Filed under: New titles

Spacetime Studios teases Arcane Legends

by Justin Olivetti May 21st 2012 at 3:00PM

Filed under: New titles, Free-to-play, Mobile

Pocket Legends. Star Legends. Dark Legends. And now... Arcane Legends?

Yes, it appears to be true! Spacetime Studios is working on a fourth title for its popular mobile MMO library, filing a trademark that has since been approved. The application for a U.S. federal trademark was submitted on April 5th and was given the thumbs up May 10th. As one of its categories is "electronic game software for cellular telephones," we can reasonably deduce that Arcane Legends will launch on mobile devices in the same manner of its older siblings.

Spacetime Studios told us that it will release an official announcement of the title later this week. The studio recently released the vampire-themed MMO Dark Legends on iOS and Android devices.

Orgia Romanus MMO looks to 'facilitate sexual interactions between players'

by Jef Reahard May 21st 2012 at 11:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Sex in MMOs isn't particularly new, especially given the titillating ad campaigns that accompany your average fantasy title. Orgia Romanus is new, and it's aiming higher (or lower) than scantily clad elven babes. One of its gameplay goals "is to facilitate sexual interactions between players," according to a FoxySoft Gaming press release.

FoxySoft is the brainchild of Alex Allen, a former artist and project director at Acclaim and Sony Online Entertainment. In mechanical terms, Orgia Romanus looks to marry traditional merchant-, politician-, and warrior-centric play with sexual content. Gamers will become "engaged emotionally as they are allowed to build relationships with other players that help them advance through the game," FoxySoft says.

Full development on Orgia Romanus will commence after a crowdfunding campaign scheduled for next month. A playable demo is expected this fall.

[Source: FoxySoft Games press release]

Game of Thrones Facebook title in the works

by Jef Reahard May 21st 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Casual

HBO's Game of Thrones is getting the online gaming treatment for the second time in the space of a calendar year. First it was Bigpoint's free-to-play browser MMO, and now it's a Facebook game called Game of Thrones Ascent, which is being developed by Disruptor Beam, a social gaming company headed by former GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff.

The company says that players will "lead the life of a noble during the time of upheaval as portrayed in the books and the series thus experiencing a new type of game that unites both story and strategy."

Precious little info is given on the title, including a release date, but we'll bring you the latest as it becomes available.

[Source: Disruptor Beam press release]

Aeria Games unveils new multiplayer shooter, Born to Fire

by MJ Guthrie May 21st 2012 at 7:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Real life, Galleries, New titles, PvP, War

Aeria Games, with numerous free-to-play titles already under its belt, just unveiled a new multiplayer first-person shooter called Born to Fire. This character-driven game is set following the Cold War, when rules of engagement are thrown out the window and the world is a free-fire zone.

Director of Publishing Tom Nichols describes the game: "In Born to Fire, players step in the boots of five distinct classes of elite operatives engaged in a global firefight for domination. With the instant gratification of one-click matchmaking and the in-depth analysis provided by elaborate replay tools, Born to Fire represents a new class of character-driven, highly customizable MMOFPS that's easy to get into but nearly impossible to fully master."

The five classes available for play are Rifleman, Duelist, Ranger, Heavy-Hitter, or Warden; each comes with unique backstory, tactics, and a fully customizable arsenal.

Sign-ups for closed beta are going on now! Players can keep informed of the latest news, updates, and contests by "liking" Born To Fire's Facebook page. Also, be sure to check out the screenshots and artwork in the attached gallery.

Born to Fire

[Source: Areia Games press release]

Matt Firor on The Elder Scrolls Online's '100% solo' personal story

by Matt Daniel May 18th 2012 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

Games in the Elder Scrolls series have always been about giving players the opportunity to become the game's hero, and it looks like The Elder Scrolls Online will be no different. The title's game director, Matt Firor, has announced that each character's main storyline in the game will be "100% solo."

Firor points back to the previous entries in the series, stating that "in The Elder Scrolls games, you're always the hero... The last thing you want to do is have the final confrontation with Mehrunes Dagon as he's stomping across the Imperial City, and you see like 15 guys behind you waiting to kill him." While it's a good point, we can't help but wonder what kind of an impact this design will have on the social aspect of the MMO, but at this point all we can do is wait and see. Firor's full interview over on Game Informer has plenty of extra information as well, so if you're jonesing for more details, just head on over and check it out for yourself.

The Firing Line: World of Warplanes producer talks matchmaking, progression

by Jef Reahard May 18th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line

The Firing Line - World of Warplanes producer interview

Last week I talked a bit about a couple of flight sim shooters coming soon to a PC near you. One of them is World of Warplanes, the followup title to Wargaming.net's ubiquitous World of Tanks hit.

The World War II action MMO masters are slipping the surly bonds of earth with a new lobby-based battler that's currently flying through the early phases of its global alpha test. I had a few burning questions for the devs, including specifics on the matchmaking system, progression, and the possibility of historical scenarios. Producer Anton Sitnikau was gracious enough to answer those and more, so head past the break to see what he had to say.

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

by Jef Reahard May 18th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed 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

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.

Ask Massively: Overwhelming changes edition

by Eliot Lefebvre May 17th 2012 at 7:30PM

Filed under: Culture, New titles, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

This would actually have been pretty useful in DS9.

I have to be honest, the Caitian Carrier for Star Trek Online kind of makes me want to give the game a shot again. I liked it when I played it before, but I just had no time to play it on top of everything else. But then I think about all the work I'd need to do just to get caught up to normal, and... yeah, that's about the point when my gumption evaporates. Still, though. Carrier.

In other and far more relevant news, it's time for this week's installment of Ask Massively, which talks about the cycle of game announcement and subsequent disappointment. (Apropos of the recent beta weekends for The Secret World, naturally.) If you've got a question you would like to see answered in a future installment of the column, send it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.

PlanetSide 2 video features night ops, 23 minutes of alpha gameplay

by Jef Reahard May 17th 2012 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox

Curious about the current state of PlanetSide 2? TotalBiscuit recently traveled to Sony Online Entertainment's San Diego headquarters for some hands-on time with the upcoming MMOFPS. What he saw was pretty impressive (we know this because we saw it too, thanks to his video, which we've embedded after the break).

While the game is still in early alpha, we think there's plenty to be excited about, judging by the 23-minute clip. We get a good look at night-fighting, ground and air combat, and an interesting tank vs. foot-soldier matchup that doesn't turn out like you might expect.

Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system

by Jef Reahard May 17th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Guides

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.

New Embers of Caerus website boasts extensive sandbox feature list

by Jef Reahard May 17th 2012 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Sandbox

Forsaken Studios has taken the wraps off a new website for its Embers of Caerus MMORPG. The fantasy sandbox has quite an extensive feature list, which includes level- and class-free advancement, a seamless game world that measures 44,000 square kilometers, and player-controlled markets and political/legal systems.

Backstory is a big deal to the devs as well if the new site's lore section is anything to go by. There's plenty of reading material about the world, its factions, and a bit of story to pass the time while you're waiting for the game.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Free for All: Planet Cyrene adds to the high-stakes worlds of Entropia

by Beau Hindman May 16th 2012 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Launches, New titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Humor, Free for All

I'm not much of a shooter fan and probably never will be. Sure, I have as much fun blasting my way through monsters as the next gamer, but I rarely have the patience or physical stamina to overcome the pains and frustrations of shooter PvP. After all, my first rule of PvP applies especially well to shooters: There is always someone better than you. Planet Cyrene, the new world being added to the impressive portfolio of Entropia Universe, tasks players tasks similar to those found in Planet Calypso and mixes in PvP arenas that promise to frustrate (or delight) players, depending on their skill level. I sat down with Ed Robles III, lead developer for Planet Cyrene, to see just how nasty and expensive things might get.

Remember, this is the Entropia Universe we are talking about, and that means players will spend real money on bullets, armor, and practically everything else. Fortunately, players can earn items that are worth real money as well. Call it gambling or whatever you want, but it still seems to be a pretty successful formula.

Guild Wars 2 writers talk (at length) about MMO story

by Jef Reahard May 16th 2012 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2

What's it like to pen the narrative for one of the most anticipated MMORPGs, well, ever? It's quite different from writing a novel or a screenplay, according to ArenaNet's Angel McCoy. She joins Guild Wars 2 lead writer Bobby Stein and Peter "The Explorer" Fries for an MMO story-flavored sit-down with fan site Under the Pale Tree.

The interview is a lengthy one (who knew that writers could be so wordy?), and it covers a bunch of ground including the megalithic sprawl of GW2's narrative, the challenges inherent in writing particular races, and the differences between in-game dialogue and cutscene exposition. There's more to it, of course, but honestly the thing is so huge that we're going to go finish reading it after we've jotted down this here news post.

Hands-on with The Secret World's combat system

by Jef Reahard May 16th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, Guides

The Secret World's press beta hasn't been what I expected. To be frank, I'd say there are times I wish I didn't have to play it. See, my guild pals are on either the closed beta server or the public beta weekends server, both of which are quite crowded and therefore offer quite a different experience from the forlorn existence endured by my Massively Templar.

There's also the whole I-don't-get-to-keep-this-character thing, not to mention the wow-this-is-cool-and-I-don't-want-to-spoil-it-for-myself-post-launch thing.

On the other hand, I've had plenty of time to muck around with game systems and minutiae, something that my card-carrying membership in the crazy carebear immersionist secret society often precludes. For this week's press beta article, then, I thought I'd give you guys a primer on The Secret World's combat system.

Swashbucklers, ships, and high seas hijinks: KingsIsle talks Pirate101

by Karen Bryan May 15th 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play, Family, Pirate101

Recently, KingsIsle announced that the world of the Spiral was going to branch out into the high seas in the studio's newest MMO, Pirate101. There are many things about Pirate101 that will feel familiar to Wizard101 fans, but the game has several features that definitely make it stand apart as more than just a sequel. Combat is not card-based; it's more like a tactical board game. Companions, rather than trading cards, play a key role in the pirate arsenal, and of course, players will be traveling (and fighting!) on their very own pirate ships.

Massively had a chance to talk with Pirate101's Lead Creative Designer Sam Johnson to hear more about what players will see from KingsIsle's upcoming MMO. So grab your cutlass, don your tricorne, and read on for more details!

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Cataclysm Launch	Dec 7, 2010
DCUO Launch	Early 2011

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Brianna Royce	Senior Editor
Rubi Bayer	Community Manager
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Larry Everett	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Karen Bryan	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist