Virtual World News
Filed under: Fantasy, Ultima Online, Humor, The Game Archaeologist
And now, for the exciting conclusion!
As disappointed that some MMO fans were over Ultima Worlds Online: Origin's cancellation, the truth is that the industry still was young, these MMOs still had their "new car smell," and hey, there was always Ultima Online to play. It was probably the right call at the time to not create your own competition, but if that was the case, EA should've never begun it to begin with.
So did the company have a major case of cancellation remorse? Or did it look at other industry sequels like Asheron's Call 2 and EverQuest II and feel as though it was being upstaged?
Whatever the reason, EA decided that it had been too hasty, and it greenlit development on yet another Ultima Online sequel, this one titled Ultima X: Odyssey. It would go deeper and further into development, gather more acclaim, and generate more hype than UWO:O, and in fact would get within spitting distance of launching.
Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Miscellaneous
Mr. Simon Ludgate over at Gamasutra realizes this, and has put together an incredibly in-depth feature discussing the philosophy of fairness in MMORPGs. The feature is packed with star-power, with commentary from En Masse's Brian Knox, Trion Worlds' Scott Hartsman, Richard Garriott, and more. For the full, in-depth, and interesting feature, head on over to Gamasutra.
New Gamasutra feature looks to define fairness in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Contests, New titles, MMORTS, Giveaways
SemiFormal has given us 50 alpha test keys to share with you, so if you'd like to see how far the game has come since alpha test phase I, head to our giveaway page and pick up a key for yourself. It's an alpha test, so don't forget to report all those little bugs and glitches. Even more importantly, don't forget to have fun!
Ensemble Online wants you for alpha testing! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, News items, Hands-on, The Secret World
Mr. Walker spends a good deal of time talking about the much-talked-about ARG-esque connection between The Secret World and our reality. He goes into detail about a particular puzzle offered by the game which requires players to do a good deal of real-world research in order to reach their in-game goal, which sounds absolutely fascinating. Combat is also touched on, with Mr. Walker noting that "while its delivery is relatively traditional... there's enough that's different here to be interesting." For the full, fascinating read, head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun!
Rock, Paper, Shotgun gets an inside look at The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Battle of the Immortals, Dev Diaries
Like our last Perfect World Entertainment-powered exclusive, this one concerns BoI's Titan update. The patch contains a new instance called Titan's Throne, and players at level 115 or higher will be able to run through it once per day in order to challenge a fearsome gauntlet of monsters, elite bosses and finally Kronos himself.
Head past the cut for more on the new content courtesy of the BoI dev team, as well as a few screenshots of the instance in action.
Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Battle of the Immortals Titan Throne instance dev blog
Massively Exclusive: Battle of the Immortals Titan Throne instance dev blog originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Professions, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon
Despite the lack of carnage in the class progression video, we did glean insight into many of the class powers, some of which mirror its Republic counterpart: the Trooper. I know for marketing reasons and to keep from confusing the potential player, it's not a good idea to use the word "mirror" when describing The Old Republic classes. But it's hard to deny that the Imperial Bounty Hunter and the Republic Trooper are very much mirrored insofar as combat roles and abilities. After the break, I will explain to you what I see that is the same and what is different between the two classes. Then, in the end, I will let you decide whether the classes are truly mirrored or not.
Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Man in the mirror
Hyperspace Beacon: Man in the mirror originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots
This is my Dwarf Priest Marguarita with her Mechanopeep which looks just like the Red Mechanostrider mount. This pet can be yours for 40 Champions Seals from the Gnomeregan Quartermaster at the Argent Tournament in Icecrown. Its on of my favorite pets in the game.Now it's your turn! Large or small, deadly or purely decorative, we want to see your favorite pet companion. Just let us know your name, the name of the game, and a little about your pet and how you acquired it. Send it all to to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature you and your pet on One Shots this week.
One Shots: Mechanopeep is just fun to say originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Launches, News items, Free-to-play
Players take the role of one of six classes, each with their own signature weapon, and then join up with one of five factions to do battle with the diabolical Dark World. The game boasts seven different battle systems which cover PvE, PvP, and everything in between. Players can also train and raise animal companions to fight by their sides as well as build a family with other players, which provides unique in-game benefits. Check the gallery below for some nifty screenshots of the game, and jump past the cut for the game's launch trailer. If those pique your interest, you can get started with the game at the official site.
Continue reading Snail Games' The Chosen launches today
Snail Games' The Chosen launches today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous
A few weeks ago I wrote a Soapbox article that exposed the flaws in the MMO first kiss theory. It generated more discussion than I anticipated, much of it spiraling off into tangents like MMO design, sandbox and themepark elements, and the seeming incompatibility between a polished game and a feature-rich game.
It's this last bit that I'd like to discuss today, and you'll have to forgive me if we tread some familiar ground in the process. While there are many fascinating perspectives and debates in our bizarre hobby, none is as perplexing to me as the disconnect between gamers who want more game and those who want less game, highly polished.
Continue reading The Soapbox: Polished vs. feature-rich
The Soapbox: Polished vs. feature-rich originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, MMObility
Once I discovered the world of browser-based real-time-strategy games, I found a large number of games that provided me with almost everything I needed. While I normally preferred more "immersive" play, I found that the miniature armies and grand scale of most of these newer titles filled in my imagination just fine. In fact, the more I play with them, the more I am reminded of tabletop gaming as a teen. Those were glorious times, despite the fact that I am now, and always have been, horrible at war.
Let me tell you all about my recent obsession with browser-based real-time-strategy MMOs. (That's quite a mouthful.) Click past the cut!
Continue reading MMObility: How to real-time-strategize your way into my heart
MMObility: How to real-time-strategize your way into my heart originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.