The MMO industry moves along at the speed of information, and sometimes we’re deluged with so much news here at Massively Overpowered that some of it gets backlogged. That’s why there’s The MOP Up: a weekly compilation of smaller MMO stories and videos that you won’t want to miss. Seen any good MMO news? Hit us up through our tips line!
This week we’ll take a trip behind the scenes of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, celebrate Flyff’s anniversary, enjoy holiday celebrations, and more!
New Games and Testing
- Naval Action: This warship game is selling its wares once again and said that all signs are pointing toward early access beginning in January. [Thanks to Gene for the tip!]
- Sword Art Online: A fourth installment of this anime MMO series, subtitled Hollow Realization, is on its way for 2016. It will be released on the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. [Source: Press release]
- ECO: The team is hard at work preparing the game’s beta and offered up a dev blog to share some of the upcoming features, such as skill trees.
- Albion Online: If you’re curious about the in-game activities of the various guilds and drama, check out the first edition of the gazette. You shan’t be disappointed.
- Ascent: The Space Game: There’s some galactic politics afoot in this space title, and while I can’t make heads nor tails of it, maybe you can! [Thanks to Brian for the tip!]
Patches, Events, and Contests
- Gloria Victis: This upcoming sandbox’s most recent patch concerned itself with expanding the Valley of Death tournament, giving NPC mercs to bolster the losing side of any given fight.
- Wild Terra: The isometric sandbox is testing out its winter-themed decorations and content in its latest patch. There’s plenty to do in its Christmas event, which runs through January 8th.
- Flyff: This anime MMO is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style, offering players a free bump to level 60 and other XP boosts through January 5th.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic: NVIDIA and BioWare have teamed up to throw a contest promoting both products. Want to earn some real-world gear and in-game goods? Here you go.
- Dark Age of Camelot: The game’s long-running Midwinter Celebration is back with tons of bonuses!
Odds and Ends
- Azubu: New game livestreaming service Azubu said that it wants to “clear out the Twitch infestation.” Big words. Will it have big actions to match?
Videos
While this GDC 2014 presentation might not be new, it’s certainly worth reposting in case you missed it the first time around. This hour-long video contains a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of FFXIV: A Realm Reborn from the lips of the game’s lead producer and director.
Steparu continues to pioneer adventures in MMOs that most of us have never known. Take Monster Hunter Online, for example. Did you know that was a thing? It is quite the thing, and here are some hands-on videos showcasing the title.
MapleStory’s got a dynamic new Blaster class, and with great classes come great trailers (or so we heard). Check it out:
Speaking of new playable classes, Closers Online just introduced Rogue Harpy. She’s all about the high-flying kicks, this one.
The combination of MOBAs and fighting games, Hyper Universe Online certainly looks good, although Steparu reports that it “needs more attention.”
