MMO

Star Trek Online arms photon torpedoes

Posted Nov 20th 2009 5:30PM by Steven Wong
Filed under: Downloads, MMO, RPG, Trailers, Star Trek Online

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This relatively straightforward trailer for Star Trek Online includes plenty of in-game footage and ship battles to keep fans in anticipation of the upcoming MMO. To learn more about the game and how it plays, check out our hands-on feature.

Download HD Star Trek Online Gameplay Trailer #2 (277 MB)
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Read Star Trek Online Hands-On Feature

Gallery: Star Trek Online

Open beta dates revealed for Star Trek Online

Posted Nov 19th 2009 9:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: Betas, MMO, Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios' upcoming sci-fi MMO Star Trek Online is less than three months away from launching from its virtual drydock If you are not picked to take part in the game's current closed beta test, there's no reason to worry as Cryptic has now announced that they will hold an open beta for the game.

According to a post on the game's official web site the open beta will begin on January 12 with beta keys to be given out on a first come, first served basis. The open beta period will last until January 26 which will give Cryptic a little breathing room until Star Trek Online officially engages (hehe) on February 2.

Gallery: Star Trek Online

Champions Online to deal with a "Confrontation"; free weekend next week

Posted Nov 19th 2009 3:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: Downloads, Expansions, MMO, Champions Online

Cryptic Studios' super hero MMO Champions Online has already had one free content update since its September launch. On Tuesday the game gets a second free update that not only adds new perks and costume sets to the MMO but adds a new lair and adventure as well.

The update is called Nemesis Confrontation and has your noble player characters fighting to get out of an intergalactic prison to deal with their Nemeses, the alien Gladiators and the creature who gathered them together, the super evil Shadow Destroyer. As you can see from the screenshots the Gladiators have some . . . kinky costume styles. If you want to try out the update a little earlier Nemesis Confrontation is currently on Champions Online's test server. In addition to the free update, the entire game will be free to play for any newbies from November 26-30.

Gallery: Champions Online: Nemesis Confrontation

Star Trek Online dev video readies battle stations

Posted Nov 18th 2009 9:30AM by Steven Wong
Filed under: Downloads, MMO, RPG, Video, Star Trek Online

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The universe is a hostile place, and sometimes diplomacy can only go so far, as any experienced star ship captain can attest to. However, new captains don't need to be caught unaware. In this developer video, members of the Cryptic Studios team working on Star Trek Online explain the fundamentals of gameplay in regarding ship-to-ship combat tactics. For starters, players can use phasers to wear down a specific section of the enemy's shields before using photon torpedoes to finish off the job. Yet, there's plenty more covered in this video. Star Trek Online is expected to release in 2010.

Download HD Star Trek Online 'Ship Tactics' Developer Video Part 1 (187 MB)
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Gallery: Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online gameplay trailer demonstrates the thrill of captaining a star ship

Posted Nov 17th 2009 7:45PM by Steven Wong
Filed under: Downloads, MMO, RPG, Trailers, Star Trek Online

Download HD Trailer

This Star Trek Online trailer uses in-game footage to show off the many different aspects of gameplay fans can look forward to in this upcoming MMO. As part of the series, players will be able to command star ships from the bridge, go on away missions, and engage in combat when diplomacy fails. We're wondering exactly how often diplomatic endeavors will be solved using phasers. Star Trek Online is expected to go live in 2010.

Download HD Star Trek Online 'Bridge' Gameplay Trailer (256 MB)
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Gallery: Star Trek Online

Funcom records loss for latest financial quarter

Posted Nov 17th 2009 12:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: Biz, MMO

MMO game developer Funcom continues to have financial problems as shown in their latest economic press release today. The company announced that it had a loss of $9.6 million for the quarter that ended on September 30 compared to a profit of $3.3 million last year. Revenues were down to just $5.7 million for the quarter which is a nearly 69 percent decrease from the same period a year ago.

Nearly two months ago, Funcom cut their work force by 20 percent and announced a delay in the release of their next major MMO project The Secret World. Today they announced that their first free-to-play casual MMO, Pets Vs Monsters, would go into beta testing in December with an official launch in 2010. They also stated that their first major commercial expansion for Age of Conan would launch in the first half of 2010.

Stargate Worlds breaks silence with new screenshots

Posted Nov 16th 2009 8:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO, Screenshots

It's been a long time since the development team at Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment has posted anything progress reports about their long-in-development MMO Stargate Worlds. However late last week they updated their site with not only a news post but brand new screenshots that show the Unreal Engne 3-based game.

The new screenshots focus on the various amor sets that you can use to equip characters in the game. However, that nugget will apparently have to be it for at least a little while longer. The news post claims that the dev team is working on "additional exciting news we will be revealing very soon."

[Via Massively]

Gallery: Stargate Worlds

Rumor: Are these the first Fallout Online screenshots?

Posted Nov 14th 2009 9:00AM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO

Interplay has been releasing some concept artwork on their message boards for the MMO game they are officially calling "Project V13" but is actually their attempt at a Fallout MMO. Now a fan site, The Vault Wiki, claims they have secured the first actual in-game screenshots of the long-in-development title.

The screenshots certainly look like the officiallly released concept artwork. The fan site claims they have received the screenshots from an "anonymous, but reliable source." In fact the site claims the screenshots were submitted by Interplay to prove that work on the Fallout MMO game is underway in their current court fight with Fallout's owners Bethesda Softworks.

Gallery: (Possible) Project V13 Screenshots

Gallery: Project V13 Concept Art

Star Trek Online to feature walk-in starship bridges

Posted Nov 13th 2009 7:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO, Star Trek Online

We have known for some time that Star Trek Online would feature two kinds of modes; starship combat and on foot planetary action. Now the folks at Cryptic Studios have revealed that they will have something that many players have felt was lacking in the game; the way for your avatar to walk around a starship bridge.

As revealed by no less that the Associated Press, the game will have over 20 different types of starship bridges for players to choose from when they design their own Federation starship in the game. The bridge setting will mostly be used for players of the upcoming MMO to chat and socialize. You will be able to say "Engage!" from your own captain's chair when Star Trek Online launches on February 2.

Gallery: Star Trek Online

New Star Trek Online box art is action packed

Posted Nov 13th 2009 5:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO, Star Trek Online

We've mentioned that for the most part the box art for a PC game is usually deathly dull so when we post a news story about one its for a good reason. Developer Cryptic Studios and publisher Atari have just released the final box art for their upcoming MMO Star Trek Online and it's definitely one of the memorable ones.

Indeed, the artwork could have been used for the recent Star Trek movie. The big ships, the big man with his slightly . . . well, you know, large phaser. Below the logo you can see a massive ground battle that no Star Trek movie or TV show has ever depicted. We just hope that the actual game is as good as this box art when it comes out on February 2. Click on the image for much larger look at the artwork.

Gallery: Star Trek Online

Review: League of Legends

Posted Nov 13th 2009 4:00PM by James Murff
Filed under: Features, MMO, RPG, RTS

The Warcraft III map Defense of the Ancients (or DotA) is becoming much more of a separate genre of its own, thanks to the many imitators. One of the first was the game Demigod, created by the folks behind the Total Annihilation and Dungeon Siege games. Now there are a few more, such as Heroes of Newerth. One of the best of these knock-offs, and a game that rivals its inspiration in scope and excellence of execution, is League of Legends. It launched recently with a big celebration, and while it still has some issues that need ironing out, it's easily a retail-class game that any strategy or role-playing fan should give a try.

Continue reading Review: League of Legends

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Interplay releases more "Project V13" concept artwork

Posted Nov 13th 2009 1:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO

Interplay continues to release new concept artwork for the upcoming MMO that they are officially calling "Project V13" but that the rest of the world likely knows as their attempt at a Fallout MMO. On the Interplay forums they have posted up some very early character artwork for the game.

How early? They are so early that you won't actually see these designs in the game itself. As Interplay's Serg Souleiman states on Interplay's message boards, the above art is :" . . . some of the very 1st sketches that I did on this project. We wanted to see what other directions we could push the characters and start pulling them back from there." You can check out all of the released concept artwork for the game in the gallery below.

Gallery: Project V13 Concept Art

City of Heroes adds new Martial Arts booster pack

Posted Nov 13th 2009 9:00AM by John Callaham
Filed under: Downloads, Expansions, MMO

While City of Heroes players are awaiting more word on the release of the super hero MMO's next commercial expansion pack Going Rogue, the development team at Paragon Studios have whipped up a nice mini-expansion for the game. It's the latest in the game's Super Booster packs that this time focuses on martial arts characters.

The $9.99 expansion pack adds a ton of martial arts costume pieces that will allow players to make the ninja or samurai warrior of their dreams in the game. It also comes with new character emotes and even a new power, Ninja Run, that lets you move faster and jump higher than normal. Time to do some slicing and dicing.

Mythic sticks to its guns following EA's newest layoffs

Posted Nov 11th 2009 8:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Mythic Entertainment has reportedly suffered through yet another massive amount of layoffs as part of the plan by its owner Electronic Arts to cut its work force by another 1,500 team members. Fans have already express their worries that Mythic will no longer actively support their MMO game projects, particularly their most recent game Warhammer Online.

Not so, according to Mythic's executive producer Jeff Hickman. In a post on the official Warhammer Online web site he states that the game and the two others under Mythic's wing (Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot) are still alive and well and that Mythic will "continue to improve our games with an exciting schedule of patches, live events and new content." In particular, Hickman states that Warhammer Online's recent "Endless Trial" program has brought in "a flood of new players" to the game. The big question? Will those efforts be enough to get people to sign up for the game?

Gallery: Warhammer Online

Funcom dangles some carrots for old Age of Conan players

Posted Nov 11th 2009 5:30PM by John Callaham
Filed under: MMO

Funcom seems to be trying very hard to get old players of its MMO Age of Conan back on their subscriptions. Today the developer announced that old players in good standing can return to play the game for free for two weeks. They are even throwing in double experience points for your character during the free time period

And that's not all. If you actually decide to come back to the game full time you have some special subscription offers. If you do the regular month-to-month plan you get an extra seven days of game time for free. If you sign up for three months you get the seven free days plus a guarantee to be in the beta test for Funcom's next MMO project The Secret World. Signing up for six months gets those items plus a uber cool in-game helmet. Going all out with a year's subscription gets you all of the previous offers plus free access to the game's upcoming expansion Rise of the Godslayer.

Gallery: Age of Conan