Virtual World News
Filed under: Video, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World
Why should games forgo the popular trend and throw levels out? To give players freedom and allow them to play they way they want is the reason cited by both Funcom Lead designer Joel Bylos and Tyler Rawlins, Marketing Associate for Snail Games.
Bylos continued by summing up Funcom's design philosophy this way, "You should not be playing a game to get to the top level. You should be playing a game to have fun." He also admitted that The Secret World changed from level-based to skills mid-development when the team decided that the genre had grown stale in that sense. Kristoffer Touborg, lead game designer for CCP, noted how players get to participate in the gaming experience for EVE even without being in the actual game thanks to the title's far-reaching meta experience.
Are skill-based systems on the rise? Watch the full video after the cut to find out.
Continue reading Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs
Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: GameSpot
- Via: TSW Twitter
Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox
Today's beta update also ushers in the "Precursor" client which includes the first real-time DUST/EVE Online integration, new environments, and keyboard/mouse support. More info is available at the official DUST 514 website.
[Source: CCP press release]
CCP releases new DUST 514 screens, 'precursor' beta client originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Betas, Horror, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Consoles, Sandbox
Now thanks to a new trailer we know that the game is officially called State of Decay and it's also coming to the PC. Whether it's an MMO or simply a precursor to the rumored Class4 MMO is still undetermined. All that said, the trailer shows off plenty of open-world third-person shooting action, zombie-centric gore, and even a muscle car and the requisite rusty old pickup truck.
Undead says that State of Decay is set in an "open sandbox world [that] develops in real-time," and that gameplay involves "designing and fortifying your home base." Click past the cut for the full video.
Continue reading Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer
Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Announcement
Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions
The Nature Affinity set allows players to buff up teammates prior to a fight and then hang back and heal during the fisticuffs proper. The set makes use of buffs, debuffs, heal-over-time effects, and the new stacking bloom effect that boosts targeted heals. The set is now available in the Paragon store, and you can check out the full video after the break.
Continue reading City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available
City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: YouTube
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, PvP, Guild Wars 2
"We looked at sports when we were designing Guild Wars 2 from day one," Sharp said. "If you walk through the office on a given day, there are people watching streaming. We're watching and we have plans to do some of that stuff."
The game will release with free tournaments but will soon have paid versions with gem rewards as well. "It's more of a case of putting money on the line and somebody's going to get some really cool stuff," Sharp said. The e-sports aspect of the game will be expanded into daily, monthly, and yearly tournaments as well as customizable ones. And yes, spectator mode is still forthcoming, although it's not quite ready for prime time.
Even with the system expanding, ArenaNet wants to keep it simple and easy to understand for all. The team is striving to keep the rules of PvP consistent, giving players ways to express their personality during matches. The devs are hopeful that visual cues in combat will help players understand what's happening on the battlefield.
Guild Wars 2 paves the way for e-sports originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: PC Gamer
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, News items, Promotions
If you have somehow managed to resist playing WoW for the past however-many years, now's the perfect time to succumb to the temptation and give the game a go, especially considering that patch 5.0 goes live in a week, and Mists of Pandaria soon after that. Surely you don't have any other plans for the 28th, right? If you wanna capitalize on the savings, though, just head on over to the Blizzard store, but do so quickly! The sale ends on August 27th.
World of Warcraft series 75% off until August 27th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, MMO industry, The Secret World, Legal
Funcom Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed the layoffs to Gamer.no, stating that operations on Funcom's three MMOs will continue and that The Secret World's revenue model will continue as planned.
Unconfirmed reports put the layoffs at 50% to 60% of the studio's workforce. "We're in the middle of the process and we can not go into more detail now," Ellingsen said. On its Twitter feed, Funcom posted the following: "Thank you for your warm thoughts and support. More information to come soon."
[Update: Funcom has made a new statement to Massively in light of the layoffs, stressing that the layoffs are temporary. "As we announced in the stock notice that went out on August 10th, Funcom is in the process of reducing operational costs and this process includes temporary layoffs as well as other initiatives. As we are currently in the middle of this process we can not provide any further comment at the present time. Rest assured however that we have long-term plans for the company and that we remain fully committed to all of our games. We aim to provide more information soon."]
Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Filmpolitet, Eurogamer.dk, Teknofil.no
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Podcasts, Guild Wars, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous, Pirate101
Also, podcast! Today we wrap up a week full of conventions, take a look at a certain beta, and talk about what big nerds we are.
Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.
Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 213: Pirate sharks
Massively Speaking Episode 213: Pirate sharks originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon
I love live events. These nuggets of content give a static themepark game a sense of life as well as a break from the daily grind. Star Wars: The Old Republic is eight months old, and the newest content is approaching its two-month birthday. The game needs a refresher. A live event was certainly well-timed and much-needed.
Unfortunately, live events, like any game content, are a bit of a gamble, especially if you've run a live event in the past. No doubt, players will compare the current live event with the previous one or the best one, and if the current one doesn't exactly match up to the standard of events of the past, then players are certainly going to feel cheated. And despite my continued love of the game itself, I have to admit that the latest live event, The Grand Acquisitions Race, fell short of all expectations.
Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, TERA, Dungeons
Of course, players will need to be in full fighting trim to face off against the eponymous Argon Queen, and that means everyone needs to be up to the level cap. To facilitate this, all characters will be receiving special buff items via item claim to increase experience earned and damage dealt for an hour. These rewards will go out once per day until the Argon Queen arrives on the scene. Instance drop rates are also improved for random group matchups, encouraging players to get out and gear up... you know, if the trailer for the update just past the cut didn't get you in that mood anyway.
Continue reading TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events
TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Patch notes, Argon Queen promotions