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[Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-birthday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website
Dota 2 celebrated the incredible sales of its world championship interactive compendium with free gifts for all players; the compendium has now sold over 266,000 units, raising the prize fund in The International to over $2,000,000 US. Third-person MOBA SMITE has recently entered the competitive tournament scene with two new weekly $1,000 tournaments. Rise of Immortals also announced its first competitive tournament since the Battle For Graxia update and revealed details of its hilariously-named ranged centaur character Murderhoof.

League of Legends revealed the new custom item set feature coming in Patch 3.7 and published a new champion spotlight video on classic ranged carry Ashe. Guardians of Middle-Earth also released its latest paid DLC character, The Mouth of Sauron, based on a character who was originally cut from the cinematic release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Diablo III celebrated the first anniversary of its release on May 15th with anniversary livestreams and a magic-find bonus for all players. The latest patch also raised the increments in which money can be sold on the Real Money Auction House to ten million in response to massive oversupply. Path of Exile revealed details of its upcoming Patch 0.1.1.0 that will add new party loot options and other features, and Star Citizen showed off its new website with a special e-commerce section in which players can buy ships for cash.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's birthday, and Star Citizen's new website originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpganniversaryanniversary-eventashebattle-for-graxiabattlenetbirthdayblizzardblizzard-entertainmentCompendiumcompetitive-gamingconsolecustom-item-setCustom-Item-Setsd3dawngatediablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgaslightgodgodsgothic-fantasygraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguardians-of-middle-earthinfinite-crisisInteractive-Compendiumisisjokerleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmouth-of-sauronmultiplayermurderhoofnewsnot-so-massivelynsmone-yearone-year-anniversaryonline-multiplayeropinionpath-of-exilepetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvpriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgskarasmitethe-jokerthe-mouth-of-sauronthird-personvalvevideovideoswarner-brosxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/not-so-massively-yet-another-d3-exploit-star-citizen-pay-to-wi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen paytowin debate, and MOBA news
Diablo III was hit with yet another exploit this week as players discovered a way to duplicate gold via a bug in the auction house. Blizzard responded by shutting down the auction house but did not perform a server rollback to reverse the damage. Star Citizen clarified its stance on the lifetime insurance available to veteran backers amidst debate over whether it gives early adopters an unfair advantage over other players. Path of Exile also released a new Letters of Wraeclast lore feature in its latest update, and MechWarrior Online's update 15 added a new Misery mech.

Dota 2 began preparations for its biggest world championship tournament yet with the release of a new Interactive Compendium that players can use to stay up to date with the matches. Rise of Immortals has now officially launched its Battle For Graxia revamp, and Infinite Crisis officially entered closed beta this week with the release of new champion The Joker. Finally, Smashmuck Champions released its hilarious new community-designed champion that's half platypus and half unicorn.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news

MassivelyNot So Massively: Yet another D3 exploit, Star Citizen pay-to-win debate, and MOBA news originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgbatmanbattle-for-graxiabattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentchris-robertscloud-imperiumcompetitive-gamingd3dcdc-comicsdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgothic-fantasygraxiaindieinfinite-crisisinsurancejokerkiz-studioslifetime-insurancemobamultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayeropinionpetroglyphpetroglyph-gamespvprise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgsandboxsci-fismashmuckstar-citizensupermanthe-jokerturbinevalvevideovideoswarner-broswonder-womanWraeclastMon, 13 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's latest exploit, and city-building with Prime World]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-latest-exp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-latest-exp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/not-so-massively-cash-moba-tournaments-diablo-iiis-latest-exp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively title image
Details of this year's $1,600,000 US Dota 2 world championship have been released ahead of next month's qualifiers for the remaining three competitor spots. Heroes of Newerth began gearing up for its own tournament at DreamHack Summer 2013 with details of a qualifier tournament to determine which teams will face off at the event. Team Stay Green may be in with a chance if it enters, as the group just took home $32,000 US following a decisive win in the HoNTour grand finals.

A new Diablo III exploit that allowed Witch Doctors to farm XP by repeatedly killing their pets was discovered this week and promptly hotfixed. Riot Games released spotlight videos for newly revamped League of Legends champions Trundle and Sejuani, and CLG pro gamer Peter "Doublelift" Peng discussed his challenging road to success and heartbreaking family issues in a fantastic short documentary for Machinima.

Turbine released details of two new Infinite Crisis champions this week with video spotlights on hulking brute Doomsday and the gadget-wielding Gaslight Batman. Russian success Prime World let press into the English language beta for a first look at its castle-building and MOBA style gameplay. Rise of Immortals geared up for the official launch of its Battle For Graxia game overhaul with the addition of a new reputation system. And Star Citizen developer Chris Roberts revealed that he's been holding off on accepting investor deals because of the success of the game's crowdfunding campaigns.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's latest exploit, and city-building with Prime World

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash MOBA tournaments, Diablo III's latest exploit, and city-building with Prime World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgbatmanbattle-for-graxiabattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbugcash-prizecash-tournamentcastlechris-robertsclgcloud-imperiumcompetitive-gamingcounter-logic-gamingcrowdfundingcrowdsourcingd3dcdc-comicsdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dreamhackdreamhack-2013dreamhack-summerdreamhack-summer-2012e-sporte-sportsesportesportsexploitf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgaslightgaslight-batmangothic-fantasygraxiaheroes-of-newerthhonhon-tourhontourinfinite-crisisinvestinginvestmentjokerleague-of-legendslolmobamultiplayernewsnivalnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesprime-worldpro-gamingprofessional-gamingpvevppvpriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fistar-citizensupermanswedenthe-internationalthe-international-2013the-jokertournamentturbinevalvevideowarner-broswitch-doctorwonder-womanMon, 29 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Darkfall Unholy Wars hits Steam as Valve introduces new subscription service]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/darkfall-unholy-wars-hits-steam-as-valve-introduces-new-subscrip/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/darkfall-unholy-wars-hits-steam-as-valve-introduces-new-subscrip/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/darkfall-unholy-wars-hits-steam-as-valve-introduces-new-subscrip/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Darkfall
In a press release issued on Steam today, Valve announced that it now offers something of particular value to MMOs on the platform: subscription plans. Gamers can now subscribe to MMOs on Steam and manage recurring payments to those games using Steam itself.
With Subscription Plans, Steam offers gamers the ability to sign up and manage payments for subscription-based games on Steam. [...] Steam customers may now sign-up for, manage, cancel or renew game Subscription Plans at any time, online directly through Steam.
On the front lines of this new Steam feature is none other than subscription-based sandbox MMO Darkfall Unholy Wars, which relaunched just last week.

Valve promises that "additional subscription-based games [will] follow" and posted a lengthy FAQ to ward off the tinfoil hat crowd.

MassivelyDarkfall Unholy Wars hits Steam as Valve introduces new subscription service originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agonaventurinedarkfalldarkfall-unholy-warsdffantasyopen-pvppvpsandboxsteamsubsubscriptionsubscriptionsunholy-warsvalveThu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/not-so-massively-new-star-citizen-column-path-of-exile-season/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively title image
If you've been following the development of upcoming crowdfunded sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen with interest, Massively has a brand-new column you might enjoy. The Diablo III test realm hinted at upcoming boosts to life regeneration and the damage output of a few spells, but Blizzard also suggested that a nerf to the Wizard Archon Form might be on the way. Path of Exile started its second season of race events, with over 200 events to take part in and massive prizes to be won.

Third-person MOBA SMITE added the 34th god to its roster this week with acrobatic assassin Ne Zha entering the fray, and Guardians of Middle-Earth released new DLC character Kili the Dwarf. Rise of Immortals added support for game replays and introduced and interesting new White Knight feature that lets players take over from characters who have disconnected or quit in the middle of a game.

Heroes of Newerth announced a huge upcoming balance patch that may finally get rid of the paid-for early hero access and promises to rebalance much of the game's expansive roster of characters. Dota 2's streamlined abuse report update backfired when players discovered they could use the report feature itself to abuse other players. And Firefall may finally be edging toward release with the announcement of a date for the start of open beta.

Continue reading Not So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news

MassivelyNot So Massively: New Star Citizen column, Path of Exile Season Two, and MOBA news originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abuseaction-mmoaction-rpgArmillary-Sashbalance-patchbattle-for-graxiabattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcloud-imperiumcompetitive-gamingconsoled3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dwarfe-sporte-sportseaearly-accessesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfire-batsfree-to-playgothic-fantasygraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguardians-of-middle-earthheroes-of-newerthhonhon-tourkilileague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmeldingmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmultiplayerne-zhanewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayeropen-betapatchpatchespath-of-exilepetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvpray-of-frostred-5-studiosreplayriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fistar-citizenterrauniverse-ringvalvevideowarner-broswhite-knightwhite-knight-queuewitch-doctorwizardwrath-of-the-lich-kingxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[City of Steam gets the green light]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/city-of-steam-gets-the-green-light/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/city-of-steam-gets-the-green-light/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/city-of-steam-gets-the-green-light/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

City of Steam has been greenlit for Steam
The steampunk browser MMO City of Steam is happy to announce today that it has been greenlit by the benevolent members of Steam.

What does this mean? It means that the people have spoken and they want to see City of Steam on... Steam, and the folks at Mechanist Games can now work with Valve to get the game up on the popular game distribution platform, opening the free-to-play title up to much more exposure.

Out of 1195 games campaigning for a spot on Steam, CoS came out in "8th or 9th place," according to the team's recent news post. Up next: getting out of beta and on to a finished client-based version for Steam.

Congratulations to everyone at Mechanist Games!

MassivelyCity of Steam gets the green light originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively title image
Patch 1.0.8 was released to the Diablo III public test realm this week, adding some big multiplayer upgrades and fixing quality of life issues with the Wizard class, crafting and the auction house. Path of Exile published its first series of articles in a new Development Manifesto forum looking into the thought process behind upcoming game changes and features. And sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen tackled the age-old problem of letting players have unique names without breaking immersion.

The European Dota 2 servers experienced heavy disruption this week as what appears to be a DDoS attack interfered with the DreamHack Invitationals and the G-1 qualifier tournament. A research firm also claimed that the game had recently passed giant of League of Legends in peak concurrent users despite publicly released statistics to the contrary.

Following on from its huge success in Russia, castle-building MOBA Prime World officially entered its English-language closed beta this week. Newly announced DC Comics MOBA Infinite Crisis released a champion profile video on new hero Green Lantern, and Heroes of Newerth published a classic hero spotlight on fan-favourite Devourer.

Continue reading Not So Massively: D3's patch 1.0.8, Dota 2 DDoS, and Prime World's closed beta

MassivelyNot So Massively: D3's patch 1.0.8, Dota 2 DDoS, and Prime World's closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgarchonauction-housebatmanbattlenetbetablizzardblizzard-entertainmentcallsigncastlechampion-profilechampion-spotlightchampion-spotlight-videocitycity-buildingclosed-betacloud-imperiumcompetitive-gamingd3dcdc-comicsddosdeckard-caindenial-of-servicedenial-of-service-attackdevelopment-manifestodevourerdfcdfc-intelligencediablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidosdotadota-2dreamhacke-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playg-1gothic-fantasygreen-lanterngrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshandlehero-spotlightheroes-of-newerthhoninfinite-crisisjokerleague-of-legendslolmobamultiplayernamenewsnivalnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayeropen-betapath-of-exilepeak-concurrent-userspoeprime-worldpvevppvpriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fistar-citizenstay-a-while-and-read-my-booksteamsupermanteleportthe-jokertournamentturbineusernamevalvevideowarner-broswizardwonder-womanMon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Research firm says Dota 2 tops League of Legends [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/research-firm-says-dota-2-tops-league-of-legends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/research-firm-says-dota-2-tops-league-of-legends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/research-firm-says-dota-2-tops-league-of-legends/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Dota 2 surpasses League of Legends in the west
Look out League of Legends: You've just been knocked down to second place. DFC Intelligence has determined that Valve's Dota 2 is now the most-played online game in the North America and Europe, with LoL in the number two spot and World of Warcraft in a distant third.

DFC made this claim based on its PC Game Meter service, which draws data from multiple sources. The service does not include browser and casual games in its report.

Update: Riot Games contacted us to say that DFC has retracted the report press release. GamesIndustry also posted the following update: "According to a Riot Games spokesperson, League of Legends sees 'over 500,000 peak concurrent players every day on just the EU West shard,' which doesn't even touch on players in the United States. This is contrasted with the 325,879 players that Valve's Steamgraph shows as the all-time high for Dota 2 beta."

MassivelyResearch firm says Dota 2 tops League of Legends [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentdfcdfc-intelligencedotadota-2e-sportesportf2pfantasyfree-to-playjeremy-millerleagueleague-of-legendslolmobariotriot-gamesvalvewarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 10 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: Game developers actually are rockstars]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/the-soapbox-game-developers-actually-are-rockstars/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/the-soapbox-game-developers-actually-are-rockstars/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/the-soapbox-game-developers-actually-are-rockstars/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Soapbox Game developers actually are rockstars
Shortly after this column series started, Massively's Shawn "Epic Beard" Schuster planted his feet on the wooden crate to tell us that game developers are not rockstars. And as much as it frightens me to disagree with him, I believe I have a moral obligation to let him know that he was wrong. Sure, his article pointed out that it takes a team to create a spectacular game and that the personalities of the gaming industry cannot do it by themselves. As he put it, even though Sid Meier didn't code all of Civilization and Richard Garriott didn't construct all of Tabula Rasa, their names sat proudly on the box. But just like rockstars, those two names and many more developers' names belong on the covers of their respective games.

Rockstars from Aerosmith to Beyonce are more than the faces on the covers of their albums. In college, I used to create CD covers for local recording artists, so I can tell you first-hand that even though there was only one name on the front, there were many names on the inside jacket, just as there are many names in game credits. So how exactly are game developers like superstar musicians? The analogy fits in nearly every single way.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Game developers actually are rockstars

MassivelyThe Soapbox: Game developers actually are rockstars originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-gontieraerosmithAscapbeyoncebiowarebungieCivilizationdayzdouble-fineeddie-veddereditorialedmund-mcmillenfeaturedgabe-newellhaloindie-game-the-movieJustin-BieberkickstarterKnights-of-the-Old-RepublicKnights-of-the-Old-Republic-2kurt-cobainLucasArtsmatt-walstmicheal-stipeObsidian-Entertainmentop-edopinionrantrantsRichard-Garriottscott-weilandshawn-schustershroud-of-the-avatarSid-Meiersoapboxstone-temple-pilotssuper-meat-boytabula-rasateam-meatthe-soapboxthree-days-graceTim-Schafertommy-refenesUltima-OnlinevalveTue, 02 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Release all the MOBA heroes!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/not-so-massively-release-all-the-moba-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/not-so-massively-release-all-the-moba-heroes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/not-so-massively-release-all-the-moba-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively title image
It's been a huge week for MOBAs, with several new characters being released and one game closing its doors for good. League of Legends finally revamped underused champion Karma and released new character Zac, a strange green blob who drops parts of himself all over the battlefield and can even revive after death. Dota 2 released classic hero Bristleback, a spined boar who slows enemies with a disgusting snot attack and slowly peppers them with spiked quills.

SMITE released god of music Apollo, who can deal damage by playing his lyre, sing enemies to sleep, and even power-slide like a rock star. Heroes of Newerth is in between hero releases, but its recent HoN 3.0 update has earned it the title of Best MOBA at PAX East 2013 by gaming website RTSGuru.

Warhammer-themed MOBA Wrath of Heroes officially closed its doors on March 29th, and its website has now been replaced with a message by producer James Casey. Finally, Diablo III's former Game Director Jay Wilson gave a talk at GDC 2013 in which he blamed many of the game's downfalls on both the gold and cash auction houses.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Release all the MOBA heroes!

MassivelyNot So Massively: Release all the MOBA heroes! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online forum screenshot
Selling power is a much quieter controversy than it used to be. I've been in gaming long enough to remember when selling anything desirable at all was taboo. At the same time, it's always been OK to sell some things like subscriptions or special boxed editions, proving that MMO gamers and others are brilliant at segmenting their rage. If it's a cool, special box with a neat virtual item inside, it somehow does not fall under the same umbrella as selling powerful, useful items in game. I think it does. But geeks in general are good at justifying poor behavior if they get what they want; just ask the hackers and file-swappers.

Still, it doesn't matter how we feel about selling power because the industry is already moving in the direction of selling power, lots of power. EA recently announced that every title it produces from now on will feature microtransactions. While that doesn't guarantee the sale of powerful items, I can promise that it will include some. This train ain't stopping. Sure, the console community seems a bit late to the party when it comes to the power-selling controversy, but that's likely because of MMOs' always-on multiplayer mode.

Continue reading Free for All: The continued standardization of selling power

MassivelyFree for All: The continued standardization of selling power originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinallods-onlineapbbattlestar-galactica-onlinebeau-hindmanBigpointcliff-bleszinskidead-space-3die2niteeve-onlineeverquestEverQuest-2everquest-iif2pfeaturedffafree-for-allfree-to-playfreemiumgamersfirstgears-of-warGears-of-war-2gpotatokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromabinogimass-effect-3mmortsmobileNexonnexon-americaopinionpirate101SOESONYspacetime-studiosTeam-Fortress-2turbinevalvevelvet-ropewakfuwizard101Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Diablo III's console constroversy and Wrath of Heroes' shutdown]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-console-constroversy-and-wrath-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-console-constroversy-and-wrath-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/not-so-massively-diablo-iii-console-constroversy-and-wrath-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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It's been a huge week for MOBAs, with the release of several new characters, a ton of balance changes, and even a game closing down for good. League of Legends announced that it will start officially supporting Mac and released a new Smart Ping system designed to help players work together as a team despite language barriers. SMITE showed off its new crowd-controlling water god, Poseidon, and console MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth released a new Survival game mode DLC.

We heard the unfortunate news that Wrath of Heroes will be closing its doors at the end of the month, and it's not the only game going out of business. Online FPS Bullet Run, formerly known as Hedone, is due to shut down on Friday, March 8th, in a big final event. It's not all doom and gloom, though, as Dota 2 has hit another impressive milestone, passing 300,000 peak concurrent players. The first season of Heroes of Newerth's HoN Tour league is soon to draw to a close, and developers are planning a huge balance patch before the next season kicks off.

Blizzard enraged Diablo III fans this week with the announcement that the console version will not feature the controversial always-online DRM and can be played offline. Path of Exile detailed its next open beta patch, which is due to introduce a new fire skill, a 3v3 dueling arena, and significant Duelist class buffs. Online FPS Firefall produced a new trailer this week showing off its flight gameplay amidst criticism from fans over its lack of beta content. Finally, sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen gave fans a look behind the curtain of game development in its biggest development update video yet.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III's console constroversy and Wrath of Heroes' shutdown

MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III's console constroversy and Wrath of Heroes' shutdown originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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[Not So Massively: Path of Exile events, Diablo III coming to PS4, and huge MOBA updates]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/not-so-massively-path-of-exile-events-diablo-iii-coming-to-ps4/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/not-so-massively-path-of-exile-events-diablo-iii-coming-to-ps4/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/not-so-massively-path-of-exile-events-diablo-iii-coming-to-ps4/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Blizzard revealed this week that Diablo III will be coming to both the PlayStation 3 and Sony's new PlayStation 4 console and will be shown off at PAX. Torchlight II developer Runic Games announced that the game will soon be localised to Japanese and Chinese for its upcoming release in Asia; a free DLC is on the way with three new Asian-themed pets. Path of Exile revealed the schedule for its first full season of ladder-style race events and announced new account security options along with its new policy to never restore items from hacked accounts.

League of Legends unveiled its new champion duo, Quinn and Valor, a dynamic pair of characters that work together as a single champion to dominate teamfights. Heroes of Newerth revealed its own new hero with a video spotlight on Saloman, a melee support hero who gains power from movement and can heal and shield his allies.

Dota 2 added a new Hero Build feature to its beta this week, giving players access to community-produced skill and item builds for all heroes. Console MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth showed off its new goblin DLC character Snaga, and online FPS Blacklight: Retribution detailed its upcoming Onslaught expansion, which comes with three new game modes.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Path of Exile events, Diablo III coming to PS4, and huge MOBA updates

MassivelyNot So Massively: Path of Exile events, Diablo III coming to PS4, and huge MOBA updates originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Path of Exile released several patches this week, adding new map types and fixing a number of bugs. Developers also revealed that the schedule for upcoming open beta content additions will begin with the next patch. Diablo III released patch 1.0.7 this week, adding a new dueling mechanic to the game and a brand-new endgame farming task based around collecting Demonic Essence to craft powerful account-bound gear. The patch also included some much-needed buffs for popular Wizard and Monk abilities.

SMITE revealed its new ranged crowd-control god Neith this week; she manipulates invisible magical weaves to empower her attacks. And Dota 2 released classic hero Tusk, who can roll himself and his team into a giant snowball of death. League of Legends announced a series of buffs for Nasus, Akali, and Riven in a new Patch Preview video, in addition to changes to items with the cooldown reduction stat.

Heroes of Newerth's patch 3.0.2 fixed an exploit with the Insanitarius item, while competitive team Trademark eSports secured its fourth win in the Diamond division of the HoN Tour league. Finally, Star Citizen continued to break gaming crowdfunding records this week as its total funds raised passed the $8,000,000 US mark.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III launches patch 1.0.7, Path of Exile gets new content

MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III launches patch 1.0.7, Path of Exile gets new content originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Path of Exile continued upgrading its servers to cope with the increasing load of new players following its open beta release, closing the servers for three hours this week to add several new database servers. Massively exclusively revealed Blacklight: Retribution's new Safehold and metro maps, and Firefall developer Red 5 Studios explained its development plans for the next quarter.

Rise of Immortals released a spotlight video on its new long-range mage immortal Undine, while Guardians of Middle-Earth showed off its latest two DLC characters Radagast the Brown Wizard and Glóin, father of Gimli.

League of Legends made some balance changes to its Honor system, which rewards players for being nice to each other. Riot also talked to some of Season 3's newest competitive players about what being a professional gamer means to them. Dota 2 finally got its long-awaited team matchmaking system this week, and community broadcaster Beyond The Summit launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for full-time tournament broadcasting.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Path of Exile server upgrades, Dota 2 broadcasters turn to crowdfunding

MassivelyNot So Massively: Path of Exile server upgrades, Dota 2 broadcasters turn to crowdfunding originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoantisocial-behaviorbattle-for-graxiabeyond-the-summitblacklightblacklight-retributionbroadcastersbroadcastingcompetitive-gamingconsolediablodotadota-2e-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfpsfree-to-playgimligloingraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshonorhonor-systemleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmatchmakingmetromicrotransactionsmiddle-earthmmofpsmobamonolithmonolith-studiosnewsnot-so-massivelynsmpath-of-exileperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvppweradagastred-5-studiosretributionriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uproundupSafeholdserverserver-downtimeserversteam-matchmakingtournamenttournamentsundinevalvevideowarner-brosxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should you be able to resell your digital downloads?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/the-daily-grind-should-you-be-able-to-resell-your-digital-downl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/the-daily-grind-should-you-be-able-to-resell-your-digital-downl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/the-daily-grind-should-you-be-able-to-resell-your-digital-downl/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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Gamasutra recently reported on a German consumer advocacy group that has a bone to pick with the game industry's largest digital distributor. VZBV has gone to court over a complaint against Valve which stems from the software giant's stance against digital resales.

Valve's Steam platform doesn't allow users to sell previously purchased games, and VZBV says that similar policies will harm digital distribution over the long-term "as users realize more fully the implications of having their content tied down to a single digital platform."

It can be argued, though, that the industry-wide shift to digital is predicated on the desire for more control over end users and the desire to kill used game sales, so it will be interesting to see Valve's response to this and other similar challenges that may surface in the future. What say you, Massively readers? Do you think you should be able to resell your digital games?

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: Should you be able to resell your digital downloads? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grinddigital-distributiondigital-resalemonopolyopinionsteamtdgthe-daily-grindvalvevzwMon, 04 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/not-so-massively-open-betas-antisocial-players-and-graphical-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/not-so-massively-open-betas-antisocial-players-and-graphical-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/not-so-massively-open-betas-antisocial-players-and-graphical-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Path of Exile entered open beta this week as a peak of 56,700 simultaneous players piled into the servers to check the game out. Open beta brought with it the final character wipe, so for all intents and purposes, the game has now released. Upcoming first-person MOBA SMITE similarly opened its doors to the public last Thursday and released a series of new gameplay updates and graphical overhauls.

League of Legends issued permanent game bans to two extremely antisocial professional players, effectively removing Team Solo Mebdi from upcoming European competitive tournaments. Dota 2 moved to curb antisocial harassment behaviour this week by implementing new privacy features to stop players' stats from being tracked by third-party rating websites.

Heroes of Newerth announced some major upcoming graphical and gameplay overhauls with its massive Patch 3.0 update that will go live in just a few days. The update aims to revamp the map graphics and introduce bots for players to play against in a new co-op mode. Rise of Immortals continued development with the release of its new mage immortal Undine, and Blizzard announced that its upcoming MOBA Blizzard All-Stars is still in development.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls

MassivelyNot So Massively: Open betas, antisocial players and graphical overhauls originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgaiantisocialantisocial-behaviorbanbansbattle-for-graxiabattlenetblizzardblizzard-all-starsblizzard-dotablizzard-entertainmentchampionchampion-spotlightchampionscompetitive-gamingd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dotabuffe-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgothic-fantasygraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesharassmentheroheroesheroes-of-newerthhonlaunchlaunchesleague-of-legendslolmobamultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpatchpatch-3.0path-of-exilepermanent-banpetroglyphpetroglyph-gamespoepvpriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamesStunnedandSlayedthreshundinevalveVeigodxvideoMon, 28 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/not-so-massively-jay-wilson-steps-down-layoffs-at-gas-powered/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/not-so-massively-jay-wilson-steps-down-layoffs-at-gas-powered/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/not-so-massively-jay-wilson-steps-down-layoffs-at-gas-powered/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Gas Powered Games laid off 80% of its workforce this week as the studio's future became uncertain. CEO Chris Taylor revealed that if his Kickstarter campaign for new action RPG Wildman fails, the company will have to close its doors. Jay Wilson stepped down as Diablo III's Lead Game Designer to move on to other projects but assured players that the game will continue to be regularly updated. With less than a week to go until Path of Exile opens its doors to the public, two Massively freelancers recently tried the game and delivered their verdicts.

Rise of Immortals released its new All Random All Mid game mode that promises short casual matches, while Dota 2 revealed its new Least Played mode that forces players to pick heroes they ordinarily avoid. Heroes of Newerth's new ranged agility hero, Bushwack, hit the servers last Friday, and League of Legends announced early details of its upcoming support champion, Thresh. For those who've ever wanted to get into competitive League of Legends gaming, Riot Games also published an infographic this week showing the path to this season's competitive championship tournament.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games

MassivelyNot So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Several Diablo III players have recently been caught abusing the votekick feature to kill other players in public games. Undeterred, Blizzard announced details of upcoming patch 1.0.7's new Demonic Essence and PvP duelling system. Path of Exile called last orders on its crowdfunding campaign and revealed that 150 people have already bought the $1,000 diamond supporter's pack.

We interviewed Ironclad on upcoming MOBA Sins of a Dark Age, its new Realm Quest feature, and plans to support competitive gaming. Dota 2 completitive tournament website joinDOTA has had its YouTube channel restored following last week's unexpected and still unexplained shutdown. To add a bit more of a competitive spirit to its own game, Hi-Rez Studios published a list of SMITE's top 200 players and revealed new character Hercules.

With the League of Legends North American championship qualifiers underway, this week Riot Games revealed its new digital artwork contest and displayed the five gingerbread masterpieces that won its recent sculpture contest. Bloodline Champions celebrated its second birthday yesterday with a free gift for all players, but developers admitted that updates will be much less frequent from now on. Last but certainly not least, a new video has been making the rounds recently showing an upcoming 10-player World of Warcraft battleground suspiciously named Defense of the Alehouse

Continue reading Not So Massively: Exploits, updates, and World of Warcraft's DotA battleground

MassivelyNot So Massively: Exploits, updates, and World of Warcraft's DotA battleground originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgactivisionartbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbloodline-championscompetitive-gamingcontestcrowdfundingd3demonic-essencediablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2duelduelingduellinge-sporte-sportsesportesportsexploitf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfuncomgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesherculeshi-rez-studiosinterviewironcladironclad-gamesjoindotaleague-of-legendslolmobamonster-powermultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpatch-1.0.7path-of-exilepoepvpriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgsins-of-a-dark-agestunlockstunlock-studiosvalvevideowacomwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 14 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sins of a Dark Age plans to evolve the MOBA genre]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/sins-of-a-dark-age-plans-to-evolve-the-moba-genre/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/sins-of-a-dark-age-plans-to-evolve-the-moba-genre/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/sins-of-a-dark-age-plans-to-evolve-the-moba-genre/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Over the past few years, the Defense of the Ancients-inspired MOBA genre has spawned some of the biggest games on the planet. League of Legends has become one of the most played PC games in the world, and both it and Dota 2 now pump millions of dollars per year into competitive tournaments. It looks like MOBAs are here to stay, but the genre is still relatively young and there's plenty of room to experiment with new gameplay.

Upcoming MOBA Sins of a Dark Age plans to evolve the genre with the addition of a new Realm Quest feature. At random points throughout a match, quests may spawn that change the rules of the game and provide new opportunities for conflict. Developer Ironclad Games, known for its Sins of a Solar Empire franchise, hopes this will add a new strategic level to the game that favours players who can adapt to changing circumstances and take advantage of the opportunities that quests present. Sins of a Dark Age will be free-to-play on release but you can join the closed beta now by purchasing a Founder Edition package.

Read on for our interview with Ironclad co-founder and producer Blair Fraser on the Realm Quest system and plans to support competitive gaming in Sins of a Dark Age.

Gallery: Sins of a Dark Age

Continue reading Sins of a Dark Age plans to evolve the MOBA genre

MassivelySins of a Dark Age plans to evolve the MOBA genre originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The League of Legends North American online qualifiers took place this weekend, with 32 teams competing for just eight spots in the upcoming offline qualifiers in Los Angeles. Dota 2's competitive tournament scene suffered a setback when tournament website joinDOTA had its YouTube account and channel inexplicably closed. Rise of Immortals is gearing up for its first official tournament, and Guardians of Middle-Earth has $5,000 up for grabs in its first console MOBA e-sports cups.

The Kickstarter campaign for Elite: Dangerous blasted through its goal in the final two days thanks to a huge wave of last-minute pledges. Off the back of the popularity of its own crowdfunding campaign, action RPG Path of Exile upgraded and battle-tested its servers to handle over 50,000 concurrent players.

Upcoming MOBA Sins of a Dark Age aims to add a twist to the modern MOBA with randomly spawned Realm Quests that add another tactical level to the standard 5v5 gameplay. Finally, Blizzard highlighted several player-made videos this week showing some of the optimum Diablo III farming routes for players on the race to paragon level 100.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Cash prize MOBA tournaments and crowdfunding success!

MassivelyNot So Massively: Cash prize MOBA tournaments and crowdfunding success! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dota 2's Frostivus holiday festival turned sour when Greevils stole all the presents, and you can hunt them down for both naughty and nice rewards. Heroes of Newerth was hit by a real-life Grinch this week as hackers breached the game's security and stole the password database, but developers pressed on with their Christmas update and the release of new hero Lodestone. League of Legends got in the Snowdown spirit with a spotlight on new melee initiator Vi, and Riot Games revealed plans to slow down new champion releases and make older champions significantly cheaper.

Elite: Dangerous faces a tense holiday season, with over £300,000 ($484,000) still left to raise on its Kickstarter campaign, which is currently trending to end at a nail-biting 90%. The wealth of recent video updates and trailers should help convince people to pledge before it's too late. Diablo III's first big item duplication scandal reared its ugly head when as it emerged that some Taiwanese players had been abusing the anti-theft rollback support that's meant to protect people when their accounts are hacked. A short interview with Jay Wilson from the Spike Video Game Awards also emerged this week, and in it Jay promised that 2013 will be a big year for the game.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Merry Christmas, Frostivus, Greeviling, and Snowdown!

MassivelyNot So Massively: Merry Christmas, Frostivus, Greeviling, and Snowdown! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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[Not So Massively: Of Hobbits and space ships]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/not-so-massively-of-hobbits-and-space-ships/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/not-so-massively-of-hobbits-and-space-ships/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/not-so-massively-of-hobbits-and-space-ships/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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David Braben released a new update on the development of upcoming sci-fi sandbox game Elite: Dangerous, while the success of the game's Kickstarter campaign still remains uncertain. Star Citizen's developers revealed several of the game's ships; developer Chris Roberts made the bold claim that the studio will "compete with any AAA game out there."

To celebrate the recent cinema release of The Hobbit, console MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth revealed its Hobbit-themed DLC that lets you play as Bilbo Baggins and includes a new playable map of The Shire. Dota 2 revealed its own new DLC with the impressive winners of its fan-designed hero skin contest and passed the 200,000 peak concurrent user mark despite still being officially in beta. Likewise, despite having just entered beta itself, Rise of Immortals announced that its first official winter tournament is scheduled for next month. League of Legends also celebrated the winter holiday with an adorable gingerbread baking contest.

Blizzard has been catching some flack for the lack of promised PvP features in Diablo III, and now it looks as if we won't even be getting information on the patch until next year. Blizzard has also unofficially got a version of the game running on non-PC hardware, which could signal a possible upcoming console release. Path of Exile continued to gear up for its January release with load-testing events and a series of new ladder events. And Torchlight II's developers round out the year with a look back at the game's development and some hints as to what might come next for the franchise.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Of Hobbits and space ships

MassivelyNot So Massively: Of Hobbits and space ships originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgbattle-for-graxiabattlenetbilbobilbo-bagginsblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrabenccpccp-gameschris-robertscloud-imperiumcompetitive-gamingconsoleconsolesd3david-brabendiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportseliteelite-dangerousesportesportseveeve-onlinef2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrontierfrontier-developmentsgothic-fantasygraxiagrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshobbithobbit-gamehobbitsjay-wilsonkickstarterleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpath-of-exilepetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvpriotriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsroiround-uprounduprpgrunic-gamessandboxsci-fispacespace-shipsspaceshipsstar-citizenthe-hobbitthe-shirevalvevideowarner-brosxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Everyone wants PvP arenas and tournaments]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/10/not-so-massively-everyone-wants-pvp-arenas-and-tournaments/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/10/not-so-massively-everyone-wants-pvp-arenas-and-tournaments/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/10/not-so-massively-everyone-wants-pvp-arenas-and-tournaments/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Diablo III's lead game designer Jay Wilson raised a few eyebrows this week with a retraction of his previous statement about an upcoming blog on PvP arenas, stating that complications have once again delayed the feature. Livestreamer Kripparian took a break from the world of Sanctuary to try Path of Exile's PvP arena system, which is due to go live with the start of open beta. The open beta date has also unfortunately been pushed back from December to January 24th to allow for the holiday season.

Dota 2's focus on competitive PvP tournaments continued this week with an interesting experiment in selling virtual tournament tickets bundled with exclusive cosmetic items. If successful, the new system could be used to organically fund player-run competitive tournaments. Heroes of Newerth's competitive players know every trick in the book, and in an interesting new video series, one player aims to reveal many of them in the run-up to Christmas.

League of Legends released its new support hero, Nami, the Tidecaller, and detailed the massive changes coming to the game to keep competitive season three fresh. Upcoming MOBA Prime World discussed its talent system, which merges active spells and passive bonuses with a collectable card game mechanic, and Rise of Immortals celebrated its impending re-release with its new immortal Ustat.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Everyone wants PvP arenas and tournaments

MassivelyNot So Massively: Everyone wants PvP arenas and tournaments originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been a relaxed week for MOBA news as developers return from DreamHack Winter 2012 and the Thanksgiving break. League of Legends took things slowly with a look at competitive gamer Alex Ich's favourite champion. The Dota 2 scene also took it easy with a relaxed tournament at the World Cyber Games. Bloodline Champions players have noticed that every week seems to be slow in the game and have started looking for ways to draw in new players.

Not every studio has had time to chill out this week, however, as Monolith Studios prepares to launch its console MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth. As part of the run-up to launch, developers released a new video looking at team-based strategies and introduced new heroes Haldir and Lugbol. Rise of Immortals' massive Battle For Graxia overhaul is also gearing up for launch and is now officially in open beta.

Diablo III game designer Jay Wilson confirmed that there are no plans for PvP-specific gear in the game and promised that an update on the development of PvP arenas will be released "very soon." The Path of Exile developers promised to announce the final date for open beta soon as well and teased players this week with a colossal 25MB image of the game's full passive skill tree.

Continue reading Not So Massively: No PvP gear in Diablo III, and the first console MOBA launch

MassivelyNot So Massively: No PvP gear in Diablo III, and the first console MOBA launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the world's biggest annual LAN parties took place this week at DreamHack Winter 2012, where the European e-sports communities faced off in a series of huge tournaments. League of Legends' tense tournament was streamed around the world as favourite CLG.EU suffered defeat at the hands of Fnatic.RaidCall. Dota 2's Corsair Vengeance Cup followed up with one of the most spectacular grand finals in MOBA history, as relatively unknown team NoTidehunter completely demolished Evil Geniuses with an incredible never-before-seen baiting tactic.

Heroes of Newerth pulled out the big guns with a massive $32,000 US top prize for its DreamHoN tournament and also revealed its new stealthy assassin hero, Grinex. Blizzard conceded that it has no plans to develop a Diablo III e-sports scene despite plans to introduce PvP arenas by the end of the year, and livestreamer Athene shocked fans when he managed to kill Diablo in the game's toughest difficulty setting with a naked character. Path of Exile continued its own competitive ladders this week and delivered a huge progress update on the development of the game's third act.

Console gamers who are looking for something new will probably want to get their hands on the first console MOBA, Guardians of Middle-Earth, but they may not be familiar with MOBA gameplay. Developers released the fourth video in a new series designed to explain the genre's gameplay to console players, delving into the game's potion and item system. If mobile gaming is more your thing, mobile MMO Order & Chaos Online produced a brand-new spinoff game this week: Heroes of Order & Chaos, set to become the world's first mobile MOBA when it releases for free on Android and iOS.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2012, and Athene's naked Diablo kill

MassivelyNot So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2012, and Athene's naked Diablo kill originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen secured $2.1 million US on Kickstarter this week, adding to the $4.1 million in crowdfunding the game has already received. League of Legends released new champion Zed, a deadly assassin who can summon his own shadow as an ally, and SMITE unveiled the hilarious Bacchus, Roman god of wine, lewd behavour, and madness. Valve announced a new Dota 2 chat feature that promises to break down the language barrier between MOBA players in different countries, and a new strategy threatens to upset the game's map balance in favour of the Radiant side.

As developers geared up for next month's launch, Guardians of Middle-Earth looked back at the PAX 2012 tournament that pitted the fresh-faced general public against a team of professionals. With the end of the year fast approaching, there are still no signs of Diablo III's promised PvP arena patch despite assurances that it's still under development. Path of Exile will open to the public next month, complete with its own PvP arenas and three finished acts. Developers showed off part of the third act this week in a new Build of the Week video.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Star Citizen, MOBA heroes, and no PvP for D3

MassivelyNot So Massively: Star Citizen, MOBA heroes, and no PvP for D3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a flurry of sci-fi sandbox kickstarting this week, Star Citizen's crowdfunding campaign passed the million dollar mark and David Braben revealed plans for a sequel to the incredibly successful Elite series. Diablo III announced a wave of bans linked to the use of third-party launcher and botting software and revealed that an expansion is on the way.

Path of Exile continued on the path to open beta this week with the announcement of a secure trade system and two closed-beta hardcore race events. League of Legends began preparations for its upcoming third competitive season this week as developers explored item balance and jungling changes on the way. Plans include making early game jungler ganks less viable and introducing new items for specialised builds.

Heroes of Newerth's voting system was made anonymous in this week's patch in an effort to prevent players from being singled out or pressured into conceding matches. Dota 2 released its hilarious Reverse Captain's Mode, which lets each team pick the heroes it wants the other team to play. Console MOBA Guardians of Middle-earth announced its release date this week and revealed two new heroes, Thráin and Gothmog. Finally, Prime World gave details of its persistent castle system, which may tie the game into Facebook.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Sci-fi sandboxes, LoL pre-season updates, and D3 bans

MassivelyNot So Massively: Sci-fi sandboxes, LoL pre-season updates, and D3 bans originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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League of Legends introduced its upcoming third competitive season with an article explaining how European teams can qualify to enter next year's championship and compete for massive cash prizes. Dota 2 temporarily turned MMO this week with its Diretide Halloween map that turns the game into a collection quest and then a 10-man raid.

SMITE revealed its new god Loki, adding a deadly backstabbing assassin to the game's growing roster of characters. Guardians of Middle-Earth also released its first two real hard carries this week with a Battle Profile on Ori and Agandaûr, two characters whose ability power scales up with each use. Heroes of Newerth's inclusive competitive league HoNTour got off to a great start this week despite early setbacks.

Upcoming action RPG Path of Exile spruced up its website this week and released its anticipated PvP arena patch. Diablo III players have reported that monsters with the Reflect Damage affix are almost impossible to kill in higher Monster Power levels. Finally, the first Firefall Fest saw special guests Athene, Felicia Day, and Wil Wheaton trying the game for the first time, and Blacklight: Retribution released its Evacuation update.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Halloween events, tournaments and character reveals

MassivelyNot So Massively: Halloween events, tournaments and character reveals originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III lost to Skyrim at this year's Golden Joystick awards, but it was named as a runner-up in two categories. Blizzard also reduced the difficulty of increased Monster Power levels this week by about 25%, and one player managed to design an insane Barbarian build capable of dealing 2.6 million damage per second. Path of Exile followed up with the fourteenth crazy character build in its Build of the Week series, and the devs revealed that the New Zealand government has not provided any support for the game.

League of Legends was voted the runner-up for the Golden Joystick Best MMO award despite the fact that it's not an MMO. Developers revealed some interesting updates for the game's 3v3 Twisted Treeline battleground, and officially released a new champion named Elise the Spider Queen. Heroes of Newerth revealed its own new hero this week, an adorable support character called Pearl the Bubble Mage.

Dota 2 added classic hero Centaur in this week's beta update, and Rise of Immortals published some more details of its upcoming Battle for Graxia revamp. Guardians of Middle-Earth revealed its newest combatants this week, fearless warrior Éowyn and ruthless Orc warlord Mozgog. Finally, Blacklight: Retribution raised its level cap to 40 in preparation for the upcoming Evacuation update.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Golden Joysticks, new heroes, and insane character builds

MassivelyNot So Massively: Golden Joysticks, new heroes, and insane character builds originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III's patch 1.0.5 launched this week, bringing in a brand-new Monster Power system and the Infernal machine endgame event. Upcoming action RPG Path of Exile announced that it will begin open beta in December, complete with a full three acts of content and a PvP arena system.

In MOBA news, League of Legends announced details of its massive Halloween update with new icons, ward skins, and brand-new transforming champion Elise, the Spider Queen. Heroes of Newerth's new competitive league was delayed this week due to technical difficulties, and SMITE revealed its newest God Freya, Queen of the Valkyries.

Dota 2 players came up with some surprising results on the most effective team compositions by analysing the details of 39,626 matches, and Wrath of Heroes released its new Garden of Morr scenario. Upcoming MOBA Prime World revealed details of its Outpost game mode in which two teams escort huge battle robots toward each other. And Monolith Studios gave us our second peek behind the scenes of development on upcoming console MOBA Guardians of Middle-earth.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Behind the scenes of MOBA development

MassivelyNot So Massively: Behind the scenes of MOBA development originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgarenabattlenetbetabiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentchampioncompetitive-gamingconsoleconsole-mobad3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportseaelectronic-artseliseesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfreyagarden-of-morrgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshalloweenheroes-of-newerthhoninfernalinfernal-machineleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmonster-powermultiplayermythicmythic-entertainmentnewsnivalnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayeropen-betaoutpostpath-of-exileplaystation-networkpoeprime-worldps3psnpvevppvppvp-arenariotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamesspiderspider-queenstatisticsuberuber-bossesubersvalvevideowarhammerwarhammer-wrath-of-heroeswarner-broswohwrath-of-heroesxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: MOBA development, LoL tournament cheating, and D3's Monster Power]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/15/not-so-massively-moba-development-lol-tournament-cheating-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/15/not-so-massively-moba-development-lol-tournament-cheating-and/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/15/not-so-massively-moba-development-lol-tournament-cheating-and/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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The League of Legends $2,000,000 World Championship was rocked by controversy this week as several teams were caught cheating. Despite being fined, Korean Team Azubu Frost was allowed to continue in the competition and made it all the way to the grand final to face Taiwanese favourite Taipei Assassins. Dota 2 launched a new art contest this week that asks players to design and sell virtual items, and Heroes of Newerth delved into the lore and design decisions surrounding its newest item: Lightbrand.

Guardians of Middle-earth announced its release date this week and revealed new heroes Beregond and Felgrom. SMITE started a new video series looking into the stories behind each of its gods and how the development team matched that god's abilities to the lore. Finally, Diablo III revealed the hard facts and figures on its upcoming Monster Power system, which lets players increase the game's difficulty in exchange for higher rewards.

Continue reading Not So Massively: MOBA development, LoL tournament cheating, and D3's Monster Power

MassivelyNot So Massively: MOBA development, LoL tournament cheating, and D3's Monster Power originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgArtemisazubu-frostbattlenetBeregondblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcheatcheaterscheatingcompetitive-gamingconsoled3dawnbringerdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2e-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfelgromfinalfinalsfirebrandfree-to-playgothic-fantasygrand-finalheroes-of-newerthhi-rez-studioshonicebrandkoreakoreanleague-of-legendslightbrandlollord-of-the-ringslorelotrmiddle-earthmillion-dollarsmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmonster-powermultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerplaystation-networkpolycountps3psnpvprelease-daterelease-datesriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamessouth-koreansummoners-cuptaipei-assassinstaiwantaiwanesetournamentvalvevideowarner-brosworld-championshipsxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 15 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: LoL World Championship, HoN Tour, and D3 patch 1.0.5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/not-so-massively-lol-world-championship-hon-tour-and-d3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/not-so-massively-lol-world-championship-hon-tour-and-d3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/not-so-massively-lol-world-championship-hon-tour-and-d3-patch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Diablo III's endgame woes may soon be a thing of the past as patch 1.0.5 hit the test realm this week with some awesome new endgame content and much-needed magic-find buffs. Upcoming action RPG Path of Exile had no trouble keeping its beta players engaged, with this week's Turbo Hardcore league event giving players the ultimate challenge.

North America's hopes of winning the League of Legends World Championship were dashed this week as all three US teams were knocked out of the competition along with Dota 2 world champions Invictus Gaming. Heroes of Newerth fought back with its new competitive HoN Tour event, which aims to give hundreds of cash prizes away to players of all skill levels.

Dota 2 released classic hero Magnus this week, SMITE revealed its newest god Ares, and Guardians of Middle-earth showed off its two newest additions: Nori and Wulfrun. Finally, Russian MOBA success Prime World revealed some details on its PvEvP Dragonwald game mode ahead of the release of its North American and European beta tests.

Continue reading Not So Massively: LoL World Championship, HoN Tour, and D3 patch 1.0.5

MassivelyNot So Massively: LoL World Championship, HoN Tour, and D3 patch 1.0.5 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgaresbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentclgclg-primecompetitive-gamingconsolecounter-logic-gamingd3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dragonwalde-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgodgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshardcoreheroes-of-newerthhonhon-tourhontourinfernal-machineinvictus-gamingleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmagic-findmagnusmiddle-earthmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmonster-powermoscow-5multiplayerNephalem-ValornewsnivalNorinorth-americanot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpatchpatch-1.0.5patchespath-of-exileplayoffspoeprime-worldps3psnpvevppvpresplendent-chestsriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamesteam-solo-midturbo-hardcorevalvevideowarner-brosworld-championshipsWulfrunxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/not-so-massively-diablo-iiis-monster-power-system-and-lols-wo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/not-so-massively-diablo-iiis-monster-power-system-and-lols-wo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/not-so-massively-diablo-iiis-monster-power-system-and-lols-wo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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This week Riot Games revealed details of the League of Legends $2,000,000 World Championship that's just two weeks away. Dota 2 celebrated its own world champions with a new blog post dedicated to the Aegis of Champions plaque given to this year's winners of The International. Upcoming console MOBA Guardians of Middle-earth showed off its PAX 2012 recap video this week, and Heroes of Newerth revealed its new hero, Solstice, who transforms during the night.

Torchlight II continues to dominate the game charts this week with impressive sales on Steam and even more impressive Metacritic scores. Upcoming free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile took another big step toward release this week with the addition of voice acting to quests. And Blizzard revealed details on Diablo III's next big patch, discussing increased legendary drop rates and the new Monster Power system that will let players customise their own difficulty levels.

Upcoming FPS Firefall revealed its impressive plans for Dynamic Events this week, with both local events and global invasions on the menu. Finally, Blacklight: Retribution followed last week's sniper montage contest with details of a new sniper-focused map and a new sniper rifle that would make Counterstrike players cry.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships

MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III's Monster Power system and LoL's World Championships originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-million-dollarsaction-mmoaction-rpgaegis-of-championsand-then-we-doubled-itbarbarianbattlenetblacklightblacklight-retributionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcash-prizecompetitive-gamingconsoled3diablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2dynamic-eventdynamic-eventse-sporte-sportsenergy-twisteresportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfpsfree-to-playgothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguild-wars-2gw2heroes-of-newerthhoninfernojay-wilsonleague-of-legendslegendarylegendary-itemslegendary-weaponslollord-of-the-ringslotrmagic-findmetacriticmeteormiddle-earthmmofpsmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmonster-powermultiplayerncsoftnerfnewsnot-so-massivelynsmone-million-dollarsonline-multiplayerpath-of-exileperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentplaqueplaystation-networkpoeps3psnpvppweriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgrun-like-the-winds2s2-gamessolsticesteamvalvevideovoice-actingwarner-broswhirlwindwizardwizard-nerfwyatt-chengxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360zombie-studiosMon, 01 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anarchy Online prepares for Steam debut]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/anarchy-online-prepares-for-steam-debut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/anarchy-online-prepares-for-steam-debut/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/01/anarchy-online-prepares-for-steam-debut/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Anarchy Online prepares for Steam debut
You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Don't tell that to Anarchy Online because the classic MMO is preparing to carve a place for itself on Valve's digital distribution platform. AO Producer Dave Williams writes that the title should make its way to Steam very soon. In addition, he posted a chart of all of the new subscription options and bonuses that are now available.

Williams touches on a number of important developments in the most recent producer's letter, in particular some staff reshuffling and word about the server migration.

Of course, what everyone wants to hear about is the graphics engine upgrade. Williams confirms that it and the new player experience are still on course for an early 2013 public beta, and he was able to show one of the new features that the engine will allow: armor meshes. These meshes will allow the Funcom team to create additional 3-D objects to stick onto armor, giving players a more unique (and updated) look.

MassivelyAnarchy Online prepares for Steam debut originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaoclassic-mmodave-williamsdream-enginef2pfree-to-playfuncomgraphics-enginegraphics-updatenew-player-experienceproducers-lettersci-fisteamsubscription-optionsvalveMon, 01 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The $10,000 New Eden Open]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/eve-evolved-the-10-000-new-eden-open/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/eve-evolved-the-10-000-new-eden-open/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/eve-evolved-the-10-000-new-eden-open/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Competitive tournaments are nothing new to gaming, but the past few years have seen an an absolute e-sports explosion. The rise of the MOBA genre is partly responsible, with new games taking DotA's tradition of industry-sponsored tournaments to new heights. Both Dota 2 and League of Legends have world championship top prizes of over a million dollars, and smaller MOBAs regularly hand out tens of thousands to winners. The recent surge in livestreaming has had an equally big part to play, with some games netting more home viewers than real televised sports. There's no doubt about it: This is the year that e-sports takes over.

EVE Online has always had a tradition of in-game tournaments, with thousands of people tuning in every year to watch its annual Alliance Tournament. The tournament turns EVE's normally asymmetric PvP on its head by putting everyone on a roughly level playing field to compete for huge in-game prizes. Players were excited this week to learn that CCP Games is launching its very first competitive tournament with a real cash prize. The $10,000 New Eden Open could be the start of something really big, but will EVE's famous political and spying metagame get in the way?

In this week's EVE Evolved, I investigate the details of EVE's $10,000 tournament, the source of the money pouring into e-sports, the potential of a big EVE e-sports scene, and how EVE's metagame could interfere with the New Eden Open.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The $10,000 New Eden Open

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The $10,000 New Eden Open originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor Nexon and NCsoft eye Valve buyout
A South Korean newspaper is reporting that MMO companies Nexon and NCsoft are joining forces to consider buying Valve. The two companies have been gathering together funds via stock sales and real estate deals. A meeting between the three companies supposedly happened in Hawaii on September 26th to haggle on a $893 million-plus deal.

The three companies are already entangled in various business dealings. Nexon is NCsoft's biggest shareholder, and both companies have titles represented on Valve's Steam service. Additionally, Nexon licenses Counterstrike in Asia and announced that Counterstrike 2 was on the way.

NCsoft said that "there is no truth to this rumor" while Nexon refused to comment. Valve has been the subject of other attempted buyouts, including a reportedly $1 billion-plus deal from EA. Valve CEO Gabe Newell has gone on record saying that it would be more likely for Valve to disband than the company selling out.

MassivelyRumor: Nexon and NCsoft eye Valve buyout originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buyoutcounterstrikecounterstrike-2dealeaelectronic-artsgabe-newellncsoftnexonrumorsteamvalvevalve-softwareThu, 27 Sep 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Torchlight II free demo, Diablo III's Ubers revealed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/not-so-massively-torchlight-ii-free-demo-diablo-iiis-ubers-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/not-so-massively-torchlight-ii-free-demo-diablo-iiis-ubers-re/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/24/not-so-massively-torchlight-ii-free-demo-diablo-iiis-ubers-re/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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It's been a long time coming, but Torchlight II is finally here, and you can play a demo version of it completely free. Diablo III fansite Diablofans has been digging around in the test realm patch files to find out how the game's new Uber bosses works and what awesome rewards can be found by fighting them. Path of Exile celebrates its fourth successful public stress test weekend and looks at an interesting character build that lets players kills monsters by setting themselves on fire.

League of Legends released details of its next champion this week, the stealthy insectoid Kha'Zix, who can evolve his abilities in the middle of a game. Dota 2 officially released classic champion Meepo The Geomancer this week, and upcoming MOBA Prime World announced an odd new "PvEvP" game mode. Upcoming FPS Firefall came under fire from some beta testers this week for the unpolished state of its current beta client, and Blacklight: Retribution released the winning video of its bolt-action rifle montage contest.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Torchlight II free demo, Diablo III's Ubers revealed

MassivelyNot So Massively: Torchlight II free demo, Diablo III's Ubers revealed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoaction-rpgbattlenetblacklightblacklight-retributionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbuild-of-the-weekcompetitive-gamingd3demodiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidotadota-2Dragonwalddubstepe-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfpsfreefree-demofree-to-playgeomancergothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesHomelandinfernokha-zixleague-of-legendslolmark-kernmeepommofpsmobamultiplayernewsnivalnot-so-massivelynsmonline-multiplayerpath-of-exileperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpoeprime-worldpublic-testpvevppvppwered-5-studiosriotriot-gamesround-uprounduprpgrunic-gamessnipersniper-riflesteamuberuber-diabloubersvalvevideoMon, 24 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST