Posts from the Launches Category at Massively

Age of Conan: Check out our Age of Conan page with all of our interviews, hands-ons, galleries and features! Player Consequences takes a look at whether the fugitive PvP consequence system is too harsh.

Lord of the Rings Online: Check out all the news on Book 14 and our guides on the basics of Monster Play, the new rare crafting trophies, and Hunter fast-travel. Plus, let us help find the perfect name for your dwarf or elf!

World of Warcraft: Check out all the news from the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, including major WoW class changes. Rob Pardo reveals WoW was planned as free-to-play, and says not to hold your breath for a console version.

Massively Features: Find out why you should be playing Myst Online: Uru Live, check out our KingsIsle interview on Wizard101, and peep our first impressions of Requiem: Bloodymare and a video tour of Silkroad Online!

EVE Online: The Empyrean Age has arrived! Check out the wonderful world of alts, our new EVE Online Community Spotlight and The Basics of PVP Fitting.

Warhammer Online: Massively has gone to WAR: don't miss our interviews and hands-ons from EA Mythic's studios, plus our event wrap-up. Check out The Bastion Stair dungeon and our guide to WAR's Order careers!

SOE announces online trading card game for Galaxies anniversary

by Chris Chester Jul 2nd 2008 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Launches, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Trading card games

In celebration of five years of Star Wars Galaxies, SOE and LucasArts have put out a press release announcing the production of Champions of the Force, a trading card game that will be available only to current Galaxies subscribers. The trading card game will only be available online, and will allow players to play decks against one another or even single-player in a story-based solo game. Interestingly, the game will sport "loot" cards which will be redeemable for virtual items within Galaxies proper.

Subscribers will get a bountiful five booster packs a month just for paying their subscription fees, but starter decks and booster packs will be available for purchase from the Station store as well. They're aiming for a release late this summer, so make sure to check out the official site for more details if it sounds like it's up your alley. Also make sure to look at their community site to find the other goodies they've got planned for the five year anniversary.

Tags: champions-of-the-force, cotf, soe, sony-online-entertainment, star-wars-galaxies, swg, trading-card-game

MMO MMOnkey: Why I stopped playing Age of Conan

by Kevin Murnane Jul 1st 2008 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Age of Conan, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Bugs, Launches, MMO industry, Opinion, MMO MMOnkey

I like Age of Conan. I like the combat system that demands active engagement rather than the auto-attack, go-make-a-cup-of-coffee style of combat used in so many other MMOs. I enjoy exploring Funcom's recreation of Hyboria with its lush graphics and infinitely varied and "realistic" topography. I find the early game's seamless integration of an instanced nighttime story with a shared daytime world both innovative and engaging. I think the design team did a fine job capturing the spirit of Robert E. Howard's original Conan stories in both the look and feel of the game. Funcom got a lot of things right.

As everyone playing AoC knows, Funcom also got a lot of things wrong. Announced features like DirectX 10 support aren't in the game, many of the features that are in the game aren't working properly, technical issues cause frequent crashes for some players, in-game and tech support are apparently dreadful, bugs abound. Although Lord of the Rings Online showed us that an MMO launch doesn't have to be terrible, most of them are. I expected AoC to have these kinds of problems at launch and wasn't upset by them. With the disaster that was the Anarchy Online launch looking over their shoulders I also expected Funcom to work hard to eliminate AoC's launch problems and all indications are that's exactly what they're trying to do.

But yet I've stopped playing the game and I think game developers would be interested in knowing why.

Continue reading MMO MMOnkey: Why I stopped playing Age of Conan

Tags: age-of-conan, featured, guild-wars, joystiqfeatures, quitting, returning-to-a-game

Kiwi Heroes MMOG for kids announced

by Adrian Bott Jun 30th 2008 at 3:30PM

Filed under: Betas, Launches, New titles, Kids

A company called Massively Me (no relation to ourselves) which describes itself as 'a software development company that's building super-top-secret products for the Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming industry' has lifted its veil of secrecy for a moment, to announce a new MMOG. Called Kiwi Heroes, it's specially themed for 'kids and young teens'. Public beta is on the verge of starting, and the game will be launched later this year.

Kiwi Heroes has a strong ethical message, intending to teach kids 'valuable life lessons' and show them what it really means to be a hero. The game's themes include wildlife preservation and the fate of the environment. Furthermore, there will be a charitable enterprise launched at the same time as the game:

Continue reading Kiwi Heroes MMOG for kids announced

Tags: betas, kids, kiwi-heroes, launches, massively-me

Florensia: A game of pirates and magic

by Brenda Holloway Jun 30th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Launches, New titles

Call it "Pirates of the Sea of Blue-Haired Girls", call it what you will, the latest Asian import MMO to touch our shores is the unique Florensia, which burda:ic will publishing for Western eyes sometime soon. Captain a ship, explore hidden mysteries, use magic, fight pirates, perform quests all across the world. Build your own ship, customize your character to look just the way you want. If you took Pirates of the Burning Sea, sped up the game play (especially sea battles -- watch the video below -- changed the style from realistic to cartoonish, added magic and removed the subscription price, you'd have Florensia.

Florensia has just ended its closed beta test and will be going into open beta test sometime in July. Defend your city from peril from the sea and the land, join in massive sea battles -- what's not to like? The system requirements are so low that you could practically run this game on an abacus. It's definitely worth a look, so expect to hear more of Florensia in the coming weeks.

Video after the jump. Check out those sea battles!

Continue reading Florensia: A game of pirates and magic

Tags: beta, burda-ic, florensia, launches, new-titles, pirates-of-the-burning-sea, potbs

Dungeon Runners retail box now available through Amazon

by Matt Warner Jun 29th 2008 at 8:30PM

Filed under: Dungeon Runners, Launches, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, Humor

The Bling Gnome is ready to scarf down items, poop-out gold and help you fight crime in the hood. Say what? There's no other reason to purchase the retail edition of Dungeon Runner's, a cardboard box stuffed with the digital delights. Well okay, we forgot the main reason. Dungeon Runners is the most raucous MMOG ever that is filled with hilarious jokes, witty banter, and pop culture references that will bust any gut with a hearty guffaw.

The retail version also comes packed with a barf o'rama bounty inside by including a six month membership to the game that gives players loads of chunky perks over the free-to-play counterparts. The difference is worth every penny. More, more, more! Members earn more experience; plunder more gold; horde more items; are luckier at finding rare items; and the annoying adverts will disappear and put more foam peanuts on the developer's dinner tables.

Continue reading Dungeon Runners retail box now available through Amazon

Tags: amazon, bling-gnome, casual, digital-delivery, dr, dungeon-runners, free-to-play, gamestop, humor, ncsoft, retail-box

Wanted movie spawns "Fan Immersion Game"

by Akela Talamasca Jun 29th 2008 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Launches, New titles, Browser, Casual

That fabled beast, Convergence, draws closer every day. Proponents of this phenomenon believe that one of these days, all media will be intertwined -- you'll watch a movie online, see a product, click on it to launch its related website or download its video game tie-in -- that sort of thing. As the Internet matures, and Hollywood wises up, we'll see more of this happening.

A step in this direction is the new "Fan Immersion Game" based on the Angelina Jolie action film Wanted. Developed by Stillfront AB, this is a web-based MMO in which players rise through the ranks of a fraternal order of assassins. Stillfront CEO Marco Ahlgren says in the press release "The concept of different fraternities of assassins lends itself perfectly to the design of a casual MMOG, and the unique objects ingrained in the property -- from ancient weapons to intricately woven hit orders -- are well-suited for a microtransaction model. The Wanted FIG provides an addictive game play experience for fans while generating online brand awareness leading up to the film release, and well beyond." Check out that marketing speak, wouldja? Decide for yourself if the game lives up to its own hype and we'll see you in the movie theaters.

Tags: angelina-jolie, convergence, fan-immersion-game, marketing, movie, stillfront-ab, wanted

Rock out with Turbonegro's Conan tribute, "Destroy All Monsters"

by William Dobson Jun 28th 2008 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Culture, Events, real-world, Launches

Norwegian punk rock band Turbonegro have added their Age of Conan soundtrack contribution "Destroy All Monsters" to their Myspace page. From reading the group's website, it becomes clear that they're at least a little bit loopy; but that's the way we love our rock-stars, right? They sat down for an interview with IGN, in which we find out that the band has ruthlessness, masculinity, and of course, swordsmanship in common with old Conan, and that they have progressed to the child-eating stage of their careers.

The track was performed live at the Age of Conan launch party, and we're told that a high-def clip of this occasion will be available soon. The soundtrack for the game will launch in Norway on the 30th of June, and in August for the rest of the world.

Tags: age-of-conan, aoc, conan, destroy-all-monsters, funcom, music, myspace, soundtrack, turbonegro

Freaky Creatures offers limited public beta on July 15th

by Akela Talamasca Jun 27th 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Contests, Game mechanics, Launches, New titles, News items, Freaky Creatures

Players craving hot hybrid monster-on-hybrid-monster action can rejoice in the news that Freaky Creatures will be hitting shelves on July 15th. The will be the public beta launch, so it's open to all and sundry, but there is a limited number of spaces available, so fans are encouraged to go to the Freaky Creatures site and sign up early.

A few more reminders to whet your appetites: You'll be able to customize your creature to the tune of over three billion possible combinations; you can play against opponents PC-to-PC or PC-to-phone; and to support the launch of the title, Alienware is holding a contest that will win some lucky player an Area-51 m15x Notebook. Sign up now, before it's too late!

Tags: alienware, area-51-m15x, contest, freaky-creatures, launch, pc-to-phone, public-beta

Asda Story on its way to the US

by Adrian Bott Jun 26th 2008 at 11:30AM

Filed under: Launches, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Casual

Asda Story, a popular anime-style 3D MMORPG with a large following in Korea and Japan, is coming to the US following a deal struck between MaxOn Soft Corporation and Gamescampus.com.

Asda Story is especially popular with female gamers, who make up more than 20% of the population. This success has been credited to two unique game systems, one of which allows two players to become 'soul mates' and unlocks associated costumes and skills, and the other being a highly customizable costume and appearance system.

Another in the ever-expanding range of free-to-play MMORPGs with a bright and colorful theme, Asda Story is set to launch later this fall. European gamers should note: there is no connection between Asda Story and the chain of Asda supermarkets familiar to British readers.

Tags: anime, asda-story, free-to-play, gamescampus, MaxOn.soft

Meez launches Meeznation virtual world

by Adrian Bott Jun 24th 2008 at 11:30AM

Filed under: Launches, Casual, Virtual worlds

In online socialising applications, the obvious next step after avatar-building is extension into a virtual world. Making a cartoon version of yourself is fun in its own right, but users want to see their avatars interact with others in exciting environments. We've seen this step taken with the WeeMees and the world of, erm, World; now it's the turn of Meez to bring its customers into a persistent online environment, this one called Meeznation.

Meez had already begun experimenting with virtual spaces with its venture into Roomz, 3d spaces which users could customize and use to play games in. MeezNation will offer games, too, along with user emotes, the ability to watch YouTube videos jointly with friends, and exposure to suitably tailored corporate advertising. The marketing possibilities of Meeznation have clearly not been neglected; the example provided by VP of Marketing Michael Lehman was a room set up specifically for listening to the new 50 Cent album, offering the option to buy other albums by clicking on interactive posters. Like the existing Roomz application and the WeeMee World, MeezNation will be integrated with Facebook.

Tags: meez, meeznation, roomz, weemee, weemees

More Jeffrey Steefel goodness regarding the Korean LotRO launch

by Shawn Schuster Jun 23rd 2008 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Launches, MMO industry

In line with the recent interview at MMORPG.com, Lord of the Rings Online's Jeffrey Steefel speaks in another interview with Ten Ton Hammer regarding the plans to bring LotRO to Korean audiences. This is something that has been discussed for quite a long time now, but with the Korean release imminent, we now get into the details of this launch and what LotRO hopes to offer to this specific audience.

One of the most important points made in this article is the projected number of players who could potentially be involved with this game at launch. While Steefel is reluctant to give figures, he says that with half the population of Korea playing online games (which would be a potential market of almost 37 million people), "the numbers could be astounding," he says.

Tags: jeffrey-steefel, korea, korean, lotro, lotro-book-14, nhn, ten-ton-hammer

ArchLord to get expansion

by Akela Talamasca Jun 23rd 2008 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, ArchLord, Expansions, Game mechanics, Launches, News items

Codemasters Online has released information about its upcoming expansion to the free-to-play ArchLord. Titled Episode 3: Spirits Awakening, the also-free expansion will feature 3 new game zones, over 80 new class skills, new ruling ArchLord abilities, new collectible armor sets, and new monsters and zone bosses.

For those who haven't heard of this title, one of ArchLord's unique properties is that any player can rise to the top and become the ArchLord of their particular server, gaining access to a castle, stronger spells, and a dragon. Needless to say, the title is in constant flux, which provides a great incentive to continue to play. The press release doesn't give specifics for the actual expansion release date other than it's due in a few weeks. Once it arrives, we'll take another look at this MMO.

Tags: archlord, codemasters-online, episode-3, expansion, spirits-awakening

Closed beta registration for German version of Stone Age 2 begins

by William Dobson Jun 23rd 2008 at 8:30AM

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Launches, New titles, Wallpapers, Free-to-play, Stone Age 2

Joining the English Stone Age 2 closed beta that we saw earlier in the month, a German version of the prehistoric free-to-play MMOG now also has a registration page for a closed beta. The registration can be completed at a newly launched German website for the game -- which is being handled by company Frogster Interactive in this territory, as opposed to Aeria Games -- where you can also find a community forum and a desktop wallpaper.

At this stage it doesn't look as though there will be any significant differences between the German and English versions of SA2 -- well, apart from that really obvious one (duh) and the fact that they seem to prefer to leave out the spaces in the German title, making it StoneAge2.

Tags: aeria-games, beta, closed-beta, f2p, free-2-play, free-to-play, frogster-interactive, german, registration, sa2, stone-age-2, stoneage2, wallpaper

Fiesta Online comes to Europe

by Brenda Holloway Jun 21st 2008 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Free-to-play, Casual, Fiesta

You know what we love more than anything here at Massively? You guessed it, Asian import MMOs. We can't get enough of them. Seriously. If we didn't find an eager crop of bright-faced young, anime-inspired MMOs in our in-boxes each morning, we'd know there was something very wrong with the world. Luckily, we're in no danger, because we have news today that Fiesta Online, already a hit in the US as part of OutSpark's collection of free-to-play Asian imports, has signed Gamigo to bring the game to Europe. English (reworked) and German versions will be released this summer, with French and Spanish version arriving later this year.

Fiesta Online is a 3D MMO with cartoony graphics, fully customizable characters, four character classes, and hundreds of quests, some of which need thirty people to complete. Dare we say, WoW-killer?

[Worlds in Motion]

Tags: beta, casua, fantasy, fiesta, fiesta-online, free-to-play, gamigo, launch, outspark

New Empyrean Age trailer!

by Brenda Holloway Jun 20th 2008 at 1:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, EVE Online, Expansions, Launches

EVE Online's latest expansion, Empyrean Age, went live yesterday, and with it came a new movie, which we've seen bits and pieces of in the teaser trailers we've been watching for the past several weeks. Enjoy!

Tags: empyrean-age, eve-online, expansions, launch, sci-fi, trailers

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