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Massively http://www.massively.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://www.massively.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Rise and Shiny: BatMUD]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/rise-and-shiny-batmud/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/rise-and-shiny-batmud/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/20/rise-and-shiny-batmud/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Bugs, Culture, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Roleplaying, First Impressions, Rise and Shiny, Miscellaneous

BatMUD UI screenshot

Here I am making myself crazy once again. Why? Why do I insist on visiting games that I know will provoke issues both physical and mental? I guess it's because lately I have been fascinated with MUDs, or multi-user-dungeons. They are better described as text-based MMOs or choose-your-own-adventure books written with thousands of other players. It's a fascinating concept, especially when you consider how dissimilar it is to today's modern, easy-to-play offerings. The ancient design of the MUD now feels fresh, so much so that I have decided to dedicate a future article about the possibility of MUDs' viability in today's three-dimensional world.

I have found some good and some very bad over the last several weeks. I've also stumbled across brand-new versions of the migraines that often bother me when I concentrate way, way too hard on PC text. I have to admit that my issues do not seem that common, but it is important to look at a game from all angles, even from the angle of someone who has specific issues. BatMUD has tested my patience over the last few weeks and several hours. It's also shown me some wonderful adventure and sparked my imagination.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: BatMUD

Rise and Shiny: BatMUD originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BatMUDbeau-hindmanf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhands-onlivestreammassively-tvmudmulti-user-dungeonrise-and-shinystreamthreshold-rpgtwitchtwitch-tvvideoSun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Some Assembly Required: I saw the wilds of Salem (and lived to tell about it)]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/some-assembly-required-i-saw-the-wilds-of-salem-and-lived-to-t/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/some-assembly-required-i-saw-the-wilds-of-salem-and-lived-to-t/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/18/some-assembly-required-i-saw-the-wilds-of-salem-and-lived-to-t/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Economy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvP, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox, Crafting

Some Assembly Required - Salem dev tour

I spent an hour romping through the woods of Salem last Friday with Seatribe head honcho Bjorn Johannessen. The tiny indie company (current dev population: two) is hard at work on its followup to Haven and Hearth, an acquired taste of a sandbox game notable for its no-holds barred approach that includes permadeath and the ability to summon (and kill) criminal characters -- even while their lulz-loving puppet-masters are offline.

Publisher Paradox bills Salem as "the crafting MMO," and boy it's not kidding. Over the course of this particular dev tour, I saw crazy amounts of tradeskill functionality, all kinds of cool world-building stuff, and ultimately, more than enough reasons to spend time with the game when it launches later this year.

Continue reading Some Assembly Required: I saw the wilds of Salem (and lived to tell about it)

Some Assembly Required: I saw the wilds of Salem (and lived to tell about it) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bjorn-Johannessenbodily-humorscraftingf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-mechanicshistoricalhumorsmetagamenew-englandopinionparadoxparadox-interactivepermadeathpgcplayer-contentplayer-created-contentplayer-generated-contentsalemsalem-skillssandboxsarseatribeskill-basedsome-assembly-requiredtradeskillinguser-generated-contentFri, 18 May 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/17/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-mission-system/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Guides

The Secret World - Kingsmouth quest NPC

So The Secret World's mission system treads well off the beaten MMO path. It's pretty cool, actually, though portions of it may irritate quest-grinders who just want to blow through zones on their way to the game's equivalent of a max-level toon.

For the rest of us, there's a nifty interface, some challenging puzzles, and plenty of well-written quest text and dialogue to keep us entertained for weeks at a time.

Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system

Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-gamesfactionfantasyfeaturedfuncomhorrorkingsmouthmythologypreviewpreviewsragnar-tornquistsci-fantasysecret-worldsecret-world-impressionssecret-world-mission-guidesecret-world-missionsskill-basedsupply-runthe-kingsmouth-codethe-secret-worldthe-secret-world-mission-guidethe-secret-world-press-betatswtsw-guidestsw-quest-guidetsw-questingThu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with The Secret World character creator]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-world-character-creator/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-world-character-creator/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-world-character-creator/#commentsFiled under: Horror, Real life, Video, Age of Conan, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Miscellaneous

The real secret to The Secret World is that it's the Matrix (see the above picture from the character creator that resembles Carrie-Anne Moss).

Actually, the first and most important stop for an MMO gamer is the character creator. When you're in beta, it might not be as important because the character will be tossed away in a few short weeks. However, in the live game, this character will not only be the same one you might see for years to come; it's also a reflection of you as a player. There are some players who insist on playing the ugliest races in the game, while others want the prettiest or the strongest. Personally, I lean toward playing female characters. I'm not sure what that says about me.

The creation of our character says so much about us, so it is extremely important that western RPGs and especially MMORPGs allow us to express ourselves. The Secret World's character creator has its good elements and its bad, but the most important part is how much Funcom's version allows us to express our personalities.

Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World character creator

Hands-on with The Secret World character creator originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccharacter-creatoreaElectronic-ArtsfantasyfeaturedFirst-Impressionsfuncomhands-onhorrormythologyopinionpreviewpreviewssci-fantasysecret-worldthe-secret-worldtrailertrailerstswvideovideo-previewvideosFri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with The Secret World's Templar experience]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-templar-experience/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-templar-experience/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/11/hands-on-with-the-secret-worlds-templar-experience/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

The Secret World - Don't mind this hollow earth portal

Believing in The Secret World takes a certain of amount of... faith. And I'm not just talking about Funcom's less-than-stellar reputation when it comes to bug-free MMO launches. No, the very foundation of this particular title rests on a narrative about things unseen, and that cryptic, otherworldly esoterica informed every moment of my time spent in the press beta over the last couple of days.

The basic premise, of course, is that everything is true. Every myth, legend, and spook story that our rational minds scoff at has a place in this particular riff on reality.

The Secret World is also quite heretical when it comes to gameplay. It eschews the tried and true class-based approach for a complex grimoire of a skill system featuring an ability wheel made of hieroglyphs and higher math (or so it first appears). To come right to the point, though, I bought into the game almost immediately.

Gallery: The Secret World - Press Beta (Templars)

Continue reading Hands-on with The Secret World's Templar experience

Hands-on with The Secret World's Templar experience originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>factionfantasyfeaturedfuncomgame-mechanicshorrormythologysci-fantasysecret-worldsecret-world-hands-onsecret-world-previewsecret-world-templarsskill-basedskill-systemtemplar-starter-experiencetemplar-starting-experiencetemplarsthe-secret-worldthe-secret-world-press-betatswtsw-skillstsw-templarsFri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rise and Shiny: Looking back on two years and making changes]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/rise-and-shiny-looking-back-at-two-years-and-a-change-of-order/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/rise-and-shiny-looking-back-at-two-years-and-a-change-of-order/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/06/rise-and-shiny-looking-back-at-two-years-and-a-change-of-order/#commentsFiled under: Screenshots, Video, Culture, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, First Impressions, Rise and Shiny, Miscellaneous, Anniversary

Mabinogi screenshot

This column will turn two years old on May 8th, 2012. I'm proud of not only the fact that I have been able keep up the column with a decent amount of content and writing that has slowly gotten better over that time but also the fact that I have introduced the readers of Massively to so many games that they wouldn't otherwise have known about. Recently, I have increased my efforts by streaming odd and indie games as well as writing about the relatively new world of mobile MMOs.

This might all seem like I am attempting to build some sort of indie hipster street cred, but the totally honest truth is that nothing thrills me more than exposing a new game to the world or giving an older game some much-needed sunlight. If someone posts, "This game is still around?" in the comments section, I call that a win.

From now on, I am going to tweak how I do things for Rise and Shiny in order to raise the quality of coverage. Let me explain how as well as give you a few figures to illustrate just how many titles I have covered.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Looking back on two years and making changes

Rise and Shiny: Looking back on two years and making changes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarybeau-hindmanf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhands-onLiveStreammabinogimassively-tvmassivelytvmilmomvtvrise-and-shinystreamstreamingtwitchtwitch-tvtwitchtvtwo-year-anniversaryvideozentiaSun, 06 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/05/04/the-firing-line-hands-on-with-firefalls-beta/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/04/the-firing-line-hands-on-with-firefalls-beta/http://www.massively.com/2012/05/04/the-firing-line-hands-on-with-firefalls-beta/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMOFPS, First Impressions, The Firing Line, Firefall

The Firing Line - Hands on with Firefall's beta

I'm dying on the beautiful beach outside Firefall's starter town. As I lay bleeding from a hundred holes and generally making a mess of my shiny new bumble bee-colored battleframe, my avatar collapses to the sand and says the funniest thing I've heard in a while.

"Grandpa!"

This is delivered in his best rural Georgia twang, and it lessens the sting of my latest newbie move. The whole scene is Firefall in a nutshell: It's fun, frustrating, and funny all at once.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta

The Firing Line: Hands-on with Firefall's beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfeaturedfirefallfirefall-betafirefall-first-impressionsfirefall-hands-onfirefall-impressionsfiring-linefirst-person-shooterfpsfree-to-playimpressionsis-firefall-an-mmommo-shootermmofpsopinionpvpred-5red-5-studiossci-fishootertflthe-firing-linethird-person-shootertpswarFri, 04 May 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Weekend warrior: Two days with TERA's beta berserker]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/09/weekend-warrior-two-days-with-teras-beta-berserker/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/09/weekend-warrior-two-days-with-teras-beta-berserker/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/09/weekend-warrior-two-days-with-teras-beta-berserker/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, First Impressions, TERA

TERA - Aman Berserker character screen

This all feels very familiar.

The gorgeous Asian aesthetics, the sexed-up avatars, and the hordes of high school tykes runting and squealing in global chat take me back to September of 2009 and the opening gyrations of the themepark orgy that was Aion.

Only this time, there are no angel wings, there's but one faction, and the game's called TERA.

Continue reading Weekend warrior: Two days with TERA's beta berserker

Weekend warrior: Two days with TERA's beta berserker originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amanaman-berserkerarboreaberserkerbetablueholebluehole-studiosclassclassesen-masseen-masse-entertainmentfantasyfeaturedfirst-impressionshands-onimpressionspreviewpreviewsteratera-combattera-first-impressionstera-impressionstera-previewMon, 09 Apr 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2012: The Secret World demo]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-the-secret-world-demo/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-the-secret-world-demo/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-the-secret-world-demo/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Horror, Events, real-world, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage

He wants to believe like I want to love this game. Can I get this shirt?

Funcom's The Secret World has had a big weekend at PAX East with its first public chance for hands-on interaction! It's a game that's been stirring up quite a bit of interest; the classless, level-less progression system, secret societies, and sword-and-automatic-rifle genre-bending are just a few of its selling points. My ears tend to perk up when the game gets mentioned, so of course I was all but falling over myself to hop into the playable demo this weekend. Walking away from that experience, though, I'm unconvinced.

Continue reading PAX East 2012: The Secret World demo

PAX East 2012: The Secret World demo originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conconventiondemoexpofactionfantasyfeaturedfuncomhands-onhorrormythologypaxpax-2012pax-eastpax-east-2012penny-arcade-expopreviewpreviewssci-fantasysecret-worldskill-basedthe-secret-worldtswSat, 07 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2012: TERA hands-on]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-tera-hands-on/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-tera-hands-on/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-tera-hands-on/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage, TERA

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-tera-hands-on/

In the service of Massively's ongoing PAX East 2012 coverage, I spent some time today in and around the TERA booth, ogling the pretty trailers and getting a seat in a group press demo to tackle some fun high-end content in the form of a five-player encounter with an Argon boss. Read on for an overview of what I saw!

Gallery: TERA PAX 2012

Continue reading PAX East 2012: TERA hands-on

PAX East 2012: TERA hands-on originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blueholebluehole-studiosconconventionen-masseen-masse-entertainmentexpofantasyfeaturedgalleriesgalleryhands-onopinionpaxpax-2012pax-eastpax-east-2012penny-arcade-expopreviewpreviewsscreenshotscreenshotsteratrailertrailersvideovideosSat, 07 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2012: Neverwinter discussion and impressions]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-neverwinter-discussion-and-impressions/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-neverwinter-discussion-and-impressions/http://www.massively.com/2012/04/07/pax-east-2012-neverwinter-discussion-and-impressions/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage

Okay, now to do the dungeon part.

Many words come to mind when you mention Dungeons & Dragons, but "action" is not usually one of them. So at first glance, Neverwinter might seem like a bit of an odd beast. The game is meant as an action-based MMORPG that takes place in the distant future of the beloved Neverwinter Nights series; it's being developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Perfect World Entertainment. While the game isn't yet in open testing, the early version was playable on the floor of PAX East, and we had a chance to sit down with Cryptic Studios to discuss the game's development.

I came to the show with no real expectations about the game beyond the fact that I knew the companies involved and was distantly aware of the game's development. I walked away more than a little impressed by what I had seen. However odd the collection of elements might seem, the game itself certainly piqued my interest.

Gallery: Neverwinter

Continue reading PAX East 2012: Neverwinter discussion and impressions

PAX East 2012: Neverwinter discussion and impressions originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoalphabetaconconventioncrypticcryptic-studiosdndearly-lookexpof2pfantasyfirst-impressionsfree-to-playhands-onimpressionsneverwinterpaxpax-2012pax-eastpax-east-2012penny-arcade-expoperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpreviewpreviewspwetestingSat, 07 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/03/21/choose-my-adventure-dark-age-of-camelot-week-two/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/21/choose-my-adventure-dark-age-of-camelot-week-two/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/21/choose-my-adventure-dark-age-of-camelot-week-two/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Polls, Dark Age of Camelot, Hands-on, Humor, First Impressions, Choose My Adventure

DAoC

Some of you probably know that I first got into the blogging scene with my Warhammer Online blog Waaagh! Back then in early 2008, I was a veritable Mythic and PvP newbie, and I spent a good portion of the lead-up to the game's release reading up on Dark Age of Camelot. I figured that, after all, WAR would be built on the foundation of DAoC. In a way, it both was and wasn't.

The one thing I never did was actually play DAoC. Older MMOs can be quite intimidating; they have deep-rooted communities and tomes of updates and history, and they were more rough around the edges. Rough in their cores, too, if we're being honest. So the intimidation factor kept me away until this past week, when Massively readers sent me on a quest to Camelot for the first time in my life.

Last week readers voted on the character I was to roll. An impressive 82% of you said to check out the realm vs. realm ruleset and roll a a Midgard (43.2%) beastly (40.8%) hybrid (43.3%) character. After reading some of the recommendations in the comments, I ended up making a female Troll Skald on a traditional server. She may be lumpy and bulky, but I took a shine to her right away.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two

Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week two originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcamelotchoose-my-adventureclassic-mmocmadaocdark-age-of-cameloteaelectronic-artsendless-trialeqeq1everquestf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playhands-onmidgardmythicmythic-entertainmentmythologyopinionpollpollspvpreaders-choiceron-swansonrvrskaldsoesonysony-online-entertainmenttrollvotevotingwarwarcraftwarhammerwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 21 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria previews you can shake an empty fist at]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/03/19/all-the-world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-previews-you-can-sh/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/19/all-the-world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-previews-you-can-sh/http://www.massively.com/2012/03/19/all-the-world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-previews-you-can-sh/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, Previews, Hands-on, First Impressions

World of Warcraft

In the wee hours of this morning, the press NDA for World of Warcraft's Mists of Pandaria expansion came tumbling down, and our sister site WoW Insider has a bounty of coverage to share. The much anticipated -- and much debated -- expansion is slated for release this year and will include a new continent, the Monk hero class, the Pandaren race, pet battles, a level cap increase, and a massive overhaul of the game's talent system.

World of Warcraft players are undoubtedly fixated on the expansion, as January's 4.3 patch was announced to be the last major update to the game before MoP arrives. You can check out all of the juicy info squeezed from the press beta groves after the jump, including hands-on impressions and insights you won't find anywhere else!

Continue reading All the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria previews you can shake an empty fist at

All the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria previews you can shake an empty fist at originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbattlegroundsblizzardblizzard-entertainmentexpansionfantasyfirst-impressionsmedia-eventmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-talentsmonkmonk-classndapandarenpet-battlespress-eventpress-ndapreviewpvpsiege-of-orgrimmartalenttalent-treetalent-tree-revamptalentsuiwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 19 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/02/24/the-firing-line-why-you-should-be-playing-tribes-ascend/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/24/the-firing-line-why-you-should-be-playing-tribes-ascend/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/24/the-firing-line-why-you-should-be-playing-tribes-ascend/#commentsFiled under: Sci-fi, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, First Impressions, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - Tribes open beta edition

Skiing! Jetpacks! Pew pew!

Yes, kids, Tribes: Ascend is officially in open beta, and that means you no longer have an excuse. Hi-Rez Studios threw open the doors this morning, and despite the fact that the game's closed beta exceeded all expectations and hosted over 300,000 players since its November kickoff, there's always room for more.

Continue reading The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend

The Firing Line: Why you should be playing Tribes: Ascend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>air-arenaarena-deathmatchbetablood-eaglecapture-the-flagctfdeathmatchdiamond-swordfeaturedfiring-linefirst-impressionsfpshi-rezhi-rez-studiosimpressionslava-arenaludicrous-speedmultiplayer-shooteronline-shooteropen-betapathfinderrabbitsci-fisentinelshazbotshootersoldierspeedthe-firing-linetodd-harristribestribes-ascendtribes-betatribes-beta-impressionstribes-open-betaFri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Guild Wars 2 closed beta impressions]]>http://www.massively.com/2012/02/20/massivelys-guild-wars-2-closed-beta-impressions/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/20/massivelys-guild-wars-2-closed-beta-impressions/http://www.massively.com/2012/02/20/massivelys-guild-wars-2-closed-beta-impressions/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

Guild Wars 2 World vs World keeps

This last weekend, ArenaNet invited a few dozen members of the gaming press into its highly anticipated MMO, Guild Wars 2. The game is still in its closed beta testing stage, but the reveal of this event is an opportunity for the public to finally see what this game is all about.

Our Guild Wars columnist Elisabeth Cardy and I spent a good part of this weekend exploring as much as we could in the game in preparation for today's embargo lift. Read along for each of our impressions below, and be sure to watch our beta montage video at the end of each article.

Elisabeth's impressions | Shawn's Impressions

Massively's Guild Wars 2 closed beta impressions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbetabetasbreakingclosed-betaembargo-liftfirst-impressionsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-previewgw2impressionsncsoftpress-betapreviewpreviewsvideoMon, 20 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: Jagged Alliance Online]]>http://www.massively.com/2011/12/08/first-impressions-jagged-alliance-online/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/08/first-impressions-jagged-alliance-online/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/08/first-impressions-jagged-alliance-online/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Screenshots, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, Casual, First Impressions

Jagged Alliance Online screenshot

A short time ago, I posted my thoughts on UFO Online, one of the most exciting titles I found while at E3 this year. While I was there, I was given a tour of Jagged Alliance Online during the same sitting. Both games were thrilling in a "tiny army" sort of way, and both seemed to finally get what makes tabletop gaming and strategy games fun. UFO Online was more complex in some ways, and I found the beta to be further along than Jagged Alliance Online's, but I have had fun in both so far. I'm hoping that gamigo, the publisher of both titles, keeps getting them both right.

I still had some issues with Jagged Alliance Online, but it's hard to say whether these will be corrected during one of the following betas. So while it is my duty to report to you these issues, I want you to bear in mind the state of the current game. Fortunately the title seems far enough along that I got a real feel for what is coming.

War is coming.

Click past the cut and I'll give you the details.

Continue reading First Impressions: Jagged Alliance Online

First Impressions: Jagged Alliance Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beau-hindmanbrowserbrowser-basedbrowser-mmof2pfeaturedFirst-Impressionsfree-to-playftpgamigohands-onjagged-alliance-onlinejaommotbsTurn-basedTurn-Based-Strategyufo-onlineThu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day]]>http://www.massively.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/#commentsFiled under: Screenshots, Launches, Free-to-play, Hands-on, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

APB Relaunch day

On June 29th, 2010, Realtime Worlds launched All Points Bulletin, an MMO that was highly anticipated for its character customization options, open-world "gang warfare" PvP, and similarity to the wildy popular Grand Theft Auto series of video games. In fact, the original APB's lead designer was David Jones, creator of such classics as Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto.

But six weeks later, Realtime Worlds entered administration, which essentially means that the company was having financial troubles but was allowed to continue running while looking for a new owner. That new owner didn't materialize quickly enough, forcing the company to announce the game's closure during what may be the shortest MMO lifespan of all time.

But who should come to save the day on November 11, 2010? None other than K2 Network, parent company of free-to-play publisher GamersFirst, which swooped in to rescue the game under the new title APB: Reloaded.

Today marks the official re-launch of the crime MMO on Steam, and I've been spending entirely too much time with the game, rediscovering why I both loved and hated the original version. Follow along after the cut for our second look at a First Impressions of APB.

Continue reading First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day

First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedapbapb-reloadedapbrcrimef2pfirst-impressionsfree-to-playg1gamersfirsthands-onk2-networkrealtime-worldsrelaunchsecond-chanceTue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively Extra: First impressions of Wrath of Heroes]]>http://www.massively.com/2011/12/01/not-so-massively-extra-first-impressions-of-wrath-of-heroes/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/01/not-so-massively-extra-first-impressions-of-wrath-of-heroes/http://www.massively.com/2011/12/01/not-so-massively-extra-first-impressions-of-wrath-of-heroes/#commentsFiled under: Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Not So Massively, MOBA

Not So Massively title image

When BioWare-Mythic gave details of Wrath of Heroes during its talk at Gamescom, I was genuinely surprised. The emerging MOBA genre has been kind to small studios, even turning indie studio Riot Games into an industry giant in just two years. The incredible income generated by League of Legends has even started to attract big name studios, with Blizzard and Valve both developing MOBAs to enter the now booming genre. It was only a matter of time before EA entered the arena, but I really didn't expect BioWare to be at the helm.

Wrath of Heroes celebrated its third closed beta weekend at the end of November, and I was there to get some hands-on experience. I found a fundamentally fun game with a strange identity crisis -- the game adopts some ideas from existing titles while trying its hardest to be different. It has LoL's persistent levels and a variant of its rune system, but no character levels or items. There's a selection of heroes with five abilities each, but the traditional two team format present throughout online team games is discarded in favour of WoH's signature three team "6v6v6" game mode. The game is littered with these contradictions but somehow makes it work.

Skip past the cut to read my first impressions of Wrath of Heroes and see some screenshots of the game in action.

Gallery: Wrath of Heroes

Continue reading Not So Massively Extra: First impressions of Wrath of Heroes

Not So Massively Extra: First impressions of Wrath of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabiowarebioware-mythicfeaturedFirst-Impressionsgalleryhands-onmobamultiplayeronlinepreviewpreviewspvpscreenshotwarwarhammerWarhammer-Onlinewohwrath-of-heroesThu, 01 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: UFO Online]]>http://www.massively.com/2011/11/20/first-impressions-ufo-online/http://www.massively.com/2011/11/20/first-impressions-ufo-online/http://www.massively.com/2011/11/20/first-impressions-ufo-online/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Bugs, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Hands-on, First Impressions

UFO Online screenshot

I've written about UFO Online before. It should be obvious how much I am looking forward to this new browser-based, turn-based strategy combat game. When I got to sit down with representatives from publisher gamigo at E3 earlier this year, I felt that familiar old feeling that I used to get when shopping for tabletop gaming miniatures. There's something about controlling a squad of little dudes with guns, something that seems to resonate with my generation.

Well, the board game has gone digital, and now we do not have to drive for miles and miles to get to the closest gaming shop and wade through six feet of nerddom just to hope that we aren't teamed up with players who really give the hobby a stereotypical bad name. Now we can digitally join up with fellow game geeks and have it out across worlds that fit in our browser.

I was able to take a bit of a tour through UFO Online over the last week. So what did I find? Click past the cut and I'll let you know.

Continue reading First Impressions: UFO Online

First Impressions: UFO Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beau-hindmanbrowserbrowser-basedfeaturedFirst-Impressionsgamigopvptabletopufo-onlineWarhammer-40KSun, 20 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: First impression turn-offs]]>http://www.massively.com/2011/11/17/the-perfect-ten-first-impression-turn-offs/http://www.massively.com/2011/11/17/the-perfect-ten-first-impression-turn-offs/http://www.massively.com/2011/11/17/the-perfect-ten-first-impression-turn-offs/#commentsFiled under: Humor, First Impressions, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

Perfect Ten

A year ago our very own Shawn "The Mittani" Schuster wrote a memorable Soapbox column around the idea that MMOs had an hour to grab his attention or else he was out the door. No, don't go read it now. You're reading this! Stay! Good reader.

I concur with his point that while MMOs may ask us to experience them for the long haul, first impressions still count. And if those impressions aren't favorable right out the gate, it's not likely that we will be around for hour two, no matter how good it is.

I know what you're thinking right now: "What is this itching, burning sensation between my toes?" It's Athlete's Foot, and you need to get on that ASAP. You're also thinking, "But Justin, whose opinions I respect, admire, and use to teach my children, what drives you away from MMOs when you give them a try?" Again, it's an itching, burning sensation between my toes.

No, not really. It's more complicated than that -- so complicated, in fact, that it requires a 10-point presentation on what turns me off when an MMO is making a first impression. Imagine that!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: First impression turn-offs

The Perfect Ten: First impression turn-offs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>athletes-footbad-impressionseqeverquestfallen-earthfeaturedfirst-impressionsgold-sellergold-sellinggold-spamlistlistsperfect-10perfect-tenplaystationpopupsstar-wars-galaxiesswgtabula-rasathe-mittanithe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentutorialtutorialsvomitworld-of-warcraftwowxbox-liveThu, 17 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST