Virtual World News
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Expansions, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, Opinion, Anniversary
It's said that humans often prepare to fight the next war by devising tactics to deal with the last war, and World of Warcraft's newest expansion, Mists of Pandaria, is definitely a reaction to player complaints about the previous one. The past year saw the game transition from one with two separate, segregated endgames to a game with a great deal more variety for players who've reached max level. Whether you loved or hated Cataclysm, you can't deny that the past year has seen more change than the entire expansion dedicated to changing the game ever provided.
Continue reading Parting the mists: World of Warcraft turns eight
Parting the mists: World of Warcraft turns eight originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Promotions, Guides, Miscellaneous
All of the big deals are past the cut, so what are you waiting for?
Continue reading Get your Black Friday MMO deals here!
Get your Black Friday MMO deals here! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox
Want to see more of what this world has to offer? Fill up on the new ArcheAge visuals in the trailer after the cut.
Continue reading ArcheAge trailer offers a look at locales, mounts, and more
ArcheAge trailer offers a look at locales, mounts, and more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Twitter
Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMOFPS, Humor, First Impressions, PlanetSide 2, The Firing Line
I couldn't help it, though, as the seductive lures of sci-fi and a huge open world conspired to consume most of my Tuesday evening and a good bit of Wednesday morning. Here, then, are a few initial thoughts in no particular order.
Continue reading The Firing Line: PlanetSide 2 in a thousand words or less
The Firing Line: PlanetSide 2 in a thousand words or less originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Star Wars: The Old Republic
We've already heard Larry's impressions this past week of the pros and cons of this new business model. I thought I'd dog-pile on top of that with my own from a slightly different perspective. You see, while Larry is our resident SWTOR columnist, someone who is staying on the subscription side of the fence, I'm a lapsed player who recently returned to taste and see whether or not F2P is any good.
I've seen a lot of F2P transitions in my tenure here at Massively. Some have proven to be a resounding success, while others fail to keep a broken ship from plunging into the deep waters of cancellation. So which will SWTOR be? Read on for a second opinion on the subject!
Continue reading A second opinion on Star Wars: The Old Republic F2P
A second opinion on Star Wars: The Old Republic F2P originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Aika
Besides the new features, Aika Online is also hosting a series of special events in-game. From now through November 28th, mobs will drop special boxes full of goodies and PvP kills will grant double the honor. Players can also get a complimentary item each day until December 14th just for logging in. To top all that off, experience is tripled until November 26th. So jump on in, grab your free stuff, and soak up the XP while trying out the new features. And don't forget to check out the Black Friday deals for more special Aika Online bonuses this weekend!
[Source: gPotato press release]
Aika Online adds dueling and offers special holiday events originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox
They're pointless because there's no real consequence for picking one over the other, and there's no lasting impact on either the world or gameplay that results from in-game factional "wins."
Anyhow, when I mentioned this to a friend, his very first comment was that "any changes would need to be fair and inclusive."
Continue reading Some Assembly Required: On balance and fairness
Some Assembly Required: On balance and fairness originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Screenshots, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Virtual worlds, MMObility, Sandbox
The official announcement gave us a lot of clues as to what happened, but it looks like the money was just not enough to keep the game afloat. It's also very possible that the money was enough, but just barely. Running a business is hard, and running an MMO that is so unique and unusual can be the same as living paycheck to paycheck. It's stressful and scary when the future is never certain... sometimes it's easier to call it quits.
Continue reading MMObility: Why the closing of Glitch matters
MMObility: Why the closing of Glitch matters originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, News items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous
If you can't get enough of Age of Wushu beta coverage, this has certainly been the week for you. Aside from the closed beta running until Sunday, you've gotten a look at kidnapping, begging, and assassination. It's not quite a reveal of the pillow-fighting and balloonmaking systems, but you take what you can get. There's also a new preview video of combat in Swordsman Online too, if you need more wuxia goodness.
Not enough for you? Well, there's also been a new client update for Heroes & Generals and a new trailer for ArcheAge's setting. You can also sign up for the upcoming Transformers Universe beta. And if that's not enough testing for you, there's a whole list of other games currently in the testing stage just past the cut. If you see something we missed, by all means, let us know down in the comments!
Continue reading Betawatch: November 17 - 23, 2012
Betawatch: November 17 - 23, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous
All of this means that my reputation precedes me... which is not necessarily a good thing. While I'm all about keeping up the OOC communication, there comes a point for some players when their characters stop being Sven Ergunsdottir (played by Paul) and start being Paul's Norn guy with the name. There are challenges to playing alongside someone you know better in real life either because you know one another or because the person in question is a jerk who writes a bunch of readily available articles. So how do you handle roleplaying with people who know you very well?
Continue reading Storyboard: Hey, I know you!
Storyboard: Hey, I know you! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.