Category: News

New AAA Developer Cold Iron Pops Up


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The hot forges of Silicon Valley have produced Cold Iron, the latest AAA game developer making an original sci-fi title based on the Unreal 4 engine. While the game won’t be launched for a while to come, the studio is fully funded and is made up of some industry veterans. Foremost, former COO of Cryptic Studios Craig Zinkievich will be taking over as CEO, with Shannon Posniewski (also of Cryptic Studios) as CTO and Matt Highison (from Cryptic Studios) as Creative Director.

“We couldn’t be more excited to finally introduce the world to Cold Iron,” said the studio’s Founder and CEO, Craig Zinkievich. “We decided to start this studio last year with exactly one goal in mind: to create compelling games that we wanted to play absolutely all the time. To do that, we put together a pitch, built a great prototype, got fully-funded, and are now building an unstoppable team. We’re working hard on a AAA online action game that is literally out of this world, and we cannot wait to share it with you.”

Cold Iron is located in downtown San Jose, California.

(Source: Press release)

[Column] Final Fantasy XIV’s Patcher Is Still Busted Garbage


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For the record, I wanted this article to be an MMOments on how Final Fantasy XIV has been coming along, what changes have been made to the game, and what I did with my extra time allotted thanks to the welcome back campaign currently ongoing. I really did, I love Final Fantasy and XIV is one of my favorites, and yet here we are. Complaining about how the patcher is still utterly broken on a game developed and published by a company as large as Square Enix, and that is utterly pathetic.

Even more depressing are the hoops that Square Enix forces its customers to jump through in order to get the game working, assuming it even does once you jump through said hoops. Among the various Steam, FFXIV, and Reddit threads I’ve seen with players working out how they got their patcher fixed, workarounds include downloading through a mobile hotspot, taking your PS4 to a friend’s house, connecting to a VPN service, taking your computer to someone else’s house, and the list gets even more absurd from there down to just relaunching the client upwards and occasionally more than a couple dozen times while praying that it eventually just works. What ever happened to the days of shutting off your anti-virus?

According to the ever defiant fanatics on the various forums, this is my fault, or my ISP for that matter, and nothing that can be traced back to Square Enix at all, totally. These people have no real technical knowledge or evidence to back their claims up, nor do they seem to agree with each other on the exact explanation, but it’s important to know that it isn’t Square’s fault. Evidently installation is like the one inch curb that, while thousands and thousands of other games, websites, and services have no problem passing over with no issue, Final Fantasy XIV on the other hand can’t handle the step without tripping and breaking its neck.

And I find myself sitting here, scratching my head, looking at every game I own on Steam, Origin, uPlay, etc (at this point probably somewhere over 1,000 titles) and thinking “I don’t have this problem on a single other game, I have never had this problem with a single other game.” None of them make me connect to a VPN, tether my computer to my phone, add domain exceptions to Internet Explorer, take my computer to a friend’s house, and I’d like to point out that this is with the PC version. The PS4 version is having the same problems. It’s a console, you boot the game up and it’s supposed to just work. Why is it that apparently Square Enix is the only company to not have figured out the horrifically complicated enigma code that is building a functioning patcher?

I really want to know, and I want Square Enix themselves to tell me. Let’s go on a limb and say that it is actually a problem that the ISP is causing, and I’m not being sarcastic. Let’s say Verizon is the cause of this issue because I am on FIOS. Why is it that Square Enix seems to be the only company triggering this reaction? What is so unique about this patcher that it can’t clear the hurdles that every other game I have played, be it downloaded directly or through P2P sharing, has managed to work around? Could it be because the service providers hate Square, or is it more likely that through a combination of bullheadedness and incompetence that Square’s patcher doesn’t work where everyone else’s does? On second thought, it’s probably easier to blame the ISP so you don’t have to fix anything.

Ultimately the only entity that loses out here is Square Enix, considering the countless threads I ran through from the past few months of people who had bought the game through Steam only to be unable to play it, then requested refunds, or those who had resubscribed or returned for welcome back campaigns only to immediately quit again because they couldn’t pass stage 1 (installation). These are people who aren’t going to come back, Square, the kind of disgruntled customers who, in later times, will look back on their last experience and not want to deal with that again for the hope that maybe you got your stuff in order in the meantime. These are people who will go to the other MMOs that don’t have that problem, or as I like to call it, all of them.

Other than that I have no opinion on the subject.

Hellgate Multiplayer Is Coming Back: Again!


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Hellgate has had a rough past, developed by Flagship Studios, released in October 2007 and shut down in February 2009 by Flagship Studios before being picked up by eastern publisher Hanbitsoft and relaunched in the west only to be shut down again at the beginning of this year. Thankfully this time around the game is being revived by the community, meaning that players can rest assured that certain aspects won’t be changed to support a cash shop.

The first developer diary is available at the link below, along with a list of what is currently working. Before you do, check out the MP test video below. While the multiplayer is currently offline, those of you lucky enough to find a copy of Hellgate (or who still own yours) can play the single player game improved massively thanks to its community.

(Source: Hellgate)

NCSoft NCoin Cards Available at Retailers


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NCSoft has announced that NCoin, the company’s premium currency, is available now at a select number of retailers. The list of retailers includes Walmart, Gamestop, Best Buy, and Toys R Us.

Whether you’re looking to stock up on NCoin, or give your fellow gamer friends some NCSOFT spending money for the holidays, NCoin cards are available now at several retail locations! View the list below and check with your local retailer about picking up some NCoin, good for purchases in NCSOFT games. Select cards will also provide a bonus item for your chosen game as a thank you for being an NCoin card purchaser.

(Source: Lineage II)

It Is Now Illegal To Make Game Cheats In Korea


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Making and distributing cheats for games is a great way to get sued, providing you poke big bears like Epic Games or Blizzard, but while developers have taken down cheat makers through injunctions and by playing the copyright laws to their advantage, there isn’t a law on the books that specifically states “thou shalt not make cheats,” and violating a company’s terms of service isn’t a criminal act. Until now, at least, but you knew that from the title of this article.

According to a report circulating from PvPLive, you can now be punished with a maximum of five years in jail or $43 thousand in fines if caught distributing cheats (aimbots, scripts, etc) for video games in violation of the company’s terms of service. Yes, making cheats is now a criminal offense.

The newly altered law raises a lot of interesting questions with regard to the burgeoning (and rather profitable) cheating scene, like how the courts will deal with cheat makers who live outside of the country, or how far reaching a developer can go in having conduct that they don’t approve of punishable by the court system.

How The Exiled Handles Server Activity


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The Exiled is an upcoming game that promises to blend MOBA combat in a sandbox MMO, and the developer has detailed the final alpha test for 2016. Sandbox MMOs, as well as the rest of the genre, pretty much live and die based on server population, so what do you do when the population gets too low? It is nearly 2017, so if you haven’t automated the process, you’re going to be left behind.

In The Exiled, the latest alpha release notes point that servers will shut down if the population reaches a low enough level that players can’t fight off attacks.

Game worlds now require an active player base to defend against daily attacks on the valley. If players on one game world do not manage to donate enough resources to the defense, this world dies and all players on it will migrate as refugees to a different, more active game world.

You can check out more on The Exiled at the official website. MMO Fallout will be covering the game further.

Perfect World Entertainment Details December Holiday Events


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Perfect World Entertainment has a lot of games in their library, and that means a busy December if you play more than one or two of them. For those of you looking forward to the festivities, we have a comprehensive guide for the events running through each game.

Neverwinter:

Winter Festival of Simril (December 15, 2016 – January 5, 2017)

Twilight Tor is back in all of its splendor for our adventurers. Complete daily quests and open Starlight Parcels to be rewarded with gifts for players and their party. Opening Starlight Parcel’s throughout the event increases the odds of better rewards including event-specific mounts and companions. Strap into your sled for high-speed racing and help the villagers with their monster infestation. Ice fishing makes its return, beckoning players to the frozen surface of Lake Glorfindar for an all-new level of challenge and rewards! Enjoy 2x bonuses all month long and don’t forget to visit your Stronghold to get into the Winter spirit. For additional details, please visit https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/neverwinter

Star Trek Online:

Q’s Winter Wonderland (December 1, 2016 – January 12, 2017)

This year’s Winter Event brings the storied tradition of Klingon ice fishing to Star Trek Online. Catch candy fish and deliver them to the offering plate to unlock winter trinkets. Make enough offerings, and the candy Kos’karii appears ready for battle. Defeat it and earn even more festival rewards! By completing events, players can even earn a T-6 ship. Throughout all of December, we’ll also be hosting several promotions and bonuses for players enjoying this year’s Wonderland. For additional details, please visit https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online

Champions Online:

Attack of the Misfit Toys (December 8 – January 5)

Millennium City has been transformed into a winter wonderland! Starting December 8 and lasting throughout the New Year, Champions can visit Renaissance Center to check out the ornamented tree, visit the Toy Drive store and gather presents to collect special rewards from the Helper Elves. Starting December 22 to January 5, players can battle Clarence, the giant teddy bear, and Black Harlequin, who has turned the abandoned foundry into a workshop to create deadly toys! But this time something is different, as Clarence seems to have brought along some strange friends! There are new rewards in the Toymaster’s Apprentice store every week of the event, so be sure to check back! For additional details, please visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/champions-online

Swordsman:

Christmas Snowball Event (December 22 – 28)

During this event, Joe Chen will give every player 10 Snowballs a day. You will be rewarded with EXP and Kung Fu points for using them on other players and there is a chance that you will transform the other players into a holiday object.

Christmas Snowman Event (December 22 – 28)

Find Christmas trees hidden throughout three of the major cities in the game. Attack it until it drops the items you need to complete this event. When you return the items to Lan Fenghuang, she will reward you with an item needed to make your very own temporary snowman.

Santa’s Gift Event (December 22 – 25)

During this event, Santa will visit the major cities each day between 10:30 PM PT – 11:30 PM PT. You can collect gift keys which you can use to open the piled up Christmas gifts next to Joe Chen for special rewards. For additional details, please visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/swordsman

PWI:

12 Days of Giveaways (December 2 – 24, 26 – 31)

Check out our news page for new codes that will be given out starting on December 2 to earn Christmas fashion sets, Ether Jade, War Avatar Chests and much more! Codes will appear starting on the December 2 and new codes will appear every other day. Check the news page again from the 26th – 31st to get a redeemable code for even better rewards.

Snowmen and Snow in Major Cities (November 30 – February 1, 2017)

Archosaur and other major starting cities will feature Living Snowmen inside and outside their walls. Kill Snowmen and they will give you some quips, Chi Stones, Dice Tickets, and more.

A Generous Gift (December 7 – 27)

Visit the Generous Young Boy and if you’re able to wait around long enough, you can receive Golden Treasures for free.

Do the Penguin March! (December 13 – 29)

Go to Frigid Bay, complete various quests to try and get the special golden reward. For additional details, please visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/pwi

Forsaken World:

12 Days of Giveaways (December 14 – 25)

Log in each day with a character who is at least level 50 to receive special prizes. Log in on Christmas Day to receive a FREE Christmas Pack. This pack includes a fashion handheld, Christmas title, Christmas Fireworks, a Smiley to use in chat and a Gingersnap Mage pet.

Winter Festival (December 1 – 31)

Participate in festive quests to earn special holiday pets, special XP items, and various character boost items. For additional details, please visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/forsaken-world

Gigantic Hits Xbox One Preview/Windows 10 On December 8


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Perfect World Entertainment and Motiga have announced the open beta of MOBA Gigantic will launch on Windows 10 and Xbox One Preview on December 8. For players who hadn’t yet given the MOBA a try, there is another early opportunity to do so this week with a closed beta event running from December 1 through December 4.

“With Gigantic, we are trying to create an entirely new competitive experience. Throughout development, Gigantic has gotten attention for its unique art style, whimsical setting and fast-paced gameplay, but our goal has always been something more,” said James Phinney, VP of Product Development at Motiga, “We’ve sought to build a game full of intense moments and meaningful strategic choices, where there are many paths to victory and it’s always possible to come back and win. Open Beta and participation in the Xbox Game Preview program is an exciting new phase for the project. We’re really looking forward to partnering with players to finish up Gigantic.”

Gigantic is developed by Motiga and published by Perfect World Entertainment. Interested players can check out more information at the official website.

DC Universe Online Focuses on 2017 Updates


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Daybreak Game Company has released their outward look for 2017 for DC Universe Online, and the content is looking pretty fancy. To end off the year, Daybreak will once again have an open episode period, allowing players to access (virtually) all episodes regardless of membership or content ownership. Next year’s updates will include large content updates:

First, just to doubly reiterate, we are continuing development on large content releases (Episodes), similar to what you are experiencing with Amazon Fury Part III. We know how important new story, new characters, and new primary progression is to everyone’s fun in the game. We are very pleased so far with the new gear system implemented in Episode 27. While we are looking at feedback for minor improvements, the core concepts of the best gear being on the vendor, auto-leveling dropped gear, and so on, remains the plan going forward.

In addition, Daybreak is continuing work on the planned revamp of player stats, item and gear sets, NPC stats, and more. Seasonal events will also be making their way into the game, with the first tasking heroes and villains with taking on the Anti-Monitor, an powerful adversary capable of tearing apart entire universes. You can read the entire list of planned updates at the link below.

(Source: DC Universe)

Community Is Reviving Everquest Online Adventures


Everquest Online Adventures probably should have been shut down years ago, but Sony Online Entertainment has a habit of refusing to let their games die until the very last minute.

You don’t need to look far to find fans of Sony Online Entertainment’s foray into console gaming, Everquest Online Adventures. The lesser known cousin of the series, EQOA shut down back in 2012 due to dwindling populations and the inevitable decline of the Playstation 2 as a gaming platform. A group is working on an emulator over at Reddit, and they are looking for people to assist in any way possible from technical programming to writing and simple publicity.

SOE, aka Daybreak, has historically been a team player when it comes to classic revivals. The company gave its blessing to the Everquest 1999 server and has so far left alone the teams working on Star Wars Galaxies emulators. Considering the company has zero financial interest in Everquest Online Adventures, it seems highly unlikely that problems should arise out of the emulator’s existence.

(Source: Reddit)