MMO Clerks

Worried that Microsoft’s E3 showcase of its Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 was a little too “casual,” a little too Wii Sports rewarmed? Kinect’s creative director sees it otherwise, that Microsoft’s taking a Super Mario Bros. approach instead. More »

Last year’s Madden NFL 10 demo let you play four quarters just one minute long each, though a GameStop preorder did give special access to a longer game. This year, EA Sports is giving everyone five-minute quarters to try out. More »

To: Ash More »

Despite what your grade school friends told you, there are take backs in life. Last week we brought you the breaking news that GOA was transferring Europe’s Warhammer Online operations to Mythic Entertainment, a significant event considering that GOA’s been handling WAR on the continent since 2006. Today Mythic posted a rather extensive “WAR EU Takeback FAQ” which is as informative as it is rhymey.

Fortunately, it does not appear as though the transfer will be too disruptive to current players. Characters, levels, gear, servers and friends lists will remain intact, and no new client download is required. Mythic will also be hosting German and French-specific servers for any wishing to play in a particular language environment. However, all players are asked to register for a new Mythic account, and will need to make sure that their payment plans and options are set up accordingly in it.

Mythic’s also stated that they have long-term plans to allow players to transfer to and from North American servers, although no decision’s been made regarding transferring to non-English speaking serves. The transfer begins tomorrow, June 29th, and will continue through July 7th. For the rest of the details, or just to settle your mind, read through the Takeback FAQ over at Warhammer Online’s site.

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Warhammer Online

Passing the torch: WAR’s GOA-to-Mythic transfer explained originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Standing at least seven feet tall and full of fancy animatronics, it’s fairly safe to say this lifelike Elite costume, more detailed than any Halo cosplay we’ve ever seen, is elite level cosplay. More »

From suggesting restaurants to diagnosing patients, computers seem to be getting smarter each passing day. The New York Times looks at some of the powerful technology coming to light, as computers begin listening and reacting to our problems. More »

A video of NBA Elite shown at the NBA draft last week did plenty to rile fans of both sides in sports gaming’s last real competition. One sent a link to NBA 2K’s community manager, who tweet-replied “That looks awful.” More »

Flaws. Bugs. Annoyances — like a level 45 slaughtering you while your little level 18 self is quietly going about gathering Lumesia. Moments that just make you want to find a dev and toss him off the nearest high rise; all games have them, no one denies this — not even Aion players (although they usually don’t feel the need to discuss them with those who don’t play).

So why is it we stay in games that, at times, make us want to rip our hair out by the fistfuls? With such a plethora of games catering to a wide variety of play styles, how do we stay faithful to a particular one over the long haul, even when we know it isn’t perfect? No, it isn’t because we are all secretly masochistic. Or because we detest our barber/hairdresser. Looking around me in games both past and present, watching those who could be considered die-hards stay in (and enjoy) games long after the masses have fled, I found themes that mirrored some of my own reasons — because, alternately, there are the moments that make it worth it. Not the art, the features, or the wittiness of the quest dialog. Rather, the ties that bind us: Friendships, epic memories, and just plain stubbornness.

Charge across the bridge and we’ll delve into my top reasons for sticking with a title, even in the face of the raging malcontents.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: The ties that bind

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia

Wings Over Atreia: The ties that bind originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s new PlayStation Plus subscription service is launching, officially, in North America on June 29. That means a new way to spend fifty bucks a year on your PlayStation 3 and a new firmware update with all-new features. More »

Today Valve releases the first in a series of videos covering the E3 demo for Portal 2. In the first portion we meet Wheatley, the personality sphere that’s cuddlier than a companion cube, if that’s even possible. More »