Filed under: Horror

Funcom Community Managers talk about upcoming projects

by Rubi Bayer Mar 10th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Age of Conan, Expansions, Interviews, News items, The Secret World, Pets vs Monsters

Julie and Fran of the No Prisoners, No Mercy podcast had some special guests on their most recent show, to the delight of the Funcom fans in their audience.

Funcom Community Managers Glen "Famine" Swan and Oliver Kunz visited the podcast to discuss The Secret World as well as Rise of the Godslayer, the upcoming expansion for Age of Conan. The duo talked about their responsibilities within Funcom, and gave some details about what they're working on these days.

Rise of the Godslayer, of course, is the big project. With five new regions, a new race, twelve new factions, and all the bells and whistles that go with them, Swan promised that the expansion won't disappoint fans. They also gave an overview of The Secret World as well as their other upcoming project, Pets vs. Monsters.

It sounds like a good time was had by all -- the podcast is fun and informative, and definitely worth listening to. For even more information, keep an eye out for our interview with Ragnar Tornquist at GDC later this week as well!

Interview with The Secret World's Martin Bruusgaard

by Rubi Bayer Mar 9th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Interviews, News items, The Secret World

Looking forward to The Secret World? Funcom has been great lately about giving us bits of information to tide us over, and the latest news is no exception. TSWOnline.de recently chatted with Martin Bruusgaard, Lead Designer for The Secret World.

Bruusgaard delved further into the game, expanding on small details we already know, such as the Lovecraftian influence of the game, and the (slowly) marauding zombies. While Lovecraft, zombies, and Kingsmouth are known elements, things don't stop there. Kingsmouth is just a tiny sample of game regions all around the world that are available to play, and zombies are just the tip of the iceberg: "We've based the population in every region on myths and urban legends in that particular country, which gives us a huge spectrum of scary monstrosities to play with."

Bruusgaard has plenty more to say, both about in-game events and some promotional things we might be able to look forward to. The full interview is well worth a read.

For more news on The Secret World, keep an eye out for our interview with Ragnar Tornquist at GDC this week as well!

Tornquist gives more juicy details on The Secret World

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 2nd 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, News items, The Secret World

To date, the development team of The Secret World has almost been a secret society unto itself. We've heard whispers and tantalizing tidbits that have piqued our curiosity, seen teaser sites, and caught the occasional tweet from the front lines. Now, the floodgates are starting to open, and more details are coming to light for those craving information.

An interview with Ragnar Tornquist has just gone up on IGN and it is chock-full of tasty details about what players can expect from The Secret World. Along with the interview, there's also a pile of eerie concept art illustrating some of the many different monsters we'll see in the game -- from brain-munching zombies to mutated boss monsters. There's also some great news on how the development is going, owing in part to the work already done for Age of Conan.

So if you've been hungry for more details and a sneak-peek into more of the terrible things that await us as we take steps into The Secret World, then you'll want to head over to IGN and check out the full interview. It looks like Tornquist and the team at Funcom are creating a fascinating modern-day monster of an MMO for us to enjoy.

ARG! The Secret World community uncovers hidden 'Monster Blog'

by Kyle Horner Feb 23rd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Horror, New titles, News items, The Secret World

Let us never say that Funcom doesn't know how to run a good Alternate Reality Game, or ARG. The community surrounding the upcoming modern-day MMO has discovered a personal blog named Monsters of Maine. How, you might be wondering? Through the oft-maligned Twitter, that's how. If you're willing to sift through a 50+ page thread over on The Secret World's official forums, you'll find a transcript of a the Twitter conversations between the fictional people of Kingsmouth. Yep, this community pretty much rocks.

So what's the blog all about? Well, it's run by a user named Cryptoinvestigator -- who's revealed via that Twitter convo as Tyler Freeborn, a "crazy" who believes all sorts of evil things are taking place. One of his more ominous blog posts reads, "The Pale Men will return. Not today, not tomorrow - but soon. I can FEEL them. I can smell them." Several of his other posts contain some really awesome peeks into what we can only assume are pieces of game lore and screenshots cloaked in ARG craziness.

The most recent post by Freeborn says he's got evidence to prove his claims, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that. Hmm, we can feel ourselves becoming more obsessed with this by the minute.

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!)

The Daily Grind: Will you welcome back the Hellgate franchise?

by James Egan Jan 31st 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, MMO industry, Opinion, Hellgate: London, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind

Hellgate: London is one of those games that has really divided opinion from our readers. Some brand it as a deeply-flawed game, or were burned by that costly Founder's lifetime subscription when the game shut down after a rather short life. Others -- like some of us on the Massively staff -- truly miss the game's blend of horror and sci-fi elements and have been hoping that Hellgate: London would one day return in some form or another.

Although the future of the game has been murky, the most recent (and most straightforward) announcement is that Hellgate: London is slated to return to Western shores. HanbitSoft has secured the worldwide publishing rights to the game from Namco-Bandai, so now it's just a matter of time before it returns. We're interested to hear what you think about this. Would you welcome the return of Hellgate: London? For that matter, how would you feel about playing the game in its current free-to-play incarnation, Hellgate: Resurrection?

Fallen Earth's State of the Game: Upcoming additions and more

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 28th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Horror, Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items

When it comes to transparency regarding patches, Fallen Earth might have just won that category in spades. The latest State of the Game article on their site is more than just an overview of the direction they want to take the game in, it's a patch by patch listing of the features that the development team will be bringing to the table.

Patch 1.3 will be expanding the game with the introduction of Kaibab Forest and Deadfall Point, as players will run a brand new plotline to push back the radiation zone and find more secrets hidden in the wasteland. The new areas come with a brand new level added to the cap, so all of that experience gained from the new area won't go to waste.

The Secret World revealing more secrets soon, Funcom confirms Kingsmouth connection

by Kyle Horner Jan 26th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, New titles, News items, The Secret World

Sources have told us the Kingsmouth website is in truth connected to the enigmatic developer known as Funcom. They've also informed us that this is just the beginning of a new The Secret World initiative from the mysterious developer. In fact, those very same dark forces- er, sources, told us that you can expect to see a significant reveal happen this very weekend.

We asked Funcom's Erling Elingson for a comment on these shadowy happenings, "The recent release of the Kingsmouth website is just one of many unique initiatives that will be happening around The Secret World in the next few weeks. Not only are we teaming up with a major site this weekend to give gamers a unique glimpse into the game through new and never-before-seen footage, but there are also other secrets lurking under the surface waiting to be discovered. The ever-growing community surrounding The Secret World did a great job deciphering the clues that led to the discovery of the Kingsmouth website, and they will have plenty more to play around with in the next few weeks!"

Success! Our dark lord's ancient powers worked wonders. Wait, we mean uh, our highly charismatic and soothingly baritone voice made them talk, yes. So, you'll want to keep a lookout this weekend TSW fans, and don't stop investigating for clues. If you did, the all-knowing master would be very upset...

All hail the Kingsmouth Horror: The Secret World pays homage to Lovecraft

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 25th 2010 at 2:30PM

Filed under: Horror, Culture, News items, The Secret World

For a while now, the community over at The Secret World has noticed things in the game that are distinctly influenced by the writings of horror master H.P. Lovecraft. From the original poster that revealed a beast that reminded many of Cthulhu to the whole idea of secret societies and monsters that exist beyond time and space. So when The Secret World community members stumbled upon a website for the fictional town of Kingsmouth, many weren't surprised.

Kingsmouth, a mash-up of Lovecraft's Kingsport and Innsmouth (and, to an unnamed extent, Arkham), is the typical New England town that Lovecraft so loved to talk about. It's sleepy, it's quiet, it's community is entrenched, and there are probably more monsters than people. Lovecraftian references are abound from the aptly named Miskatonic River (see Miskatonic University) to the town's presence as a port on the coastline.

Of course, with the addition of a brand new website, new puzzles are bound to pop up. The Secret World community is already pouring over the website, so jump into the discussion if you think you found something. Of course, for those of you who aren't into the whole conspiracy angle, we got the screenshots of Kingsmouth for you below. Beware though, the originals are small, as apparently the Kingsmouth locals don't know how to upload quality pictures.

Gallery: The Secret World

HanbitSoft acquires worldwide publishing rights for Hellgate: London

by James Egan Jan 18th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, Hellgate: London, Legal

It's been a long and turbulent ride for Hellgate: London, stretching all the way back to its rather troubled Halloween 2007 launch under the banner of the ill-fated Flagship Studios. This stretched through a bewildering morass of licensing disputes, general misinformation, and mixed signals (like continual English press releases for the game in a non English-speaking market. *ahem*) in the wake of the Flagship Studios closure and subsequent legal wranglings between T3 Entertainment/HanbitSoft and NAMCO BANDAI. Still, despite some of the flaws both in terms of business decisions made and the game itself, the title has its fans and many were sad to see Hellgate: London's servers in North America and Europe go dark.

Liken it to a yo-yo, a roller coaster, or what have you -- it's been confusing, but there have been glimmers of hope of the game one day returning to Western regions. An official release from Hellgate: London's license holder HanbitSoft today is perhaps the most solid bit of info we've received about the future of the game outside of Korea. In HanbitSoft's own words: "HanbitSoft Inc., announced today that the company has obtained the publishing rights for Hellgate in North America, Europe and Japan from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.. HanbitSoft and NAMCO BANDAI Games America, the formal owner of the publishing rights in these regions, have entered into an agreement for the game to be distributed by HanbitSoft in the future."

Want to sink your teeth into a vampire MMO? Massively can help!

by Shawn Schuster Jan 12th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Horror, New titles, Free-to-play, Browser, Giveaways, City of Eternals

With the recent popularity of movies like Twilight, it seems that the folks at Ohai have timed the announcement of their new vampire MMO just right. City of Eternals is a browser-based MMO set in the world of modern vampires. It is completely free-to-play and is currently in its private alpha testing stage. According to the developer, "You can choose your Vampire look and fighting style, explore a massive city with dozens of story quests, combat instances, and standalone missions. You will learn to harvest valuables and craft useful items, customize your own home, and choose your path to becoming the ultimate Vampire."

If that genre appeals to you, and you'd be interested in alpha testing the game, head on over to their invite page where they have 100 invites reserved for the Massively readers. Each person who gets into this alpha will receive 100 "ohais", which are their own form of virtual currency in the game that will cost real money once the game launches.

Fallen Earth showcases recruiting clans for the month of January

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 4th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Horror, Fallen Earth, Guilds, News items

Finding a clan to join can sometimes be a very difficult process. Pouring over pages and pages of guild recruitment advertisements in forums and talking with people in-game seems to be the only effective way of selecting a clan that can meet your needs. Even then it's a hit or miss opportunity, as the clan you may choose might turn out to be something you didn't want to be a part of.

Well, Fallen Earth is seeking to help alleviate some of the burden this January with a daily look into one of the many recruiting clans in the game. Each day on the website and official Facebook page, a new clan will be highlighted for your clan joining needs.

So if you've been looking for that perfect group in Fallen Earth, you'll want to keep your eye on their website all this month!

Hellgate: Tokyo, still not for you!

by James Egan Dec 3rd 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, MMO industry, Hellgate: London

Let's just get this out of the way right off the bat -- there is no word on a Hellgate game release for, or return to, any of the Western markets. Still, some of us quite enjoyed playing Hellgate: London or saw the potential in it, and would like to see this happen. Back when Hellgate: London was new and held some promise as a good mix of horror and sci-fi, a few of the writers here envisioned how the game might expand if it were successful. Monikers like Hellgate: Hong Kong, Hellgate: New York, and such were mentioned. As was Hellgate: Tokyo, only it seems this one is actually going to happen... for Asia.

Our Korean is ~~rusty~~ non-existent but the (very brief) Hellgate: Tokyo teaser indicates a 2010 release. Fans of Hellgate: London -- we know there must be a few of you out there somewhere -- can find the video over at GameTrailers.

ArenaNet co-founder Jeff Strain opens new studio

by Rubi Bayer Nov 23rd 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Remember Jeff Strain? His August departure from ArenaNet was big news, and we haven't heard a lot from him lately. We found out today what he's been up to, and we couldn't be happier.

Jeff Strain has a shiny (slimy?) new project just officially announced today. Undead Labs is his new studio, which is already at work planning a zombie MMO -- more specifically, a zombie-console-MMO. To quote the Undead Labs site, "Zombie MMO! Hell yeah!" Of course, we already have a million questions, but he was kind enough to answer many of them well in advance. (Points to him for anticipating them and spelling it out right up front, and for making us laugh.)

It's early days yet so we don't have a laundry list of specific details and screenshots, but the site already shows a departure from the traditional way of doing things when it comes to MMO development. A look around Undead Labs sets the tone right off, beginning with the aforementioned answers to questions, and continuing with a fairly amusing etiquette guide. Strain and Undead Labs look to be off to a running start with things, and we are going to be keeping a close eye on the impending zombie apocalypse.

Subscribe to Age of Conan and receive The Secret World beta access

by Brooke Pilley Nov 11th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Age of Conan, News items, The Secret World

Funcom recently announced their plans to get older players back into Age of Conan and boost multi-month subscription rates. Players with inactive subscriptions are invited to retry the game for two weeks and receive a double experience bonus. Those who sign up for multi-month subscriptions will receive these additional bonuses:

3-month sub: Beta access to The Secret World
6-month sub: Beta access + in-game helmet that boosts experience gain by 10%
12-month sub: Beta access + helmet + a free copy of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer

Age of Conan has received many updates in the year and a half since its release. However, MMO players can be an unforgiving bunch, so these incentives to give the game another shot are quite necessary. And it's extra-smart given all the excitement around The Secret World. Considering how many players would be willing to pay for beta access, a subscription to a vastly improved AoC is just icing on the cake.

For those interested in catching up on AoC, check out the most recent game director's letter, new content, and revised subscription options. Have a burning question for Funcom about this or anything else? Ask it here.

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!