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ArcheAge market expands to Japan, hopes rise for more globalization
May 28, 2012

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ArcheAge image
Although the publishing agreement with GameOn for the service of ArcheAge in Japan was actually signed in 2009 (according to February 25th's press release about Simplygon), details of the company's plans for the game just recently became clear: GameOn's parent company, NeoWiz, aims to distribute and support ArcheAge using a revived social gaming platform called Pmang combined with GameOn.

It's not exactly the announcement Western ArcheAge fans want to hear most, but the news that the game will be published in Japan is definitely a step in the right direction; adding yet another country gives hope that the market will continue to expand, perhaps finally to North America and Europe. Also fanning the flames of hope is talk that NeoWiz may take the platform worldwide. We have our fingers crossed!

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

MassivelyArcheAge market expands to Japan, hopes rise for more globalization originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embers of Caerus reaches Kickstarter funding goal with 22 days to go
May 28, 2012

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Embers of Caerus image
Just a few days ago we reported that Forsaken Studios was launching a Kickstarter campaign for Embers of Caerus and set a goal of $25,000. After hitting 92% of its goal in only five days (including one confirmed $10,000 donation), developers released a video update thanking all supporters, large and small.

The update also offers more tidbits of information, including the addition of a jobs page to the official site for those aspiring to work on Embers of Caerus and a reward matrix that better spells out what donors will receive for their contributions. Technical Directer Dave Belcher also gives some insights into why the game supports harsher death penalties and will not consider going free-to-play.

Now that the game has officially reached its Kickstarter goal this morning, we can't wait to see what else the Forsaken Studios team will offer up in the game's development as it still has over 22 days to go for its funding! Will it reach $100k? $300k? One meeeellion dollars? We'll certainly keep our eyes on its progress.

[Thanks to everyone for the tip!]

MassivelyEmbers of Caerus reaches Kickstarter funding goal with 22 days to go originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jagex closing down browser-based 8Realms
May 28, 2012

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8Realms concept art
More MMO layoffs are in the news this week as noted free-to-play maker Jagex is shuttering its browser-based 8Realms project. A source told Massively that the social empire-building game "has been a major (and very expensive) flop. Many of us are losing our jobs, some are being moved to other departments."

We contacted Jagex for an official comment and were provided a statement by COO Daniel Clough: "Jagex has always been committed to creating fun and compelling games. During the 8Realms beta it has become clear that the game doesn't meet our high expectations for success and we are therefore channeling our focus on other exciting opportunities in the pipeline."

MassivelyJagex closing down browser-based 8Realms originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Captain's Log: New starbases, a focus on Klingon play, and test missions
    May 28, 2012

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    STO
    If the past two years have taught the long-term Star Trek Online player anything, it's that it always gets darkest before the dawn. As with previous season releases, the developers have virtually disappeared from the forums and have apparently turned their noses to their screens in order to make Season Six's final push for early June.

    The players posting in the game's forums have turned to wild speculation as to what the patch will include and whether or not the devs' obvious absence from the forums spells doom for the game.

    It's been like this with every previous release, why should Season Six be any different? A better question might be: What we can do to keep ourselves occupied while we all wait to find out the truth?

    The good news is, a few leaks have come out and will allow players to get a sneak peek at a bit of the forthcoming content and may provide some entertainment, but will definitely generate a plethora of questions that will likely remain unanswered until the patch pushes to the test server in June.

    Continue reading Captain's Log: New starbases, a focus on Klingon play, and test missions

    MassivelyCaptain's Log: New starbases, a focus on Klingon play, and test missions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Wings Over Atreia: Much ado about housing
      May 28, 2012

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      Wings Over Atreia
      Although Wings over Atreia has covered Aion's housing before, both in anticipation and right after release, I still encounter some lingering questions and misconceptions regarding this new feature. This point was really brought out during Justin's Leaderboard poll about who had better housing, Aion or EverQuest II. While I laud anything that brings attention to one of my favorite features, and I do realize that the Leaderboard articles are made for a bit of fun, I had some concerns about that specific pair up. However, despite its disadvantages and underdog status, Aion held its own pretty well. Go team Daeva!

      To be honest, I admit I was a bit surprised (and pleased) by the fervor with which some fans defended the newcomer to the housing market. Daevas have really embraced this gameplay alternative to hunting and gathering -- just take a look at the bidding wars for prime housing or the recent decorating contest. Aion's housing might be totally new, but it's off to a pretty good to start and will keep getting better.

      Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Much ado about housing

      MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Much ado about housing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Not So Massively: Diablo III players conquer Inferno and more
        May 28, 2012

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        Not So Massively title image
        Diablo III reportedly became the fastest selling PC game of all time this week with over 6.3 million units sold in its first week despite ongoing server issues. Blizzard assured players that recent account hackings have not been caused by a compromised database, and players have come up with a variety of inventive ways to conquer the practically impossible Inferno mode.

        In MOBA news, League of Legends celebrated one year of its player-mediated banning tribunal and released the official champion spotlight video for new champion Darius, the Hand of Noxus. Dota 2 released a new interface this week to help players pick heroes more effectively, and Heroes of Newerth released a strange new tentacle demon plant hero named Bramble. We also heard of upcoming indie MOBA Smashmuck, which entered closed beta yesterday.

        Upcoming action FPS Hedone was recently rebranded under a new name, and this week developers opened signups for a new closed beta. Torchlight II's beta officially ended this week, and the Wrath of Heroes Beta introduced new hero Amenadresh.

        Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III players conquer Inferno and more

        MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III players conquer Inferno and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          FFXIV version 2.0 trailer won't be at E3 after all
          May 28, 2012

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          Final Fantasy XIV
          Just as Square-Enix is on the verge of releasing a "flood" of new information about Final Fantasy XIV's much-anticipated version 2.0, the studio says that the players' most wanted video will be missing from next month's major convention. That's right: The FFXIV 2.0 trailer will not be shown at E3 after all.

          Square-Enix's Naoki Yoshida wrote of the trailer's completion in a recent producer's letter, but shared that the company is withholding it from E3 in order to package it with a larger marketing campaign. "During our most recent global PR planning meeting, we came to the conclusion that the most effective way to introduce version 2.0 to the world would be with a flood of new material rather than just a trickle," Yoshida said.

          Final Fantasy XIV 2.0's public debut is still scheduled for E3, however. The trailer, along with the info-flood, is slated to be revealed this August. Version 2.0 will be a relaunch of the title alongside the PlayStation 3 release. It will feature overhauled graphics, server architecture, multiple in-game improvements, and additional racial/gender choices.

          MassivelyFFXIV version 2.0 trailer won't be at E3 after all originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: What's your ideal group size?
          May 27, 2012

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          Three's a crowd. Unless you're doing a quest requiring a group of three.
          Every MMO lets you team up with other players. This is unsurprising, seeing as how it's one of the main selling points of the genre. But there's always an upward limit, and always target team sizes that the game bases content around. Content is largely designed in World of Warcraft to target groups of five, Guild Wars tailors most of its content for groups of eight, and Final Fantasy XI expects a team of six. But each of these games also provide content for more variable sizes.

          Today's question isn't whether or not you like teaming up, it's about what your ideal majority size would be. Do you generally prefer to have a group of three? Groups of two? Groups of five? How many people do you like to party up with on a regular basis? Or would you prefer that most content simply scaled to the number of participants involved?

          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: What's your ideal group size? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Previously on MV TV: The week of May 19th
            May 27, 2012

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            Previously On banner
            Missing livestreams is so 2011! There's no excuse now, what with the livestream schedule page going up every week, the constant reminders across Twitter, and the super-cool regulars we have who hang out in the chat room with us. But, alas, some of you do occasionally miss a stream or two and need someone to point out what you might have missed. That someone would be me, and this column is the place to go.

            Last week we had all sorts of cool stuff. Some of the highlights? First we had Richie with some Diablo III Hell-smashing action, MJ deciding to run some dungeons in EverQuest II and Aion, finishing up her Choose My Adventure run in City of Heroes and checking up housing decorations in Vanguard. I'm known to run a stream or two as well, and this week I showed off the new fully voice-acted quest Song from the Depths in RuneScape.

            Click past the cut and enjoy!

            Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The week of May 19th

            MassivelyPreviously on MV TV: The week of May 19th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              RIFT hints at expansion details with strange box
              May 27, 2012

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              RIFT - strange gift box
              Trion's coy marketing campaign for RIFT's next update continues. Yesterday we received a mysterious box containing the following: two posters featuring historical raids, a level with a "10" sticker on it, four soles, six keys (one of which was labeled Port Tempest), five glass prisms, and a red hooded cloak.

              What does all this mean?

              PCGamer received a similar bundle and has posted its thoughts, and we tend to agree. Chances are good that we're looking at a major RIFT expansion featuring new raids, new souls, a level-cap increase, and six new areas. And the glass prisms? We have no idea, so stay tuned.

              MassivelyRIFT hints at expansion details with strange box originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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