:: MMORPG News
MMORPG : Analysts see into future, expect 650k US sales for WAR's first monthBy: Kyle Horner Sep 04, 2008 09:00:00 AM News Item: 4950Filed under: New titles, Warhammer Online, News items  Our guess for the reason behind the European exclusion is because it's a bit of a wildcard. Warhammer being a much bigger property over there means its sales could land almost anywhere. It could also be because Lazard Capital Markets only deals in US sales predictions, but we like to think they're scared of Europe, instead. All in all with first month US sales being predicted at over half a million, we have to assume many are expecting Warhammer Online to perform pretty impressively overall.
MMORPG : The Daily Grind: From MMO to TV Show?By: Michael Zenke Sep 04, 2008 08:00:00 AM News Item: 4944Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, The Daily Grind  So we've talked before about TV shows that you'd like to see as MMOs, and numerous times in our ongoing dialogue the connection between television and MMOs have been made. Just yesterday a new IP MMO was announced, bringing Buffy Summers to the world of XP and zoning. What we'd like to ask you about today is just the opposite. Though it sounds like Sci-Fi Channel is attempting to hybridize the two mediums, we know we'd love to see some TV shows based on our favorite MMOs. We'll throw out the gimme: wouldn't a World of Warcraft animated series be fantastic?What would you like to see? An EQ-based comedy/drama? Maybe a Tabula Rasa war epic? Throw out your ideas for a TV show based on an MMO in the comments!
MMORPG : Second Life removes VoIP clientBy: Tateru Nino Sep 04, 2008 01:00:00 AM News Item: 4947Filed under: Betas, Bugs, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds
In the wake of our announcement and hands-on piece with the new Second Life SLim VoIP/IM client, Linden Lab has in turn announced it, stamped it "coming soon" and yanked the availability of the web-page and associated setup process. This all seems a bit backwards, to be honest. Granted, the software doesn't actually work very well at all, and appears to be little more than a stripped down copy of Vivox Connector with most of the features removed (we think that it is exactly that, in fact), but still, it is supposed to be a Beta. Perhaps it's the little details like the fact that Lindens can't hide their online status from it that have caused it to be pulled, rather than any other inherent kind of breakage. Since Linden Lab's PR people won't answer any queries about the product, all we can do is speculate.
MMORPG : Strategy Informer interviews CCP Games about the future of EVE OnlineBy: James Egan Sep 03, 2008 08:00:00 PM News Item: 4945Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Crafting  Gaming site Strategy Informer recently spoke with CCP Games about what the future may hold for EVE Online. The interview focused on two facets of the game: EVE's economy, and the fact that with other sci-fi MMO titles like Jumpgate Evolution on the way, EVE may face increased competition in the coming months and years. CCP's Lead Economist, Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson talked with Strategy Informer about the game's economic depth, which dwarfs other titles, despite having a subscriber base that's a fraction of what Blizzard enjoys. The interview touched on the possibilities of new trade hubs being established by players over time, the scarcity of certain technologies and their increasing prices, and how the market moves in general. However, the main aspects of the game he discussed were the player-run financial services that have sprung up in EVE, what the community has come up with on its own. Continue reading Strategy Informer interviews CCP Games about the future of EVE Online
MMORPG : PAX08: Twin Skies interviewBy: Shawn Schuster Sep 03, 2008 07:00:00 PM News Item: 4943Filed under: Fantasy, Real life, Screenshots, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, Twin Skies  So we took this opportunity to sit down with the CEO Adam Powell and Lead Designer Aaron Matthew for a bit of an exclusive look at what this game is all about. Despite the fact that the surrounding PAX booths were competing for attention all around us, we were able to get some great information on this upcoming game. Follow along on our exclusive tour of Twin Skies>>
MMORPG : Devblog - Changes to Xelors and to the AP/MP formulaBy: Sep 03, 2008 05:53:35 PM News Item: 4939
He explains all the planned modifications to Xelor spells, as well as the new PvP and PvM tactics to behold. It even teaches you the exact mathematic formula that will come into play! Curious on what brought on these changes!? [Click to read more] MMORPG : Rumor : E3 considering going public to revive gloryBy: Mabie A. Sep 03, 2008 05:19:21 PM News Item: 4942 The E3's been disappointing fans and developers alike, and we all know they need to shake things up or else. Now we hear of a rumor surrounding the games industry event as reported by Kotaku, and it seems like they're thinking of opening it to the public.There's no official word on this yet - we've heard lots of "official words" regarding changes in the event's format, only to be found absolutely wrong later on - although it's been said that the idea has already been brought forward for discussion by the board of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Instead, what we found as an update on Gamespot is a "No Comment" comment from ESA senior vice president for communications and research, Rich Taylor. As we do every year, the ESA solicits feedback and direction from exhibitors and attendees on how best to adapt and evolve the E3 Media & Business Summit to ensure it meets their needs. Each element of the Summit is opened for discussion, and that process is ongoing to execute a productive and efficient experience. Regarding today's published reports, the ESA does not comment on rumors and speculation, and will make an announcement about the details and logistics of the 2009 E3 Media & Business Summit at the appropriate time. There's been some major fallout in E3's circle of pals, like Activision Blizzard who chose to skip the party this year, and instead hold its own event in the same week. That's apart from all the critics who've thrown in their two cents on the current form of E3, such as EA's John Riccitiello, Ubisoft's Laurent Detoc, and EA Sports' Peter Moore. Let's see if ESA can cook up something that will lure them back for the 2009 E3. Keep it posted here for more updates. Related E3 2008 news:
MMORPG : MMO features that haven't made it into Warhammer OnlineBy: James Egan Sep 03, 2008 05:00:00 PM News Item: 4949Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion  Among the legions of fortunate Warhammer Online fans that have played through beta and the preview weekend is Syp from the Waaagh! blog. He's always entertaining and it's clear he's passionate about Warhammer Online. So when he writes about features in other MMOs that he'd like to see in WAR, you know he's not bashing a game that's not even out of the gate yet. Rather, he's genuinely looking at ways the game could be better. Syp puts forth his ideal WAR feature set, which includes capturable and trainable pets similar to World of Warcraft's system and the player-created content and sidekicks of City of Heroes. Syp would also like to see WAR include an in-game music player like EVE Online, and other features drawn from Everquest 2 and Lord of the Rings Online. Have a look at the Waaagh! "10 features" post and see if you agree with him on what could make Warhammer Online a better title.
MMORPG : Hands on: The Second Life SLim client is hereBy: Tateru Nino Sep 03, 2008 04:30:00 PM News Item: 4946Filed under: Betas, News items, Second Life, Hands-on, Virtual worlds
We expected this to be the first purpose-designed client for Second Life to come out of Linden Lab since the original in 2002, but actually ... it isn't. The real story is rather more surprising. SLim is a Vivox product and it connects to Vivox servers. Connection with Second Life and its grid and servers is only very peripheral. How much involvement Linden Lab actually had with any of this is debatable. The short version: It does a lot less than you'd hope, and setup of the whole show is far clunkier than you'd like. On with the show...
Continue reading Hands on: The Second Life SLim client is here
MMORPG : Choosing between Order and Destruction in Warhammer OnlineBy: James Egan Sep 03, 2008 04:00:00 PM News Item: 4948Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Warhammer Online, Races  Have you decided what you're going to play in Warhammer Online? In the days leading up to the game's launch, some of us already have a good idea of which class we'll play (like "all"). Prima Official Game Guides is getting ready for the Warhammer Online launch as well, with a class quiz that asks, "In the War between Order and Chaos, what role will you play?" To help answer that question, or just to help show you some of the possibilities in Warhammer Online, they've got a short personality test that shows how well a given character choice fits you. Some of us at Massively guess that the majority of players will choose Destruction when Warhammer Online launches, but there's definitely something to be said for the white hats as well. The quiz result is pretty much a foregone conclusion, but it's a nice distraction from work or while you wait for access to the game a bit later this month. We'd wager that most who take the personality test simply choose the most twisted answers possible (we did), but give it a shot and see what comes up.
MMORPG : Age of Conan: Still aiming for the 360By: Tateru Nino Sep 03, 2008 03:00:00 PM News Item: 4934Filed under: Age of Conan, Business models, Consoles  Have you been wondering what's been happening about Age of Conan for the Xbox 360? Come on, you were, weren't you? You're all ready to vent your endless barbarian rages in digital Hyborea via Microsoft's premier console, right? Well Funcom have confirmed that it's still definitely in the pipe, and not (for example) stealthily canceled. While work began on Age of Conan as a console title in late 2006, console development for AoC went on hold while Funcom worked to get the troubled MMOG across the line at launch for the PC platform. Obviously the MMOG hasn't been without its troubles, so Funcom's 2009 release for the console version might not end up being very early in 2009. Funcom's got a few barriers to overcome for this whole effort. AoC has to keep bringing in the money, which means satisfying existing PC subscribers and bringing in enough new players to offset attrition. Not only does the actual development of the title come with a price tag attached, but consoles feature a little detail called code-signing.
Continue reading Age of Conan: Still aiming for the 360
MMORPG : Previewing FFXI's September version updateBy: Michael Zenke Sep 03, 2008 02:30:00 PM News Item: 4936Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Patches  The much anticipated September update is fast approaching, and Allakhazam has a lengthy preview of what is in store for the citizens of Vana'diel. The next patch to Final Fantasy XI will contain a number of really impressive quality of life benefits. Highlights include:
MMORPG : One Shots: Night fishingBy: Krystalle Voecks Sep 03, 2008 02:00:00 PM News Item: 4937Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Lord of the Rings Online, One Shots  We asked around with the staff, and one of the surprising things they really enjoy in Lord of the Rings Online is fishing! While it isn't necessarily one of the things that jumps to mind when many people think MMO, you have to admit, it's a relaxing way to enjoy your game while chatting with your friends. Today's One Shots comes to us from ReijMan, who was enjoying some down-time recently and writes: I'm sure you got a lot of nice LotRO piccies, and 30% of them [involve] fishing, but I wanted to share this one with you.
Do you have a favorite thing to do to just relax and spend time in your favorite MMO? Perhaps you're all action instead, opting to see just what you can and can't get away with solo. We'd love to see your favorite MMO places -- just send them to us here at oneshots AT massively.com along with a quick description. %Gallery-9798%
MMORPG : A look at Warhammer Online's Guild TavernsBy: Kyle Horner Sep 03, 2008 01:00:00 PM News Item: 4938Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items  Mythic plans to offer various NPC vendors and services within the Tavern based on your Guild rank. Examples given include a flight master, crafting merchant, renown merchant, siege merchant and a Guild Standard merchant. One especially interesting service is offered at Guild rank 16 and opens up a "Guild Leader Hall" that only guild leaders and officers may enter. This hall offers a rest bonus, giving all those inside rested experience. It doesn't really seem like the rested state is any better than a normal rested state, so don't flip out like a Witch Elf or anything just yet. Check the gallery for some images of the two Taverns and for more detailed information on the various merchants and services, head below the break.%Gallery-21881% Continue reading A look at Warhammer Online's Guild Taverns
MMORPG : EverQuest II Game Update 48 now live!By: Michael Zenke Sep 03, 2008 12:00:00 PM News Item: 4935Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches  Who knew corporations could be so sneaky? Sony Online Entertainment has snuck up on the EverQuest 2 playing populace with a brand-new game update! GU48:Breaking Ground has dropped onto the live servers adding a ton of new content to the world of Norrath for players of SOE's flagship game. Here are the highlights of this massive patch:
Continue reading EverQuest II Game Update 48 now live!
MMORPG : The BigCast @PAX08 Special: Warhammer OnlineBy: Kyle Horner Sep 03, 2008 11:00:00 AM News Item: 4933Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items  As someone who was a part of this endeavour into the unknowns of German hotels, taxis and of course, Bacon Salt, this blogger can tell you it was a wild ride that you won't be remiss for listening in on.
MMORPG : Loading... Ten Ton Hammer Meet 'N' GreetBy: Boomjack Sep 03, 2008 10:05:05 AM News Item: 4928Welcome to the 907th Edition of Loading... Wizard 101 first impressions, an afternoon with The Syndicate, why gamers are attracted to WAR, a Ten Ton Meet 'N' Greet and more, today in Loading... MMORPG : Buffy the Vampire Slayer MMO announced, Firefly MMO 'delayed'By: Michael Zenke Sep 03, 2008 10:00:00 AM News Item: 4931Filed under: MMO industry, New titles  In an announcement to press today about the keynote address to this year's Virtual Worlds Conference in Los Angeles, the folks at Multiverse have announced a trio of new and interesting projects. One is a Titanic-related project connected to James Cameron, while another is the main connecting 'space' that will link all of Multiverse's worlds - a project called Multiverse Places.The third is, apparently, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer massively multiplayer game. Multiverse, if you'll recall, is also the company that holds the license to develop an MMO based on the Firefly television show, another Joss Whedon fan favorite. While the Firefly title has now apparently been 'delayed', it sounds as though the Buffy title is already in development. From the announcement: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A massively multiplayer online game based on the critically-acclaimed Joss Whedon television series. Currently under development at Multiverse, 'Buffy' exemplifies a new era of game design, allowing consumers to play it either as a fully immersive 3D environment or as a Flash-based 2D game." The full announcement is available below the cut. Continue reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer MMO announced, Firefly MMO 'delayed'
MMORPG : WAR: Validate Email Address, Earn TitleBy: Taea Sep 03, 2008 09:47:27 AM News Item: 4927You can now earn a new custom title for your Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning game account, just by validating your email address. Log in to the Account Management page at Mythic Entertainment, click the link to validate your email, then check your inbox. Once you've validated your email with Mythic, you will have earned your very first official Warhammer title. Your email address has been successfully validated!All of your Warhammer Game Accounts have been granted a custom title!
MMORPG : WAR: Dwarf Chapter 1 Public QuestsBy: RadarX Sep 03, 2008 09:26:00 AM News Item: 4926The battles in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will start in the first moments of your existence. As a member of the mighty Dwarfs, the earliest test of combat will be against a Greenskin fortification. Where will you go to prove yourself and what objectives await? Ten Ton Hammer has your complete guide to the first chapter of the Dwarfs epic story, detailing every objective and Influence reward. Dwarf cannons boomed, the thunderous noise echoing in the vast underground chamber. On the opposite side of the great ravine that divided the stone cavern, a dozen Orcs were blasted apart. A dozen more charged forward to take their place, and the Greenskins returned fire with a volley of flaming arrows.
MMORPG : WAR's Mark Jacobs: I Wanted Conan to SucceedBy: Taea Sep 03, 2008 09:15:30 AM News Item: 4925MTV continues the interview series with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's Lead Designer, Mark Jacobs. This time, Jacobs talks about creating a successful MMOG in today's market, saying that he wanted Funcom's Age of Conan to succeed, for the good of the industry. A big part of creating a winning game is listening to the player community. He also said that no matter how great you think your game is, developers must listen to the community. “It doesn’t mean you have to follow what they say, but you always have to listen,” he said. “The test of greatness is to know how to look at it and either incorporate it or learn from it. We might listen to the wrong advice, but we always listen. That’s how I think all developers have to be because nobody is that smart and nobody is right all the time.”
MMORPG : PAX08: Aion's first U.S. public showingBy: Shawn Schuster Sep 03, 2008 09:00:00 AM News Item: 4929Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Screenshots, Aion, Business models, Game mechanics, New titles, Opinion, Hands-on  This was probably the number one quote heard around the Aion booth at PAX08. NCsoft's Aion: The Tower of Eternity had its first public showing in the States this last weekend at PAX, and the general consensus seemed to be mostly positive. As the opening quote suggests though, many gamers were after that novelty of flight, and we can't help but wonder if that will be enough to carry potential players through the game for the long haul. So we took this opportunity to spend an hour or so with the game, to get a few of those precious first impressions for our readers. Keep in mind that this is only first impressions on a game that isn't finished yet, so take it with a grain of salt.%Gallery-11511% Continue reading PAX08: Aion's first U.S. public showing
MMORPG : The Daily Grind: MMOs for Newbies?By: Michael Zenke Sep 03, 2008 08:00:00 AM News Item: 4930Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Kids  Wizard101 launched just yesterday, and it's enough to get us thinking about the growing field of youth-oriented MMOs. Despite their intentions, these 'kiddie' games are actually great on a number of levels. Not only do they fulfill the obvious demographic needs (games for young kids, games for teens, games parents can play with their kids) many of them are quality enough to be worth playing by adults. So we wanted to ask today: what 'kiddie' games are you playing? Do you think the new crop of kid and teen-oriented MMOs is a good thing, or a bad thing? Looking forward to SOE's Free Realms as much as the Massively crew is? And most of all, what MMOs would you suggest for folks looking to get their kids into games?
MMORPG : AoC: Necromancer Spell List 1-20 UpdatedBy: Martuk Sep 03, 2008 04:36:29 AM News Item: 4924Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures Necromancer is the master of the dead. Through dark magic they can control dark creatures risen from the grave to attack their foes. This week we have updated our Necromancer Spell List 1-20 to include updated information due to post launch changes to the class.
MMORPG : Minsky vs Linden Lab: Minsky's markBy: Tateru Nino Sep 03, 2008 02:30:00 AM News Item: 4932Filed under: News items, Second Life, Legal, Virtual worlds
Minsky originally filed his SLART trademark on 22 March, 2007. It was published for opposition on 18 September, 2008, and finally granted formal registration by the US Patent and Trademarks office on 18 March, 2008 (registration number 3399258). SLART, therefore, is owned by Minsky insofar as the US Government is concerned at the present time, whether that grant was conferred rightly or wrongly, unless it is somehow overturned or abandoned. Now he has filed a civil suit in a federal court, naming Linden Lab, Philip Rosedale, Mitch Kapor and one or more other Second Life users (as John Does) for (variously) trademark infringement, trademark dilution, tortious interference (that is interference that causes injury), and fraud.
Continue reading Minsky vs Linden Lab: Minsky's mark
MMORPG : A Video Report from The Syndicate 2008 World ConferenceBy: Ethec Sep 03, 2008 01:06:08 AM News Item: 4923A get-together that any guild would envy... What would you call a 600 member guild with a twelve-year track record, credits in more Prima guides than you can count on one emblematic hand, closed testing consultancies in a number of top-tier MMORPGs, and a extremely well-run annual conference that's attracted documentarians and news media alike? We'd call them The Syndicate, and Ten Ton Hammer's proud to file this video report from the 2008 World Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. We chat with Guild Master Sean "Dragons" Stalzer about what it takes to sustain the longest-lasting guild in MMORPG gaming, how to get your guild together for an event like this, their work with the Warhammer Online Prima Guide and Atlas, and much more! Click here to check out this 8 minute video featuring scenes from The Syndicate 2008 World Conference and an interview with Guild Master Sean "Dragons" Stalzer! MMORPG : Atlantica Online: Battle and Monster ScreenshotsBy: Aurael Sep 03, 2008 12:55:38 AM News Item: 4922Captured moments The third round of closed beta for Atlantica Online is in full swing and another batch of screenshots is in the offing. This game has already piqued the interest of Ten Ton Hammer's Danny "Ralsu" Gorley, as he explains in his Top Ten Free to Play Games August 2008. What's so interesting about this game? Read our exclusive editorials, screenshots and previews to find out!
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In a lot of ways, we've got a bit of a traditional streak here at Massively. We like the good, solid, family values like "Kill a monster. Steal it's treasure". One tradition that we hold particularly dear is "Announce the software and then make it available". Yes, we know that makes us awfully old-fashioned in the modern, cool, vaporware world of the kids these days.
For a while now, we've been working on a new formula for dodging and removing both Action Points and Movement Points. Lichen discusses these changes in an article on the devblog-- Xelor tactics will never be the same!
Linden Lab's unannounced SLim lightweight Second Life client is available now. We grabbed it out of the starting gate and took it for a bit of a spin for an hour or so. It looks a great deal like Linden Lab needed some new feature or API in the SLS-1.24 server deployment to support this. As a result, preparation of the SLim software for release prior to an announcement at this year's Virtual Worlds -2008 conference in Los Angeles must have been awfully rushed.
You may remember Richard Minsky, founder of The Center for Book Arts in New York City and owner of SLART Magazine. We previously wrote about his assertion of his rights and obligations with respect to his SLART trademark, which covers (among other things) Minsky's SLART magazine. The SL portion obviously represents Second Life, and the ART well... that's art.
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