Dust-514 - Cry Havoc, And Let Slip The Dogs Of War!
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under Editorials, News, Trailers
Yesterday, developer CCP made a surprise announcement of the existence of their Dust-514 project. Now more than 2 years into development, the project was shown to the world for the first time at the GDC Europe. So what’s so special about Dust-514? Well, quite simply, a s**t load.
Let me try to sum this up. Dust-514 will be a first-person shooter with “RTS-style gameplay” that interfaces with the grand space opera EVE Online. Interfaces how, you might ask? For the uninitiated, EVE Online is an MMO in which players pilot ships from shuttles, massive 14km-long superships called “titans”, and everything in between. Playing in the EVE galaxy comprised of over 5000 star systems, players engage in not only the most sophisticated ship-to-ship combat ever seen in any video game, but also the most sophisticated and complex market simulation ever seen in a video game. Just do some reading on EVE Online, and you will see that it is truly a “grand space opera” in the truest form. Each of it’s thousands of star systems is so freakin’ huge that it would take weeks, if not months of real time to cross one at sub light speeds. And the soundtrack is nice too.
Click to enlarge
Tags: CCP, Dust-514, EVE Online
MMO News Roundup - 5-6-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
Normally I don’t give a crap who is suing who over what. This time however, I am going to make an exception because of the inordinate level of douchbaggery involved. NCsoft decided to terminate Richard Garriott, and hosed him over pretty good. Click here to read the nasty details. And the cherry on top of the prick sundae that NCsoft served up to the epic game designer? They waited until he was in quarantine after returning to Earth from his space flight, during which he gave a lot of high-profile publicity for now defunct NCsoft MMO, Tabula Rasa.
Of course everyone knows how annually new words are added to the English language dictionary. What you might not know, is how huge the English language really is. Well, I’ll tell you. Next month, the English language will officially get its 1,000,000th word. The average English speaker, on the other hand, only has a functional vocabulary of around 14,000 words. So what the frak (hint hint) does this have to do with MMOs? Well, one of the words in contention for being the magical one millionth official word in the English language is…… NOOB! Yes, ‘noob’, previously resigned only to the realm of niche vernacular, is poised to become a legitimate word to use on school papers, research grant applications, NASA scientific papers, Supreme Court decisions, even bills before Congress. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even hear it during the next presidential state of the union speech. Click here for the details, as well as some of the other candidate words. You noob.
Tags: CCP, EVE Online, Heroes of Telara, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, NCsoft, Richard Garriott, Tabula Rasa, Trion World Network
Gaikai - You Know You Want It
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under News
Well, with all the hubub over OnLive the past couple weeks, you might have missed the coverage of Gaikai. While the game streaming service OnLive already has an impressive list of partners, it presumably has an equally impressive list of unannounced games as well. They have yet to let the gaming public know what some of their initial offerings will be, probably due to licensing. I don’t wish to take away from OnLive at all. In fact, if the service really does work as advertised, I will be one happy gamer, and a devoted customer.
But there…is…another…game…streaming…service…(gurgle)…
Tags: EVE Online, Gaikai, MMO, OnLive, World of Warcraft
MMO News Roundup - 3-9-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
Tomorrow the EVE Online expansion Apocrypha goes live. While I have no particular interest in the game any more (as I have often stated) I played long enough to know the drill for any patch day, let alone a major one. Set a long skill, log off, and fire up your console for a couple of days. Times like this are an excellent opportunity to knock a few days off of that ‘battleship 5′ you’ve been thinking about. Click here to see a brief write-up on the expansion and a couple of trailers.
OK, I know this is probably a lot of hype without anything particularly concrete, but I so very much like the sound of this I simply had to share. A new developer has opened shop in Austin (where else), and this new developer is named Thriller New Media. The summary mission statement of the new kid on the block is “Thriller New Media Fuses Online Military Games with Social Networking”. Yeah, I felt it too. Although I suppose it could be some sort of unholy bastard child of Facebook and Call of Duty, From reading the ooo-ra propaganda on their site, I think it will be a lot more robust than than. Look forward to a new project or two to be announced soon. Unless that is, unless it already has been and I’ve just been too wrapped up in my own s**t to catch it. Click here to see the site of the new guys.
Tags: Apocrypha, Change4Life, EVE Online, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, Mysteries of Westgate Expansion Pack, Neverwinter Nights 2, Thriller New Media
MMO News Roundup - 2-23-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News, Trailers
There has been an online media blitz the past couple of days regarding the upcoming NASA MMO. I first saw mention of it quite a while ago when NASA first announced their intentions and began to solicit for RFIs from potential developers. Answering the call was Virtual Heroes, who is well into building the game, which looks to be the astronaut equivalent of America’s Army. Named “Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond”, players can look to see this game based on the Unreal 3 engine in a demo form later this year, with further modules coming out as time progresses. See? Just like every other MMO. Based in the very near future, and much upon the systems and technologies already in development for real, players of Astronaut will be faced with challenges such as operating robots, keeping the space station up and running, and surveying the moon for helium-3. Missions and tasks will be team-oriented, and will be somewhat light on the ganking of n00bs. Click here to check out the best write-up on the game I have seen so far. Click here to take a peek at some of the screenshots.
I bought my original copy of EVE Online in a box from a store. But for the past few years, the game has only been available via digital download from the official site. Soon however, to coincide with the release of the Apocrypha expansion, you will once again be able to buy a copy in a brick and mortar. Then proceed to get your ass handed to you by gangs of sociopathic r-tards that compensate for their, um, shortcomings by making other people regret the money they just sank into a game. Anyway, if you are doing some sick form of self-penance and actually want to buy into this crap, click here to see some details about the hardcopy edition coming to stores near you.
Tags: Astronaut:Moon Mars and Beyond, BioWare, CCP, EVE Online, Jumpgate Evolution, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, NASA, NetDevil, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Virtual Heroes
MMO News Roundup - 2-16-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
So all that time you were playing Everquest 2, you though you were just enjoying a MMO game, an amusing hobby or distraction from the cynical doldrums of everyday life. Well, I’m afraid that reality has now caught up to you. Little brother has been watching you. And while you may not be paying a visit to room 101 anytime soon, this does not bode well. What am I jabbering about? Here it is: It has been revealed that a research body has tapped the server logs of Everquest 2, all with the blessing of SOE of course. (Yeah, no $$$ involved here). A staggering amount of data, topping more than 60TB, yeah I said 60 TERRA bytes of data including everything from chat logs and merchant transactions to user demographics and login/out times, everything that has been done by every EQ2 player for more than 4 years is now in the hands of “researchers” who want to figure out how you think and behave. To what end? Well I’m sure that it has nothing at all to do with learning how to accurately anticipate your actions in a real life situation, as well as how to pacify and control a population. If you think that the people behind this have only the altruistic devotion to science and learning to motivate them, then repeat after me: “BBBAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa…” Click here to read the article.
Tags: Anarchy Online, Apocrypha, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Legacy of Xan, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, SOE
MMO News Roundup - 2-9-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
Next month, the vast galaxy that is EVE Online is about to get a whole lot bigger. The game already has more than 5000 star systems, and with this new expansion, CCP is going to add a whopping 2500 more. But like with everything in EVE Online, there is a catch. In fact, there are quite a few catches in this one. First, PVE players need not apply. That’s right, every single one of the new systems is unrestricted PVP. Second, the way to get to one of these new systems is through a random wormhole. Uh huh, there is absolutely no way to go to a specific system. You and your corp mates have to “colonize” a system, but good luck holding onto it when someone else comes along. I have nothing good to say about this game any longer, so I will end this segment with a link to a nice write-up on the expansion on massively.com. Click here to read it. Oh, and by the way linux users. CCP is dropping the linux client for the game, due to the low cost-benefit ratio of the tiny number of linux players. Click here to read that.
Speaking of the New York Comic-Con, I am filled with envy. Mostly due to the fact that the last comics convention that came to my home town was so pathetic that I got bored looking at yet another booth full of exactly the same crap as every other booth. I wandered away after less than an hour and went to browse at the bookstore a couple blocks away. So the New York Comic-Con is like fraking Xanadu by comparison. But how does this figure in with MMO News? Well, quite a bit actually. But for our purposes here, I will just report that there were several conferences profiling upcoming MMOs, and the featuring of premiers of game trailers. Click here for a butt-load of videos on Champions Online. Click here for a new trailer on Star Trek Online.
I missed this one a few days ago, but the LOTRO dev team held a developer chat with XFire to discuss the first free content update post Mines of Moria. Topics include “a new 12-man raid, the opening of Lorien to players, a new Lorien reputation system, new Minstrel Instruments, and insights into class creation and changes on the way”. Click here to read the transcript on mmorpg.com.
Tags: CCP, Champions Online, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, Star Trek Online, Warhammer Online
MMO News Roundup - 2-5-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
Well, this one is big news if you play EVE. In case you just haven’t dropped by the official forums melting down with some epic threads, you should hop on over there. This is pretty huge. It seems the Band of Brothers alliance (BoB) has been disbanded! The biggest alliance in the game, comprised of thousands of players, has been broken up and all their sovereign systems reset. The rumor at this point is that the infamous GoonSwarm might have had something to do with it, which would require an infiltration, and a very long operation to get their operative in a key position needed to breakup the alliance. I would wait before congratulating the Goons however, since details are still sketchy. However the fact is, that there is now a MAJOR power vacuum in the EVE galaxy. The alliances that will now be rushing to fill the void will make for some interesting drama to see which emerges as the new headliner. Click here for one thread on the event. Click here for a thread dominated by smack-talking Goons.
IGN has a long and thorough article up, dealing with the coming MMOs to the console world. Yeah, I know there is that one MMO for the 360. I mean a real MMO that does not suck. The article goes into a lot more detail, but I will sum it up here in two sentences. MMO development for consoles has been a failure so far because of money. Developers continue to try to finish an MMO for consoles because of money. The development of an MMO is very expensive. Even the collective founded by mosquito-boy himself has caved on developing one for consoles. However, the potential payoff is so huge, that it makes even Blizzard accountants drool. You can bet your set of epic purples that the “unannounced” Blizzard MMO is going for a cross-platform release. Click here for the article.
Tags: EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, SOE, Turbine, Vanguard Saga of Heroes
MMO News Roundup - 1-27-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
This first one is certainly big enough to do a full post on itself alone, but I refuse to dignify it any longer with such consideration. A new devblog has been released giving a lot of details regarding the upcoming EVE Online expansion, Apocrypha. There is a whole new exploration system being introduced, and it is completely geared towards forcing people into PvP situations when they would otherwise prefer not to be. I have read the glorious details, and there is no doubt that casual players need not apply. I hope all you leet doodz feel all superior than the rest of us. Have fun with your wormhole camps, your gank squads, and your teeny tiny penises. Click here for the details.
MMORPG.com has posted the transcript from their recent chat with the devs from Masthead Studios. Naturally the discussion is in regards to the upcoming MMO Earthrise. Yet another open PvP MMO. YAWN! Click here for the transcript.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has been nominated for three awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. The nominations are for ‘Computer Game of the Year’, ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Game of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition’. You can enjoy this music even if you don’t have the game, by buying it from iTunes. Jeez, Blizzard, still don’t have enough money? Even CCP gives away the music for EVE Online for free.
Speaking of the AIAS awards, here is the complete list of nominations. What I find most troubling about this list is the nominations for MMO of the year. EVE Online (yeah whatever), Pirates of the Burning Sea (enjoyed by both of its fans), PMOG (huh? Is this a joke?), Warhammer Online (snicker), and WoW:WOTLK. Notice what game isn’t there? Notice what MMO is not on the list for a single nomination in any category? If you guessed Lord of the Rings Online, then you are far too intelligent and well-informed to work for the AIAS. Think I am wrong? Check out a nominee for ‘Computer Game of the Year’, Spore. And PMOG is better than LOTRO? Are you f*****g serious? A goddamn f*****g browser game is better than LOTRO? You people lick the lint from my manbag wrinkles. EPIC FAIL
Tags: Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, AIAS awards, Earthrise, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PMOG, Spore, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
MMO News Roundup - 1-23-09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
Cryptic posted a new dev blog for Champions Online. This new posting reveals details about how powers will manifest themselves, different play styles, some differences between PvP and PvE, and a whole host of other juicy tidbits regarding this upcoming superhero MMO. If you have questions about this diamond in the rough, this dev blog will likely answer some of them. Click here to read the latest Champions Online dev blog.
So, it’s another day that ends in the letter ‘y’, so that means an ass-load of new screenshots for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Click here to view the sceenshot gallery. I for one am really liking the way this game looks. But remember Bioware, if the gameplay sucks bantha balls, I will be more than happy to tell you about it in graphic detail. Given BioWare’s track record though, I’m sure that the game will be pretty sweet if they are not rushed to meet some unrealistic deadline for release handed down by a boardroom full of clueless suits. There is some new wallpapers too. Click here to see those.
Tags: BioWare, CCP, Champions Online, Cryptic, EVE Online, Flight Simulator, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic
MMO News Roundup -1.6.09
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
I’m sure that you’ll be as broken up about this one as I am. Remember the FCC commissioner that told an audience at the University of Pennsylvania that one of the top reasons for kids dropping out of college was World of Warcraft? Well Debs is leaving. Unfortunately it’s only because of the impending change in presidential administrations, and not because she is a complete fear-mongering asshat. What happened is that ol’ GW nominated her for another term, but the Senate refused to approve her. So now she has to find someone else to annoy. Click here for details.
Been enjoying Ryzom as a free MMO? Well not for much longer. Since they finally have the game running well, the free ride is over. Monthly subscriptions are now being put into place, and will take effect beginning in February. The subscription prices are pretty modest though, compared to other even older MMOs. Click here for the official announcement and pricing scheme.
The upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO, Earthrise, is now accepting beta applications. Click here to sign up for the beta. I am glad to see this one coming down the line in the next few months or so (depending on how long the beta lasts). It sounds interesting, and the MMO world definitely needs more scifi to play with. Click here to take a peek at the official Earthrise website.
I need to wash my mouth out with a dog turd I found in the alley in back of my house after this next one, just to get the foul taste out of my mouth. EVE Online has dated their next expansion. That’s it, that’s all I’m saying. Click here for the interview on Game Reactor. I don’t care enough anymore to write a coherent paragraph for this game.
Tags: CCP, Deborah Taylor Tate, Earthrise, EVE Online, Masthead Studios, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, Ryzom
MMO News Roundup - 12.22.08
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under MMO News Roundup, News
NCSoft has announced that their MMO Tabula Rasa, is now free to download and play. This was not unexpected, since they announced that the game would be shutting down at the end of February 2009. But the free part comes a month earlier than they originally announced. So if you got a hankerin’ to try it out, don’t dwaddle. Click here.
EVE Online, currently at the top of my bitch list, has decided that the best way to distract people from it’s latest scandal is to give idiots a new toy to annoy other players with. So now pilots will have snowball launchers and snowball ammo with which to equip their ships. The snowballs are just for show, and will not contribute to the game in any way. Well, if this isn’t a perfect metaphor for what missiles have been nerfed into I don’t know what is. Click here for details. I’ve already exhausted my daily supply of give-a-s**t for EVE online.
The holiday event on Lineage II, Saving Santa, runs for a few more days. Read the details by clicking here, because it is so f*****g stupid I can’t even bring myself to repeat the nonsense. Seriously Lineage II players, WTF? If you’re that bored, go see a movie or something.
Tags: EVE Online, Lineage 2, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, NCsoft, Tabula Rasa
