Blizzard, NCsoft talent form developer En Masse Entertainment The MMO industry, despite some setbacks over the past year or so, has been growing at a steady rate for some time and doesn't show much sign of slowing. It's hard to argue that two of the most influential companies in that success have been Blizzard Entertainment and NCsoft, with the former keeping a stable of several successful games and the latter running a game well-known enough to not need a mention.
	The Road to Mordor: Massively tour of LotRO Volume III Book 1 Lord of the Rings Online Volume III: Allies of the King is kicking off Book 1: Oath of the Rangers on the live servers this Monday, March 1st. Massively got to sit down with a LotRO dev for a tour of the new content. But before we jump in to that, a quick note about content patches.
	Turbine sees 500% revenue growth with DDO: Unlimited For all that the Penny Arcade guys may have made a joke about the old Dungeons and Dragons Online format, there's no disputing that the change to a hybrid free-to-play model has given the game a new lease on life. Groups aren't hard to find; the cities are bustling; and players have great things to say about their hybrid model which allows you to either work for rewards or pay a small fee for the level of content you want.
	The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements After a month of heavy anticipation from the fans, VanaFest 2010 finally has come and given us all the information that we could want about where the game is heading from here. And the show did stay focused upon Final Fantasy XI -- the only mention of Final Fantasy XIV was the announcement that its first wave of beta testing will start on March 11th with a limited number of participants.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Making it as an MMO blogger: The bloggers speak up You may remember a few weeks ago when we interviewed a handful of community managers on the topic of developer/blogger relations. This topic was first initiated by Ravious at Kill Ten Rats, and the response was overall very positive. Several of the Massively readers commented and emailed us saying that they'd like to see the flip side of these interviews, to get the blogger's perspective.
	An interview with the most influential women in MMO development It's not often that we get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes operations of an MMO, but when we do, we can appreciate the real people seen creating our favorite games. Included in this pool of development talent are more than just the stereotypes you would see on TV or film, depicting nerdy men with thick glasses and severe hygiene problems. There are nerdy women making these games too!
	Allods Online responds to player concern over cash shop As we reported earlier this morning, the Allods Online item shop went live during open beta today, but the player feedback wasn't exactly positive. The main issue here being what fans felt were unusually high prices for in-game items.
	LFM: Massively is looking for a few good bloggers! Are you passionate about your favorite MMO? Do you have a particular skill with the written word? We're looking to expand our ranks with a few MMO-loving columnists, and if you answer yes to both of those questions, we want to hear from you.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Star Trek Online's producer: "In hindsight, it was pretty darn risky" Star Trek Online hit some pretty major windfalls, even disregarding the fact that it's built on a popular intellectual property with legions of dedicated fans. It launched during a timeframe when there were no other major releases scheduled, came out not too long after a very popular movie in the franchise, and caught a lot of exposure with its open beta. And as executive producer Craig Zinkievich points out in a new interview, the entire operation relied not just on hard work, but also on luck.
	Champions Online expansion is now free A lot of upset has been swirling around the Champions Online community lately. Much of it has been due to the announcement of a paid zone expansion and implementation of a "Kitchen Sink" patch that was pushed out too soon. In an effort to heal wounds and correct mistakes, Cryptichas released a new State of the Game targeted at addressing player concerns.
	Warhammer Online reveals new Scenario structure People were not happy with the first version of Warhammer Online's plan to streamline the game's Scenarios to create a better structure. They were so not happy, in fact, that Mythic Entertainment decided it was better form to pull their original plans, wipe the slate clean, and start over with a clearer picture. And it seems to have worked, as Andy Belford has announced the revised plan for the scenarios as a whole. The result is a slightly larger list, but one with a bit more variety between tiers and a clearer picture of what the development team wanted to accomplish.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Tips for a WoW player in EverQuest II Greetings and fair travels to you, adventurers. Once again it is I, Seccia Ravenloft, here to present this week's look into the world of Norrath. Now, from what these humans on this spiderweb site tell me, some of you are more familiar with other worlds than you are with Norrath. Blasphemy, I say! This week, I wish to mend that little problem of yours by teaching you how to adapt quickly to our world, lest you coddle yourself with the pillow armor other worlds offer you.
	Making it as an MMO blogger: An interview with top community managers Ahh, that eternal debate about what differentiates a gaming blogger from a gaming journalist. We could go on and on about specifics on both sides, but the fact is, we all have the same goals in mind: writing about what we love.
	Free Realms reaches 8 million registered accounts No matter which way you spin it, 8 million accounts is a ton of accounts. Free Realms has recently hit that magical milestone, celebrating a huge amount of fan interest in the game and a recent nomination for Best New Social/Online game in the Game Developer's Choice Awards. In fact, it's the only traditional MMO to be nominated for an award this year (outside of Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online.)
	Warhammer 40k MMO to be fully revealed this summer Have you been looking forward to the Warhammer 40K MMO for what feels like forever? The people at THQ have been offering up small pieces of information since they announced the game a few years ago -- last April we finally got a release year of 2012, and just in December we were given some beautiful concept art.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Editorial: What could Apple's new iPad mean for MMOs? If you consider yourself any type of technophile at all, you're probably well aware of Apple's announcement yesterday regarding their new iPad. This is basically the love child of an iPod Touch and a tablet PC, allowing users to take a fairly powerful slab of computing power with them wherever they go. While it might not be as beefy as your desktop machine or even a mid-range laptop, it has caused a giant wave of interest from consumers. So how does this affect us, as MMO gamers? We're glad you asked!
	LotRO announces Volume III, Book 1: Oath of the Rangers Lord of the Rings Online fans have been speculating for a while, wondering what the name of Volume III, Book 1 was going to be. Turbine's Sapience has been giving increasingly specific hints in a hangman-style game in the forums. Now the game's over, he's had his fun, and we have a title. Volume 3:Allies of the King, Book 1: Oath of the Rangers is on the way, bringing with it plenty of new additions to the game.
	Leadership tips from a former roleplaying raid officer "Roleplaying" and "raid" both in the same sentence? Blasphemy! Yet, that was my position back in World of Warcraft, and I certainly roleplayed while participating in PvP and massive PvE (almost akin to raids) in The Matrix Online before its demise. Before all of that, I was a roleplaying guild leader in Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Online, so I've been around guilds for a long, long time.
	The 'Next Big Thing' in MMOs Is All Points Bulletin the "Next Big Thing" in MMOs? While I'm fully aware that Realtime Worlds doesn't specifically prefer to associate the game with this genre, it's very much a part of it -- but it also orbits the fringes of what we commonly refer to as a massively multiplayer online game.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Captain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online Perhaps you've been hearing a lot of buzz about Star Trek Online lately. Or, perhaps you're reading this article in the year 2018, after the robots have begun their bloody revolt. Either way, you've never been way into Star Trek, but find yourself curious about this new MMO based on the franchise. In that cast, this iteration of Captain's Log is just for you.
	Court documents say Bethesda's MMO already under dev, rumor says it's Elder Scrolls In this most recent round of court scuffles between Interplay and Bethesda over the Fallout MMO rights, it would seem that some details are coming to light about what's going on at Bethesda's MMO "branch", Zenimax Media. According to filings, the word is that there are close to 100 people working on an MMO that costs "tens and tens of millions of dollars" and has been under development since late 2006.
	The sounds of Guild Wars 2: a Q&A with ArenaNet's Audio Director A recent discussion has been going on regarding sound effects and ambient sounds, with everyone generally agreeing that those details are a wonderful addition to a game environment -- the more the better. Guild Wars is a game that already does this well, with details such as a change in the sound of footsteps depending on the surface one is walking on. Fans have the expectation and hope that things will be even better in Guild Wars 2.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Captain's Log: Community guide to Star Trek Online We aim to inform and entertain here at Massively, and the same can be said of our Star Trek Online coverage. This is the first in a new ongoing feature entitled -- as you can plainly see -- Captain's Log. However, as a regular column you can expect guides, tips, op-eds and community spotlights. I've opted to kick this one off with a community guide to the game, as it's arguably one of the most useful things for anyone interested in learning more about the people playing a game.
	Exclusive Allods Online dev tour: Astral Ships and the end game explained Earlier this week, the team at Allods Online were kind enough to sit down and walk me through some of the highest-level areas in the game. Knowing that I'm already an avid fan of the game, it was exciting for us both to "talk shop" for a bit. It was especially exciting to see some features of the end game that not too many North American players have seen up to this point. Of course, I'm talking about Astral Ships and the end game.
	Bioware confirms 2011 SWTOR release Yesterday we talked about a rumor that had been floating around thanks to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello, who had mentioned the spring 2011 launch of an unnamed MMO on a recent conference call. Of course, the Star Wars: The Old Republic rumor mill sprang into action, with good cause as it turns out.
	Seven tips for Star Trek Online newbies There's certainly a lot of lesser known MMO concepts to learn in Star Trek Online, and there's also some familiar aspects as well. With open beta ongoing and launch looming, this guide is here to help brand new players ease into the swing of things. We'll cover the odd class system, progression and several other tips and suggestions for those of you just beginning your venture into a galaxy full of Gorn raiders, Orion slavers and uh, Tribbles.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Rumor: Blizzard's next MMO to be an MMOFPS Yep, another MMO rumor for you guys about the Blizzard's next title. While Blizzard has been very adamant in saying that their next MMO would be very different from World of Warcraft, there might be more difference here than just the game's setting.
	CES 2010: LEGO Universe unveils trailer full of zombie pirate awesome As if the idea behind the LEGO Universe MMO wasn't already pretty awesome in our books, this shiny new trailer straight from the CES floor has cranked up the previous levels of awesome to 11. In the new launch trailer we're treated to zombie pirates, ninjas, characters building race cars in bullet-time, rockets, and all manner of other cool-looking LEGO craziness.
	Funcom threatening to delete noob Age of Conan characters When it comes to character deletions, just about every MMO out there has a clause in their Terms of Service that indicates they have the right to delete your characters at any time and for no reason whatsoever. With that said, there are very few companies that choose to exercise that right.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Hands-on with Star Trek Online's early levels There's been a lot of Star Trek Online coverage lately here at Massively, which is only normal given the looming early February release date. This particular feature is a look at the game over the course of around seven or eight "levels" of play. Sadly, that means I haven't acquired my first non-starter ship, although that goal will soon be reached even if it costs me more sleep. Still, you should check out the brand new beta gallery, because I was still able to catch plenty of cool stuff -- plus a classic Enterprise.
	How the game of the decade haunts us Yesterday I posted the interesting find that Gamasutra readers had voted in World of Warcraft as the game of the decade, which inevitably caused a huge spark of rage in the comments. Some readers lashed out against WoW while other readers defended the game's award. Needless to say, this is a very opinionated topic on our site.
	Avatar: Why does this movie look so familiar? If you're one of the few people who has not heard the buzz about Avatar yet, we'll catch you up by saying that the film's beauty is all anyone can talk about. MMO players discussing the movie will follow that observation up almost immediately with "...and did you notice how much it looks like [insert game of choice here]?"
	The overwhelming power of community "Without you, none of this would be possible!" While this saying is true for most things in the entertainment industry, it's mandatory for MMOs. A single-player game can make that initial retail box sale and never worry about keeping anyone happy after that, if they don't want to. Sure, most single-player game developers understand that they want their customers to be happy in case there's a sequel or future downloadable content, but for the most part, they can do alright with a relatively low maintenance developer-community relationship. Of course this isn't true at all for MMOs.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Preview of character creation in Final Fantasy XIV The start of the beta signups for Final Fantasy XIV was certainly good news for the many people anticipating the game next year, but it didn't exactly pierce the fog surrounding the game. Square-Enix, of course, has always played their cards close to their chest when handing out previews, but there's still so much more to learn about the game and a number of curious people.
	Hands-on with Klingons and PvP in Star Trek Online If there's one thing that's almost more synonymous with Star Trek than classic catch phrases, it's the Klingons. They are the Captain Hook to the Federation's Peter Pan and thus it's important to several potential players that Star Trek Online do them justice.
	Metaplace announces January 1st shutdown The Metaplace development team made the announcement today that no fan of a game likes to hear: "Today we have unfortunate news to share with the Metaplace community. We will be closing down our service on January 1, 2010 at 11:59pm Pacific." The bottom line to the reasoning behind the decision is that Metaplace simply is not making enough headway to be a viable (read: profitable) product.
	Vanguard paints a rocky road to come in the year ahead In a recent announcement to the Vanguard community, the team has decided to be as frank as possible and outline the road map for the game in the year ahead. Due to limited resources and a new focus on bug elimination over ambitious content releases, some of the game's anticipated updates are being shelved indefinitely. Those features include the Halls of Shattered Souls, Pankhor Zhi, Nexus, and the anticipated "alternate advancement" system.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Massively's 2009 Winter Holiday Event Guide It's that time of year again -- whatever holiday you are celebrating, the denizens of your favorite MMO are sure to be celebrating it too. Whether it's Festivult in Dungeons and Dragons Online, Wintersday in Guild Wars, or the Starlight Celebration in Final Fantasy XI, the theme is the same. There are presents, some sort of sugary treats, and tons of fun.
	Massively's Guild Wars costume set giveaway With this year's Wintersday in Guild Wars comes quite a few new features to the game. One of the most significant is the costuming system. These costumes allow your character to dress as they like with costumes that fit into special costume slots, not affecting your normal armor stats.
	Free Realms Introduces player-to-player real money transactions Sony Online Entertainment is taking an interesting step to help cut down on fraud and gold farming: beating them at their own game. As of today, if you are a Free Realms player over the age of 18 you have the option to use Live Gamer Exchange (LGX), a RMT service set up to allow players to trade virtual goods in Free Realms for real world cash.
	Too late to start playing Lord of the Rings Online? The trouble with any long-running game is that it gets top-heavy. This is especially a problem in games such as Final Fantasy XI, where you simply have to group to accomplish most things in the game, but it's really a problem even in the most solo-friendly game with an expansion or two. After all, more often than not there's an ever-raising level cap, gear curve, and expected knowledge about the game, not to mention stretches of previously endgame content that's no longer relevant.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Is Fallen Earth our answer to a Wild West MMO? I grew up on Clint Eastwood movies. I grew up on Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings songs about cowboy career prevention. Gunsmoke, A Fistful of Dollars and anything else by Sergio Leone are what helped mold my appreciation for what we refer to as the American Wild West.
	Age of Conan offer unlimited free trial With the Age of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer approaching, opportunities for new and returning players to explore the game (or revisit it) have been more frequent than usual these days. The latest offer comes via FilePlanet. If you're a FilePlanet subscriber, you can play the first part of the game for free in an unlimited trial.
	Nearly three-fifths of users buy items in free-to-play games There's a strong sense in most free-to-play games that the playerbase consists of two people: those who refuse to pay any money unless absolutely necessary, and those who will happily part with their income on a voluntary basis. This is largely true. What's apparently less true is the notion which goes hand-in-hand, that there are a decided minority of players forking over cash for in-game perks.
	Runic Games talks Torchlight, the upcoming MMO, Diablo comparisons, more Can't wait for Diablo III? Try Torchlight. The single-player action-RPG, available for just 20 bucks via digital distribution, has got PC gamers talking. But why should Massively readers care, you ask? Because eventually, in about two years or so, developer Runic Games will make it a full-fleged MMO.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Analyzing the newest Guild Wars 2 trailer ArenaNet has a very early, very wonderful holiday gift for Guild Wars fans this morning: a brand new Guild Wars 2 trailer. (Take a moment to cheer, then we'll move on.) The trailer is amazingly beautiful, something we've come to expect from ArenaNet and particularly Guild Wars 2.
	Massively's End-of-the-Year Reader's Choice Awards The end of 2009 is almost upon us, and Arthur C. Clarke's dreams are all about to come true in less than a month. It's been an interesting year for MMOs, including everything from Tabula Rasa's official closure to the launch of LotRO's second paid expansion. While it's inevitable that the Massively staff all have their own favorite games in several different categories, we figured it would be best to get the readers involved this year.
	Hands-on with Star Trek Online's space combat Space battles in Star Trek Online are going to be a big selling point for many a Trek fan. I recently got some hands-on time with the closed beta and found several interesting talking points to deliver like hot fresh delicious phasered pizza. I imagine some of you are quite up to snuff on the basics of combat in Star Trek Online, so if you find your interest waning I suggest skipping ahead into the analytical aspect of this feature.
	MMO developers speak on the state of betas Is beta testing something of a mystery to you? Do you wonder about the how and why of a developer's beta process? Well, you're in for a treat! We recently got in touch with several MMO developers to ask them each a series of questions about MMO beta testing. In this feature you'll find opinions from Cryptic Studios, Fallen Earth LLC, Mythic Entertainment, Turbine, Runic Games and Hi-Rez Studios.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Boobs and you This week's topic is one that's near and dear to my heart. Well, it's near to my heart, at least, and I mean that quite literally. It's also a perfect topic for today's holiday! I mean, who doesn't like to talk about large breasts on Thanksgiving? (Score one for the terrible synonym.)
	Disguising the grind Believe it or not, grind is an essential part of an MMO and we might be pretty lost without it. Repetitive content is the cornerstone of the MMO genre but it's not all just smacking monsters over the head for hours on end or completing yet another "kill ten rats" quest. The repetitive elements in an MMO give us predictable gameplay in a form we can digest.
	The trouble with goals in MMOs One of the major problems of a game in which you can do anything is that... well, there's not necessarily much of a reason to do anything. That's a Terrible Idea recently had an interesting piece on the difficulty of generating goals and objectives in MMOs, especially in contrast with single-player games where your goals are equally pre-generated.
	The9 sees enormous drop in profits after split with Blizzard In a news story that we're sure will surprise precisely nobody at all, The9 -- China's previous operator for World of Warcraft -- has reported a serious decline in profits for this last quarter. Since last year when The9 still had World of Warcraft in its stable of games to now, they have seen a staggering 94% drop in revenue.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	A visual tour of LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood If you haven't had a chance to see Turbine's latest creation, check out our video tour of the expansion just after the jump below. Also, be sure to watch Massively for more coverage on Siege of Mirkwood from now to December 1st and beyond!
	Win 15 months of EVE Online gametime with Massively We let you know earlier this week that Massively is running a contest where you can win up to 15 months of EVE Online game time! We're kicking this off today, and the contest will run over two weeks leading up to the Dominion expansion launch.
	MMOrigins: The only living boy in Vana'diel When I was still young, I was out on a walk with my father in the woods next to my great-aunt's house. The woods were an offshoot of the Devil's Hopyard state park, which meant that they were old and vast. As the family often congregated around the house, there were a number of paths we knew that wove their way through the forest, but I remember where we always stopped, and I remember the day when I asked what was further along.
	Star Trek Online open beta dates announced According to a press release put out today, Star Trek Online will hold its open beta from January 12th through January 26th. There are some preorder deals that will give you an open beta key, and there are bound to be numerous opportunities to win one at various spots around the net.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	First Impressions: Allods Online In this one for gPotato's upcoming free-to-play Allods Online, we did something a bit different. Instead of just a write-up, we've also done a short video to show the visual side of our impressions. Why? Because Allods Online deserves it, in our opinion. Keep reading after the jump for the embedded video and a brief run-down of what we thought.
	Massively's Star Trek Online community Q&A: Space combat! The subject of this week's Star Trek Online community Q&A is probably one of the most popular considering its importance in the game. In fact, we're well aware that many questions in last week's inaugural first post were about space combat. So while we couldn't address those last week, we certainly can do so now!
	Anti-Aliased: We put the no in innovation David is a person who I certainly admire, as he was the brain behind Istaria, and he really presented some very innovative gameplay mechanics in that game. Alganon, however, is not innovative nor is it cutting edge. It is, quite frankly, another World of Warcraft. Something that, in my opinion, this genre does not need another of.
	Massively interviews WAR's producer on the future of the game Warhammer Online has gone through big changes recently, both in-game and out. Mythic recently released the title's 1.3.2 patch, which had some controversial changes, and this week we learned that staffers at the studio were let go as part of Electronic Arts' new business strategy.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	It's official: Star Trek Online releases February 2nd, 2010 It looks like the rumors were true and Star Trek Online will indeed be hitting in early February, 2010. The dates are February 2nd in North America and February 5th in Europe, so start warming up your nacelles now because it won't be long before we'll all be warping into Cryptic's first non-superhero title.
	Star Wars: The Old Republic reveals Imperial Agent its newest class We've got Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, Bounty Hunter, Sith Warrior, and now Imperial Agent. BioWare revealed the sixth class for Star Wars: The Old Republic today on their forums. This news comes as absolutely no surprise to those who attended the EA Press Tour earlier this week -- they enjoyed advance information from producer Blaine Christine.
	80 more layoffs hit Warhammer Online developers Gamasutra is reporting that another 80 layoffs have hit Mythic Entertainment as well as several other Electronic Arts studios, although Mythic was the only MMO group to feel the sting of sudden unemployment. That would equate to 40% of the team, which would make for a brutal staff blow. Our best wishes go out to everyone finding themselves without a job and we sincerely hope they all find steady work as soon as possible.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Welcome to Massively's third year! Massively.com officially turns two years old today, and while that may be quite young for an MMO news site, we'd like to think we've really made a name for ourselves in that time. Starting out as the secret love child of Second Life Insider, WoW Insider (now WoW.com) and the rest of the Joystiq network, we've come a long way in our 730 days.
	Demo impressions of Star Trek Online from Eurogamer Expo 2009 We recently mentioned that Star Trek Online fans would get a chance to play through a demo of the game at Eurogamer Expo last week. One of the first reports we've read about the Star Trek Online demo comes from Oli Welsh at Eurogamer who was uniquely positioned to check out the game (it was their Expo after all.) Welsh begins by writing, "Trekkies can put one fear to rest right now: Star Trek Online feels just like Star Trek."
	The perils of MMO tourism MMOs are a big business these days. This hasn't always been the case -- Ultima Online might have been the first real game of the genre, but it didn't make everyone want to build a competitor. It was the success of World of Warcraft that really opened up the idea that there was a huge amount of money to be made from the genre, and that in turn has brought almost everyone to the table in a rush to build a game, find a method that works, and try to hook as many subscribers as possible.
	Massively's Star Trek Online beta interview With beta now beginning, we shot some relevant questions at Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich, executive producer on Star Trek Online. He gave us his insight on what the team's goals are during beta and what some of their toughest challenges were from their point of view. Plus, we even got him to spill the beans on when Klingons would be entering the fray for beta testers -- hopefully the rest of us get to see and hear more about the warrior race soon thereafter.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood developer tour If you've been faithfully following along with the Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood beta, you may be excited by what you've heard -- or even seen yourself -- so far. The new expansion, which is set to launch on December 1st of this year (December 3rd for EU), centers around the forest of Mirkwood, just to the east of Lothlorien.
	GameX 2009: Massively.com talks with The Guild GameX 2009 was insane this weekend and we were all over the place, but one of the first groups that we set a chunk of time aside for was Jeff Lewis (Vork), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), and Robin Thorsen (Clara) from The Guild. We weren't missing out on catching up with those three.
	A look back at Aion's first month and impressions 43,829 minutes. That's roughly how long Aion's been out in the West. Depending on your tolerance for grinding, it may or may not have felt like that amount of time passed. There's no doubt it's been a busy month full of ups and downs, so we'd like to take an extensive look back at the last 30-days and give our impressions on the game.
	Star Trek Online closed beta has begun The Star Trek Online closed beta has officially begun as of today, October 22, Cryptic Studios announced. Rekhan from Cryptic Studios writes: "If you've signed up, keep an eye on your email, as we'll periodically be inviting people to join in and share their feedback." He also pointed out that the "Closed Beta" graphic seen on the game's homepage will change to read "ACCEPTED" in big, bold letters once you're in.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	All Points Bulletin closed beta has begun Urban crime (game) enthusiasts, rejoice! The All Points Bulletin closed beta has begun, according to reports at both Eurogamer and Kotaku. It was rumored that the beta would begin this month and it seems there are presently three windows of gameplay a week in the All Points Bulletin CBT -- Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, says Eurogamer's Oli Welsh. Those interested in ripping up the streets as either a Criminal or an Enforcer can still apply to become an All Points Bulletin beta tester at the game's official site.
	Fallen Earth fan: "Don't play Fallen Earth" You should most definitely not be playing Fallen Earth. How can you tell? Why, because Bio Break recently posted a long article explaining exactly why you shouldn't be playing it. And this isn't coming from a fan who's just disgruntled about a certain update or class rebalancing (though the latter would be pretty funny) -- it's from one of the game's most adamant fans who has no shortage of good things to say about the game. So why would he tell you not to play the game?
	We're missing something in our MMOs Game design has certainly come a long way from Ultima Online, the first real example of what we now think of as the MMO genre. We've gone from games with no restrictions on behaviors to games where it's almost impossible to be truly horrid to other people, from ones without any real structure to a clean path of progression, from obtuse game mechanics to transparent and clear information.
	Stargate Worlds site returns, but funding still tight Over the weekend the Stargate Worlds site had planned a bit of maintenance which took their site offline on the 9th. From what we know now, the plan was that they would be migrating servers since they've been experiencing problems with their hosting. Many expected the site to be back up within a day or so - a normal time-frame for a DNS change and many cases of forum maintenance.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	MMOGs rated in Australia. Warcraft a bit late, no sign of Conan, Warhammer Back at the end of January, after we spent months investigating, talking to the Australian Classification Board, and both State and Federal Australian Attorneys General offices, it became clear that an apparent discrepancy in Australian games ratings was no discrepancy.
	Exclusive interview with Aion Producer Brian Knox We submitted a few questions to NCsoft back when players were taking their first baby steps into the strange and lush world of Atreia. Things have obviously been a bit hectic these past couple weeks but Aion Producer Brian Knox took some time out today to answer them for us. Thanks Brian!
	Choose my Adventure: Dungeons and Dragons Online Last week we ended our Lord of the Rings Online edition of Choose my Adventure with the retirement of Gibbi the Hobbit in his very own hobbit hole. This week, the votes have been counted and it appears that Dungeons and Dragons Online will be the next game in which I'll spend the next two months.
	The top five Guild Wars features we take for granted Guild Wars was my introduction into MMO gaming. My husband heard of it on a podcast and decided to check it out. I got curious, asked him if I could try it, and never looked back. My outgoing, chatty personality combined with my love of computer games made MMO gaming an irresistible new world to explore. With all the recent (long-awaited) news of Guild Wars 2, this seemed like a great time to take a look back at some of the features of Guild Wars that are rarely found in other games of its type.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Age of Conan's patch plans laid out Timelines are always subject to change, but it's still nice to know them, right? Age of Conan's patching timeline was just laid out by community manager Oliver "Tarib" Kunz in an informal manner on the forums. Patch 1.05.6 is currently on the test server, and it will be staying there for about another 2 weeks before it makes its way to the live servers, barring any unforseen testing mishaps, of course. That's the patch that has the new Iron Tower instance and the veteran rewards system.
	Star Trek Online offers five exclusive screenshots to Massively every Monday until launch This will be a weekly thing up until the launch of Star Trek Online, so keep your eyes peeled every Monday for a glimpse at something new to whet your Trek appetite. Hopefully we'll be able to help sate it, but if nothing else, at least there'll be pretty space ships to ogle on a regular basis.
	EVE Fanfest 2009 highlights The biggest player gathering of the year for EVE Online fans is EVE Fanfest, held annually in the CCP Games hometown of Reykjavik. Some interesting announcements of what's to come have been made over the past few days, as well as more details or clarification on previously announced aspects of both EVE Online and DUST 514.
	Embracing the Sith in Star Wars: The Old Republic Everyone is worried about the Jedi player population when it comes to Star Wars: The Old Republic, but the Sith are in every way a likely -- if not more so -- threat. With franchise analogs like Vader and Maul, there's going to be a lot of people auto-running around the game to the tune of Imperial March.
	All Points Bulletin beta kicks off next week, new gameplay footage released All Points Bulletin from Realtime Worlds is eagerly anticipated by the GTA and Saints Row set, bringing much greater online interaction to the urban crime game genre. All Points Bulletin has been accepting beta applications and, according to Gamesindustry.biz, the beta will begin next week. They report that Realtime Worlds CEO Gary Dale mentioned the beta going live during Tech Media Invest 2009 in London.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Wishes do come true, Planetside 2 "X game sounds a lot like Planetside. I wish they'd make a sequel to that game." is something we've heard over the years as similar-yet-different titles have been announced and released. Well who says wishes don't come true? As it turns out, SOE is planning to "expand the Planetside universe with another game" and is asking players of the original for their input via survey.
	Rumor: Imminent closed beta announcement for Star Wars: The Old Republic? Bioware might have tipped their hand accidentally today as they briefly updated the Star Wars: The Old Republic website with a call for testers for the highly anticipated MMO. The announcement only lasted a few minutes before being taken down off of the site, indicating an accidental posting.
	Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in What does "MMO" mean anymore? When we launched our "Redefining MMO" series over the summer, we began with a look at the terminology behind the games we play -- what the term "MMO" encompasses and what kinds of games it describes. But with the online games market expanding into new genres and incorporating new gameplay and social elements, the definition of "MMO" has changed. So is it time for a new word?
	Runes of Magic Warden class overview We've already covered the new Druid class that came with the The Elven Prophecy update to Runes of Magic this month. Now we explore the other new class, the Warden. This class relies on their blade to inflict damage on their foes. It's not a ranged attack class as it does not rely on the bow, it is a melee attack class. They also use their summonable nature spirits for quite a bit of DPS as well as their self-only utility and protection buffs.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	A WoW player's guide to Aion So, you're a big fan of World of Warcraft (or at least you were at one time) and you've heard about this new MMO called Aion. "Hmmm, I wonder what that's all about?" you ponder. "Anything similar?" you posit. "What's so different?" Well, we've written a WoW player's guide to Aion just for you! Sit back with a cup o' joe, while we compare and contrast the two MMOs for you.
	A WoW player's guide to Fallen Earth At Massively, we like to focus on making more MMOs accessible to more people. That accessibility to other MMOs is initially started by the 800 lb gorilla: World of Warcraft. Without WoW, a large percentage of MMO players would not be enjoying their current game today, even if they haven't stuck by WoW this whole time.
	Massively's Aion and Fallen Earth launch day schedule As we mentioned on Friday, we are excited to join you in-game for the launches of both Aion and Fallen Earth tomorrow. We'll have staff in both games, ready to group up and play with any readers who want to experience the beginning areas with other readers. In addition to this, we'll have contests, giveaways and prizes to those who attend or meet-up with us.
	The Aion server queue survival guide So you pre-ordered Aion and you're super excited to jump into the game during the headstart release that's going on right now. You've set aside a whole block of time for your game play, you have your snacks at your side and your DVR ready to play some great entertainment while you grind your night away. You type in your username and password, accept the EULA, select the server that you made your character on during the pre-selection annnndd..... ...you get slapped in the face with a 2 hour wait time.
	Redefining MMOs: The Shooter Invasion The MMO industry is always changing, and if we're going to stay ahead of the curve, we need to re-evaluate some of our views and ingrained notions from time to time. The Redefining MMOs series at Massively is our look at the state of massively multiplayer online games as it is today, and where we see it going. This week we're going to look at how shooters have invaded the MMO space, give you a run-down of some promising MMO shooters on the horizon, and finally tackle the question of whether or not they should be covered here at Massively.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively - Double launch day edition originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	PAX 2009: Dark mysteries of The Secret World So, you may have heard: Funcom is taking famous myths, urban legends, pop culture, history and even things like the Rota Fortunae and blending it all into a game called The Secret World. We sat down with lead designer Martin Brusgaar and creative director Ragnar Tornquist at PAX 2009 to discuss the game and a few of its many secrets.
	Common questions for new DDO Unlimited players Having spent the last few days in Turbine's newly-Free To Play DDO Unlimited, I asked and answered the same handful of questions a brain-numbing number of times. To spare the chat channel on your server the spam, I've listed many of the most common ones here. If the questions keep popping up while you are adventuring on Korthos, feel free to help out with the answers in the General or Advice chat channels.
	PAX 2009: Hands-on and phasers locked with Star Trek Online We stopped by Cryptic's booth at PAX 2009 for a chance to speak with the Executive Producer for Star Trek Online Craig Zinkievich, and obviously to get our hands on the game as well. Well, turns out our demands were acceptable, and we got to both play the game and prod at Craig with our incessant "questions" for your -- and of course our own -- pleasure.
	PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer Age of Conan came to PAX pretty much directly off their announcement of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion. So when we arrived at our appointment to check the game out and speak with Executive Producer Craig Morrison, you can imagine our curiosity levels were quite high.
	DragonCon 2009: Interview with Global Agenda At Dragon*Con this year, we had the chance to grab a quick video interview with Stew Chisam, VP of Game Operations at Hi-Rez Studios. Following two successful closed beta weekends, and some wonderful demos at Dragon*Con and PAX, Stew was happy to tell us how things are going in the progression of Global Agenda.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour Love can sometimes be a fickle thing, but I'm pretty sure that I love what Turbine has done with the DDO Store in Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited. I'll admit that initially I was a little concerned with the concept of an in-game store, but after playing with it at bit and asking some questions my fears have pretty much melted away.
	Massively Speaking Episode 57: DDO with Jerry Snook Massively Speaking Episode 57 returns this week with an entire episode dedicated to Dungeons and Dragons Online and their recent announcement about going free-to-play. Shawn is joined by DDOCast host Jerry Snook as they discuss the ins and outs, good and bad of a 3-year-old game going F2P.
	The pros and cons of free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online Dungeons and Dragons Online going free to play is undoubtedly an awesome announcement. But exactly how awesome of an announcement is it? Yesterday we were all over the announcement, covering the basics of what can be expected with this changeover from subscription based to free to play. But now, I'd like to break that down even further, and really look at the changes in an in-depth manner.
	DDO goes F2P: An interview with Turbine As the news hit yesterday concerning Dungeons and Dragons Online going free-to-play, many MMO gamers collectively rejoiced, while others didn't. The idea of this hybrid business model is wonderful for those who have yet to experience DDO, as it now gives them a chance to play the game as long as they'd like, with no level cap restrictions for absolutely no cost. This means no credit card info changing hands, no commitments to a monthly fee and the implied need to "get your money's worth" and no real need to quit the game if you can't afford it. But it can't be that easy, can it? Well, there's a slight catch.

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Massively's Dungeons and Dragons Unlimited launch day round-up originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	PAX 2009: Massively interviews BioWare and LucasArts on SWTOR PAX 2009 played host to the first North American public demo for Star Wars: The Old Republic and by the cheering and applause of a packed theater at Sunday's stage demo, we'd say it went exceedingly well. Luckily for us, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with LucasArts producer Jake Neri and BioWare producer Blaine Christine.
	A WoW players guide to Champions Online We're sure many of you have noticed that Champions Online coverage has increased lately, primarily because the game just launched. Since many of you are current or former World of Warcraft players with another year before Cataclysm launches, we've constructed a handy guide to help you figure out if this game is something you'd be interested in playing.
	PAX 2009: All about LotRO's upcoming expansion: Siege of Mirkwood This last weekend at PAX 2009 we had the opportunity to sit down with Lord of the Rings Online's executive producer Jeffrey Steefel. He gave us a sneak peek at some of the new zone and instanced content coming in Siege of Mirkwood, as well as many of the new features. So if you're skeptical or just plain curious, we think you'll be most intrigued to see what knowledge we've uncovered after venturing deep into Mirkwood and all the way into Sauron's fortress of Dol Guldur.
	Everything Aion: Five things you need to know about surviving in Atreia With NCsoft's release of Aion coming up on the 22nd and 25th September in North America and Europe, we thought we had better give you the basics on the land of Atreia ahead of the open beta which begins today. So, we're going to give you all the info you need to dive into their beautifully detailed world. After the jump, we're going to look at the five things you need to know if you've never played Aion before.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively - PAX Edition originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	EVE Online announces Dominion expansion, 'Walking in Stations' renamed Incarna CCP Games has announced their 11th free expansion for EVE Online, called "Dominion." As the name suggests, the winter expansion focuses on territories and player control over them. We're told that the Dominion expansion focuses on conquering and holding space, and will feature a reworking of the sovereignty system of territorial control for player alliances.
	Meet the Massively team at DragonCon '09 As we are just now recovering from BlizzCon and GamesCom last week, we realize we're not even close to being through the summer convention season yet. DragonCon in Atlanta, GA and PAX in Seattle, WA both start next week, and you can bet there are more than a few of us at Massively who will be attending these major conferences.
	SWTOR's Sith Warrior detailed, cataloged Gamescom provided us with plenty of information on the newly revealed Sith Warrior class for Star Wars: The Old Republic. So much is already known, making the newly revealed official web page feel like a safe place to keep all that information rather than a source of geeky revelation.
	Devs spill the beans on LEGO Universe Wired.com's GeekDad blogger Curtis Silver has taken some time to sit down with LEGO Universe's Producer, Ryan Seabury, and the games development team. The lengthy interview was posted earlier this week and really gets under the skin of this odd little MMO. Silver also snagged two new exclusive screenshots and states that "LEGO Universe will bridge the generational gap between geek parents and geek kids". After all, who doesn't love LEGO?
	Ten things to know when starting Champions Online Every time a new MMO launches, there's always a good list of things that wouldn't hurt for a new player to know, and Champions Online is no different. We're all about making your first steps into an unknown game as grief free as possible, so check out Syp's list if you're interested in such a proposal. He's got a very good rundown on things you need to know when entering the tutorial zone.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Glean info in this video walkthrough of Champions Online's tutorial If you've been wondering what the starting area for Champions Online was like in moving pictures, you'll be happy to know that a two-part video has surfaced online for your viewing pleasure. The video is new gameplay footage blended a little bit with older trailers. Overall, if you're looking to see what the game actually looks like while being played, this video is a decent place to start.
	Ten things to know when starting Champions Online Every time a new MMO launches, there's always a good list of things that wouldn't hurt for a new player to know, and Champions Online is no different. We're all about making your first steps into an unknown game as grief free as possible, so check out Syp's list if you're interested in such a proposal. He's got a very good rundown on things you need to know when entering the tutorial zone.
	Travel powers trailer for Champions Online Yeah, we know the Champions Online open beta is out and many of you have probably been messing around with all these travel powers already, but it's always nice to get a preview of all your options in one nicely packaged trailer. Plus, trailers are a great way to kill a minute or five, depending on the game in question.
	The Digital Continuum: Five reasons to play Champions Online It's been a long wait since the announcement of Cryptic's next project, so long that some of us began to run around our houses wearing towels around our necks. Thankfully, September 1st is now less than a month away. Open beta? That's even sooner. Before we know it the game will be sitting on our desks and shelves.

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Champions Online launch day round-up originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	ArenaNet releases Guild Wars 2 trailer The wait is finally up. At GamesCom today, ArenaNet delivered on their teasers throughout the week and released a brand new trailer for Guild Wars 2. This is something Guild Wars fans have been anticipating for years, and it's finally here.
	Sith Warrior officially the next SWTOR class While not entirely unexpected -- especially since it was playable, but unnamed, at this year's E3 -- Star Wars: The Old Republic's Sith Warrior class has now been officially revealed and discussed by BioWare. We're expecting an official class page by Friday, but for now this Gamespot interview from GamesCom will have to sate our curiosity.
	Redefining MMOs: The rise of F2P These days it seems like you can't move three feet in the MMO space without bumping into a Free-to-Play (or F2P) game. As the person who writes First Impressions from time to time, I play quite a lot of them. As such, I'm always looking at new F2P games that pop up, from tiny indie titles to mega-corporate offerings. Just about any subset you can imagine is represented out there: flash games, isometric, side-scrollers, mini-games, embeddable web-only, local client. Curious about what genres you might find? How about fantasy, steampunk, post-apocalyptic, casual, cartoon, pirate, anthropomorphic, space, and so much more.
	Stargate Worlds receives new funding, development to continue The sci-fi MMO Stargate Worlds had mostly fallen off of our radar, and with good reason. It's seemed that Stargate Worlds would not see a release -- the developer Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment faced major cash flow issues resulting in employees not being paid and subsequent lawsuits. There were also departures of some of the major individuals connected with the game's development that painted a grim picture.
	Funcom announces Rise of the Godslayer expansion for Age of Conan With GamesCom has come the announcement of a brand new boxed expansion for Age of Conan -- Rise of the Godslayer. Age of Conan fans rejoice, you have been loved. Rise of the Godslayer, however, will not be an expansion as your normally understand it. Instead of expanding the game vertically, like so many other MMOs, RotG will be expanding the game horizontally. The level cap of 80 isn't changing, but expect RotG to be adding much more meat to the lower levels of the game's content -- specifically from level 20 (and the end of Tortage) up until 80.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	LFM: Massively is looking for a few good bloggers! Massively is LFM! We're looking to expand our ranks with an MMO-loving writer (or two). So let's cut the small talk and get right down to business. Please read this entire post before submitting any kind of application. I know it's long, but to do this job, you need to be able to read and follow instructions. Proving that you can starts right now.
	NCsoft aims for Aion to be second only to WoW in US NCsoft has big plans for their fantasy MMO Aion in the west, and they're hoping to emulate their Asian success in the North American market. Kris Graft reports for Gamasutra that Aion generated 40.6 billion won (USD 32.7 million) in Q2 2008, which he notes is a strong start. In an earnings call, NCsoft CFO Jaeho Lee said, "I believe the performance of Aion in the US and European markets will be very successful. ... We are guessing that Aion will be -- could be -- the second [most] successful MMO in the US market next to World of Warcraft."
	Champions Online open beta has begun and NDA has dropped Champions Online closed beta testers, please observe a moment of silence for your now-deleted characters. They died yesterday as part of the server wipe to make the world a better place for open beta, which kicks off today. The biggest news here is that the NDA is now lifted, and we're expecting there will be a flood of impressions about Champions Online in the coming days from people who've spent time in the game.
	ArenaNet co-founder leaves NCsoft MMORPG.com is reporting that both Jeff Strain and David Reid have recently departed NCsoft West. Strain, the President of Product Development for the newly-restructured NCsoft West and Reid, the President of Publishing are both said to have left for "unrelated" reasons.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Final Fantasy XIV's first jobs and race names revealed New information is dropping rapidly on this game. Now, Final Fantasy XIV's race names and first classes have been revealed. Hmm, maybe those rumors of an earlier than expected beta carried more weight to them than we thought.
	Former Warhammer Online GM gives perspective on game's decline At Massively we must often report on declining subscription numbers and subsequent layoffs in the MMO industry, just as we do when the games we love are healthy and growing. When you look beyond the numbers though, such industry statistics are ultimately about people whose lives have been negatively impacted. They face uncertainty in their career and likely have tough times ahead.
	The Daze of Darkfall epilogue: The Siege of Andruk So I thought I was done with my whole "month long investigation of Darkfall." Best way to end out the series was to include some PvP being lead by Wardragon Drow (*gasp*, a last name, and I'll get to that in a second) and then close it off there. Well, sadly, Darkfall had one more surprise left for me. Or, should I say, the Blackrock Clan had one more surprise for me. A siege.
	Choose my Adventure: Lord of the Rings Online With our Guild Wars adventures behind us, it's now time to branch out into our next game for the Choose my Adventure series. According to your votes accumulated this week, Lord of the Rings Online will be my next game to explore, with a little help from you, the readers. You also voted to keep the format the same, so I'm happy to hear that it's been working well so far.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	What are SWTOR's three final classes? Looking at the official Star Wars: The Old Republic class page reveals four slots on both factions, with three total filled thus far. Of course, you'll notice that Jedi and Sith aren't shown here, but it's a forgone conclusion that they'll be filled sooner or later. While nobody but BioWare can be sure what the final classes actually, half the fun is trying to figure them out before they're announced.
	Champions Online offering $199 lifetime sub, access to STO beta 'later this year' Here's yet another reason to really consider picking up Champions Online come launch day. Cryptic is offering pre-order customers the chance to purchase six months of subscription for $59.99, instead of the regular $89.99 fee, which unofficially puts the monthly fee at 15 bucks. Alternatively, you can choose a $199.99 lifetime subscription offer, but it's only good until September 1st. But wait, there's more!
	Wake Up: The final day of The Matrix Online But we were in The Matrix Online for the final hours as well, and we managed to get some great screenshots from the end of the game. There were explosions, lightning bolts, oddly colored skies until finally.... in the last few hours... it became beautiful again. The green skies were rolled back in favor of a blue sky tinged with hints of red. Then, of course, we all got our plugs pulled and ended up smashed into... well... you know.
	Survey says: Nearly half of MMO gamers bought virtual stuff One of the interesting things we at Massively find about statistics and surveys is how people react to surveys and research results about games, virtual environments and MMOGs. Unexpected results automatically attract criticism of every aspect of the report and data no matter how the results were obtained, from the political leanings of the researchers, to the way the charts are drawn.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Massively's complete Comic-Con 2009 coverage This week marked the annual pilgrimage to Comic-Con International in San Diego for the comics and gaming faithful, and a number of superhero MMO developers were there as well to whip the fanboys (and girls) into a frenzy. When you think about it, comic conventions are as big for superhero games as other events like E3 and PAX. Massively was on the ground at SDCC this year and among the games we took a look at was, not surprisingly, City of Heroes.
	New details emerge on SWTOR's healing and space components While a lot of the questions were deflected in one way or another -- as this is a game that's probably not coming out for a while -- some tiny new pieces of information did surface. For instance, much of the community has been wondering about healing. Will the game go with the "Holy Trinity" or is something else planned? The answer appears to be a little bit of both.
	Champions Online open beta dated, preorder bonuses detailed Champions Online is only five weeks away and with it being so very close, Cryptic has finally announced their preorder bonus plans and partners. If that isn't exciting enough, you'll be happy to know they've also announced August 17th as day one of open beta. Keep in mind that preorders from any of the officially listed retail partners will guarantee access to the beta.
	Massively's top four upcoming MMOs that let you fly The ability to fly has always intrigued us as humans. Even in Leonardo DiVinci's day, the fascination with flight was so overwhelming that he dedicated much of his life to the discovery of getting us off the ground. Modern(ish) technology has helped us realize DiVinci's vision, through the use of enclosed vehicles or other large mechanical contraptions, but we have yet to truly master the art of personal flight.

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	What if you beat out World of Warcraft and nobody cared? Actually, here's a straight-up tip for you. If you're trying to beat World of Warcraft at its own game, nobody really cares. The users, and would-be users don't. The media doesn't. Your investors might care, but they're probably really the only ones.
	Why you should be playing EVE Online: One server, one universe It's been dead for too long, but now it's back. The ultimate opinion column, "Why You Should Be Playing," is making a triumphant return to the pages of Massively! For those unfamiliar with this feature, this is the space where the Massively staff gets to tell you why we play our favorite games. We try to spread the love of MMOs unknown so you get to see some of the great features of MMOs you may not play.
	Does an MMO have to cost money to deliver fun? The MMO industry is split between games where you pay and those that are free. Some are pay to play, with subscriptions and the cost of the game while others are free to play but you still have to buy a license key. Some are freemium where the game is free to buy and play but you enhance it with micro-transactions using cold, hard cash.
	Sony Online Entertainment lays off 41 full-time workers In a statement to Massively today, Sony Online Entertainment has confirmed that they are laying off 41 full-time workers, equaling 5% of their full-time workforce.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Blogger compares Aion to WoW and WAR Keen has two blog posts up discussing the similarities and differences between Aion and World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online. The first thing you should bear in mind is that he has not played Aion all the way through to the end game, even though he has "finished" both other MMOs. The second thing of note is that these points of comparison were requested by his readers.
	More server consolidations in WAR? Less than three weeks after launching Land of the Dead, the Warhammer Online Herald is reporting another round of free transfers from several source servers to a few destination servers. Members of Ironfist, Vortex, Monolith, Magnus, and Skull Throne have been urged to transfer to more populated servers. Players on all servers are being rewarded with an extra 20% experience and renown bonus to mark the occasion.
	Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara Emergence is one of the aspects that many MMOs aspired to, only to drop in favor of static storytelling. The problem with emergence is that simple decisions would have a compounding impact on the world. Heroes would solve problems, only to perhaps create further problems with their implemented solutions. Most game architecture can't handle decision making of that nature, as it would need developers to constantly code in the new events that would occur.
	George Lucas involved with The Old Republic This may not come as much of a surprise to Star Wars fans but according to BioWare's own Ray Muzyka, George Lucas is keeping an eye on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Of course, Lucas tends to keep an eye on generally everything LucasArts does, so this isn't so much a revelation as it is confirmation. Although it's important to point out that Muzyka has never personally shown anything to Lucas, not even that awesome CG trailer from E3, apparently.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Being a WoW fan doesn't mean you're an MMO fan Syncaine posted an interesting article on his blog discussing why he thinks there hasn't been much uptake in the majority of MMOs released since World of Warcraft. Basically, he believes that just because you enjoy playing WoW, it doesn't mean you'll enjoy other MMOs.
	EverQuest's 51/50 server "Mayong" is live Earlier in the week, EverQuest's new 51/50 server "Mayong" went live. Pretty much anyone that played EQ around launch will recognize the name as that of the infamous vampire Mayong Mistmoore, a character that was sometimes played by GMs and devs for live events way back in the day. For those not familiar with the special rules of this server type, it's fairly simple: 51 is your starting level, and 50 is the number of AAs you automatically receive upon making a character.
	Redefining MMOs: Terminology As we look back at the past several years of the MMO scene, we see a genre that has gone through significant evolutionary leaps. With those pioneering days of text MUDs and blocky graphics behind us, today we enjoy professionally developed games with impressive development teams and massive budgets behind them. The genre's depths have been thoroughly explored and we've even categorised the features we've come to love and expect from our favourite online retreats. Every part of the genre, from the types of gameplay available to the terminology we use, has been routinely evolving and redefining itself over time.
	Massively's DDO Unlimited developer tour Love can sometimes be a fickle thing, but I'm pretty sure that I love what Turbine has done with the DDO Store in Dungeons and Dragons Online Unlimited. I'll admit that initially I was a little concerned with the concept of an in-game store, but after playing with it at bit and asking some questions my fears have pretty much melted away.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	Mythic employees shocked at Mark Jacobs' departure Mythic employees were surprised by their boss' departure, sources told me today. I spoke with a former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, about what they and their old co-workers thought regarding today's announcement that Mark Jacobs, the vice president and general manager of EA Mythic, will be leaving the company due to a new partnership with BioWare.
	Australian network filtering promises to reach out to block games, online games and more Australian Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has promised to extend Australia's proposed network-level content filtering regime to block games, online games, downloadable games, and websites that sell or allow download of games that are deemed not to be suitable for a 15-year-old audience. This, despite research by the IEAA (the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia) that the average age of Australian Gamers is 30.
	Highlights from the SOE Fan Faire 2009 community address Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire 2009 is happening in Las Vegas, and of course they've had a number of things to unveil so far. SOE president John Smedley gave his community address last evening, and other speakers made an appearance as well. We've got a few highlights from SOE Fan Faire 2009 for you:
	Massively Exclusive: 5 million accounts, vehicles & more in FusionFall This past January, Cartoon Network launched their first foray into the MMO space with the wildly successful FusionFall, offering families who like to game together a great deal at $9.95 a month for up to four separate MMO accounts. Since those exciting first days of launch, they've given away all manner of funky swag, racked up over 5 million accounts, and started a whole new generation of explorers down the road of MMO enjoyment.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	LotRO Book 8 releases today Massively has been following the latest content update for Lord of the Rings Online, which is Volume II Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm. We've now learned via MMeOw that Scourge of Khazad-Dûm will release on June 23 (US/Oceanic)! As a bonus, players can already download the patch; the update weighs in at a fairly hefty 600mb and links can be found in the official announcement on the LotRO forums.
	Hands on with the Aion Closed Beta 2 Welcome back to Aion. Yes it's Closed Beta Test 2 weekend and this time round I'm rolling Asmodian to explore a very different side of the shattered planet of Atreia. During CBT1 we showed you the lower half of the planet, a land known as Elysea and home of the angelic Elyos. I walked you through the character creation process, the first ten levels as a frail mortal, the Elyos ascension quest and those first steps into Sanctum and Verteron. Now it's time to visit the upper half and home of the Asmodians, the continent of Asmodae.
	Rumor: FFXIV beta may begin by September Ah, rumors. We know the game was just announced, but there are three major reasons this rumor carries some weight. For one, Final Fantasy XIV has a 2010 release date, which makes sense considering the development team claims to have been working on the game for nearly five years now. Also, the dev team has expressed that they'd like to have a longer beta than the one Final Fantasy XI had -- one which was only around four months long.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	A World of Warcraft player's guide to Free Realms Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into? Comparing one of the largest and most popular MMOs with the current fastest-growing MMO? Do I have a deathwish? Well, it turns out World of Warcraft and Free Realms actually do have a few things in common, but a straight comparison isn't the point of this article. We at Massively have decided to compile a guide for World of Warcraft players who may be interested in checking out what Free Realms has to offer. Even better, for those WoW players out there with children, this guide could be valuable for some alternatives to your usual family gaming choices.
	DDO goes F2P: An interview with Turbine As the news hit yesterday concerning Dungeons and Dragons Online going free-to-play, many MMO gamers collectively rejoiced, while others didn't. The idea of this hybrid business model is wonderful for those who have yet to experience DDO, as it now gives them a chance to play the game as long as they'd like, with no level cap restrictions for absolutely no cost. This means no credit card info changing hands, no commitments to a monthly fee and the implied need to "get your money's worth" and no real need to quit the game if you can't afford it. But it can't be that easy, can it? Well, there's a slight catch.
	Free Realms breaks the 3 million mark Sony Online Entertainment has just announced today that their kid-friendly free-to-play mega-hit Free Realms has hit the 3 millions registered user mark. This news comes less than seven weeks after the game's launch, and only two weeks after their last milestone of two million registered users.
	Should MMOs have sequels? From movies and books to computer games, the concept of the sequel is firmly embedded in the entertainment industry. It's usually a much safer bet to make a new part to an existing successful intellectual property than it is to back an untested product. In the games industry, sequels are a great way to make more money from the same game concept but as usual MMOs have proven to be something of a different animal.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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