Filed under: At a glance

Aion 1.9 patch details teased while videos of 2.0 dance in our heads

by Seraphina Brennan Mar 3rd 2010 at 12:30PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Video, Aion, Game mechanics, Patches, News items

Thanks to one crazy community manager that likes to tease information, we've gotten a sneak peek at the upcoming patch information for Aion -- patch 1.9.

The patch is hosting a wealth of enhancements and updates to the game that includes a new looking for group system, quest updates, a brand new daily quest system, changes to the endgame dungeon Dredgion, a decrease in transportation and soul healing prices, increased experience gain, a two-handed weapon merge system, and much more. The whole thing actually totals over 26 pages of patch notes which NCsoft West are still translating for Western audiences.

Tomorrow, however, we've got a special look into some of the deeper mechanics of the patch, so be sure to come back and visit us at 11 AM Eastern time for all of the gritty details (as we need to be all hush hush until then.) But, for now, enjoy some beautiful concept art in the gallery below (in the form of desktop wallpapers) and a video of Aion's "update 2.0" patch stored after the break.

Gallery: Aion 2.0 desktop wallpaper

EVE Online's next expansion revealed: Explore planets in Tyrannis

by Brendan Drain Feb 19th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, PvE

It's been known since the last EVE Online Fanfest that the next expansion would be based around planetary interaction, but details on exactly what that interaction would constitute have been thin on the ground. In a bumper devblog today, EVE's Senior Producer Torfi Frans Olafsson gave a first glimpse of what we can expect this summer. Following the graphical overhaul planets received in the Dominion expansion, the next expansion is set to place them in a functional role. The expansion, aptly named "Tyrannis" after the Latin for "Tyrants," will put the fates of New Eden's populated planets in the hands of pod-pilots. Players will be able to survey planets and build planet-bound industrial infrastructures to tap into previously unobtainable resources such as minerals. Planets with harsh environments such as gas giants and plasma planets will be harder to manage infrastructure on but the rewards could be well worth the effort.

Boldly going where you can't currently go: Star Trek team interested in expanding ship interiors

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 15th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Interviews, News items, Star Trek Online

You can visit the furthest reaches of space, but you can't actually visit your own engine room. You can travel great distances across the universe, but you can't walk that 20 feet outside of your bridge. Restrictive, no?

Well, Trek fans should be interested to hear that Craig Zinkievich, Star Trek Online's executive producer, has recently mentioned to IncGamers that he is interested in fleshing out more of the interior of the player's starship, giving them more room to walk around and get a feel for their ship. Plus, you know, it's only been requested by the players at least 40 billion times.

"Anything we can do to make the game feel even more like Star Trek is something we want to do. So, definitely, we want to give people more of their ship," Zinkievich told IncGamers. "This is one of those things we want to get perfect before introducing it to players, though it's going to be an undertaking."

[Via The Escapist]

The Secret World broadcasts footage from the streets of Kingsmouth

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 1st 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Horror, Trailers, Video, Interviews, News items, The Secret World

What horrors lie in Kingsmouth when the fog comes to rest? Well that's for you to find out!

Thanks to a tip from a certain Erling Ellingsen, we've been pointed to a brand new trailer for The Secret World. It seems that someone has hacked into the security cameras around Kingsmouth, giving us a look at the town's various areas. All of this is set to an unknown narrator explaining exactly how Kingsmouth turned from a small, All-American town into the black pit that it is today.

It's important to note, however, that this video is only a preview of the Kingsmouth location -- it's not a gameplay trailer. Erling attached this "quotable quote" in his e-mail: "This is a part of a ramp up of the communication we're doing around The Secret World. We wanted to give gamers a very quick glimpse into the game and the universe, without giving away exactly how the game looks in motion and in all its glory. We're saving that for GDC actually."

So GDC it is then! We'll be there! But, while you're all waiting for GDC, go on over to Gamespot and learn more about Kingsmouth. (Also, we saw your Lovecraft Lane street sign! We see your references!)

EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Amarr and Gallente

by Brendan Drain Jan 31st 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Guides, Lore, EVE Evolved

Last week, I took a look at a few of the biggest Caldari and Minmatar trade hubs in EVE Online and how to best put them to use. I examined the phenomenon that is Jita and how Motsu persists as a trade hub due to the presence of mission-runners. I went on to look at Hek and Rens, trade hubs which service the two most populated Minmatar regions and provide a handy trade route for pilots to make a profit on. This week, I complete the picture with a look at four of the biggest Gallente and Amarr trade hubs.

Knowing all of the major trading stations can be of benefit to any pilot, whether you're just looking for a good deal on a new ship or trying to forge profitable trade routes. For traders, listing products in an alternate hub needn't take much extra time or effort. With good trade skills, you can adjust market orders remotely from several jumps away. You can make a short autopilot route that goes close enough to each station you're trading in and adjust your prices frequently.

In this final part of a two-part series on EVE's biggest trade hubs, I look at the biggest Amarr and Gallente trade hubs, what can be found there and how to use them to your advantage as a trader.

MMO Family: A parent's look at Ether Saga Online

by Lisa Poisso Jan 29th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Kids, Ether Saga Online, MMO Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Next in our look at kids' MMOs is Ether Saga Online, winner of a 2009 National Parenting Publications Award for tweens and teens video games. Compared with the freewheeling, open-ended approach of Free Realms, ESO presents a more traditional MMO face. Even so, you probably weren't expecting a work of classic literature -- but that's in fact what you'll get. ESO, which was first developed for Chinese players, is based on Journey to the West (often known in the West as Monkey), considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. All that, and it's free to play, too.

EVE Evolved: Trade hubs of New Eden - Caldari and Minmatar

by Brendan Drain Jan 24th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Guides, Lore, EVE Evolved

A natural consequence of EVE Online's sandbox style market system is that eventually the players will form trade hubs around the most heavily used areas. Before the four empires began gearing up for war, the main trade hub of New Eden was in Yulai, the CONCORD headquarters system with super-highway stargates into the heart of each empire's space. When the super-highways were dismantled, Yulai became more difficult to get to and its popularity as a trade hub dissolved. It was eventually superceded by Jita, a Caldari system in The Forge region. But while Jita is EVE's biggest and most notable trade hub, it's not the only one by a long shot. Smaller hubs have always tended to erupt around centres of population and activity such as popular mission-running systems or the borders of warzones. Understandably, it's traders who reap the largest benefit from knowing all the best trade hubs. Trading in multiple regions can reduce the risk of competition and increase the volume of their sales.

In this two-part series, I look at some of EVE's biggest trade hubs, what can be found there and how to use them to your advantage as a trader. In today's first part I look at a few of the biggest Caldari and Minmatar trade hubs.

MMO Family: A parent's look at Free Realms

by Lisa Poisso Jan 15th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Kids, MMO Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

This week, MMO Family begins a gaming-savvy look at some of the most popular kid MMOs. You know what you like in an MMO – but what about your kids? And what if you're looking for something the whole family could play together? Today's gaming family can nibble from a whole feast of MMOs: games for grownups (we can help you fence off areas for kids who want to play what Mom and Dad do), games for the little ones, games for tweens and teens, and games for everyone to play together. When it's time to find just the right selection for the kids, we'll help you reticle over the most likely targets.

First up: Free Realms from Sony Online Entertainment.

EverQuest II goes down The Hole

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 11th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, Interviews, Lore, PvE

Ahhh, The Hole. Fond memories of losing our corpses in this zone, there are. Well, the infamous dungeon with the name of an adult movie is back and better than ever in EverQuest II, as the former city of Paineel will be re-introduced in the new Sentinel's Fate expansion pack.

The ancient city of Paineel is coming with a brand new swath of content, featuring over 30 bosses and 80 quests in the contested open world version of the city, as well as 3 new instanced areas for groups level 85+ to conquer.

The EverQuest II main site has just posted their interviews with Timetraveller and Gninja, two of the developers who worked hard on putting together the contested and instanced versions of The Hole. The interview covers their perspectives and thoughts in breathing new life into this old EverQuest area, and how the new fallen city will lure in the many adventurers of EverQuest II.

EverQuest II reveals The Sundered Frontier

by Seraphina Brennan Dec 22nd 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest II, Expansions

Who likes sexy screenshots? We all do! It's lucky for us that the The Sundered Frontier, one of the two new zones in EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate is so darn beautiful. Who doesn't like floating islands, awesome armors, and pandas? How can you turn down pandas?! Easy answer: You can't turn down pandas. You just can't.

Sony Online Entertainment has gifted us with an armload of new pictures of the zone, so go on down below and check out our gallery of high resolution screenshots to see what Norrath has to offer in this upcoming expansion. We think you'll like what you see.

Gallery: EverQuest II: The Sundered Frontier

Fallen Earth drops preview patch notes for new tradeskill, gambling and more

by Shawn Schuster Dec 12th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Patches, News items

Even though most Fallen Earth fans knew these features were coming, it's still great to see them in writing. In a patch note preview post in the forums yesterday, the Fallen Earth team announced that their much-anticipated Construction tradeskill and gambling taverns will be entering the game this Monday, December 14th.

Construction will bring the ability for players to build camps in the wasteland, complete with their own vaults, merchant NPCs, mailboxes and more. The new gambling system will introduce slot machines, Blackjack tables and more to taverns throughout the Grand Canyon Province. In addition to these major features, the First Night preparations will be added, including special quests and rewards for the winter event celebrations. Pages of bug fixes also accompany this patch, so head on over to the forums to check out the preview of this Monday's patch notes and check out some extensive developer diaries and video on the update over at IGN for more information.

What's to come in Rise of the Godslayer

by Seraphina Brennan Dec 7th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Age of Conan, Previews, Massively Event Coverage

Tigers, PvP, corruption, and more are coming with Age of Conan's next expansion, Rise of the Godslayer. Xfire has hosted a sneak peek live broadcast hosted by game director Craig Morrison and lead expansion designer Joel Bylos, and the two have shown off some of the inner workings of the expansion, including some of the changes and additions players will find.

We here at Massively were watching closely and taking notes, so if you didn't get the chance to watch the video then no worries! As we said before, we have your back and we're ready to take you headlong into the blood and corruption of Age of Conan's expansion.

Dungeons and Dragons Online releases trailer for the Catacombs adventure pack

by Seraphina Brennan Dec 2nd 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Dungeons and Dragons Online, News items

Deep in the bowels of the marketplace lies a new dungeon. A dungeon teeming with evil. A dungeon in desperate need of heroes to save it from its corruption. A dungeon that's... well being added to Dungeons and Dragons Online, of course!

Turbine has released the trailer for their newest adventure pack for Dungeons and Dragons Online -- the Catacombs. The goal of this undead dungeon is to plunge into the depths and save the spirit of the Archbishop of the White Flame's daughter before she too is tainted by the evil in the old archives.

If you're interested in the brief trailer (and braving the narration) then check it out embedded after the break. Otherwise, if you're an avid DDO player, you can pick up the new adventure pack from the DDO store and experience it for yourself!

Fiesta Europe opens two new instant dungeons

by Seraphina Brennan Nov 29th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Fiesta

European Fiesta players are in luck as Gamigo has opened up two new instant dungeons in the game, and not just for high end players either!

Players in the mid-game levels of 25 to 45 can now take on the challenges of ferocious monsters in the Tower of Izyel. Players will fight to retake the tower with one of the monster creator NPCs, Maria, and hopefully restore the tower's purity.

High level players will be able to enjoy the Lair of the Sleeping Dragon, where we here at Massively think that dragon won't be sleeping for long once players start entering the lair! It's really hard to sleep with all of those adventurers in their plate mail clunking around.

For all of the information on Fiesta Online Europe, check out their main website.

A visual tour of LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood

by Shawn Schuster Nov 17th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Hands-on

Today marks the official NDA (non disclosure agreement) lift on Lord of the Rings Online's newest expansion: Siege of Mirkwood. The latest addition to virtual Middle-earth is set to release on December 1st, but many players have already been enjoying the new content on the Bullroarer test server these last few months.

If you haven't had a chance to see Turbine's latest creation, check out our video tour of the expansion just after the jump below. Also, be sure to watch Massively for more coverage on Siege of Mirkwood from now to December 1st and beyond!