ALL THE POSTS
Betawatch: New World Aeternum and Ultima Online New Legacy begin closed beta
This weekend is all about beta testing things that are already out and you can play right now even without the beta test. That might sound like it's a bit diminutive, but it really isn't. Sure, New World is already available to play, but this weekend is the console beta so that's something new. And yes, there is no...
Eterspire applies revamps to the Firefly Forest zone and shares a third quarter content roadmap
The last time we peeked in on the indie mobile MMORPG Eterspire, it was in the process of revamping its early game's progression. The effort to rework the leveling experience continues in its most recent patch, which has zeroed in on updates to the Firefly Forest area.
Updates to this zone include new monsters, new item drops, and a new...
Warcraft Rumble touches grass with the Cenarion Family, which you can earn in this week’s event
This summer's all about the Druids in Warcraft Rumble. Blizzard's mobile RTS released Season 7 this week, and with it, the first members of the Cenarion Family, Moonglade, and an associated event.
The studio said that this is the first time that players can be earnable right away thanks to the Cenarion Festival, which began on Wednesday. "Cenarius and Onu...
For Science: Research study identifies money laundering patterns in the Steam Marketplace
Gamers are probably not going to be surprised about some recent research findings that conclude secondary marketplaces in gaming can be used for money laundering. They may be even less surprised when that study focused on activity within Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the Steam Marketplace. Still, at least there's now some scientific findings that have found these patterns.
A study...
NCsoft president Songyee Yoon’s new book tackles the gaming industry’s lingering perception problems
I suppose with Throne & Liberty on the way, it only makes sense that NCsoft executives are granting interviews in western press - like the one Dr Songyee Yoon gave to GIbiz this week.
Yoon, who is married to NCsoft founder Kim Taek-jin, is currently the president of NCsoft with NCsoft's West's ascension under her belt; she was last in...
Mecha Break announces a surprise open beta test starting on August 10
Maybe the real breaks were the mecha we made along the way. Is that anything? No. It's complete nonsense. But if you want to actually make some mecha to break things, Mecha Break is giving everyone a chance in the cockpit in August. Following what studio Amazing Seasun Games characterized as a positive initial reaction, the game’s first open...
The Stream Team: Fighting a colossus and obtaining Bunny in The First Descendant
They say that the third time is the charm. Well, that appears to be the case for MOP's Chris, as he's finally gotten through his technical issues and is actually ready to stream The First Descendant for real this time! Not only that, he's got a colossus to fight and a new character to get! Join him for some...
Destiny 2’s August patch seeks to address Crucible problems and the ‘epidemic’ of PvP quitters
If you're a PvP player of Destiny 2, then this week's newsletter is almost exclusively for you, as Bungie's PvP strike team is checking in with several plans and updates coming in August that touch pretty much every aspect of the FPS' PvP combat.
The post opens with several changes coming in an August update that include Crucible adjustments to...
RuneScape is getting its own comic book miniseries this fall
Sure, your MMO is cool, but does it have its own comic book? Oh pipe down, City of Heroes players. We hear you. Anyway, RuneScape is joining this rarified tier of online RPGs that have received their own comic book line, thanks to Titan Comics.
The series, which debuts this October 9th, is called RuneScape: Untold Tales of the God...
EVE Online details plans to adjust Equinox’s sovereignty, Zarzakh, dailies, and ship skin tool
Now that the Equinox update of EVE Online has been out in the wild for just over a month, CCP Games is prepared to make some gameplay adjustments to several core pillars of the expansion based on data collection and player feedback.
For starters, the devs plan to shore up the expansion's sovereignty mechanics, particularly in the case of the...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s August is leaning into Adventure
I must admit that Pokemon Go's traditional Adventure Week events have historically been a minor hit with me as they feature the fossil 'mon I love, but they also tend to have niche use in the game. However, this August, Niantic is giving us both the vanilla and a new "Taken Over" version, most likely involving Team Go Rocket, which would...
Cozy MMO Palia teases nameplates, house tours, and a greenhouse in next week’s beta update
Fresh off its acquisition by no less than MMORPG company Daybreak, Singularity 6's still-in-beta cozy MMO Palia is teasing a bunch of new content coming next week.
The Summer Serenade patch is promising a list of features, including the ability to tour other player's homes, lofi jukeboxes, proper MMO nameplates above character heads, an adorable greenhouse/conservatory building for growing flowers,...
Storyboard: The fine art of letting your character fail in MMORPG roleplaying
Do you know why tabletop roleplaying games use dice? Every game designer ever will lie about the reason. The reason cited is to create randomness or to create moments of excitement or whatever, but none of that is true. The reason is that with dice, sometimes your character is going to fail, and you can't argue about it too...
Pearl Abyss’ ‘open world action-adventure’ RPG Crimson Desert will be playable at Gamescom 2024
Considering the long spans of silence that have earmarked the progress of Crimson Desert, we know it was easy to presume that Pearl Abyss had silently canned what it's now calling its "open world action-adventure," no matter what the company said during its investor calls. However, that's definitely not the case!
First, let's review: Concerns about the game's life started...
Overwatch 2 is pondering a potential return of the 6v6 format, but only after running some tests
When Overwatch 2 announced it would feature a change in team size from 6v6 to 5v5 in 2021, it was presented as a fundamental shift to gameplay, teamwork, and the shooter's overall desig, which in turn caused a lot of pro players had some reservations. It's now been a couple of years since the pseudo-sequel launched and director Aaron...
Star Citizen’s alpha 3.24 personal hangars aren’t quite housing, but it’s a start
Sure, Star Citizen has showcased cargo and freight gameplay coming in alpha 3.24 already, but who's stopping it from doing so a second time? This game doesn't play by your daddy's rules. It arguably doesn't play by the rules of the law. So you're getting more freight previews and you're going to like it, giggleface.
All joking aside, the latest...
SAG-AFTRA voice actors begin strike following failed games industry negotiations on AI protections
We are go for strike, people: SAG-AFTRA announced last night that its members are on strike starting today, meaning that all unionized voice actors in the guild are now withholding their work and services from the games industry's biggest companies, including Disney, Activision, and EA.
The move wasn't a big surprise, as the union had already issued an ultimatum earlier...
The Daily Grind: What’s the oldest MMO meme you remember?
If you were around in the early days of online gaming, you surely remember how terrible the memes were. I mean, I put on my robe and wizard hat? When was the last time you heard someone say that and it wasn't done ironically?
Personally, I started MMOs in Ultima Online, so a lot of the popular memes I remember...
The Stream Team: The prince of trades and Immortality Lessons in Dungeons & Dragons Online
It's time to face the music... or at least the archefey and his music. Massively OP's MJ is going to visit DDO's Prince of Satyrs Hyrsam at his precarious cliffside castle Duskfall Overlook (thanks to stairs of ice courtesy the Prince of Frost) and try to strike a bargain. Will he trade the codex pages to get the needle...
Massively Overthinking: How much research do you do before playing a new MMORPG?
On this week's MOP Podcast, Justin and I discussed our experiences in No Man's Sky (again), and both of us came to the conclusion that while it's a gorgeous and content-packed MMO, it's just not a super intuitive sandbox - meaning that if you're starting new (or returning after a long time away, as I was), you're probably best...
