Filed under: Free-to-play

Myst Online is alive... again... for the, um, we lost count how many times it died

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 8th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Myst Online: URU Live, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Myst fans, rejoice one more time.

The game that gives Lazarus a run for his money, Myst Online: URU Live, is kicking once more. Cyan Worlds has gotten enough money together again to start up a brand new Myst server as the first phase of making Myst Online an open source project. The cavern that's online now is mostly the same cavern that GameTap had right as the game went offline.

Best news of all? Myst Online is free. Yes, you heard us right -- free. Free as in no subscription, no paying for the client, no nothing. They're welcoming all cavern dwellers, new and old, back to the depths of D'ni. Their account creation page is getting hammered right now, as everyone wants to get back in ASAP, so if you can't create an account just give it some time.

While the game is free, servers and running a business are not. Cyan has opened up a donation page on PayPal for anyone who wants to donate towards the game's bills, so if you're feeling generous then by all means show Uru some support. The game has been through hell and back, and some help would be much appreciated around the Cyan offices. They've even said they're working on a little present for those who donate...

So, readers of Massively, can I get a shorah?

Only two days left for SOE's ConnectDING event!

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 8th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Culture, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Free Realms

Two words for you: cushy pillows. Yes, that's right, you heard me.

There are two days left for the Sony Online Entertainment ConnectDING event -- a marketing event designed to get you and your friends looking at the Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts of EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Free Realms. Each one of the games has its own special reward once it hits so many fans, so why turn down free rewards for doing nothing more than clicking a button?

And that, my friends, is where we get to cushy pillows. EverQuest II is close to their goal -- only 2,000 fans shy! However, the event ends on February 10th! Oh teh noes, right? If EQII can get 2,000 more fans, everyone in the game will get 500 station cash for the in-game marketplace and awesome "Community Pillows" to add to their homes. The pillows not only look stylish and reduce the rent status of your property, but they also let avatars have pillow fights when activated!

So please, reach out and become a fan of EverQuest II today. Follow them on Facebook, on Twitter, or on both! Give these poor, orphaned pillows a home. (Plus the cash isn't too bad either.)

Free Realms reaches 8 million registered accounts, nominated in Game Developer's Choice Awards

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 8th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Free Realms

No matter which way you spin it, 8 million accounts is a ton of accounts. Free Realms has recently hit that magical milestone, celebrating a huge amount of fan interest in the game and a recent nomination for Best New Social/Online game in the Game Developer's Choice Awards. In fact, it's the only traditional MMO to be nominated for an award this year (outside of Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online.)

As usual with our "account milestone" announcements, 8 million players is not the number of active players in the game. It's just the number of accounts that have been signed up on the Free Realms website. However, even if only 1% of those accounts were active, that's still 80,000 accounts playing the game -- a number you still should not scoff at.

So congratulations to SOE on your recent account milestone, and good luck in the Game Developer's Choice awards! Beat out Farmville for us!

Zodiac Online enters open beta February 10th

by Rubi Bayer Feb 7th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play, Zodiac Online

Zodiac Online, the free-to-play offering from Ingle Games, entered closed beta early last November. Since then the folks at Ingle Games have been hard at work refining things, fixing bugs, and just generally preparing to move to the next phase.

That next phase will arrive in just a few short days: open beta begins February tenth. The game predictably revolves around the Chinese zodiac, challenging you to assist the twelve creatures of the zodiac to defeat the forces of evil.

If you fall in the "make love, not war" camp, never fear. There is another side to Zodiac Online that says "give fate a chance and let it turn into a romance." This game has a fate system based on astrology that will give you a heads up when a player is nearby that you are particularly compatible with -- or particularly incompatible with -- so you can follow up if you're so inclined.

Check out the Zodiac Online site for more information and to register for open beta!

Dungeons and Dragons Online: a guide to the Risia Ice Games

by Rubi Bayer Feb 5th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Events, in-game, Patches, Free-to-play

Dungeons and Dragons Online released Update 3 Tuesday, sending players in all directions to check out the new content once the servers went back up.

One of those directions was up, in the form of a ski jump in the suddenly frostbitten area of Stormreach Market. Welcome to the Risia Ice Games, a winter festival handily timed to coordinate with the 2010 Winter Games. While Update 3 hit some snags (which, for the most part, were quickly taken care of by Turbine) the Ice Games went off without a hitch.

Well, mostly. For the first few hours, cries of "What are these ice tokens?", "How do I get ice skates?", and "Why am I falling directly into the water at the end of the ski jump?" echoed across General Chat as players struggled to figure out what was going on. As with anything new, time and patience were the keywords in working it all out.

If you're still stumped and can't figure out where this half-pipe is that you keep hearing about, Dungeons and Dragons Online has provided a handy rundown to all of the events here. You'll find a list of where events and NPCs are, as well as different ways to acquire ice tokens, and what you can do with them once you have them.

Battle of the Immortals explains mounts and pets

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 5th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Battle of the Immortals

The pace of information released about the upcoming Battle of the Immortals is increasing, no doubt to raise anticipation for the game's swift-approaching beta. The most recent post on the official Perfect World Entertainment blog offers more details on the game's mounts and pets, which look to be an integral part of the game's structure and offer a few interesting twists on the features. Mounts, for instance, can be upgraded for increased speed... but each upgrade also allows the mount to learn new skills. The example given was of a mount that learned to teleport short distances as well as running, a helpful trick to be sure.

Pets, on the other hand, can be almost any monster encountered in Battle of the Immortals. Players will have the opportunity to turn a defeated enemy into a pet "every now and then," which is a bit light on details but suggests either a long cooldown or a limited-supply item. Each pet can apparently have their skills slotted for a variety of roles, allowing them to be viable in both PvP and PvE combat. There's a week left before the closed beta begins, so if you're interested, take a look at our closed beta key giveaway to start out early.

Runes of Magic releases new trailer with patch 2.1.6

by Rubi Bayer Feb 4th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Patches, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

"The time has come to confront the Demon Lord." Frogster released the latest update for Runes of Magic earlier today, a patch that added Demon Stronghold to the game.

Demon Stronghold is a challenging new 12-man raid that reportedly brings some surprises to the table at its end, requiring players to think fast and fight even faster. We saw a nice array of screenshots recently, but if you'd like a better peek at the action before you head in, Frogster is happy to oblige.

They released a brand new trailer for Demon Stronghold today, giving nearly two minutes of in-game footage from beginning to end. It's a fast-paced, but extensive trailer, giving a nice look at the dungeon as well as an array of the baddies waiting to take you on. To top it all off, the video's finale gives us a preview of the Demon Lord himself.

This is one that you'll want to visit more than once in order to take in the surroundings -- but don't look around too long, Demon Lord Sirloth is waiting! Follow along after the jump for a look at the trailer.

One Shots: One of these things is not like the others

by Krystalle Voecks Feb 4th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Screenshots, Free-to-play, One Shots, Aika

Just when we thought we'd seen it all, it would appear that Aika has added an interesting animal into their beta mix. But these aren't your slide-on-their-belly Happy Feet kind of penguins. No, it would seem that this penguin has a lust for battle and glory. At least, one might certainly think that when looking at the stout fellow in the screenshot above!

Today's Aika beta screenshot was sent in to us by Jacob J, who writes in: [Here's a] fun vanity shot. I like the dramatic lighting -- and the graphics really aren't all that bad for a F2P. I have no idea if they can actually manage PvP on the massive scale they're boasting (1000 players plus), but I'd like to see them try. Yes, that's an adorable little penguin-man with a skull on his head.

Have you spotted something in your favorite MMO that made you stop and stare? Well, why not grab a screenshot of it and send it our way! Our One Shots mailbox can be reached at oneshots AT massively DOT com -- be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a description too. We'll get it set up and post it out here for everyone to enjoy, thanks to you.

Gallery: One Shots

Mabinogi adds Shadow Missions

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 4th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, Grouping, Free-to-play, Mabinogi

Mabinogi, aside from having a bit of an alphabet soup name, is not a game known for holding things back until the next content update. If they can think of something neat to add in, they'll happily do so more often than not. So it's not exactly a surprise that with their upcoming Alchemist update, focused around (wait for it) the Alchemist, the game will be adding brand-new "Shadow Missions" as well.

Meant as a cross between regular party quests and dungeons, Shadow Missions are part of a new struggle against the nebulous Shadow Realm and the inhabitants of Erinn, Mabinogi's setting. The approach might feel a bit like the Skirmish system from Lord of the Rings Online, as you pick your mission from a message board in Taillteann depending on which of several types you feel like undertaking.

Once you've chosen a mission, traveling north from town lets you cross over into the Shadow Realm and take part in the battle, either protecting important figures or leading the siege against the dark inhabitants of the area. The official site has a small preview with a list of mission types for what looks to be an interesting addition to Mabinogi's gameplay.

Community Q&A: Ask Allods Online

by Shawn Schuster Feb 4th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Community Q&A

Allods Online has just announced an extension to its fourth closed beta testing, with an open beta looming on the horizon. We've been giving the game some healthy coverage since it entered the early beta stages, and we're always excited to interact with the developers and publishers whenever we can. But now it's your turn!

As with our previous Community Q&As, we want to hear from our readers on the pressing questions you have for the developers. Whether you've been enjoying your time in the game or not, we want to know what you'd like answered. So if you'd like your question considered, simply leave a question as a comment on this post by Monday, February 8th at 8am EST. Or, if you'd feel more comfortable with email, send one off to me at shawn at massively dot com. We'll gather up the questions and send the best off to the Allods team for the answers. Once we get the answers back, we'll post them here for all to see. Please remember to keep your questions respectful and your criticisms constructive. Beyond that, have at it!

Silkroad Online celebrates their new Arabic language service with two worldwide events

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 3rd 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Events, in-game, News items, Silkroad Online, Free-to-play

It's certainly not everyday we hear that a game has been launched in the Arabic language here at Massively, but we guess that today is one of those days! The free to play title Silkroad Online has gone the distance and has translated their game into Arabic.

To help celebrate the new translation, the entire international Silkroad community is getting two events with real world prizes. The first event, which is less of an event and more of a raffle, gives you between two and ten contest tickets each time you purchase cash for their item shop. If your contest ticket is pulled, you could win prizes including an 8 gig iPod Nano or a brand new laptop.

The second event, which is more of an event, is to level a character from one to 40 before March 2nd. If you successfully make it, you'll get entered into a separate raffle. Prizes here include 10,000 skill points for a character to spend on increasing your skills, Seal of Moon grade weaponry for your characters, or a brand new PSP.

For all of the information on these two events, check out the Silkroad main page.

Massively interviews PoxNora: Major updates and a website revamp

by Kyle Horner Feb 3rd 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Patches, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews

It's been far too long since we first had the pleasure of introducing readers to PoxNora. So long, in fact, that we contacted SOE to see about speaking with the good people in Tucson, AZ about their strategy game that incorporates card collecting, online persistence and progression mechanics into a delightful cocktail of an online game.

There's a lot of changes coming to PoxNora, changes that for the first time will be revealed in this interview with SOE Community Manger Tony "RadarX" Jones. A new website, a new Rune Manager, a new Champions stat system, new maps and hints at the future of PoxNora are just a few of the topics covered beyond the break.

Did we mention all these updates are coming within the next few weeks? Oh, we've also got shiny imagery.

DDO Update 3 goes live, Turbine releases new screenshots

by Rubi Bayer Feb 3rd 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

Dungeons and Dragons Online released Update 3 earlier today, something we at Massively have been anxiously awaiting since our tour last week. Fans of the game have been anxious too, reading through the patch notes and checking out the buzz on the Lamannia forums while they waited for update day to arrive.

Well, that day is here, and Stormreach Harbor is frozen over and crowded with players sliding and falling on the ice, while others farm Ice Tokens, check out casual mode, and gather groups for the new quests. If you haven't patched yet, Turbine has given us a little something to pass the time while you wait for your game to update: a series of new screenshots from the Delirium quest. Take a look at the gallery, and check out our developer tour for some insider hints while you wait.

Have fun, and have a drink at the Sleeping Spell in on us!

Gallery: Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 3

Free Realms expands its portfolio of pets

by Rubi Bayer Feb 2nd 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Free-to-play, Free Realms, Kids

Do you love the pets in Free Realms as much as Game Designer Margaret Krohn? If you just can't get your fill of all things furry and scaly in Free Realms, you'll be very happy with the new pets.

Haven't seen them yet? Well, for starters there is now a sad little spider named Mister Munchy, available in five different colors. He's got the blues and being adopted would cheer him right up. Are you more of a dinosaur fan? Several new dinosaurs are available as well, including Screech the Raptor -- who seems a lot friendlier than the Jurassic Park variety -- and Crackers, who is having a bit of an identity crisis. If you're more the traditional sort, there are new ponies available as well, bringing the total to thirteen.

All of the new pets are available now, so make a visit to the Marketplace and see what you'd like to add to your collection.

Wizard101 hosting holiday Twitter contest

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 2nd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Contests, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Kids, Wizard101

One of the more family-oriented MMOs currently on the market, Wizard101, celebrates Valentine's Day via its annual Friendship Festival, a concept that some of us can enthusiastically get behind. Its approach has been heralded by the return of the vendor NPC Valentia Heartsong, selling special holiday items in exchange for the game's microtransaction currency, Crowns. But in an effort to get players feeling just a little bit more friendly, the game's staff is running a special contest to give away some of the holiday items for free.

Every day until February 12th, the team will select one of their followers on Twitter at random, contact them via Twitter, and ask for their Wizard101 account name. That means that entering the contest is as simple as following the game @Wizard101. The prize is handed out at noon each day, which means there's still plenty of time for the game's players to get in on the fun and get a little something extra. And besides, following a game you enjoy on Twitter is good practice anyway. Fan of the holiday or not, it's hard not to like a friendly gesture such as this.