Filed under: New titles

Frogster releases Mythos cinematic

by Jef Reahard Jul 30th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, Mythos, Free-to-play

Looking to get your Mythos fix prior to the game's 2011 release? Look no further than the just-released trailer courtesy of Frogster. The video, which runs a little over a minute and a half, serves as both a teaser and the upcoming free-to-play MMO's opening cinematic.

Mythos, a throw-back dungeon crawler, has somewhat of a checkered history, given that it was originally developed by now-defunct Flagship Studios before being shuttered and subsequently kick-started by HanbitSoft. The game is now being published by Redbana in North America and Frogster in Europe, and it features solo and group PvP, three distinct classes, and a unique visual style inspired by comic books.

Check out our interview with the Mythos dev team and don't forget to sample the trailer after the cut.

SWTOR's Sin City has been announced: Nar Shaddaa [updated]

by Larry Everett Jul 30th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic

What happens in Nar Shaddaa stays in Nar Shaddaa. How many unique locations can you fit in one one game? Well, according to the developers at BioWare, one more. Star Wars: The Old Republic is now up to 14 planets with the addition of this center for the criminal underworld: Nar Shaddaa. This city planet is the evil twin to Coruscant in that it is completely covered in city sprawl. Obi Wan called Mos Eisley a wretched hive of scum and villainy -- which is true -- but when compared to Nar Shaddaa, it is saintly.

Besides being the apex destitute, this is neutral ground for the current war; the Republic and Empire are equally hated. The only war that matters on Nar Shaddaa is the one between the two mob-like corporate giants. On this moon of Hutta, the Hutt Cartel finds its greatest -- and possibly its only -- rival in all the galaxy: the Exchange. Where will you fit in this futuristic turf war? Maybe your place is on the side that pays the most credits. But whichever side you choose, neither can be trusted, so trust only in yourself.

It's not just business as usual on Nar Shaddaa. When planning your Star Wars vacation, be sure to stop by the literal world of entertainment.

[Update: Follow the after the break to see a short video of the city-world]

Guild Wars 2 level cap confirmed at 80

by Rubi Bayer Jul 29th 2010 at 10:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2

It's been a huge question for months: What will be the level cap for Guild Wars 2? Eager fans have grabbed onto every piece of information looking for clues over time, and tonight Isaiah "Izzy" Cartwright, Guild Wars 2 game designer, confirmed it: the level cap will be 80.

No, hold on, there's still no grind. Grind in most games with a high level cap comes in because it takes longer to level the higher you go. In Guild Wars 2, this is not an issue, says Izzy: "Instead of taking longer and longer to reach each level, it takes about the same time to go through each level."

In short, it's still all about the content and the journey, and you won't find yourself stuck at level 60, endlessly grinding the same mob to advance. Check out the newest ArenaNet blog post for all the information.

Jagex pregnant with its third MMO

by Justin Olivetti Jul 29th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Runescape

Look who's expecting: Jagex, the maker of RuneScape, not only has one bun in the oven (Stellar Dawn) but another MMO cooking as well. In an interview with Eurogamer, Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard announced that the company is working on a new fantasy title.

"A lot of what we've done to push the boundary for Stellar Dawn will benefit RuneScape and another MMO we're working on," Gerhard said. "We've got the advantage in that we share the same MMO tech platform. From there it's really down to the studios to decide how its [sic] used."

While he was reluctant to share the name of the baby, er, new game, Gerhard said that it was not a sequel to RuneScape. This follows their recent announcement of Stellar Dawn, the company's "biggest MMO to date." You can read the full article at Eurogamer.

Free for All: Charmed, Zentia, I'm sure

by Beau Hindman Jul 28th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All

Charm is one of those words that, as a kid, I never really understood. I always pictured some southern gentleman, lemonade in hand, wooing powdered belles from his porch on a hot summer's day: that's how I defined it. But now I think I understand it so much more, and I often wonder why this industry seems to often ignore the word, or has no idea what it means. It's easiest to explain it this way:

You cannot be charming by acting cool. If you act cool, it comes out cheesy. The movie The Matrix, for example: trying to act so incredibly cool, but comes off only cheesy. You must simply be cool to be charming. You can also be truly wide-eyed, which is charming. Or innocent, which is much rarer, but still charming. Be warned: Top Gun was considered very cool, and Tom Cruise very charming, in their time. Shirley Temple, mainly because of the time period her movies were made in, is still charming. A Christmas Story is very, very charming. Reese Witherspoon's work in Election? Oozes charm. Roy Orbison? Cool and charming, despite looking like a grandmother.

The same applies to MMORPGs. Seriously. Some games are trying to be way too cool, and should just relax a bit. Be fun. I recently discovered one of the most charming games yet in Zentia.

SDCC 2010: A new Super Hero Squad Online trailer in the Mighty Marvel tradition

by Eliot Lefebvre Jul 27th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, New titles, Previews, News items, Casual, Kids, Family

If you're looking for a superhero MMO, you have a lot of options these days, which is part of the reason that Gazillion Entertainment has gone in a very different direction with Super Hero Squad Online. Rather than being a more adult-oriented game, it features colorful characters in a cartoonish setting, with an emphasis on family playability. Some players are going to immediately turn up their noses and sneer at the idea, of course, but after viewing the latest trailer, it sure does look like fun.

The trailer, straight from SDCC 2010, features a variety of standbys within the Marvel universe that most viewers will have no problem recognizing. It's evident from the footage that the game is placing a high emphasis on retaining the feel of each signature hero's skills and powers, even if the stylized graphics might throw some players for a bit of a loop. Take a look at the trailer just past the cut, and keep your eyes peeled for more information on Super Hero Squad Online as we approach the release date in 2011.

Hyperspace Beacon: The bald and the blue

by Larry Everett Jul 26th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Lore, New titles, Opinion, Races, Roleplaying, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic.

As some of you may be aware, I love the whole idea of roleplaying and storytelling in an MMO setting. Also -- which should be more than evident -- I am a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. As a roleplayer, I always like the idea of being able to do whatever I want in an MMO -- truly creating my own story. I like it when a developer gives me the blocks, and I stack them the way I want to. I build my castle the way I envision it. So you can imagine when I heard there were class restrictions on races in Star Wars: The Old Republic, I said (and I quote), "LOLOMGWTGDairyQueen-LOLOMGBBtheQ!™" I thought it was a really, really bad idea. How was I going to make my pink, cybernetic, Nightsister Wookiee? Then I realized that particular Wookiee would totally be unimmersing, which is exactly what I despise about a good chunk of MMOs.

So after dealing with my temporary bout with insanity, I realized immersion was more important than my desire to play with blocks, but I still wanted to make these characters the best they could be. Now it was time to find out as much as I could about the species I will be able to play. Follow me after the break to see what I found.

™ LOLOMGWTGDairyQueen-LOLOMGBBtheQ! is the trademarked (not really) catch phrase of Morte of the Oxhorn Brand Machimina

We've got your key for The Lord of the Rings Online F2P beta test!

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 26th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, New titles, Free-to-play, Giveaways

Step right up here friends, I said step right up! How would you, yes you, like to try out the title that has been 'causin a ruckus among us? That's right, friend, I'm talking about the one, the only, the hobbittastic Lord of the Rings Online™! But I'm not talkin' about the one that's already out there, friend! I'm talkin' about the one that's coming -- the free to play version! Are you gamer enough to take it on?

All right, circus barker speech aside, our friends over at Turbine have supplied us with a special code for those of you who want to get in on the Lord of the Rings Online beta! However, there is a catch to this code -- it can only be used for 500 Massively readers who will be invited to the beta when the next wave of invites goes out.

Want more information, as well as the code you'll need to enter when you sign up for the beta? Not a problem, just skip past the break for all of the information you'll need!

SDCC 2010: A SWTOR Managing Editor who doesn't solve problems by killing all the kittens

by Larry Everett Jul 26th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Interviews, New titles, Comics, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic

We all know that know that story is the fourth pillar for The Old Republic. We also know BioWare has the reputation for having some of the most compelling stories in the gaming industry. In fact, story is written into its mission statement: "BioWare's vision is to deliver the best story-driven games in the world." So it is no surprise at all that when the team came to Comic-Con this past weekend, it consisted of mostly writers.

Massively's Dan O'Halloran nabbed the Managing Editor on SWTOR, Alexander Freed, for a conversation. Freed has scribed much of the story and dialogue for this epic MMO, as well as been the writer for the exciting adventures of Teneb Kel in The Blood of the Empire webcomic.

Continue on after the break to catch Alexander Freed's insight into what the different types of quests will be available in SWTOR, what compelling choices players have to make, and what it takes to write for a project of this magnitude.

SOE and Blur release DCUO story trailer

by Jef Reahard Jul 24th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, New titles, News items, DC Universe Online

Sony Online Entertainment has just released a lengthy story trailer for its forthcoming DC Universe Online superhero MMORPG. Debuting early Saturday morning on GameTrailers, the massive video clocks in at over six minutes in length and features nearly all of the DC Comics notables, including Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, the Joker, and others.

The hyper-violent cinematic is the latest creation of Blur Studio, also known for its Star Wars: The Old Republic teaser work. The cinematic sets up DCUO's overarching story, in which the heroes team up with Lex Luthor to stop Brainiac and his latest threat to humanity.

You can view the trailer, appropriately named "Who Do You Trust," after the cut or at GameTrailers.

Space combat has been confirmed for SWTOR! [Updated]

by Larry Everett Jul 23rd 2010 at 5:15PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

While at Comic-Con, the fan site Mos Eisley Radio tweeted a rumor that there will be space combat in SWTOR. Space combat has been strongly suspected since the announcement of player ships at E3, but there was nothing to confirm our suspicions. According to the folks at Mos Eisley Radio, James Ohlen said that each ship will be customizable, and, of course, that the player will be able to use this ship in space combat.

Not moments later, this rumor was completely confirmed by SWTOR's community manager, Sean Dahlberg, on the official forum. He confesses in his announcement, "While we didn't quite make the numbers [of Facebook and Twitter followers], we definitely saw how excited the community is about this and how everyone came together. After all of that, there's no way we could hold back with our special reveal at Comic-Con!" So it seems the devs did not punish the fans for not reaching the social media goal after all. He reveals that further details will be available in the October edition of PC Gamer.

[Thank you, Mos Eisley Radio, for keeping your ears open!]

[Editor's Note: Brooks from Mos Eisley Radio just mailed us to say that all of his information is coming from Darth Hater's liveblog, so props to Darth Hater, and thanks for letting us know, Brooks! ~Sera]

Cats invade Star Wars: The Old Republic in this week's Fan Friday

by Larry Everett Jul 23rd 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fan art, New titles, Wallpapers, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The community of Star Wars: The Old Republic did not quite make the Twitter and Facebook goals, so the developers decided to punish us by announcing another species that we will not be able to play. (Just kidding, it wasn't punishment.) In addition to spotlighting fan art and video, this week's Fan Friday column mentions Cathar as being another species players of SWTOR will bump into on their travels across the galaxy. The feline species from the planet bearing the same name was first mentioned by name in Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, but gamers are probably more familiar with it from the other BioWare game, Knights of the Old Republic. Although the devs did not say where or how the players will run into this highly anticipated species, fans are hoping for a Cathar companion character.

As mentioned above, the social media goal was not reached. Even so, the community team did give the fans some gifts. The Fan Site Kit has been updated with more digital goodies. New avatars, screenshots, and biographical images can now grace your SWTOR fan site. Not to mention, the team has included six new desktop wallpaper images straight from the exciting "Hope" trailer.

Be sure to check out all of this and the amazing new fan art on the official SWTOR site.

LEGO Universe unleashes Comic-Con videos

by Jef Reahard Jul 23rd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, LEGO Universe, Kids

If you didn't make it to this year's Comic-Con, you're missing out on a brick-ton of new information on the forthcoming LEGO Universe MMORPG. Luckily MMOCrunch has you covered in a piece that mentions the game's four playable factions (Assembly, Sentinels, Paradox, and Venture League). Each faction is built to cater to a different type of player, and though you're probably smart enough to figure them out on your own (you played with LEGO bricks after all), they correspond to builders, warriors, ninjas, and explorers.

While it's not quite in line with the famous achiever, explorer, socializer, and killer metric made famous by Bartle, it's nice to see the LEGO team designing the title with a wide audience in mind. Also debuting at Comic-Con this week are three new videos featuring the factions, Pet Cove and taming footage, and a piece highlighting various LEGO Universe development partners.

Check them out after the cut or at MMOCrunch.

TERA's Jason Mical teases politics, group balancing

by Jef Reahard Jul 22nd 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items, TERA

TERA's political system continues to be shrouded in mystery, and whether it's a proper MacGuffin or some sort of public-relations red herring designed to simultaneously titillate and obfuscate is unclear. One thing that is clear is the fact that En Masse Entertainment representatives are reluctant to do much beyond tease the fact that the system exists. The latest example comes via an interview with community director Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical over at World of TERA.

Mical talks briefly about the level of player freedom inherent in the system. "I suppose the level of freedom will in some part depend on who gets elected. Some leaders might be benevolent, while others might become outright tyrants. Some who start with the best of intentions will probably end up tyrants. In other words, it's going to be a bit like real politics," he says. He goes on to state that PvP will influence TERA's political system quite a bit, referencing Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton "on a much larger and more common scale."

Soul Master entering closed beta tomorrow

by Jef Reahard Jul 21st 2010 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, MMORTS

Looking to mix up your MMO gaming, maybe with a dash of real-time strategy? Soul Master might be the game for you, and the free-to-play MMORTS hybrid from GamesCampus is entering closed beta on July 22nd. The beta period will last through August 4th, and you can grab a key at the official website.

Soul Master features player-created structures, command units, and progression through various technology trees, all in service of a traditional persistent MMO character as well as team and FFA PvP. The game also features a robust itemization system that allows for skill and statistical bonuses to everything from the player's avatar, to their buildings, production capabilities, and RTS units.

"The fast-paced combat in Soul Master combines the high-speed action of a character vs. character brawler with the tactical elements of squad-based RTS," says GamesCampus Marketing and Business Development VP David Chang.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
GenCon Indy	Aug 5-8, 2010
SOE Fan Faire	Aug 5-8, 2010
Xsyon Prelude Launch	Aug 15, 2010
GamesCom Expo	Aug 18-22, 2010
Earthrise Launch	Q3 2010
Dragon*Con	Sep 3-6, 2010
PAX Prime	Sep 3-5, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
GDC Online	Oct 5-8, 2010
LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
DCUO Launch	Nov 2, 2010

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Seraphina Brennan	Senior Editor
Brianna Royce	West Coast Editor
Dan O'Halloran	Features Coordinator
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Rubi Bayer	Contributing Editor
Tateru Nino	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Larry Everett	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist