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Trion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums
April 25, 2012

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Defiance
Wondering whether -- or if -- the joint venture of Syfy and Trion Worlds will work in tandem with Defiance? Then you may want to put aside a few minutes to watch the following video that attempts to explain how a TV show and an MMO will work together to create a blended experience for fans.

"In the past it's always been very difficult to connect television shows, which are always evolving, with video games, which are static," Trion Worlds CEO Lars Buttler states, going on to say that Trion has cracked that code. "In our unique setup, we can do things other people have never dared to try before."

Defiance the TV show and Defiance the MMO will, according to Buttler, "literally depend on each other and co-evolve."

It may not be heavy on specifics, but it's a fascinating watch nonetheless. Check it out after the jump!

Continue reading Trion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums

MassivelyTrion Worlds explains how Defiance will 'co-evolve' in two mediums originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get lost in TERA's Labyrinth of Terror
April 25, 2012

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Screenshot -- TERA
TERA is now less than a week away from launch, and fans of the action-flavored MMO are anxiously waiting to set foot in Arborea. Today, En Masse Entertainment has decided to give us a sneak-peek at one of the high-level dungeons those players can expect in their distant futures: the incredibly foreboding Labyrinth of Terror. Insert your own mad-scientist cackling here.

The Labyrinth of Terror is the dominion of one of the game's big-bads, Killian, and he apparently has a bit of a thing for homicidal entertainers. Twisted jesters and maniacal musicians are just a preview of the fare you'll sample on your way to the main course of Killian's clown-in-command, who also happens to be responsible for the murder of a prominent Amani commander. Go check out the full features to get a leg-up on Killian's circus of crazy.

MassivelyGet lost in TERA's Labyrinth of Terror originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III cooks up a reveal for the Witch Doctor
April 25, 2012

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Shirts optional, masks mandatory.
As the release grows closer, Diablo III continues to serve up new reveals for the game's classes. But the latest revelation is still bringing a lot of secrets along with it. After all, would you really expect the Witch Doctor not to have a few more tricks up his sleeve? Like previous classes, the good doctor gets a video showing off the class style as well as a short story and a more specific class overview.

While he's fully capable of dealing straight damage, the Witch Doctor's true talents lie in subtlety and misdirection via curses, confusion, and fear. He also possesses the ability to summon creatures to act as ersatz allies, with giant toads and swarms of flaming bats compensating for his own lack of physical might. If all of this sounds like just your style, you might want to take a look at the video... but even if that's not the case, all Diablo III fans will want to take note of the first announced launch event for the game, with more to follow.

Continue reading Diablo III cooks up a reveal for the Witch Doctor

MassivelyDiablo III cooks up a reveal for the Witch Doctor originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cryptic Studios issues security warning in response to database breach
April 25, 2012

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Cryptic
Cryptic Studios, purveyor of Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and the upcoming Neverwinter, has just posted an ominous security warning on its official site. Its new security procedures have recently detected that hackers gained unauthorized access to a user database back in December of 2010. According to the studio,
The unauthorized access included user account names, handles, and encrypted passwords for those accounts. Even though the passwords were encrypted, it is apparent that the intruder has been able to crack some portion of the passwords in this database. All accounts that we believe were present in the database have had the passwords reset, and customers registered to these accounts have been notified via e-mail of this incident.
While Cryptic does not believe additional information (like player names and credit card numbers) was taken, it advises vigilance all the same and warns against phishing scams. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

(Thanks to Geoff for the tip!)

MassivelyCryptic Studios issues security warning in response to database breach originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV launches patch 1.22
April 25, 2012

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A man with a plan. Also a sword.
Feel as if the last major Final Fantasy XIV patch just had too much to absorb at once? Well, you're going to be a bit stuck today if that's the case because patch 1.22 has just gone live and brought with it another host of improvements, updates, and changes. The good news is that this patch doesn't contain the same number of system changes as the previous patch, but that's because of the sheer amount of new content included.

The patch adds another four ranks to the Grand Companies, another set of quests, the new Garuda battle, the first of the hamlet defense points, and more besides. Players will also be able to obtain new items from crafting, gathering, and victory in the Garuda fight, and they'll be able to see the first hints of what will happen to the world as the era draws to a close. Servers are expected to be back online later tonight, and players will no doubt have plenty to explore once they can log in again.

[Thanks to Alex for the tip!]

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV launches patch 1.22 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Eight years of city life
April 25, 2012

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann
There are some things that were broken this year in City of Heroes beyond a shadow of a doubt. Then there were things that weren't necessarily broken depending on whom you asked. But one thing has been broken absolutely and completely: my format for these retrospectives.

See, from one point of view, this was a content-light year. I mean, we had two new issues and that's it. On the other hand, one of those was the launch of City of Heroes Freedom, and the result has been a steady stream of partial updates, minor improvements, new installments in the signature story arc, and so on. In previous years, going issue-by-issue worked as a way to look back over the course of the year, but it just doesn't work any longer.

But then, it's not supremely necessary. There are three big things that have defined the game for the past year: Freedom, the Incarnate system, and new toys. So we're going to break the format that doesn't really work and just talk about those in order.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Eight years of city life

MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Eight years of city life originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Free for All: New browser-based converts shine light on issues
    April 25, 2012

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    Fiesta Social screenshot
    I recently threw out a prediction that within five years, most of our MMO content will be coming through our browsers. To be more specific, I think that most players in the United States will be enjoying their favorite MMOs within a browser. That can mean several things but does not refer to games like Free Realms, a client-based game that is only signed-into at the browser level. As with any discussion about genres, mechanics or styles in the MMO world, I have to be very specific.

    It's pretty likely that a very large percentage of the US playerbase is already playing browser-based games. Look at the American market for games like RuneScape, Battlestar Galactica Online, Club Penguin, Drakensang Online, Evony, and Ministry of War and you might just find millions of players.

    Next we need to consider that there are more games coming into the browser market. This new batch is essentially a group of standard, client-based MMOs that are porting themselves to the browser. I tend to be a little skeptical about some of these in the short-term, for several reasons.

    Continue reading Free for All: New browser-based converts shine light on issues

    MassivelyFree for All: New browser-based converts shine light on issues originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Torchlight 2 available for pre-purchase on Steam
      April 25, 2012

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      Treasure chests. Sweet, sweet treasure chests.
      With all the buzz around a certain well-known third installment of a franchise, you could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting about Torchlight 2. However, the game is now available for pre-purchase on Steam, which should serve as something of a reminder. The game doesn't yet have a firm release date other than this summer, but you can still drop your $20 and have the game ready to play on launch day.

      The original Torchlight was hailed by many as the spiritual sequel to Diablo II (and some assumed it would also be the closest we'd ever get to an actual sequel). Torchlight 2 boasts more character customization, more pet customization, improved fishing and pet management, a new set of classes, and of course all of the same hack-and-slash gameplay that the first game featured. If you're a fan of the genre, that third installment likely has your eye for the moment, but you might want to see how the other half lives as well.

      MassivelyTorchlight 2 available for pre-purchase on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do you grind for fluff items?
      April 24, 2012

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      Lord of the Rings Online - map of the Shire
      Lord of the Rings Online's anniversary festival has another six days to go, which just might be enough time for me to grind out the tokens necessary to complete my map collection (and the spiffy Eriador Cartographile title that comes with it).

      I say "grind" here pretty loosely, as the horse-races, fireworks displays, and dwarven beer-brawling are highly enjoyable even though I've done them dozens of times each at this point.

      What about you, dear readers? What's your tolerance when it comes to grinding for fluff items? Do you do it, and what's the best (or worst) such grind you've ever experienced?

      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: Do you grind for fluff items? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        New Blade & Soul videos show Summoner gameplay, qinggong abilities
        April 24, 2012

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        Blade & Soul qinggong
        Looking for some more Summoner gameplay after that pet reveal last weekend? Korean MMO website ThisIsGame has you covered with a new Blade & Soul preview video. We get to see three minutes of combat footage, including plenty of killer kitty-cats and spell-casting action. The video quality isn't the greatest, but it's definitely interesting to see the Summoner in action for an extended period.

        NCsoft has also released a new one-minute qinggong trailer. The clip shows several Blade & Soul avatars in all their wall-running, high-flying, gravity-defying glory (and this time it's a high-quality embed). Check out both videos after the break.

        [Thanks to Tym for the tip!]

        Continue reading New Blade & Soul videos show Summoner gameplay, qinggong abilities

        MassivelyNew Blade & Soul videos show Summoner gameplay, qinggong abilities originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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