Virtual World News
Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, New titles, News items
Whatever happens next, you'll want to refresh your memories about the game before its sequel comes out, and that's the focus of the Wayfarer's Reverie running until August 30th. Players will have special festival quests to undertake, highlighting the memories and experiences of player journeys through each storyline. These questgivers can be found in each of the four major cities from the four expansions.
That's not all that players can expect, however. Special drops will also be in effect for the whole of the event, and there will be several NPCs scattered through the cities to share recollections of the game's history. Guild Wars players should check out the event -- it's not a prelude to the end but the prelude to a new beginning.
A reflective festival launches for Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Massively Meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous
Meanwhile, Guild Wars 2's prepurchase headstart is just a week away, and the team delivered two stress tests this week in preparation. Not up for GW2? Give Knight Age a spin; its open beta kicks off on August 28th.
Finally, Massively reader Travis tipped us off to the rumor that Otherland's closed beta will begin a week from today on August 24th.
The complete Betawatch roundup went thataway!
Continue reading Betawatch: August 11 - 17, 2012
Betawatch: August 11 - 17, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, MMORTS, Miscellaneous, MMObility
Well, it is and it is not. I've been thinking a lot about the way we spend money on electronics. In the room where I'm writing this, I have at least nine different devices that allow me to get online, check emails, communicate, and play MMOs. Have I spent too much money, or was I smart in my decisions? What happens to all of these devices after I'm done with them? Is the gaming PC the smarter path?
Continue reading MMObility: How mobile devices avoid the PC upgrade curse
MMObility: How mobile devices avoid the PC upgrade curse originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
"The biggest thing is because we promised we'd release on PlayStation 3, and there are still a lot of players out there waiting for us to release a PS3 version. Before we talked about losing the trust of the player base with the original release of XIV, and getting that trust back. One of the things to get that trust back is to fulfill our promises. That promise being that we'd release on the PlayStation 3," Naoki said in a group interview today at Gamescom. "That doesn't mean we're not looking to the future. We realize that things will be coming, and then making the game compatible for these systems is something we're currently thinking about," he added.
Of course, "until Sony and Microsoft actually make an announcement," he said, "we can't make an announcement." Yoshida said that his team's flexibility with FFXIV is due to the game's new engine. "With this new engine, it's very scalable. It runs on low-end PCs and high-end PCs. So, when new technology comes out, we can easily scale it to that high end."
Yoshida went on to show the game running on a colleague's Sony Vaio laptop, sporting a Core i5 processor. While the graphics were scaled down for the lower end specs, the game still ran smoothly and looked quite impressive. "This is at about 70 percent optimization," he added.
FFXIV: A Realm Reborn will launch on both PC and PlayStation 3 "this year."
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 'scalable' for next-gen consoles originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying
SOEmote's mixed reception was both predictable and irritating, as it often seems to me like MMO gamers cry for innovation out of one side of their mouths and decry it from the other side on those rare occasions when it happens.
Granted, SOEmote isn't a combat- or endgame-focused innovation, but isn't that the point? Shouldn't MMO devs be spreading their creative wings and giving us new things to do that aren't the same old hotbar-spamming gear grind? So how about it, morning crew -- do you just want more progression, or do you really want MMO innovation (and if so, what kind)?
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 you really want MMO innovation? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Final Fantasy XIV
"Basically what's going to happen is that the current story is still continuing now, but some day in the near future - and we'll make sure we tell the players what day that is - something is going to happen in the story, and at that time the servers are going to shut down," Yoshida told us in a group interview this morning at Gamescom.
The reason for the shutdown is less thrilling than you might think. "Basically the player data will be taken over into the new game. So, to convert all this new data for the new systems, we need a certain amount of time to do this. There's so much data, so many thousands of characters that we must do this for. And so, we have to shut down the servers," he said.
Yoshida was quick to point out that players will have plenty of warning ahead of the shut down (consider this your first heads up). He also notes that the original game's userbase will be prioritized in A Realm Reborn's beta queue, and that players will "be able to use their current characters in the beta test as well." Though that may not be at the kickoff of the beta, he says, "we're working in a way to try to get it as close to the beginning of the beta test as possible."
FFXIV: A Realm Reborn is headed to both PlayStation 3 and PC later this year.
Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively's on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from the MMOs at the show!Final Fantasy XIV servers shutting down ahead of relaunch, 'A Realm Reborn' beta planned for this fall originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, News items, Free-to-play
The update will bring in a new Monster Manual and a brand-new adventure pack with new dungeons and exciting monsters. You can get a sneak peek of three of the dungeons -- Outbreak, Overgrowth, and Thorn & Paw -- right here! Check out the gallery below to get a glimpse of what awaits you in the Song of Druid's Deep.
[Source: Turbine press release]
D&D Online's Song of Druid's Deep screenshots released originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries
Straight from the show floor of Gamescom comes a new video featuring LotRO's mounts for the Riders of Rohan expansion. These mounts come in three armor tiers, have slots for individual armor pieces, and have customizable skills. They also look pretty snazzy as they carry you into battle.
Check out last week's video to learn more about mounts, or skip below the cut to check out this week's video if all you need is the pounding of drums and the thrill of battle.
Continue reading Gamescom 2012: New LotRO dev diary about warsteeds
Gamescom 2012: New LotRO dev diary about warsteeds originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, News items, Races
Continue reading Gamescom 2012: World of Warcraft reveals Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic
Gamescom 2012: World of Warcraft reveals Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: WoW Insider
Filed under: Horror, Trailers, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items
Hounds will feature five types of gameplay, including end-game raiding and PvP. The game is scheduled for a fourth-quarter release in 2013. Planned for release just before that in Q3 2013, Monarch utilizes soldiers-for-hire to siege opposing territories in large-scale combat.
Check out the in-game footage of both titles in the trailers after the break.
[Source: CJ Games Global press release]
Continue reading Gamescom 2012: CJ Games showcases upcoming games in videos
Gamescom 2012: CJ Games showcases upcoming games in videos originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.