Virtual World News
BioWare prepping another SWTOR free Weekend Pass
May 15, 2012
Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Promotions
As with the preceding promotions, no credit card is required. Your characters will carry over should you choose to convert to a full account, and you'll be able to experience SWTOR's first 15 levels as well as all the character classes and origin worlds. PvP warzones and flashpoints are yours for the taking too, so head to the official website to learn more and get started.
BioWare prepping another SWTOR free Weekend Pass originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Blizzard uses a video to explain what Diablo III is
May 15, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Launches, News items, Diablo III
The short version? It's a game where you head through a lot of randomly generated dungeons, slaughter untold numbers of demons, and try to banish the forces of the Burning Hells from the mortal realm. It's not quite an MMO, but there are definitely tastes of such with the in-game worldwide auction house. But why are you relying on us to tell you? Click on past the break and find out for yourself.
Continue reading Blizzard uses a video to explain what Diablo III is
Blizzard uses a video to explain what Diablo III is originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Via: Joystiq
Swashbucklers, ships, and high seas hijinks: KingsIsle talks Pirate101
May 15, 2012
Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play, Family, Pirate101
Massively had a chance to talk with Pirate101's Lead Creative Designer Sam Johnson to hear more about what players will see from KingsIsle's upcoming MMO. So grab your cutlass, don your tricorne, and read on for more details!
Continue reading Swashbucklers, ships, and high seas hijinks: KingsIsle talks Pirate101
Swashbucklers, ships, and high seas hijinks: KingsIsle talks Pirate101 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If 38 Studios goes under, Rhode Island taxpayers will be footing the bill [Updated]
May 15, 2012
Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous
Project Copernicus and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer 38 Studios is in some hot water, but it looks like that may be the least of your worries if you're a Rhode Island resident. Rhode Island's WPRI reports that if the studio founders and can't pay back the bonds given to it by the state, then the onus of doing so will fall upon Rhode Island taxpayers.
How much moolah are we talking about? Something to the tune of $112.6 million US. According to Joystiq, "If 38 Studios can't pay, the governor is required to ask the General Assembly to repay bondholders," which means that Rhode Island taxpayers will be responsible for footing the bill by 2020. For now, though, both the studio and the Rhode Island government are tight-lipped on the studio's future, and by association, the future of Project Copernicus, so we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
[Update: Our sister site Joystiq reports that 38 Studios "missed its latest loan payment of $1.125 million to the state of Rhode Island on May 1, effectively defaulting [on] its $75 million loan." Rhode Island's Economic Development Corporation will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the situation.]
How much moolah are we talking about? Something to the tune of $112.6 million US. According to Joystiq, "If 38 Studios can't pay, the governor is required to ask the General Assembly to repay bondholders," which means that Rhode Island taxpayers will be responsible for footing the bill by 2020. For now, though, both the studio and the Rhode Island government are tight-lipped on the studio's future, and by association, the future of Project Copernicus, so we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
[Update: Our sister site Joystiq reports that 38 Studios "missed its latest loan payment of $1.125 million to the state of Rhode Island on May 1, effectively defaulting [on] its $75 million loan." Rhode Island's Economic Development Corporation will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the situation.]
If 38 Studios goes under, Rhode Island taxpayers will be footing the bill [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Joystiq
Enjin unveils in-game overlay client
May 15, 2012
Filed under: News items, Miscellaneous
Enjin has quickly established itself as a go-to place for players in need of a community site, and now, thanks to a partnership with Overwolf, the site has introduced the Enjin in-game client. The client works similarly to other in-game overlays such as Xfire and Steam, and it's integrated directly with players' Enjin sites, which allows them to use nifty features such as uploading screenshots and videos directly to their profiles.
And hey, if you're part of Massively's awesome Enjin community, you can use the client to keep up with our community as well. The full list of the program's features, as well as a link to download the Enjin in-game client, can be found over at Enjin's official site, so head on over and give it a go. We'll see you folks there.
And hey, if you're part of Massively's awesome Enjin community, you can use the client to keep up with our community as well. The full list of the program's features, as well as a link to download the Enjin in-game client, can be found over at Enjin's official site, so head on over and give it a go. We'll see you folks there.
Enjin unveils in-game overlay client originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Enjin blog and news
The Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online
May 15, 2012
Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, The Game Archaeologist
While the Gold Box series has not become as timeless or replayable as late '90s classics like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, they definitely had a huge impact on the PC scene and helped elevate the CRPG genre. Following the Gold Box engine, SSI went on to produce another engine that it used for a completely new series set in the D&D campaign setting of Dark Sun. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (1993) and Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (1994) were both modest hits, and when it came time for a third game in the series, SSI decided to make the leap to the then-untested realm of online gaming.
What followed was a wild two-year experiment in MMOs that happened prior to the Ultima Online and EverQuest generation. While ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its potential or gaining a large audience, Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands made a valiant attempt at achieving the inevitable future of gaming.
Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online
The Game Archaeologist: Dark Sun Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Stargate Worlds is not resting in peace as new lawsuit emerges
May 15, 2012
Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Stargate Worlds, News items, Legal
Fast forward to present day, when Stargate Worlds appears back in the news. Unfortunately for fans, it has nothing to do with offering a sliver of hope that the game itself might also revive; instead, more lawsuits are being filed against Whiting and other Cheyenne employees.
The newest lawsuit filed in Arizona includes 17 plaintiffs who accuse Whiting of misleading investors in various ways to obtain their cash. Some of the allegations leveled at Whiting include "negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, common-law fraud and securities fraud"; he's also accused of issuing loans to himself from the company's funds -- money that may still be in Whiting's possession, according to Cheyenne Mountain's court-appointed receiver, Keith Bierman of Phoenix-based MCA Financial Group.
Stargate Worlds is not resting in peace as new lawsuit emerges originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: The Arizona Republic
- Via: TenTonHammer
Guild Wars 2 nets 500K Facebook likes, releases Destiny's Edge art to celebrate
May 14, 2012
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars 2
The picture is of Destiny's Edge, the adventuring group that features so prominently in Guild Wars 2, facing a rather fearsome foe: The Shatterer. According to the Facebook page, this is actually an in-game screenshot that's been "embellished" by ArenaNet artist Daniel Dociu. As with the other pictures that it has released, ArenaNet has made this image available as a high-resolution version as well.
This art release comes at an auspicious time, as Guild Wars 2 is diving into a seven-hour beta stress test starting today at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Guild Wars 2 nets 500K Facebook likes, releases Destiny's Edge art to celebrate originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Guild Wars 2 Facebook page
The Daily Grind: Must MMO housing be open-world to be good?
May 14, 2012
Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Sandbox
Some of us are resigned to the belief that, at best, themepark MMOs willing to take a stab at housing are forever going to implement the instanced variety a la EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online, so we may as well get used to it. But sandbox zealots (a term I'm intending affectionately) insist that housing must be open-world, that players should be able to walk up to their own unique spaces within a game and build their abodes from foundation to rooftop. Instanced housing, they say, is just pointless when other people can't easily see what you've created.
What do you think -- is MMO housing just a waste of dev resources if it isn't open-world?
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: Must MMO housing be open-world to be good? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MV Guide: May 14 - 20, 2012
May 14, 2012
Filed under: Livestream, Miscellaneous, MV Guide
Every week, the Massively Stream Team logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises each week, so you'll find a variety of titles to watch. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, or simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)
Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule, and let us know if there's a specific game you'd like to see streamed next week!
Continue reading MV Guide: May 14 - 20, 2012
MV Guide: May 14 - 20, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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