Virtual World® is your one stop resource for all things virtual, in and around the MMO gaming and online 3D communities. In-depth virtual world and MMO game play reviews, discussion forums and the latest news from around the world. VirtualWorld.com

Virtual World News

New Blade & Soul trailer shows off Summoner pets
April 21, 2012

Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

Blade & Soul - Summoner pet kitty
NCsoft has released a new trailer for Blade & Soul's Summoner class. As you might expect, the Summoner is a pet-handling heroine who relies on her animal companions for much of her utility. What you may not have expected is the form those animals will take.

Prior to this particular trailer, Blade & Soul has gone with a fairly serious high-fantasy approach to its world and character design. Thanks to the Summoner pets, the cuteness factor has gone through the roof. Don't take our word for it, though. Head past the cut and see for yourself.

[Thanks to Blade&Soul Fan for the tip!]

Continue reading New Blade & Soul trailer shows off Summoner pets

MassivelyNew Blade & Soul trailer shows off Summoner pets originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Mog Log: Giving a shotgun to a bear
April 21, 2012

Filed under: , , , , , ,

The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
Final Fantasy XI was my first MMORPG, and as such it's shaped a lot of my attitudes toward the genre as a whole. The problem was that inasmuch as one could be a typical player of the game, I was not. The details aren't relevant; what is relevant is that I would frequently look at patch notes, sort of squint a bit, and assume that any number of the features were aimed at the audience that I was not a part of. After all, there was no way the developers would add in a feature if literally no one in the game's community wanted it, right?

Time has made it clear that this was most definitely not the case. Maybe it's due to the difference between American and Japanese audiences, maybe it's something lost in the translation, or maybe it's just Square's periodic bursts of insanity manifesting itself, but Final Fantasy XIV carries on in the proud decision of listening to players and taking entirely the wrong message away. I'm incredibly impressed by the vast majority of Naoki Yoshida's work, but there are a lot of features that have been added or are being added that seem to have completely missed the point of player requests.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Giving a shotgun to a bear

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Giving a shotgun to a bear originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

    The Tattered Notebook: What to look forward to in GU63
    April 21, 2012

    Filed under: , , , , ,

    Skyshrine from Withered Lands
    So there I was, watching the server status on the EverQuest II official site on my mobile phone and seeing server after server start to go back online. Game Update 63 officially launched this week, and with it came the much-awaited return of the Skyshrine dragons. But this week happens to be spring vacation week, so as much as I was hoping to see things firsthand, I was out of town and offline as I enjoyed some surprisingly pleasant weather on the beach in New England and in downtown New York City.

    Although I missed launch, I got a feel for some of the new content while it was on Test, plus I had a sneak peek with the recent EQII tour, so this week I'm going to digest what I saw, pretend that launch hasn't happened yet, and highlight a few things that I'm looking forward to seeing with the patch. If you're already dipping your toes into the content, think of me, face pressed against the glass as I watch helplessly, and see whether there's anything on my list that might be something you hope to see as well (but hopefully not long before I do!).

    Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: What to look forward to in GU63

    MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: What to look forward to in GU63 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

      Embers of Caerus dev blog talks sieging, Kickstarter
      April 21, 2012

      Filed under: , , , , , , ,

      Ember of Caerus logo
      Embers of Caerus has been flying under the radar of late (even for an indie sandbox title). Happily, the dev team has broken the silence with a new 20-minute video featuring Forsaken Studios technical director and co-founder Dave Belcher.

      Belcher has a lot to say, the main gist of which is that work on EoC is going quite well. That said, funding is an issue as it is for most indie projects, so Belcher and his team have decided to try their hand at Kickstarter. "We're not a greedy bunch, the main thing is making the game and everything else is secondary," Belcher explains. To that end, look for an EoC Kickstarter page over the next few weeks.

      In terms of gameplay and systems, Belcher spends a spot of time discussing siege warfare. He does offer a disclaimer in terms of the early nature of a high-level design, but he also describes sieging as "one of our key, killer features," so chances are good that you'll see it in EoC's eventual prototype. Head past the break for the full video.

      [Thanks to Sam for the tip!]

      Continue reading Embers of Caerus dev blog talks sieging, Kickstarter

      MassivelyEmbers of Caerus dev blog talks sieging, Kickstarter originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

      The Daily Grind: Is there such thing as too much new content?
      April 20, 2012

      Filed under: , ,

      Buffet!
      Getting the best value for your money has always been a concern with MMOs. As players, we want to see our dollar stretch as much as possible, and developers want to make sure they're creating enough content to keep their hardcore players happy as well as maintaining that early experience to keep new players coming in. But can it ever be just too much?

      I've found myself drifting away from a few MMOs after a new expansion or content update makes me feel completely lost. I played the game to max level, thinking I was doing good to finally join my friends in endgame content, only to have a new expansion nullify that feeling.

      So tell us your opinions, dear readers. Have you ever experienced content overload in a game, or do you welcome the content avalanche with open arms?

      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: Is there such thing as too much new content? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

      Mount & Blade: Warband DLC features 250-player battles
      April 20, 2012

      Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

      Mount and Blade: Warband - Napoleonic Wars
      A Mount & Blade MMO is something we've wanted to see for a long time. While that's not exactly happening, 250-player battles is probably the next best thing. Paradox has just released a new DLC pack for Mount & Blade: Warband called Napoleonic Wars. It brings the game's signature real-time combat to 19th century Europe and gives players the ability to use soldiers, artillery, and even battlefield musicians to wage epic multiplayer battles.

      Napoleonic Wars features five nations, a wide range of artillery pieces, an Engineer class that uses barricades, trenches, and explosives, and over 220 new units. There's also a new commander battle mode for your squad-leader gameplay needs. The DLC pack will set you back $9.99. Oh, and don't forget to check out the launch trailer after the cut.

      [Source: Paradox press release]

      Continue reading Mount & Blade: Warband DLC features 250-player battles

      MassivelyMount & Blade: Warband DLC features 250-player battles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

        Diablo III roars into an open beta weekend
        April 20, 2012

        Filed under: , , ,

        Diablo III
        Flex those mouse-clicking fingers, compadres -- it's demon-hunting time! This weekend, Blizzard is blowing the doors off Diablo III's beta, allowing any and all (well, those with a Battle.net account, that is) to come try out this upcoming action RPG.

        The open beta weekend begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT today and lasts until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 23rd. During the beta, all five classes will be available, but players will be limited to a level 13 cap as they give the game a whirl.

        To access the Diablo III open beta, players need a valid Battle.net account and a BattleTag. Despite playing in the open beta, participants won't be able to post in the beta forums and won't receive Beta Bucks with which to spend.

        Asian players in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau won't be part of this stress test, but rather a separate invitation-only closed beta test starting on April 23rd.

        MassivelyDiablo III roars into an open beta weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

        SOE games down Monday for 24-hour maintenance
        April 20, 2012

        Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

        SOE logo
        We imagine that the word downtime makes Sony Online Entertainment employees cringe, convulse, and eye-twitch for hours on end after last summer's disastrous hacker-induced service outage. Happily though, the next service interruption is planned and we've got plenty of notice.

        SOE will be performing maintenance this Monday, April 23th, and the firm says that all of its game services will be unavailable for approximately 24 hours. The downtime starts at 3:01 a.m. EDT. Commerce transactions and account management functionality will also be affected, so you might as well cross all of your SOE-related plans off Monday's calendar.

        MassivelySOE games down Monday for 24-hour maintenance originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

        10 Reasons Why You Need to be at Digital Kids
        April 20, 2012

        Digital Kids Conference in Los Angeles on April 25-26 is the only event that provides you with unparalleled exposure to best practices, current trends, and effective strategies behind the most successful techniques to develop and market to digital kids and youth.

        In addition to saving $400 off the all-access door price by

        Turbine talks Eberron vs. Forgotten realms in new DDO video
        April 20, 2012

        Filed under: , , , , , , ,

        Dungeons and Dragons Online - spider queen
        Turbine has released the next installment in its Menace of the Underdark dev diary series. The video clip runs for two-and-a-half minutes and features various developer personalities discussing Dungeons and Dragons Online's jump from one fantasy world to another.

        "It's really important to us that Faerun feels unique and is more true to the classic high-fantasy setting," says producer Fernando Paiz. Whereas Eberron featured elements of fantasy-tech and magicpunk, the Forgotten Realms is one of the more iconic and traditional high fantasy settings around. As such, Turbine says, it has collaborated closely with Wizards of the Coast to ensure the authenticity of the expansion experience.

        So what is the link between these two different realms? In a word, Lolth, the drow spider-queen goddess who is powerful enough to connect the worlds. Turbine remains mum on the specifics, though, so you'll have to check out the expansion to see for yourself.

        [Source: Turbine press release]

        Continue reading Turbine talks Eberron vs. Forgotten realms in new DDO video

        MassivelyTurbine talks Eberron vs. Forgotten realms in new DDO video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments