Virtual World News
Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS
Players of the Shadow Revolution faction have their choice of two classes: the Wraith class, which focuses on utilizing guerrilla tactics to strike quickly and retreat before counterattacks can be made, and the Phantom class, which takes advantage of cloaking devices in order to launch devastating surprise attacks that can cripple enemy forces before they know what hit them. To get a look at the Shadow Revolution's units in action, just check out the official trailer below.
Continue reading New End of Nations trailer shines some light on the Shadow Revolution
New End of Nations trailer shines some light on the Shadow Revolution originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Gamespot
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO industry, News items
The studio is also seeing definite success with Diablo III; although the game has yet to release, it's currently surpassed all of the studio's previous high-water marks regarding pre-orders. This includes units sold as part of the Annual Pass promotion, which saw 1.2 million copies purchased in total. While WoW may not have reached its previous peak, it's certainly holding on to a stalwart base for the time being.
World of Warcraft holding steady at 10.2 million subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Via: MMO Champion, WoW Insider
Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, Culture, Expansions, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter
Why am I making a point out of this? Because I've developed a theory about the state of City of Heroes, and I want to make it clear before I launch into this somewhat grim theory that I'm basing this entirely on outside observations. I want it to be clear that I could, in fact, be totally wrong, and when I say that City of Heroes nearly committed unintentional suicide a couple of years ago, I don't want that to be seen as some grand behind-the-scenes revelation.
And if it weren't obvious from that line, yes, that's where I'm going. I think Going Rogue nearly gutted City of Heroes and burned the whole game to the ground. And I think everything the game has done since can be directly traced back to that expansion.
Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: How City of Heroes almost died
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: How City of Heroes almost died originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions
The premiere Freebie Friday will be taking place this week, beginning on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. EDT and ending at the same time Friday, giving players 24 hours to claim their free stuff. The announcement states that the freebies "could be almost anything currently available in the Paragon Market," so be sure to log in each week and get your goodies!
City of Heroes announces Paragon Market Freebie Fridays originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Previews, News items, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online
Of course, the price of play is far from the minds of most fans -- the real question is what the game will look like when it's actually playable. Director Matt Firor recently sat down to discuss the game's earliest stages of development, the relationship between ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda, and working within the lore of the established IP. It's an interesting look behind the scenes of development, and if you're interested in the game, watching the video is certain to be six minutes well spent.
Analyst predicts The Elder Scrolls Online will launch with a subscription fee originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Sandbox
Turnaround time for system control is being lengthened to roughly 30 hours, but the penalties for enemy factions are also becoming more severe. Enemy factions cannot dock at stations in occupied systems, and the faction in control will be able to spend Loyalty Points to gain special upgrades so long as the system is controlled. If you like going to war in your internet spaceship but aren't really a fan of the wild frontier devoid of security, it might be worth taking a look at the newest design entry.
EVE Online overhauls factional warfare for cleaner systems and bigger consequences originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Factional warfare overhaul
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox
Anyhow, the piece offers up a few interesting insights, like when creative lead Bjorn Johannessen admits that the devs "have almost nothing to do with what happens" outside the game's only safe area (a colonial-era Boston). Another noteworthy tidbit is the fact that Salem doesn't display avatar names. Instead, it prompts you to name other characters for yourself (or trust that someone is who he says he is).
For more on Salem, check out the source below as well as our permadeath-flavored interview with Johannessen in Some Assembly Required.
Salem sandbox MMO not for the faint of heart originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: PC Gamer
Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Races, Casual, Kids, Free for All, Family
I'm not overly sentimental about it, but it is interesting how we feel about the pixelated versions of ourselves, the ones we control while sitting at a keyboard or while touching a tablet. I don't want to downplay how important gaming can be for many of us, either. Once, years ago, I met a fellow player in a social game called There. She was a wonderful person who had over time lost the ability to walk. She loved the freedom that the avatar gave her. Needless to say, she was very connected to her character.
I made a short list of some of my favorite characters from the years. As I think about it, this list says a lot about me as a gamer and about the types of games I love.
Continue reading Free for All: Zeroing in on my favorite free-to-play mains
Free for All: Zeroing in on my favorite free-to-play mains originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Sci-fi, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Why I Play
Global Agenda is a different beast than other shooters, though. The competitive shooter market is saturated with class-based shooters whose emphasis is more on teamwork than on aiming, and Global Agenda really takes it to eleven. Aiming is still important, but it's hardly the most important skill in the game, and every class has a way of minimizing the need for aiming skill. In fact, most of the more effective builds in GA don't require aiming. The emphasis in GA is on teamwork, mobility, and good decision-making. Even though it's a shooter, I find it really easy to spend far too much of my time playing it. It's just great fun.
Continue reading Why I Play: Global Agenda
Why I Play: Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind
Now, I'm not a grinder at all, but on the rare occasions when I do want to put my nose to the proverbial stone and check some things off the list, there's nothing more frustrating than running up against the you-can't-advance-that-skill-any-further-today brick wall. This type of arbitrary limitation is somewhat common in LotRO, and whether we're talking about fishing or even the lengthy cool-downs on festival horse races, it rubs me the wrong way to have my gameplay directed in such a fashion.
What about you, Massively readers? Do progression barriers annoy you, or do you shrug it off and do something else?
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!The Daily Grind: Do progression barriers annoy you? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.