Microsoft – Page 6 – MMO Fallout

Neverwinter Details Xbox One Launch

Neverwinter is on the cusp of its Xbox One debut, and Perfect World Entertainment wants you to know exactly what the launch will entail. As noted in the preview posted today, Neverwinter will launch with its original PC content as well as Tyranny of the Dragons.

The Sharandar, Dread Ring, Icewind Dale, and PvP campaigns as well as the Gauntylgrym zone (along with the dungeons and skirmishes associated with them) will be released on Xbox One in later expansions.

Character rosters will be separate between PC and Xbox players, however the Sword Coast will allow people to join together from international servers to fight alongside one another. Additionally, the premium races will be available to purchase as premium content.

Neverwinter hits Xbox One in early 2015.

(Source: Neverwinter)

Less Massive: GFWL Not Shutting Down

So, it turns out Games For Windows Live isn’t shutting down next week. According to a statement by Microsoft, you will still be able to download titles from the Games for Windows Live client as usual, however customers will not be able to purchase games or receive title updates.

“As previously announced, as part of the retirement of Microsoft Points the Xbox.com PC marketplace was closed. Although customers are unable to purchase new games from the marketplace or receive title updates, they can continue to enjoy previously purchased content by downloading them through the Games for Windows Live client as usual. We remain committed to investing in PC gaming in the years ahead, and look forward to sharing more in the future.”

Presumably features like achievements will continue to function as well, online play may be dependent on the game.

(Source: Eurogamer)

Not Massive: Microsoft Offering Live Refunds

Microsoft recently announced that the company would be changing its policy to remove a longstanding requirement for Xbox Live gold in order to access streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu. In order to appeal to those who subscribe to Gold solely for these services, Microsoft has announced a partial refund system for those with active subscriptions after the transition takes place. Following the update this June, customers with time remaining on their accounts will be eligible for a pro-rated refund.

The amount of the refund has not been detailed, but is based on how much time is remaining on the account. Now all Microsoft needs to do is lift the subscription requirement to access MMOs and the company will be more on par with Sony’s services.

(Source: Game Informer)

Video of the ___: The Xbox Fun

Xbox One? After this commercial, they should call it Xbox Fun. Wait, I already made that joke in the header. This is why you shouldn’t update your website via typewriter, no backspace key.

Reminder: Age of Empires Online Shutting Down July 2014

Games For Windows Live may have been a hulking pile of poorly managed trash, but it was the pile of trash keeping Age of Empires Online…online. In case you missed it, earlier in August Microsoft accidentally updated the Age of Empires Online page to reveal that the service is shutting down on July 1st, 2014. The news wasn’t so surprising, after all the development on Age of Empires had ceased, the folks at Gas Powered Games no longer had anything to do with the game by this point, and the game could no longer sell currency or bring in new players due to the GFWL marketplace being shut down.

Games for Windows Live will be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Although it is available through Steam, Age of Empires Online requires features of the Games for Windows Live service. You can continue to enjoy all the features of Age of Empires Online as the service will remain 100% operational until July 1, 2014 when the server will shut down.

While a growing number of Games for Windows Live titles are already jumping ship and heading over to Steam, Age of Empires Online will be left behind to go down with the ship. This will leave Age of Empires Online with a server lifespan of nearly three years, and a development lifespan of sixteen months until development of new content ceased.

Not Massive: Sony Won't Ban You For Early Playing

If my childhood is anything to go off of, Sony’s consistent public contradiction of Microsoft is going to net them a belt buckle to the head, you know once the two are out of the public view. Take Two and Rockstar Games have been going insane with shutting down any outlet for pre-release Grand Theft Auto V goodies, going as far as apparently threatening legal action against some publications. Look around and you’ll find a pile of now banned accounts on Livestream, Youtube, and more.

Microsoft has continued their policy of working in tandem with the publisher and handing out console bans to anyone caught leaking pre-release gameplay, IE: Anyone caught streaming or posting screenshots/captures of their gameplay online. It is important to the conversation to point out that the bans are related to the leaking of game footage before the official street date, and not the mere act of playing the game.

Enter Sony, a company whose past few months of public relations can be whittled down to “the opposite of what Microsoft just said.” Sony is not banning anyone with a legitimate copy of GTA V who post footage of their game online before Tuesday’s launch, a move that will likely net them brownie points with the gaming community if at the expense of Rockstar’s goodwill.

If you do manage to get ahold of a copy, you’re pretty safe as long as you don’t start streaming or leaking footage.

Not Massive: Sony Won’t Ban You For Early Playing

If you do manage to get ahold of a copy, you’re pretty safe as long as you don’t start streaming or leaking footage.

Bethesda Wants Elder Scrolls Online Separated From Xbox Live Fees

Xbox Live Gold requires a monthly subscription in order to play your games online. When you figure that Elder Scrolls Online already has a cover charge of $14.99 a month, this means that Xbox users will be expected to pay 20% more than their PC brethren and possibly PS4 users (Sony has previously said that publishers will decide on the PS+ requirement). The good news is that Bethesda is working behind the scenes to convince Microsoft to give the company a pass. According to Paul Sage from Zenimax:

“we have been in talks with Microsoft about that very thing, and seeing whether or not there’s any room to change their minds about that, for folks who are only paying The Elder Scrolls Online and don’t want to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription, just to pay the Elder Scrolls Online.

Will it work? Probably not, if previous attempts are any indication. Microsoft isn’t exactly known for making exemptions.

(Source: OXM)

Microsoft Retires Microsoft Points

Good news, friends on Xbox. If you own an Xbox360, you probably already knew about this update, but Microsoft has officially retired the Microsoft Point. Instead, players will be happy to see that their local currency will be displayed and used when adding to your account coffers and when determining prices of items on the Xbox Live store.

When you initiate a purchase or redeem a Points card or code with your Microsoft account after the next Xbox 360 system update, we’ll add to your account an amount of currency equal to or greater than the Marketplace value of your Microsoft Points, and your Microsoft Points will be retired. The currency we add to your account at the time of the transition will expire on June 1, 2015. However, the currency you purchase and add to your account after the transition will not expire.

One important piece to note is that apparently Microsoft Point cards (not the new cards) will expire one year after redemption, and the website only guarantees that Microsoft points will be redeemable “until further notice.”

Microsoft Points cards and codes that you purchased and redeem after the transition will expire one year from the date the Points are redeemed.

(Source: Xbox Live FAQ)

Age of Empires Online Isn't Shutting Down, Content Development Ceases

You like Age of Empires Online just the way it is, right? Hopefully you do, because Gas Powered Games has announced that future content development has ceased. A small amount of content will be released in the coming weeks, but after that Age of Empires Online will only see a few small changes to fix bugs as they crop up, as well as maintenance to keep the game running. Following this little bit of content, the game will be set as it is forever. Granted, this doesn’t mean that Age of Empires Online is close to shutting down.

Far from it in fact, rather Microsoft Studios notes in the announcement that nothing will change for current gamers:

However, nothing else changes for players, nothing that currently exists will be removed. You can still play everything you own, earn EP, and purchase any content you do not currently own. We will still fully maintain and support the game and its players; no one is losing anything that you have earned or bought. Our Community team will continue to support the game by way of Community Challenges, streams, contests, PvP tournaments and more.

The cause for the sudden cancellation is due to a reported high cost of developing content for the MMO.

(Age of Empires Blog)

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