Virtual World News
Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Browser
Last week we told you about Bigpoint's eyebrow-raising sale of a €1,000 virtual space drone. Gamesbrief recently updated its news posting after its readers chimed in with a healthy dose of skepticism regarding the numbers involved in the supposed windfall.As it turns out, said numbers are likely still impressive, but rather less impressive than than the €2 million ($2.7 million) initially surmised. Gamesbrief's correction post states that the drone cannot be bought for real cash, and instead must be purchased with DarkOrbit's Uridium currency, which is available for real money or earned in game. Bigpoint has in fact sold 2,000 of the drones, but not at a direct cost of €1,000 each.
"I no longer think that you can multiply 2,000 10th Drones sold times €1,000 to work out how much revenue Bigpoint made from this single item," Gamesbrief's Nicholas Lovell writes.
Bigpoint's €1000 space drone sale clarified originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Gamesbrief
Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World
Those of you wondering how the game's classless skill-based advancement system is going to work will definitely want to read through the piece, as there is a lot of information in terms of both how the The Secret World feels and how it directs players in comparison to more traditional themepark titles.
"I believe World of Warcraft uses a very heavy hand to guide players. It says, 'pick up this stuff here, go and do these missions in this place here, do all the quests then go to this place here and do the quests there,'" Bylos explains. "In our game, we try not to be as heavy handed. It's much more of a light touch and comes through in the places you visit and the people you meet."
The Secret World designers talk progression, hand-holding, and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: RPS
Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox
Electric Playground has what amounts to the first official Origins trailer, and the clip features a good bit of in-game alpha footage as well as brief interview clips and commentary from lead designer Michael Dunham. During the course of the video, you'll get a taste of the world and its backstory, and Dunham describes Malu as a "gigantic network of portals around the universe [that are] linked through inter-dimensions."
Dunham also explains a bit about the mechanical philosophy behind Origins, stating that "we wanted to build a story-based sandbox game where the user is able to do what they want to do from the beginning [...] it can't be just a complete free-for-all, but at the same time we don't want railroad tracks," he says. Journey past the cut for the full video.
Continue reading New Origins of Malu video highlights story-based sandbox design
New Origins of Malu video highlights story-based sandbox design originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Electric Playground
Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox
CCP says that vehicles "play a large role" on DUST's battlefields, with heavy armor units delivering long-range concussive attacks "while lighter units emphasize speed and flexibility." Vehicles are also highly configurable, and players will be given a choice of armaments drawn directly from EVE Online's weapon classes.
Finally, the new blog entry gives us a glimpse of various vehicle aesthetics, and long-time New Eden fans will be pleased to note that the selection has a familiar factional feel (though duty compels us to complain about the lack of a Minmatar entry).
Vehicles to play a large role in DUST 514 battles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: PlayStation blog
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Giveaways
Archlord X is a continuation of the events of the Archlord universe, according to Webzen. The Archlord X game scenario is based a hundred years after Archlord, when Chantra fell into chaos from the Archon running out of control.
Ready to check it out for yourself? Visit our giveaway page, then head over to the Archlord X redemption page. Create an account via the "play for free" button if you have not, then enter your beta key serial code. Once you've done that you're all set to download Archlord X -- enjoy!
Get your closed beta key for Archlord X: The Chronicles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, Free-to-play
There's no one specific aspect of the Challenges that is receiving the most attention, but a variety of tweaks to make the feature more enjoyable (and functional) as a whole. The patch includes additional weapons at Challenge vendors, Challenge loot that can be used in crafting and upgraded, and the ability for players to repeat Star Challenges for XP. There's also the interesting inclusion of the ability to sell DDO Store-bought loot to in-game vendors for cash.
Players are invited to check the changes out on the Lamannia test server or to peruse the patch notes at their leisure.
DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: DDO forums
Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia
Originally slated to release during the holiday, this topic was preempted by last week's announcement. No matter -- I certainly don't mind stretching out the season of gratitude. So while it might be more trendy to troll and spread hate, I dedicate this week's Wings Over Atreia to just saying thanks.
Don't believe there are things to be thankful for? Step past the cut (or roll, if you enjoyed as much turkey as I did) to check out my reasons and a chance to express your own.
Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude
Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA
LOCO: Evolution goes live, brings new city and features originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: LOCO: Evolution announcement
Dion Almaer, VP Mobile Architecture, Walmart.com discusses Web vs. Apps in his keynote at our App Conference held last month in Santa Clara.
Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Dungeons
The new dungeon can be reached north of the Duel Arena bank, with most of its contents requiring a high level in various skills. The inhabitants are non-aggressive, however, allowing any and all members to take a look at the place freely. Other updates include an improvement to the Slayer interface and the UI option to switch bloom lighting on or off, which should help improve your overall experience whether or not you decide to go mushroom hunting.
RuneScape adds a new dungeon for mold time's sake originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Source: Polypore Dungeon