Massively - Daily News About MMOs

Massively's Heroes of Three Kingdoms closed beta key giveaway

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 13th 2010 (36 minutes ago)

While our fearless road crew have been hard at work, bringing you all the latest and greatest from GDC 2010, they've also managed to grab a bunch of beta keys to give away to you. And we're not talking just a handful -- no, we have a ton of keys for the newly-announced Perfect World Entertainment title called Heroes of Three Kingdoms ready for you to snag.

Based on one of the greatest battles in Chinese history, Heroes of Three Kingdoms features some pretty interesting things such as motion-captured combat, 18 types of weapons, historical battles, an achievement system, and more. For those who prefer their MMOs a little more bloodthirsty, the game will also include PvP battlegrounds and a "kingdom war system" allowing the three armies to face off against each other in a struggle for power.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, then be sure to pop on over to our beta code giveaway page and pick up a code for yourself. Keep in mind that the game will be entering closed beta in April, so don't be surprised when you can't immediately download it. If you'd like some more details on some of the specifics of the game mentioned above, we've included a breakdown of different, interesting points behind the cut.

GDC10: Massively's day 4 roundup

by Jef Reahard Mar 13th 2010 (1 hour ago)

DC Universe Online

Champions Online

SOE

NCsoft

Cryptic

Day four of the Game Developer's Conference is in the books, and was one for the books as well. Massively managed to score a number of interviews, hands-on features, and we even got our mug in front of the cameras at one point during all the craziness. As you're aware by now, there is still much more to come from our trip to San Francisco, so take this opportunity to catch up on any stories you may have missed.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our final day coverage as well as a wrap up of all our favorites from the show.

WRUP: GDC edition

by Rubi Bayer Mar 13th 2010 (2 hours ago)

We've had a crazy busy week here at Massively, thanks to GDC. The news has been coming fast and furious though, so we certainly aren't complaining. That doesn't mean we're not all ready to take a break and enjoy some downtime in our favorite games later this weekend. This week's bonus question: what GDC announcement (or demo or interview or what have you) this week are you most excited about? Read on to see what the team thought, and then share your own thoughts!

The Daily Grind: What would you break the NDA for?

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 13th 2010 (3 hours ago)

It's easy to miss amongst all of the GDC 2010 coverage and news, but Final Fantasy XIV and All Points Bulletin went into beta this week. Of course, not much new information has surfaced about either, both due to the relatively short time they've been out there and to the three letters that are the bane of any tester's existence: the NDA. Those documents are the barrier between whatever fun gameplay (or buggy, glitchy nightmares) the testers are experiencing and the eager public, and Mark Jacobs has gone so far as to say on record that the earlier the NDA drops, the more confident a company is in its game.

That doesn't mean that the NDA is an ironclad protection, of course. There are always one or two testers that find something so surprising, in either direction, that they consider it worth breaking the rules and being thrown out of testing for the chance to break a story. So put yourself in their shoes. What sort of things could you uncover within a game you were testing that would inspire you to break an NDA? Would you be more likely to break it for good news, or to warn other people off from a mess of a game?

Star Trek Online locks phasers on Season One: Common Ground

by Justin Olivetti Mar 12th 2010 (12 hours ago)

STO

On March 18, it's do or die for the Federation, as Cryptic's first major content patch -- Season One: Common Ground -- promises to hit Star Trek Online's live servers. Love 'em or hate 'em, the STO dev team looks to live up to their word on "walking the talk" by pumping out more content that players crave.

We didn't think there could be any news more exciting than a brand-new faction coming to STO, but Season One might just top it with a heap of new goodies. In addition, Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich released a new State of the Game report to address player concerns and the course STO is heading for over the next few months. There's even a new video entitled "Expanding Universe, Part I" that gives players a sneak peek into this brave new patch.

Engage thrusters, mister, and we'll break it down for you after the jump.

GDC10: Massively's interview with DC Universe Online

by Rubi Bayer Mar 12th 2010 (13 hours ago)

DC Universe Online

GDC continues in San Francisco this week, and today we were fortunate enough to get some time with Michael Daubert, the Studio Art Director for Sony Online Entertainment. We chatted about upcoming MMO DC Universe Online, and Daubert had some pretty interesting things to say about the game. Follow along after the jump to see what's in store for DC Universe Online.

GDC10: NCSoft speaks out on Aion 1.9

by Jef Reahard Mar 12th 2010 (14 hours ago)

NCsoft

We've covered a lot of newly released (and as yet unreleased) games this week at GDC 2010, so it's always good to check in with an MMORPG that's been around for awhile to see what's coming down the pipe. Today we caught up with NCSoft's Andrew 'Tamat' Beegle, North American Community Manager for Aion, and asked him all sorts of questions about Aion's big 1.9 patch.

The update, already live on the game's Korean servers, will be coming to the States and Europe in short order, so read along after the jump to get a taste of what NCSoft has in store for it's loyal Daevas.

BioWare details new TOR planet, web comic

by Jef Reahard Mar 12th 2010 (15 hours ago)

Star Wars: The Old Republic

BioWare has released preliminary details on another planetary play field from their upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. Belsavis plays host to an ominous Republic prison facility, apparently used to process all manner of Sith, Mandalorians, and troublesome aliens of various species. Check out Belsavis' HoloNet entry, don't forget to watch the video, oh and there's also the media section featuring screens, wallpapers, and lore.

BioWare has also partnered up with Lucasarts and Dark Horse Comics to bring you Blood of the Empire, a new web comic by senior writer Alexander Freed. The title, set prior to the Treaty of Coruscant, promises to shed some light on the machinations of the Emperor's inner circle as well as inform portions of The Old Republic's extensive back story.

Check out a preview panel from the forthcoming comic.

MapleStory introduces Dragon Master Evan

by Beau Hindman Mar 12th 2010 (16 hours ago)

Evan is just an ordinary small town farm boy that stumbles upon a magical dragon egg. Little did he know, it would forever change his life. He had suddenly become a dragon master. In Nexon America's leading free-to-play game, MapleStory, you'll be able to play this new class and character.

If you choose to do so, you will be expected to live up to some mighty high expectations, taming a powerful dragon and stopping the Black Mage in his quest to destroy the world. If you want to experience Dragon Master Evan and see what else is new in MapleStory, visit the official website. It's free, fun and can run on older machines so go check it out today. And if Facebook is more your thing, become a fan.

CCP looking for lots of new people

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 12th 2010 (17 hours ago)

EVE

CCP

Are you one of the myriad pilots in EVE Online? Does the idea of DUST 514 make your thumbs twitch in anticipation? Are you waiting for any news on the World of Darkness MMO? If you answered yes to any of the above, you have experience working on games, and are looking for a change, then you'll want to check this out.

CCP have posted a gobsmackingly enormous amount of openings on their website for any game development folks currently looking for a new spot -- or to just make a career change. The current openings are in their studios around the world: Atlanta, GA (USA); Newcastle, UK; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Shanghai, China. Positions listed are for everything from Programmers and QA Testers to more specialized spots like Lead Fashion Designer.

Some of the spots are more obvious than others: console designers are undoubtedly tied to the development of DUST 514. The QA job in Atlanta references "our upcoming MMO" which, along with White Wolf being headquartered there, reinforces it as the likely spot for the World of Darkness MMO. Iceland, of course, is the long-held bastion of EVE Online -- and The Party on Top of the World will be local if you land a spot there!

So if the idea of becoming part of a company that seems to understand that working hard and playing hard can happen in the same place, then get that resume shined up and head on over to CCP's job listings.