Whenever I see flyby videos of Darkfall 2.0, I always feel as though I’m watching a version of Morrowind with improved graphics. Darkfall 2.0 launches at some point in the future.
Month: December 2011
Bioware Caves: Offers 48 Hour Grace Period
I hate to use the term “caved,” because it implies that Bioware is conceding to a less than favorable position. MMO launches are great in that when you preorder the game itself, you generally receive a preorder key which allows you access to the head start, and occasionally the beta. This key also tells the developer that you intend, or have, already purchased the game. The problem with ordering your boxed copy online, as people do, is that you can’t always be ensured that your copy will arrive in time for the game’s release. In response, many developers offer grace periods after the head start where players are able to play without requiring their final registration key.
Up until now, the official word from Electronic Arts has been no grace period, at all. Thanks in part to a very fanatical outcry from fans, Bioware announced on the forums that they have reversed their decision and will be allowing a two day grace period for players to enter their details.
While we’ve worked closely with our retailers in the launch territories to ensure copies of Star Wars: The Old Republic are available from our launch date of December 20th, we understand that for those of you who’ve pre-ordered, there may be a concern about getting your copy on time. We’ve heard you want a ‘grace period’ where you can continue to play without having to enter a final product registration code (AKA ‘game code’).
Your 30 days are not affected by this grace period, so technically you could submit your code at the last possible minute and enjoy 32 days instead of the prescribed 30. Now everyone say grace…period.
(Source: The Old Republic forums)
Testing The Old Republic: Procrastinating My Preorders
Bioware announced a long time ago that early access to The Old Republic would be staggered, your place in line would be determined by the date in which you ordered the game. So I decided to do a little test: About two minutes ago, I preordered The Old Republic on Origin. For those of you reading this on a different day, that is 1:10pm eastern on December 15th, 2011, or two days after the head start began.
The point of this experiment is to see how long it takes Bioware to catch up to the people like myself who for some reason held off of ordering the game, and how many days of early access we are granted. So I will update this article as soon as I am let in.
UPDATE: As of 2:21pm EST on December 16th, I am in. So two days missed out of the original “up to 5 days.” Not bad for the most preordered MMO of all time.
It All Ends Today: Star Wars Galaxies To Shut Down
It’s been eight years since Star Wars Galaxies first came on to the scene and amazed us with an endless amount of content, a sprawling world to explore and allow our characters to live out their lives. Since then Galaxies has become one of the most controversial MMOs in history, and I don’t think I have to tell you why. If we learned anything from the New Game Experience, it is that MMO players are passionate and unforgiving, but mostly unforgiving. But at the same time, the most nostalgic. Not a day goes by (at least judging by my inbox) without players lamenting back to the old days of Galaxies, where they could set up camp and go hunting, to come back to the Mos Eisley bar and watch a Wookie dance to relieve their battle fatigue. Where playing doctor was a profession and not merely sexual innuendo.
Unfortunately, I’m terrible at eulogizing. Despite the absolute loathing many Galaxies fans hold (and will hold for a long time) for Sony and Lucas Arts, I think Galaxies will go down in history as one of the most determined and resilient MMOs in the industry. There is so much to learn from this game that allowing it to fade into history would be a disservice to the work the developers put into it.
And speaking of history, what better to send this game off than the original Xplay review?
Sony: So Much For A Final Warning
Cheaters have a high rate of recidivism, especially when punishment is lax and not at all intimidating. Earlier this month, Sony unveiled a final warning on their forums, for cheaters to give up and play legitimately, or pack up and go home. Today, the developer announced that 700 accounts have been suspended as a first warning.
Remember that these suspensions are merely the first wave, and further action is on the horizon. We will not rest, but will instead continue to gather data and take action as necessary on behalf of the entire player base.
An unspecified number of players were discovered to have been flagged mistakenly and had their suspension removed with a small time credit to their account (one week according to a couple of users on the forums). Hopefully the suspension will be taken seriously by those involved.
(Source: Everquest forums)
Aion Free To Play In February…For Europe.
Considering the other titles lately to make the transition, an announcement of free to play from NCSoft or Sony Online Entertainment might be welcoming, but hardly surprising. Over in Europe, NCSoft announced that Aion will be undergoing a change in publisher, to Gameforge, who will be taking care of transitioning the European service, and its community, to a new free to play model. Starting in February 2012, players will be able to enjoy everything* that Aion has to offer for no fee.
In order to combat gold farming, “starter” accounts will be limited to two characters and have limitations from certain chat channels and private trading. Former subscribers will have access to almost everything, sans the increased instance cooldown and limited fortress siege rewards. You can read everything at the F2P matrix. Otherwise, NCsoft continues what has started as a rather generous program for free players, offering everything but the kitchen sink to anyone willing to sign up an account.
This does not affect the North American servers, and there are currently no announced plans to bring such a transition to the states.
(Source: Eurogamer)
(Additional: Free to play matrix)
Square Enix Members Hacked:
[Update] Square Enix has confirmed that no member information was stolen.
As a result of our continuing investigation, we have now confirmed that the database in which we store personal information was NOT accessed during the recent server intrusion. Therefore, your personal information was NOT compromised by an unknown third party.
Square-Enix is planning to restart the Square Enix Members service by the end of December. Details of the schedule will be announced at a later date.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers and fans, and appreciate your patience.
Square Enix has taken down its Members service while it investigates a security breach, in order to assess just what may have been taken and what damage has been done. In a message posted on the website, Square confirms that while usernames and passwords may have been taken, “there is no possibility of any credit card leak from this incident, since the server in question stores no credit card information.”
We have reason to believe that unknown parties may have gained unauthorized access to a particular Square Enix server related to the free SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS service offered in North America and Japan. In response, Square Enix, Inc. has temporarily suspended operation of the SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS service starting at 10PM (PST) on December 12, 2011.
There is no information at this time that Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV players have anything to worry about, although I would still recommend changing your passwords on your respective games.
Play Richard Garriot's MMO While It Is Developed…
There are a select few articles here on MMO Fallout that garner attention after, say, six months of their publishing. It’s been ten months since I published the article about Second Star Interactive, a new development studio formed out arguably the greater minds of Ultima Online, Warhammer, and Dark Age of Camelot, and that article is still on the traffic radar. The comments on the article are just a small portion of the attention that my article brought in, and my tease about three factions and full pvp cause more than one urinary incident among fans.
Daoc 2? OMG i got the shivers
I already have my 50 bucks buried in a coffee can, counting the seconds until this happens…
SO longing DAOC2 or summat like it. I almost started to cry
Richard Garriot is talking to Electronic Arts about a relationship to create a spiritual successor to Ultima Online, as mentioned in a Eurogamer article today. Whether or not that deal is struck will place little sway on the direction of this MMO, however, as Garriot points out:
“I actually think it’s time to move on from that regardless, so even if we were to have access to the properties of my historical work, I don’t think I would change my current plans. I’m very confident of the current plans as the right way to evolve my creation, regardless.”
The interview reveals a number of details regarding Ultimate RPG:
- Fantasy setting, although likely intertwined with science fiction.
- Will likely preserve Ultima’s isometric view.
- Ultimate RPG will be free to play.
- Plans to make the game accessible via browser, client, iOS, and Android.
- Target release date is 2012, 2013 (one of those two, says Garriot).
- Ultimate RPG will take advantage of social media.
- There are 25 people working at Portalarium (Garriot’s company)
Tantalizing readers even further, Garriot goes on to reveal that the game will be released closer to a Minecraft style format, allowing people to play as the game is developed.
“As soon as we have a viable game, we will immediately get it into players’ hands so that they can be a part of that creation process.”
(Source: Eurogamer)
Play Richard Garriot’s MMO While It Is Developed…
There are a select few articles here on MMO Fallout that garner attention after, say, six months of their publishing. It’s been ten months since I published the article about Second Star Interactive, a new development studio formed out arguably the greater minds of Ultima Online, Warhammer, and Dark Age of Camelot, and that article is still on the traffic radar. The comments on the article are just a small portion of the attention that my article brought in, and my tease about three factions and full pvp cause more than one urinary incident among fans.
Daoc 2? OMG i got the shivers
I already have my 50 bucks buried in a coffee can, counting the seconds until this happens…
SO longing DAOC2 or summat like it. I almost started to cry
Richard Garriot is talking to Electronic Arts about a relationship to create a spiritual successor to Ultima Online, as mentioned in a Eurogamer article today. Whether or not that deal is struck will place little sway on the direction of this MMO, however, as Garriot points out:
“I actually think it’s time to move on from that regardless, so even if we were to have access to the properties of my historical work, I don’t think I would change my current plans. I’m very confident of the current plans as the right way to evolve my creation, regardless.”
The interview reveals a number of details regarding Ultimate RPG:
- Fantasy setting, although likely intertwined with science fiction.
- Will likely preserve Ultima’s isometric view.
- Ultimate RPG will be free to play.
- Plans to make the game accessible via browser, client, iOS, and Android.
- Target release date is 2012, 2013 (one of those two, says Garriot).
- Ultimate RPG will take advantage of social media.
- There are 25 people working at Portalarium (Garriot’s company)
Tantalizing readers even further, Garriot goes on to reveal that the game will be released closer to a Minecraft style format, allowing people to play as the game is developed.
“As soon as we have a viable game, we will immediately get it into players’ hands so that they can be a part of that creation process.”
(Source: Eurogamer)
Veteran Rewards For Free Players? Sony Breaks The Rules
If 2011 is any indication, Sony Online Entertainment has been working hard to keep their players in good faith and put the old Sony (the one that would fundamentally alter a game years after release) behind them, even if it means busting the norms of free to play conversions. Everquest 2 players are already aware of Sony’s offer to activate any existing characters for free, refunding race/class packs that were purchased over the past two days.
To sweeten the deal even more, Sony announces their next treat with a question: Why should veteran rewards be available only for subscribers? After all, players may not subscribe but they might spend money in the cash shop as a silver member. So beginning December 9th, all Everquest II players will enjoy veteran rewards based on the date of their account creation.
(source: EQ2 Forums)
MMO Fallout 