in the US, Canada, and Mexico. There are also versions in France and Germany.

Join the Castle Empire closed beta with our key giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

Don't miss the first part of this interview with the makers of Shadowbane, which we posted last week! And now for the thrilling conclusion...

The Game Archaeologist: What was the reason behind the free-to-play switch in 2006? Did this help the game's population any?

Josef Hall: Todd and I left Wolfpack shortly after it was acquired by Ubisoft, so we don't really have insight into the decision-making process behind the switch.

Todd Coleman: From what I have heard, it had a very positive impact on the size of the player population -- but yeah, I have no idea what it meant to the game monetarily.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, PvP, Massively Interviews, The Game Archaeologist

After a couple of weeks of talking with players about their favorite experiences in Shadowbane, I decided it was high time to flip the discussion from those who played it to those who made it.

Today we're going to kick off a two-part interview with the makers of Shadowbane, Josef Hall and Todd Coleman. It's interesting to realize that while MMOs come and go, many developers remain in the industry, moving between projects in surprising ways. In this case, both Hall and Coleman went from the brutal lands of cutthroat PvP to a colorful kids title: Wizard101. It's hard to imagine two MMOs being more different, but that goes to show you that developers, like gamers, don't always like being pigeonholed into specific roles. The duo were extremely eager to talk about Shadowbane, as you'll see from this interview. Buckle up -- you're in for a treat!

The Game Archaeologist: Can you introduce yourself to us and explain how you became involved with Shadowbane?

Josef Hall: I'm Josef Hall, co-founder of Wolfpack Studios, the creator of Shadowbane. Currently, I'm the Vice President of Development at KingsIsle Entertainment, creator of Wizard101.

Todd Coleman: And I'm Todd Coleman, co-founder of Wolfpack. I'm currently the VP of Production and Creative for KingsIsle. Josef and I still work together; we were the two first people brought in start the dev studio for KingsIsle here in Austin.

Hall: In fact, Wizard101 was our idea, which is a bit odd, given that we were also the first two people to come up with the core idea behind Shadowbane.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Your journeys

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, PvP, Shadowbane, The Game Archaeologist

Every time I tackle a new game for this column, I keep rediscovering a key truth: that there are the bare facts of an MMO that you can research and process, and there are the memories and experiences that transcend the features bullet points on the back of the box. It's always terrific to see players come out of the woodwork and say things like, "You know what really made this game special...?"

Shadowbane is proving an interesting case study as well. Because it flew so very low on my personal radar during the entirety of its operation, I naturally assumed it wasn't that good for the few souls who did play it. It turns out that I was wrong, considering just how many testimonies we've had from people who admit that if you could get past the graphical limitations and technical issues, there was a helluva game experience waiting for you.

So to follow up from last week's interview with a blogger, this week we're going to hear from Massively readers who took the time to send in their favorite memories of Shadowbane so that they could be preserved in the hallowed Game Archaeologist vaults. Let's do it!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Your journeys

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Your journeys originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Interviews, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

I've long since enjoyed doing this column because, to me, it feels like the next best thing to having been there back in the day, playing these games. No one MMO player can occupy all titles at once, so experiences are bound to pass us by. Fortunately, the gamers who were there have long memories and are often more than willing to share a story or two if given half the chance.

After last week's initial foray into our Shadowbane retrospective, I fished around for a hearty veteran of the minotaur wars who was willing to step up and answer a few questions without succumbing to post-traumatic stress disorder. Within a minute, my good friend Grimnir bit into the topic, and I reeled him in as he flopped and gasped for air. At some point, this metaphor got away from me, but no worries. Hit that jump and let's cast our nets down memory river and see what we can dredge up!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, PvP, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

Way back when I used to haunt the corridors of Gamestop and not shun the place due to its stinky evil, I remember being enticed with these fancy-pantsy "MMORPG" boxes when I'd see them on the shelf. I must have picked up Shadowbane a dozen or so times to check out the blurbs on the back, mentally weighing whether or not this would be the one to introduce me to online gaming, but ultimately it was not to be.

It's probably for the best, considering that Shadowbane was primarily PvP and I'm a PvE guy at heart. Plus, the title never really took off the way that publisher Ubisoft had hoped, spending most of its six years of operation lurking in the background of the MMO industry instead of sharing the spotlight.

But still, six years! That's far longer than any of the titles we've been talking about these past couple months, and considering that Shadowbane won last week's poll to become this month's topic, there are obviously strong feelings lurking among you. What did Shadowbane try to do differently, how did it stay alive as long as it did, and what was its downfall? Hit the jump to find out!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Castle Empire

Beau Hindman — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, MMORTS, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream

Over the last week I have been enjoying some time in the so-new-it's-in-closed-beta Castle Empire. I have been struggling with how to describe exactly how the game makes me feel, since I am terrible at writing up exact details that end up making my article sound like the bland page of a wiki instead of a column based solely on this one dork's opinion. During my dog walks (I do my best thinking then), I try to come up with catchy arrangements of different words that would let you fair readers know the type of fun I had with the game, but more often than not, I would forget what I was thinking by the time I got back to the house. At one point I thought about wearing one of those goofy bluetooth headsets so I could dictate my thoughts while walking, but I feared getting my butt beaten in by the cooler elderly folks in the neighborhood.

Luckily, I finally stumbled upon a great example that, in all actuality, is not really a great example. It'll give you a good idea, I hope. So click past the cut and let's talk about this wonderful new MMORTS I found.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Castle Empire

Rise and Shiny recap: Castle Empire originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones

Brendan Drain — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Video, Culture, Lore, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Saturday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Defense of the Ancients, Bloodline Champions, and more.

With the growing popularity of MMOs, it's great to see developers borrowing ideas from them and making them work in other online game formats. A growing number of online games are being released featuring elements of online persistence, iterative development, and character progression that we've come to expect only from MMOs. In last week's Not So Massively, we reveled in League of Legends' dubstep, got technical with Heroes of Newerth's new hero Martyr, and looked at Bloodline Champions' new match replay system. We also introduced Rise of Immortals' immortal Aislynn and looked at the huge Realm of the Titans content update arriving just in time for closed beta.

In this week's Not So Massively, we introduce Ubisoft's upcoming online FPS Ghost Recon Online, look at Bloodline Champions' huge patch 1.2 update, and peruse development plans for the Rise of Immortals cash shop and its co-op PvE. This week is also a big week for League of Legends, with the player-mediated banning Tribunal now in live testing and the awesome new clockwork champion Orianna on the way.

Skip past the cut for all this week's news from the land of not-quite-an-MMO-but-pretty-close-to-it.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones

Not So Massively: Clockwork girls, ban tribunals, and runestones originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, The Matrix Online, The Game Archaeologist

It's not every year that a movie comes along that captures the pop culture zeitgeist so powerfully and so quickly as The Matrix did. I recall lugging a few college friends along to see this in 1999 -- having heard only a few sparse details about it beforehand -- and coming out of the theater feeling as if we we'd been electrified. The bold mix of science fiction, martial arts, philosophy, action, and leather ensembles became the smash hit of the year, and a franchise was born.

And while we had great hopes that this would be this generation's Star Wars, The Matrix ultimately proved to be a lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, impossible to recapture once unleashed. Sequels, animated shorts, video games, comic books -- none rose to the height of the original film, and eventually the franchise petered out.

During this period, an odd duck of an MMO was born: The Matrix Online. When you think about it, an online virtual world where people log in and fight against programs was a really short hop from the movie series. MxO, as it was abbreviated, was an audacious game with unique features, story-centric gameplay and a sci-fi bent in a field of fantasy competitors, and while it only lasted four years, it was enough to make a huge impression for its community.

So by popular demand, this month we're going to revisit the 1s and 0s of The Matrix Online to see just how deep the rabbit hole (and well-worn cliche) goes -- and what made this game stand out!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion answers Ubisoft-related questions about Rift

Jef Reahard — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, News items, RIFT

With Rift's closed beta starting this Friday, an early 2011 launch date is looking likely. In service of that, Trion Worlds is busily getting its house in order and gearing up to push the fantasy epic live around the world. Earlier today Massively reported on Trion's announcement that gaming megalith Ubisoft would be publishing the upcoming MMORPG in Europe. The Ubisoft name-drop brought to light some reader concerns about the draconian DRM schemes the publisher is (in)famous for, so we decided to go straight to the source to clear things up.

Join us after the cut for an impromptu interview with Trion Worlds Senior VP of Publishing David Reid.

Continue reading Trion answers Ubisoft-related questions about Rift

Trion answers Ubisoft-related questions about Rift originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft to shoulder Rift's European publishing

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, RIFT

With Rift's launch looming closer by the day, forces are coming into play faster now than ever before. Trion Worlds has announced that it is partnering with Ubisoft to publish Rift in Europe. Ubisoft, which has studios in countries all across the globe, will be tasked with releasing the game in France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordics. This deal includes multiple years of service starting in 2011.

While Ubisoft has handled smaller MMOs, such as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom, Rift represents the largest MMO client to date for the company.

Trion Worlds' CEO Lars Buttler sees this as a great move for the game: "To join forces with an industry leader such as Ubisoft on our first title further demonstrates the potential Rift has to be a game-changer in the online gaming space. We are thrilled to be working with Ubisoft, one of world's leading publishers, as we reaffirm our commitment to deliver quality products to gamers around the world."

While Ubisoft is not without its fair share of controversies, no one can deny that the publisher has clout across the market. Rift's closed beta starts later this week, and all signs still point toward an early 2011 release.

Ubisoft to shoulder Rift's European publishing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It puts the dog food in the basket or else it gets the hose again: Ubisoft announces Petz World

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Kids, Family

Several MMOs, such as Free Realms, flirt with the concept of virtual pet ownership and conditioning, but it looks like Ubisoft is ready for a full-fledged commitment to the concept with Petz World. Gamasutra reported that Firma Studio is developing the free-to-play MMO, which will be published by Ubisoft in 2011.

Based on the popular Dogz and Catz virtual pet simulators that date all the way back to the stone age of the internet (1995!), Petz has since expanded the franchise to include a wide variety of animals including hamsters, tigers and horses. In these games, players "adopt" a virtual pet of their choice, provide for their needs, and train their behavior through repeated actions. Repeated actions -- that sounds right up an MMO's alley, doesn't it?

Ubisoft hopes that Petz World will bring parents and children closer together through the gameplay. The MMO will involve a large variety of collecting, achievements and unlockables as players scour the world for cool pets and conquer special challenges. Ubisoft's Chris Early thinks there's enough to appeal to a wide demographic: "This game is a unique way for children and parents to play games together."

This is the latest move by the publisher to expand into the casual MMO landscape, following other titles like Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms.

It puts the dog food in the basket or else it gets the hose again: Ubisoft announces Petz World originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms

Beau Hindman — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Reviews, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, Might and Magic, MMORTS, First Impressions

Browser-based games have come a long way. A few years ago, I would have never predicted that they would be as popular and varied as they are now. I wouldn't have believed that the quality would rise, while still being contained in the 2-D walls of your favorite browser. But, here we are, discussing Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms, another browser-based game that has raised that level of quality once again. It's a subtle difference, but the improvements should still be noted and enjoyed.

First of all, I want to say that I am generally horrible at any type of PvP. I rarely think of conquest and would rather trade with my fellow players than attempt to murder them. Call me old-fashioned! So, when I signed up for a game that promised that type of epic conquest (and diplomacy as well, lest we forget) I was a little more than worried that the following First Impressions would consist only of the words "I SUCK."

What I found, after giving in and joining the very first alliance that offered membership, was a game that is heavy on the chin-scratching and light on difficulty. And it's fun, too.

Continue reading First Impressions: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms

First Impressions: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Play me, my lord: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms fires up an interview

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-play, Browser

The Heroes of Might and Magic franchise has a long and rich history with PC gamers, although the series has somewhat fallen into obscurity as of late. Ubisoft is looking to thrust it back into the spotlight with the upcoming Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms, a Civilization-type title. We've been tracking MMHK since this year's E3, and recently MMOsite.com grabbed some facetime with Ubisoft's Chris Early about the game. (Note that this isn't the Heroes of Might and Magic Online that's also nearing release.)

A browser-based title imported from overseas, Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms encourages players to slowly build up a city (and later, cities) and interact with their neighbors. This can take the form of peaceful resource trading, hostile skirmishes, or large-scale strategy. While MMHK is set in the Might and Magic universe, the game differs from Heroes of Might and Magic's playstyle -- for example, combat is automatically resolved instead of turn-based. One of the most interesting features of the game is that it has a six-month cycle, after which winners are declared and the server resets for another grand struggle.

The interview spends a bit of time prodding Chris Early about the advantages -- and potential imbalance -- between free players and those who drop cash for advantages (such as more cities to control). Early claims that while paying players will have more options available, free players are still a significant force, especially if they specialize. You can read the whole interview over at MMOsite.com.

Play me, my lord: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms fires up an interview originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2010: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom preview

Elizabeth Harper — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Free-to-play, Browser, Massively Event Coverage

On Tuesday, we caught up with Chris Early, Ubisoft's Vice President of Digital Publishing, to chat about Heroes of Might and Magic's future with a new browser-based MMO. I must admit, I'm personally a bit skeptical about whether browser-based games can supplant full-fledged applications, but after talking with Chris, I'm sold on the concept -- at least insofar as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom is concerned.

First up, the basics. Just what is MMHK?

Ubisoft calls MMHK a "strategic casual MMO." It's turn-based with more of real-time strategy vibe than we've seen in other MMOs and it's designed with people who may only have a few minutes a day to play in mind. Think of something along the lines of multiplayer Civilization with thousands of other people and you'd be near the mark. Now, whether "casual" turns into hours of "just one more turn" is another matter entirely.
Gameplay and lore from the Might and Magic franchise we all know and love -- the goal with MMHK is just to throw more players into the mix.
Want PvP? You can do that. Want PvE? You can do that. Want to advance as a merchant-type character purely for the pursuit of wealth without killing your fellow players? You can do that, too.
Browser-based, which means you can play it on your PC, your Mac, or even your shiny new iPad -- wherever you've got an internet connection.This means there's no software to download or install.
Free to play with an optional subscription fee. (Though Ubisoft hasn't announced pricing for the game's North American release, it's currently live in France, where a monthly subscription runs five euros.)

If that sounds like something that might be up your alley, read on for more details.

Gallery: E3 2010: Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms

Continue reading E3 2010: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom preview

E3 2010: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom preview originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft announces five new MMOs "in development"

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items

EA recently announced their controversial Online Pass program, a business model that looked pretty appealing to Ubisoft. CEO Yves Guillemot says that they are "looking very carefully at what EA is doing," so we will probably see them adopting a similar program in the future. The Online Pass program requires players to either purchase the games new, or pay EA $10 to unlock online content on used or rented games.

According to a recent report at Gamespot, that's not the only project going on at Ubisoft right now. While they are considering something similar to Online Pass for the future, the focus is more on the development side for the time being -- specifically the development of MMOs. They say they've got five free-to-play MMOs in the works, including the Heroes of Might and Magic MMO that we heard about last month. Heroes of Might and Magic, currently in closed beta, is the game we have the most information on, but we'll keep an eye out for news on the other four titles Ubisoft has planned.

Ubisoft announces five new MMOs "in development" originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heroes of Might and Magic Online closed beta begins

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy

Back in the day, the Heroes of Might and Magic series was the definition of "just one more turn!" gameplay. Even in the face of real-time strategy titles, HoMaM stuck to their turn-based guns and challenged players to explore a fantasy land, conquer towns, build up armies, and survive the inevitable epic conflict.

Likewise, in the face of real-time 3D MMORPGs, Heroes of Might and Magic Online is holding tight to what made it so popular -- a lush isometric look coupled with turn-based exploration and combat. Hoping to recapture the players who loved the single-player titles -- and draw in a new crowd -- Ubisoft has announced the launch of the HoMaMO closed beta this past weekend.

The closed beta will end with a data wipe, per the results of a player survey, so no need to worry about getting off on the wrong foot. With eight factions to choose from and exciting PvE and PvP campaigns awaiting, the temptation to explore Heroes of Might and Magic Online may prove strong indeed.

Heroes of Might and Magic Online closed beta begins originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heroes of Might and Magic Online beta announced

Jef Reahard — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items

The Might and Magic franchise is coming to the MMORPG genre, courtesy of publishing giant Ubisoft and the Chinese development studio known as TQ Digital. The original Might and Magic series, considered by many to be a classic example of the early PC roleplaying game genre, was rebooted by Ubisoft in 2006 with Heroes of Might and Magic V, and later with Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

The new MMORPG, Heroes of Might and Magic Online, is slated for closed beta in May 2010. The game will marry elements from an early entry in the franchise, Heroes of Might and Magic III, to the visual upgrades established in the last two Ubisoft games, culminating in a 2.5D massively multiplayer experience featuring a turn-based persistent world. (Perhaps similar to the 3D but turn-based Atlantica Online.)

The game will feature eight factions, sixteen classes, and a variety of campaign missions. Additionally, TQ Digital will be hosting a variety of PvP events, including Team PK, Extreme PK, and various Guild combat events. You can register for the closed beta as well as visit the official website, and don't forget to stay with Massively for more info on Heroes of Might and Magic Online as it becomes available.

Heroes of Might and Magic Online beta announced originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadowbane closure date extended to July, possible new lease on life

James Egan — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Shadowbane, Free-to-play

We thought we'd seen the end of Shadowbane in April, but we're happy to report that we were wrong. The game's servers were scheduled to go dark yesterday, May 1st. Ubisoft said this was the case and the developers said their goodbyes. However, overwhelming response from the playerbase is now keeping the game alive a bit longer for a proper farewell, and this stay of execution could possibly allow the devs to seek other options. Shadowbane developer Xanther writes, "Following our recent news, the support and enthusiasm the community has shown for Shadowbane has led to an extension of the closure date to July 1, 2009. This should allow the community enough time to play out its final days appropriately. We are looking into various options to make these final days as fun as possible!"

It seems they're also looking into options beyond closure events for the players. Thanks to a tip from Massively reader NT_we see that Aeria Games has mentioned on Twitter that they're interested in picking up the game and are in discussion with Ubisoft. Also, Aeria Games is seeking input from Shadowbane players to help determine how viable running this title would be. You can let them know via Twitter at @aeriagames. While the situation still remains grim, that Shadowbane has roughly two months of time left, we're happy to see there's potential for a new lease on life for the game if publishers are willing to keep it running. If Massively learns that Shadowbane gets picked up by a new publisher, we'll be sure to let you know.

[Thanks, NT_]

Shadowbane closure date extended to July, possible new lease on life originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the moon wanes, Shadowbane is no more

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Shadowbane

The developers of Shadowbane will shut down its servers for the last time on May 1st, 2009. The closure comes only weeks after its 6th year anniversary and a year after the historic "Shadowbane Reboot," which relaunched the game to take advantage of better stability and performance architecture.

Shadowbane launched in March 2003 and was a pioneer for open-PvP, political intrigue, and dynamic world content, where the player could actually have an affect on the game's environment. Unfortunately, the title was plagued by stability issues at release, which prevented it from ever becoming much more than a cult classic. The game saw two expansions in its lifetime: Rise of Chaos (Dec 2003) and Throne of Oblivion (Dec 2004).

Ownership of the MMO changed hands several times over its lifespan and while it originated as a subscription-based game, it eventually went free-to-play in March 2006 and finally ad-driven in March 2007. We're always sad to report the demise of an MMORPG, so let us leave you with the fond memories of one of Shadowbane's developers.

Thanks for being a sometimes inspiration and sometimes whipping-boy for the MMORPG genre, Shadowbane. May your soul be eternally bound to the Tree of Life.

As the moon wanes, Shadowbane is no more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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H.A.W.X. to set foundation for eventual Tom Clancy MMO?

Kyle Horner — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: News items, MMORTS, Rumors

Ever since Ubisoft purchased the Tom Clancy property we've known that an MMO was in the works. Now, with news that the Clancy teams all talking amongst one another in order to work towards a cohesive world, we've got a little more information on how it's all going to happen. The whole cohesive deal is apparently starting with the "extreme" sounding H.A.W.X., but would ideally continue into other titles. On top of that Ubisoft acquired Massive Entertainment last November, who are best known for creating World in Conflict.

So how does all this fit together? Well, Ubisoft is most definitely interested in enterting the MMO space. They wasted no time in tapping Massive Entertainment for MMO projects, and these guys certainly have experience with Clancy-like worlds thanks to their time spent on developing World in Conflict. The whole affair has us just oozing with intrigue about what's in the works for the near and slightly-less-so future.

H.A.W.X. to set foundation for eventual Tom Clancy MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft failed at courting Cryptic before the Atari takeover

Alexis Kassan — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

According to CFO Alain Martinez, Ubisoft was also looking into acquiring Cryptic before Atari stepped in and inked a deal. Though they are disappointed at having missed this opportunity, there seems to be no shortage of acquisition options. Martinez states that they are looking at taking over two to three small companies in the next few months, but details of what products this may involve are unknown.

Ubisoft has been busy advertising their latest console-and-PC title, Prince of Persia, for the holiday season and working on Assassin's Creed 2 - currently expected to be released in fiscal year 2010. CEO Yves Guillemot states they are planning to launch online game products in 2009, but says the experience will be more casual than the expansive Cryptic titles like Champions Online and Star Trek Online. This would have been one giant leap in moving to the MMO model.

Ubisoft failed at courting Cryptic before the Atari takeover originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft president speaks about Avatar MMO

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

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

Despite the poor condition of the global economy these days, Ubisoft's president and CEO Yves Guillemot is optimistic about the amazing year that 2009 will bring for video game software sales. As he told investors at a BMO Capital Markets conference, "If we look at this industry, one thing to consider is that when hardware sales are peaking, software sales are peaking 18 months later."

One highlight of Ubisoft's expected growth next year is the release of the Avatar MMO. Now, keep in mind that this isn't an MMO based on the Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender. This online game will be based on James Cameron's Avatar feature film set to release in December of 2009, and will most likely release in conjunction with the film. The game (and movie) will be based around a plotline where "a man tries to make his way as a miner by combining with an alien during an interplanetary war in which aliens can manifest themselves by possessing human bodies - avatars." Considering the fact that we've heard next to nothing else about this MMO, it should be interesting to see if it will release before or after the film's release.

Ubisoft president speaks about Avatar MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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

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

Shorah, readers! Kehnehn rahm b'yihm shehm!

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

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

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

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

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MMOs may not inherit the Earth after all

Chris Chester — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion

A lot of attention has been paid in recent months to the notion, espoused openly by Phil Harrison and quietly acquiesced to in much of the rest of the MMO industry, that single player games as we know them are going the way of the dodo. With technology connecting people to each other in greater numbers than ever before, many people see the logical end of this being the complete co-option of the traditional single player experience that has prevailed in games for so long.

In a recent interview with Ben Mattes, producer for the new Prince of Persia game over at Ubisoft, Mattes rejects this notion, insisting there are experiences in a single player game that you can't reliably replicate in a multiplayer context. Players still crave these distilled bouts of fun, and will continue to flock to them in the future as long as companies keep making them. Obviously, being the producer on a big budget single player title doesn't make Mattes the most unbiased source in the world, but we have to agree with him. While the greater trend is towards connectivity and multiplayer, there's always going to be a market for a well-told single player story.

MMOs may not inherit the Earth after all originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games

James Egan — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

In the wake of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, the government mandated an observance of the tragedy. In addition to Monday's three minutes of silence in national mourning, the Chinese government placed a three-day moratorium on all 'public amusements' in the country. This imposed break extended to online gaming and virtual worlds throughout the mainland, which prompted some commentary by Frank Yu, the China Angle columnist at Gamasutra.

While residents of Sichuan or those with friends and loved ones in the quake-affected region were not likely to want to play games in the aftermath of the disaster, the three-day imposed blackout on entertainment media was an unusual move for China. The suspension of these activities essentially made the entire country give up something, albeit briefly, in order to share the pain of those whose lives have been affected by the catastrophe. "The earthquake has had another major impact on the China gaming industry as well in what seems like an exercise of government media control... This includes, concerts, television shows, movies and for the first time, even online games," Yu said. The virtual worlds of China's major online game companies remained dark between May 19th and 21st. Although the game companies and operators complied with the suspension of their activities, they clearly assumed substantial profit losses.

Continue reading Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games

Earthquake not the only impact on China's online games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: MMO features in the year 2013

Kyle Horner — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

If you were to look back five years ago at the year 2003, the feature lists on the MMOs of that year look quite a bit different from the games of this year. Everything from graphical advancements to new in-game concepts like Warhammer Online's Tome of Knowledge. A lot of new features have cropped up through natural evolution and forcefulness as well. A lot of these improvements were obvious, but many of them have also been unexpected.

So what kinds of advancements will the massively genre have made in another fives years? Maybe we'll all be playing MMOs on the newest consoles, or maybe not. There are a lot of variables in this considerably young genre we all love, so looking five years into the future can lead to scary places. Although that won't stop me from trying to peer towards the future in an attempt see what sorts of virtual worlds await us all.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: MMO features in the year 2013

The Digital Continuum: MMO features in the year 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft preps for a Tom Clancy-themed MMO

Michael Zenke — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Bugs, MMO industry, Spy

Not less that two hours ago we were discussing the ways that FPSes have co-opted the trappings of MMOs, and now this. Ubisoft has announced that, as part of an IP-purchasing deal with spy-genre mogul Tom Clancy, they'll be working to create an MMO based on his works. We're just guessing what the gameplay might be like above, but company CEO Yves Guillemot seems determined to get one out the door.

The game isn't even in the works yet, as Ubisoft has little experience in the post-WoW MMO marketplace, but Yves thinks they already have the technology in-hand to make the game. He also noted the abundance of options they have as regards setting: "You have Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher, the Rainbow [Sixes], the GRAWs and all the other new creations we have. So this [IP acquisition] will make that [MMO] product a really big product." This was apparently a foregone conclusion from some time ago, according to Yves. They were merely waiting for the right opportunity to jump in. It getting a might crowded out here for anyone else?

Continue reading Ubisoft preps for a Tom Clancy-themed MMO

Ubisoft preps for a Tom Clancy-themed MMO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Myst Online: Uru Live Tap-ped out again

Akela Talamasca — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Myst Online: URU Live, Business models, Culture, Forums, Server downtime, News items

Ricardo Sanchez, VP of Content and Creative Director for GameTap, has officially announced that they'll no longer be carrying Myst Online: Uru Live and its final day of operation will be 60 days from today, either April the 5th, or April the 7th, depending on whether they'll end it over the weekend or not.

This will doubtless hit many fans in the heart, and it's not stated exactly why GameTap's discontinuing service, but if I had to guess, I'd say they looked at the subscriber numbers vs the maintenance costs and made their fateful decision. Historically, this marks the second time this title's been canceled -- the first time, of course, being in 2004 when Ubioft gave it the axe. Our condolences to all fans of the wondrous Myst universe, and we'll wait to hear if Cyan Worlds has any final thoughts.

[Thanks, Veotax!]

Myst Online: Uru Live Tap-ped out again originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Might and Magic goes MMO

Michael Zenke — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Crafting, Browser, Might and Magic

GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that the Heroes of Might and Magic series is going to be re-imagined as a browser-based Massively Multiplayer Online game. Due out in the Spring of next year from Ubisoft, Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will allow players to lead huge armies against each other, while also developing heroic characters. This is essentially the gameplay seen in the traditional PC games, though assumably it will be set in a persistent environment.

The game will be browser-based, meaning no download or installation will be required, and play sessions can last anything between a few minutes to several hours, depending on the player's own preference. The publisher's chief creative officer, Serge Hascoet, commented: "Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will open a wide door to the Might and Magic universe, allowing players to immerse themselves within it unlike ever before."

There's no word on what kind of fee, if any, will be leveled for the game service.

Might and Magic goes MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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