For a long time, it has been quite quiet around the free-to-play MMO Rift, but now a letter from the producer announces the new expansion Nightmare Tide, the update to 3.0. The new content will take players into the planar realm of water.
The key facts of the planned expansion at a glance:
The level cap will rise to 65, and with the new Mastery system, it will be possible to further customize the heroes.
There will be new dungeons, raids, and zones, new stories and quests, new items and craftable goods – in short, the full package. All of this is promised to remain completely free, as Rift has assured. The new items are expected to scale moderately at the beginning. A top-geared character should not expect to immediately swap their best-in-slot gear for green quest rewards. It is worth staying engaged now and gaining an advantage for the patch.
With the “Nightmare Rifts,” a new type of rift will be introduced. Players will have to face seemingly endless waves of enemies in a surreal environment. The difficulty level will remain scalable.
Collectible minions will be introduced as a new feature in the game. Players can deploy them for specific missions, for which some minions are better suited than others. Rewards such as resources or items will be at stake.
There will be two new item slots. Players can either unlock them immediately by purchasing the digital edition or earn them in-game. The producer assures that the process will be fair and just.
The complete letter from the producer can be found here in German.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Tech Pioneer or “Engineer” is one of the ranged classes of WildStar. Equipped with heavy armor and a corresponding heavy weapon. Whether you call it a blaster or a rocket launcher doesn’t really matter, because with the weapon you can basically do anything.
In addition to his heavy equipment, the Tech Pioneer can summon robots as permanent companions that fulfill various tasks: Tanking, healing, slowing down, or attacking. He can be played as both a damage dealer and a tank, but neither up close to the enemy, rather always at medium to long range.
The continuation of the Living Story of Guild Wars 2 is just around the corner. Only a few days left until it continues on July 1, 2014, with Season 2. If you want to get in the mood, we have a new trailer for you today that presents the contents and story of the continuation of the Living Story.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The Zephyrites have suffered a terrible misfortune, and rumors are spreading about an incident in the western areas of the Brisbane Wilds. Players can team up with familiar faces like Marjory, Kasmeer, Rox, Braham, or Taimi and their friends to get to the bottom of the events.
The new parts of the story will continue to be released bi-weekly after the launch on July 1.
New Chronicle Feature
The great thing about Season 2 of Guild Wars 2 is not only that the Living Story is finally continuing soon, but also that you can experience it again and again afterward.
This is what the new Chronicle feature of Guild Wars 2 is for, which allows the episodes to be called up individually afterward. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the first season of the Living Story.
Guild Wars 2 Specials
Anyone who doesn’t own the online role-playing game Guild Wars 2 yet but is interested in buying the MMORPG should take advantage of the next few days.
The reason: From June 25 to June 30, 2014, two versions of Guild Wars 2 are 50 percent off. This way, you can get the Digital Deluxe Edition and the Digital Heroic Edition for half the normal purchase price!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the end of June, according to some reports, the zombie MMO H1Z1 was supposed to enter Early Access. The date has been postponed, but now print media is coming out, assuming that H1Z1 is already in circulation. Now SOE chief John Smedley himself has spoken out.
In a reddit thread (the English forum serves as the unofficial homepage of the game), a user reported that he just read in the monthly print magazine Gameinformer that the start of Early Access is imminent. Now he can hardly wait for it to finally begin. In recent days, several rumors have emerged, suggesting that it is indeed happening soon, which were also picked up by German gaming magazines.
SOE chief John Smedley directly contradicted this under the thread and was able to reveal the source of this information, which turns out to be false, namely himself: “It’s very simple. They had a release date, but it turned out to be wrong because we decided to hold the game back a bit longer. We decided that only after the interview with them. Simply put.”
How “real” should it be if it is still supposed to be fun?
In the reddit forum, they are currently discussing further features of the game, quite controversially. One faction of players wants it to be as realistic as possible; they want a hardcore survival struggle, as it would unfold in “reality,” with hunger, thirst, severe restrictions due to injuries, and similar features. Another faction of players fears that this could significantly impair the enjoyment of the game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In South Korea, infants are dying from malnutrition because their parents are completely immersed in the virtual worlds of MMOs and MOBAs. The political parties now want to take action against this addiction.
Here, gamers tease each other about the supposedly too high gaming time and how long the other has been sitting in front of the PC again. In South Korea, online gaming is even more widespread and is reaching dimensions that are causing debates in society.
Tragic Deaths of Infants Fuel Debate
In April, a 22-year-old was arrested for letting his two-year-old son starve. The unemployed father was supposed to care for the child while his wife worked in a distant car factory, but the father became so engrossed in online gaming that he forgot about his son. In 2009, a couple let their 3-year-old child starve while they were playing an online game together, taking care of a virtual child.
The government wants to limit the advertising opportunities of the gaming industry and require them to invest 1% of their revenue into a fund to combat gaming addiction. These measures remind Europeans of regulations against the cigarette industry.
According to a member of South Korea’s Democratic Party, online games are preventing some people from being able to live at all. The industry must accept this and acknowledge the problems.
Representatives of the gaming industry protest against this. They invoke free speech, request to refrain from regulation, and emphasize the necessity for artists in any medium, including video game design, to have the freedom to express themselves.
Why is South Korea so Obsessed with Online Gaming?
The distant South Korea is regarded by local gamers as the epitome of the highest gaming arts. In League of Legends, for example, one often hears the joking exclamation “Best Carry EU,” which is outdone by “Best Carry Korea.”
In documentaries on the topic, experts mention that the constant threat from communist North Korea leads society to tend toward escapist tendencies, escaping the threatening reality into a fantasy world. Others say that the ambitious South Korean people yearn for sporting successes, feel athletically disadvantaged, and seek these experiences in eSports.
Some of the top universities in the country now offer bachelor’s degrees in eSports. Some of the most successful Starcraft and League of Legends players in the country have reached pop-star status.
Cover image: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With The Elder Scrolls Online, the patch 1.2.3 will be deployed on Wednesday morning. In line with the title, it brings changes to the lighting conditions, the visibility slider, and independent of the name, a new veteran dungeon.
“1, 2 or 3? You will know if you are really standing correctly when the light turns on” – the older ones among you will remember.
Ironically, patch 1.2.3 (it really is called that) of TESO also addresses lighting conditions. They are supposed to change, especially the light entering buildings is to be beautified. Also in the patch, which will be deployed on German servers on Wednesday morning at 4 AM: The veteran version of the Crypt of Hearts and a free field-of-view slider.
As a nice gag, Zenimax now allows players to pick up decorative armors and weapons that are scattered around the world. However, you won’t get rich doing this – they cannot be sold.
Additionally, Zenimax has some balance changes and bug fixes in store – and, as some might complain, surely also some problems. The last content patch brought TESO players not only Kargstein but also frustration. The maintenance on the American server took significantly longer than the estimated four hours. We will keep you updated.
Meanwhile, Zenimax is pleased that the second content update could now be rolled out quickly, as they were somewhat behind the 6-week-per-update schedule with Kargstein, taking 7 weeks, but now they are back on schedule.
Quote from the German community manager regarding this:
Good, update 1 was a week late. If update 2 takes place as planned tomorrow and the day after, we will be back in the set timeframe. In the last 11 weeks, we have also released 12 live patches.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, by the Halo creators Bungie, the previously unimaginable development costs of half a billion US dollars left many mouths agape. In an interview, Pete Parsons, the COO of Bungie, clarifies the figure.
“You have to ask Activision about the size of the marketing budget, but we are not nearly that high on production costs,” Parsons said in an interview with gamesindustry.biz, an online site that focuses on the financial aspects behind the titles.
The rights to the world are with the developer, not the publisher
The interview reveals how proud Bungie is of the terms they were able to negotiate with Activision. The game’s license, the registered trademark, will be under Bungie’s name. This is a rare occurrence in such a deal, which Parsons attributes to his company’s unique position: “We emerged from Microsoft as an independent company with a great reputation. And that comes from the great people we have. More than half of the original Halo team is still with us. I think Activision saw that and recognized the potential of our vision.”
Halo as motivation
For Parsons and the team at Bungie, it is a motivation to reach the level of Halo once again: People are still talking about the game more than 10 years later, placing it among the best entertainment they have ever experienced. It ranks alongside Harry Potter or Star Wars. Years later, Halo still holds significance for many people. That is just fantastic.
Ten-year plan and the significance of the title
When the interviewer mentions that Activision holds the title in high regard, given that a ten-year plan is in the works, Parsons corrects him: That is how Bungie came to Activision. That was their idea. If you are leaving a universe you have grown fond of – what could be better for a young and bold company than to take on such a massive project?
That is why the title is also called Destiny. Originally, it was just a codename for the game. A title that was briefly changed to “Tiger,” but “Destiny” expressed so much about where they wanted to go with the game that they returned to it: “We want to tell the story over ten years.”
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
From time to time, industry leaders such as Blizzard Entertainment (developer and publisher of World of Warcraft) are looking for new employees – sometimes employees whose job description certainly allows for some speculation.
Note on the Warcraft Series
Currently, they are looking for a Senior Writer to support the Blizzard team with creative skills. However, this person will not simply write a few Warcraft stories, but will also be involved in “television and animation writing”.
So what does this mean? Could it be that Blizzard is planning a Warcraft series in addition to the Warcraft film, which has already completed filming?
Overall, it seems that Blizzard is not completely averse to the idea, as Rob Pardo from Blizzard recently stated. During a developer Q&A, he was asked why they were creating a film instead of just a brilliant series in the Warcraft universe.
Comparison with Game of Thrones
Fans received the answer that Blizzard is not opposed. When they started with the film or the planning of the adaptation, according to him, Game of Thrones did not exist yet. We all know how that series turned out.
Of course, Blizzard now also knows how successful series of this kind are or can be, and it is not surprising that they would like to do both (film and series). Pardo reveals that if Duncan Jones (the director of the film) does his job as well as hoped, then perhaps other studios will approach Blizzard wanting to create a series in the Warcraft universe.
And then … who knows.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Screenshots of the Hearthstone expansion Naxxramas have appeared on the English forum Reddit. Players and the media are diving in like vultures, while Blizzard maintains a wall of silence.
“It is our company policy not to comment on rumors and speculation, but thank you for your interest,” was the standard response that the colleague from pcgamer.com received.
Logically, the leaked pics of the expansion on Reddit (where else?) are likely “legit”, meaning real. After all, all the class cards are now out on a weekly basis, and Blizzard has already stated that there will be no beta. So the release seems to be imminent.
Naxxramas will bring 30 new cards, most of which are themed around “Deathrattle”. When a character dies, a new effect occurs. Pro gamers and casual players alike are looking forward to the expansion: 30 new cards will stir things up in the game and open new strategic possibilities.
We will now take a brief look at the leaked screenshots; those who do not want to spoil this should squint their eyes as if watching a horror movie and scroll to the end.
[Spoilers from here on regarding the cards]:
Blizzard demonstrates with the expansion that they take the Naxxramas idea seriously. There are two cards with Feugen (4/7) and Stalagg (7/4) that have the special property of Thaddius appearing when both die in a match. Feugen and Stalagg were two mini-bosses in the Naxxramas raid that had to be killed simultaneously to reach their boss Thaddius (and additionally, one had to perform an incredibly difficult jump over a plague pit that even the best occasionally fell into).
In addition to Feugen and Stalagg, the leaked pics contain only one more exciting card: The chief of Naxx, Kel’Thuzad himself, has values of 6/8 and summons an undead creature every round that soon meets its end. Just like the original.
Mein MMO says: This has a bit of the quality of a “sex tape of a starlet accidentally surfacing on the internet” whose star is currently fading, seeing pixelated images of cards. But Hearthstone is so popular that such tricks shouldn’t be necessary. Surely, the release of Naxx is approaching soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Soon it will be update time again in the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. During this year’s E3 2014, Square Enix announced that Patch 2.3 will be released on July 8, 2014. This is a more than extensive update, which is named “Defenders of Eorzea”.
Dungeons upon Dungeons and much more
You can look forward to the brand new dungeon “Shipbreaker Isle” in the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The game’s developers are also integrating a few hard versions of already available dungeons, such as the Stone Vigil and the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Not only the group dungeons will expand, but the Crystal Tower will also be enhanced with a new area. In this raid, designed for 24 players, you can expect three new bosses to defeat with Patch 2.3.
And almost obligatory for a major content update: The main scenario, meaning the story of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, will of course continue. The creative minds behind the MMO also have worked hard on the side quests and have a surprise ready. It is probably the most popular quest line in the Final Fantasy MMO: The criminologist Hildibrand is back and wants to help you uncover the next mysterious case .
By the way, housing finally allows single players to enjoy private accommodations.
Features in the Video
In the latest video, which is entirely dedicated to the Patch 2.3 of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, you get a comprehensive insight into what to expect with the extensive update for the MMORPG .
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
For the PvP fans among you, the new update has plenty in store as well, such as the new battles for up to 72 players. Yoshida, the producer of FF XIV, was inspired by Dark Age of Camelot.
In today’s issue of Update, everything revolves around the Sci-Fi MMO WildStar.
Over 1000 accounts banned:
As in every new MMO, Wildstar is also flooded with bots, hackers, and gold sellers. The first wave of bans did not take long, resulting in approximately 1000 accounts being banned for “suspicious activities.” Although the developers claim that their system is nearly flawless, they acknowledge that it can never be completely avoided.
World First goes to Enigma:
The guild “Enigma” from the US PvE server Avatus has become the first guild worldwide to defeat the final boss of the first raid “Genarchiv” in the 20-man mode. After the initial bosses were taken down relatively quickly, the final boss “Dreadphage Ohmna” proved to be quite a tough opponent. However, on the night of June 21, the American guild finally achieved the Firstkill.
First content patch comes in early July:
To conclude, there is also a preview of the first content patch. It is named “Transmutation” and truly lives up to its name. This patch will implement 2 new areas into the game, the “Putrefaction Refuge” and the “Northern Wastes,” both of which directly connect to the main story of Wildstar.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As already known, the new expansion of World of Warcraft will also overhaul the races of the game. Some of them really need it, especially when looking at the current Orcs . For this particular race of the online role-playing game, the revision for Warlords of Draenor seems to have already been completed, as it is now officially integrated into the so-called character viewer.
Overall view of the Orcs
In clear terms, this means that you can now view the newly designed and refined Orcs in the character viewer on Blizzard’s official website. By the way, all races of World of Warcraft will receive such a facelift if they were included as basic races or races up to The Burning Crusade in the game.
Some time ago, Blizzard already presented the revised version of the Orcs to the public and the fans. This time we can view the green-skinned ladies and gentlemen not only as images but also directly in the viewer as an animated character.
The Humans Are Next
To introduce the revamped characters for World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor in more detail, Blizzard publishes so-called artcraft posts. Here you can find not only plenty of images but also information about the race and the revision. According to Senior Art Director Craig Robinson, humans are up next to receive a corresponding post from Blizzard. Recently, the Night Elves were introduced in May 2014. This Alliance race is not yet represented in the character viewer – currently, only Orcs, Tauren, Dwarves, and Gnomes can be admired in animated form.
The expansion Warlords of Draenor will officially kick off in Fall 2014, assuming everything goes well! If you have some time left in August, you might want to check out the gamescom 2014 and try out the WoW expansion for yourself.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The SF-MMO WildStar has been out for a while and has been generally well received, and in our review, WildStar performed excellently. Today, it’s not about the big picture, but rather the smaller aspects that may not be as important in a review, which may surface later or apply differently for everyone.
Many gags in the audio track, but eye pain due to FPS issues
I’m usually an audio grouch; I normally mute the game and have Teamspeak or the TV on. To my surprise: Not with WildStar. The gags hidden in the audio track are a highlight for me. Whether I recognize a “The Sims” melody when I visit the housing vendor or the Protostar money bag greets me with an “Ahoy-hoi” like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, the game excels here. The announcer saying “I don’t know what happened, but I have to change my pants” is great; there are gags hidden that I’m sure I’ll find or overlook even months later.
My favorite is the hyperactive Chua Mondo Zax. I can’t help but grin when he huffs and puffs insults. They’ve done a great job with that, just like the countless winks to pop culture references. Well done.
The FPS. I don’t suffer from memory leaks or faulty processors like others, but for me, the game could run a bit smoother. I experience very few hiccups, only when facing certain mobs (an AE ability of the snails always kills my game for 2 seconds). But now and then the FPS drops significantly, and I get headaches from it. From 60 FPS, I’m far off with medium settings; 30 has to suffice for me. The game doesn’t look so great that I’d find that acceptable. I’m also not fond of the hardcore fans’ solution (“Just buy a new PC”); other games still run well for me – maybe I just need one of those yellow gamer glasses like the sponsored guys on Twitch.
Start a bit sluggish, inventory problems, but a new favorite zone
The start is sluggish and doesn’t get better with repeated play. I don’t know why that is, whether the zones are too large or scattered too much, but I had a motivational pit as in beta around level 12 and then again from 17 until the end of 20. You get skills early, but there are still few opportunities to customize your character. The zones drag on, without a mount the travel times are long, and the inventory is always on the verge of bursting. I don’t like it.
The zone Farside is a revelation from level 20 onwards. A fantastic zone that I loved during beta and is even better at launch. The smaller zones and the straightforward storylines benefit the game. The lower gravity brings variety, and the new Drusera missions at launch are fantastic. They give the game a certain heft, a gravitas. I absolutely want to know how it continues, and I’m looking forward to the next content. From level 20 onwards, the game and thus the world opens up, there is much to do, I am more mobile, housing works, the zones are great: From level 20 with Farside, WildStar begins for me.
A clear plus for me: the combat system. Entire novels have already been written about it, yes it is clicky, but it’s fun if the class suits you. They play quite differently. The assassin was too clicky for me in beta; I prefer the tech pioneer. The nice thing about the combat system: You get a feeling for your own power and frailty. And I find the two A’s of the combat system refreshing: dodging and noticing. When you then play another MMO, it feels like slow motion. Bonus points for the “Confused” and “Blindness” status effects and, of course, when you frantically look for where the weapon lies after being “disarmed”.
The overly strong AddOns are a problem I create for myself. There are color puzzles in WildStar that are sometimes frustrating and personally annoy me on my 8th run (especially the Puzzle Master quest, where I sit in front of the monitor like RainMan murmuring green-green-blue-yellow). But that would be neither a weakness nor a strength for me. Everyone has to deal with it. And if a Draken next to me jumps off the ledge due to the wrong color code and I get the next console all to myself, that’s fair. However, there is one AddOn that solves all the color puzzles for me automatically. So the AddOn Draken next to me is eight times faster than me. That’s why I use that AddOn (and I’m not proud of it). If you allow those AddOns, why not give the option in-game to skip these color puzzles?
There’s also an AddOn that allows for quicker clicking, enabling you to roll out of stuns and such. I don’t like overly strong AddOns that entice you to use them if you want to keep up.
Already got two free months out, but hell is somehow other people
The trading system is fantastic. That’s also my passion in MMOs. Before I was even level 50, I had already bought 2 C.R.E.D.D.s in-game. The crafting is great. Currently, everything is complex and opaque, and there is an unbelievable amount to buy and create; you really have to dive deep into it, and it will still take some time to really say whether Carbine did everything right. At the moment, it looks that way. The C.R.E.D.D. price has already doubled on my server – and for those worried that there are too few gold sinks in the game: expert riding costs 76 platinum or so.
In WildStar, you sometimes view fellow players as opponents. It’s not always like that, and for group bosses in open zones, you’re glad to meet someone, but especially when it comes to challenges or picking up items, you get annoyed with every player who snatches something from you. I thought with the changes in WoW’s Mists of Pandaria or through Guild Wars 2 the problem would be solved forever, but it’s back – and I don’t like it. Especially since many challenges, if you want to achieve gold, are tight, it leads to frustration. It doesn’t bother me much, but I know people who have quit for that reason: For completionists who want every AV and to complete every challenge for gold before moving on, WildStar is probably a nightmare.
Good community, solo PvE in endgame is still lacking
At level 50, I’m currently a bit stuck as a solo player. I’ve gone through the solo island, where the dailies are, a few times now, but I still need a few gems for the attunement key. There’s a pretty boring crafter daily that consists of a silly delivery quest. I know I probably need to start going into groups at level 50 to tackle adventures or dungeons (in veteran ranks if I want to progress), but the threshold feels a bit too high for me right now. I’m currently waiting for new zones to come or for me to overcome my fear and finally start some PvP or group PvE; otherwise, it’s just twinking or a dead end.
A clear plus for me so far: The community. No cursing, no spamming in chat, little dumb chatter, no silly pick-up lines. People are polite to each other, as far as I can tell, generally a nice community. It could also be due to the carebear server I’m on (PvE), but compared to other MMOs, it feels like a vacation.
A highlight for me so far: In the housing zone, someone invited me to visit him. When I arrived, I was really blown away by what he had done with the housing tool. Overall, housing is a really great thing. When you beam over to friends to check out how they did it. I’m neither talented nor particularly diligent and end up hearing comments about some eye being supposedly crooked or some mysterious “oven” somehow “hanging in the wall,” but whatever. I like the idea of the house as a “hearthstone”; I port there when I need to be afk for 10 minutes and can then jump back in right away. I log in there, I log out there, great thing.
My biggest problem so far, though I’m sure the problem is in front of the screen: Please, please, Carbine, let me protect items. I don’t know how often I’ve broken a decoration item in a salvage frenzy. I will never know how my house could look without all these clicking casualties. And those quest rewards that you select under stress in the field and then choose the wrong one… okay, it happens less often now, but I still manage once a day to click on something and miss the item selection. Please make the game fool-proof in these areas. Protect my items from me; they’re just objects like you and me!
In conclusion: The game is already, in my opinion, very strong and has a lot of potential. All the systems they have work and are designed to allow for further expansion. I’m curious to see what will happen in the next few weeks, what will be added to the four-layer cake that WildStar already is. [intense_icon type=”thumbs-up” size=”2″ color=”#7cbc14″ /]
Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Guild Wars 2 is using the Gamescom as an opportunity to host an international All-Stars tournament in Cologne. Fans can join either live or on Twitch.
ArenaNet announces on the Guild Wars 2 website that they will bring the best players from around the world to Gamescom in Cologne. This will be the first time players from Europe, North America, and also from China will have the chance to compete against each other in e-sport competitions. They will team up with Twitch for the first PvP major event of this kind.
Additionally, fans can play Guild Wars 2 at the ArenaNet booth, chat with developers, or participate in “exciting activities.” What this entails and further details about the tournament will be revealed as Gamescom approaches. It takes place from August 13 to 17.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In an interview, the Creative Director of the fantasy online game The Elder Scrolls Online, Paul Sage, confirmed that TESO will continue to stick to its paid model. He also spoke about details regarding the console version of The Elder Scrolls Online for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In the interview with the console-focused online magazine Gamingbolt, Paul Sage was confronted with some uncomfortable questions. The paid model had often been criticized by fans since its release. The interviewer wanted to know if they might consider a change here.
However, Sage immediately dismissed that idea. There are no plans to change the business model, at least none that he knows of. “The business model remains the business model,” Sage continued. After all, it allows them to deliver regular content at a high level.
No more speculation about the console release date
Perhaps concerning for console fans: When asked if there was a more precise date for the PS4 and Xbox One version, Sage replied that they do not want to engage in speculation at the moment.
When asked if they would aim for 1080p at 60 FPS on consoles, Sage answered evasively. They will strive to get the best possible performance out of the console systems to ensure high quality. Internally, the game is already running at 30 FPS. For the console adaptation, they want to focus especially on smooth performance, which is crucial for PvP in Cyrodiil.
Expansions possible, but not a topic at the moment
One of the biggest attractions for console players in the MMO is that they find a vibrant world that grows, lives, and expands gradually. Therefore, Sage also addressed the changes that are about to happen in TESO soon.
In the short term, the new content will be the veteran version of the Heart of the Crypt. In the medium term, another veteran dungeon is planned, this time it will be possible to revisit the “City of Ash”. In terms of features that should be introduced in the long term, Sage mentions the popular guilt & redemption system from the single-player titles.
Possible expansions of the content in the form of add-ons are not a topic internally, but Sage did not want to completely rule out something like that for the future either.
Paul Sage invited players who have not yet visited Tamriel to take a detour: “It always gets better. That’s the great thing about an MMO; it continuously improves, especially through player feedback.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
SOE chief John Smedley speaks in an interview about the MMO business. As one of the leading minds, he is listened to attentively. Especially what he has to say about players’ earning opportunities in his MMOs should alert anyone with a creative streak.
In an interview with Fortune magazine, John Smedley talks about all things MMO-related. His studio, Sony Online Entertainment, has some hot irons in the fire with DCUO, Planetside 2, and the upcoming titles Everquest Next, Everquest Landmark, and H1Z1. The interview touches on numerous topics.
$10,000 checks go out to Planetside 2 players.
Smedley firmly believes that content, meaning game content, should and must be created by the players themselves in the future. Players are motivated by being involved in the revenue from their creative work. 40% goes to the part-time designers when their creations are purchased in the in-game shops of other players. In Planetside 2, players have created “camouflage” that has generated over $100,000.
“We are now regularly writing checks over ten thousand dollars,” Smedley said. “That will become quite normal.”
Furthermore, player feedback is immensely important. In Planetside 2, a complex “implant” feature was planned that would have required at least six months of effort. However, when asked for player feedback, they found the very idea of such a feature to be terrible. So, they quickly forgot the idea and moved on to something else instead of wasting resources.
DC Universe Online earns the most money on Playstation 3 and 4
Smedley revealed another astonishing detail in the interview. It is not Planetside 2 that earns the highest revenue on consoles, but the superhero MMO DC Universe Online leads on PS3 and PS4. Here, too, Smedley feels confirmed: The advantages of a free-to-play model based on microtransactions are superior to the conventional subscription model. That belongs to the past.
On consoles, the idea of free-to-play titles had a harder time gaining traction than on PC. But now, seeing the immense revenues generated through microtransactions, other parts of Sony, SECA, and SCEE are also interested in the free-to-play model.
The future belongs to an open model, where games benefit from community feedback during their development, and later produce and deliver content in collaboration with players, ultimately funded through microtransactions.
Mein MMO says: If one imagines that in Everquest Next and Everquest Landmark, the sandbox is emphasized and that items designed for Player’s Studio become even more important than in Planetside 2, this could turn into a respectable side income for passionate players, provided they have good ideas, creative skills, and a sense of player demand.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Sony Online Entertainment will end its collaboration with ProSiebenSat.1 Games on July 1 of this year. The German company operates games such as EverQuest 2, Planetside 2, and DC Universe Online. However, all data, characters, levels, account balances, etc. will remain intact.
In World of Warcraft, there are always people who claim that the game is too easy. This was probably also thought by the player “Doubleagent”, who has made it his task to level a character to the maximum level without joining either of the two factions. Such a “neutral” character has been possible since the last expansion “Mists of Pandaria”, as one only has to choose a side after completing the starting area.
Just last fall, the latest iteration of the Battlefield series was released, but already there is a beta for the next one, this time from DICE. Until Thursday at 9 PM, all players can try out the new Battlefield Hardline for free and engage in battles of police against criminals.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
As soon as this year’s E3 is over, gaming enthusiasts from the German-speaking region are already looking forward to the next fair: gamescom 2014 is just around the corner! The gaming fair takes place in the cathedral city of Cologne from August 13 to 17, 2014, inviting thousands of fans to check out the booths of game companies, participate in exciting events, grab goodies, try out games, and much more.
Blizzard is in da house!
Of course, game developer and publisher Blizzard is also on site and joins the many other exhibitors. This time, the show and the activities Blizzard offers during gamescom 2014 are said to be quite extensive.
The Blizzard booth is expected to be bigger than ever before in 2014. The company also claims to have a “fantastic array of entertaining activities”. During the four open visitor days, you can try out the following games, for example:
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Heroes of the Storm
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition for PlayStation 4
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Besides that, a large stage is a must. Here you can expect both musical performances and a competition in the dance and costume category, which must not be missing.
Quiz and Birthday
Additionally, you can also look forward to quiz games at regular intervals during gamescom 2014, where you can win “great prizes”, as they say. Soon there will be more information about the costume competition.
But that’s not all. Blizzard is also celebrating the tenth anniversary of World of Warcraft this year. Therefore, a splendid gallery must also be included, where the company has compiled official and also fan-created artworks. When this gallery will be released is still uncertain. In general, Blizzard will announce many more details about gamescom 2014 in the coming weeks, including the schedule at the fair, so you know exactly when which actions and events take place.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
ArcheAge, the MMO with sandbox elements, will be launching in Europe with a patch emphasizing sandbox elements that were left out of the Korean version.
ArcheAge launched in 2012 in Korea to great attention. Players, including those from Europe and North America, saw in the game a return to sandbox ideas they had missed in the genre since Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. However, with Update 1.0, a “theme park” update, the game moved away from these sandbox roots: Crafting became less significant, while the daily and instance craze known from theme parks made its way into ArcheAge. Some say it lost a bit of its drive because of this. Others say that it had already been missing shortly before. Anyway – the game never regained its initial significance afterwards.
What remains of the sand
Trion Worlds is now bringing the game to Europe and is surprised by the ongoing success. Access to the Alpha via a “founder pack” is exorbitantly expensive, yet it is being purchased so frequently that they had to expand the server to three times its size. For players, a sensitive topic: Which version of ArcheAge will we get? The dreaded theme park update 1.0, which would be a “logical” but unwanted starting point?
No, Trion Worlds has made a deal with the Korean publisher XLGames. As massively reported, both Trion Worlds and XLGames have recognized that ArcheAge has taken an “unintended” direction. Both publishers now value the sandbox elements and want to emphasize them.
Back to the Future? Orphan Black? Alternate Realities? Sounds all exciting!
For Trion Worlds, this means: They will not be launching with the theme park update 1.0, but with 1.2, which emphasizes the sandbox features more strongly. It will be very interesting to observe whether the European ArcheAge distances itself from the Korean ArcheAge and what happens with the hybrid ArcheAge being developed by mail.ru for the Russian market.
[intense_testimonies][intense_testimony][intense_testimony_text]This is really an exciting direction being taken here, where localization chooses a path into an alternate reality. It somewhat reminds me of the clone show Orphan Black.
This has happened before with localization from the Asian to the European market (WoW skeletons in China must have flesh because bones are taboo there; also, there are 2 lockouts per week instead of one) and there are changes in game mechanics with the GW2 port as well, but here it seems that the philosophy behind the game is also being changed.[/intense_testimony_text][intense_testimony_author image=”https://images.mein-mmo.de/magazin/medien/2014/01/Logo-022.png”][/intense_testimony_author][/intense_testimony][/intense_testimonies]
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the buy-to-play online role-playing game Guild Wars 2, the transition from a conventional server structure to mega-servers was made two months ago. This was rejected by a loud majority of players. How does it look today?
In mid-April, Guild Wars 2 was supposed to receive a feature update to be well-prepared against WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online. However, ArenaNet also introduced the mega-servers with this patch, which provoked discontent among non-English speaking European players. We reported on this in several articles.
Most press statements and news refer to the English-speaking region (and recently to the Chinese one). The issue was not as present there as in small, “old” Europe. Here, an unwanted server change also means crossing language barriers, which can lead to unpleasant experiences.
In an interview on the sidelines of E3, massively addressed the developers on the topic – however, without mentioning the language problem and from an English-speaking perspective. Even massively sees the mega-server as ambiguous. On one hand, it has led to areas in the mid and lower level range being better visited, while on the other hand, they have observed a dissolution of server communities and difficulties for roleplayers when they are mixed with non-roleplayers in an area. Associate Game Director Stephen Waller responded that they are aware of the difficulties and have already been working on them. In the future, they will also listen to player feedback and make corresponding changes.
In the German community, the mega-server issue has become quieter. Some players have noticed that even in Europe, the mega-server is slowly sorting itself better. More and more often, one reads German again and sees people from their own server.
[intense_testimonies][intense_testimony][intense_testimony_text]Well, when you look at the situation like this, you have to see it soberly as a player. The shitstorm has subsided, and there have not really been any statements about it; behind the scenes, they have continued to work quietly. Now, the positively received changes to the Living World overshadow this approximately month-long negative mood. And it has gotten better. “So what’s all the fuss about?” some may ask.
A sour aftertaste remains: As a German player, it is a strange situation. Although you are a “significant” market, consider yourself so, and have German-speaking websites and community managers, ultimately, you hold a subordinate place in the grand scheme of things, in the corporate strategy. The focus is on other markets. The strategic decisions are oriented towards their needs. This is rarely as clear as in the case of the mega-servers – but it applies to almost every publisher; fans of Asian MMOs can sing a song about it.
The transition to mega-servers took little account of the peculiarities of Europe and was oriented towards North America and Asia. When you look at the business reports, it is also quite clear why this is the case.[/intense_testimony_text][intense_testimony_author image=”https://images.mein-mmo.de/magazin/medien/2014/01/Logo-022.png”][/intense_testimony_author][/intense_testimony][/intense_testimonies]
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
