Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a 3D sci-fi MMORPG set in the expansive Star Wars universe. Players join either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and explore dozens of planets as they progress through their class-specific storyline. SWTOR is a full feature MMORPG offering a continuously increasing range of features, including a companion system, player housing, and spaceship missions.
Publisher: Electronic Arts Playerbase: High Type: MMORPG Release Date: December 20, 2011 PvP: Open World / Arenas / Spaceship Pros: +Extremely high production value. +Unique storyline for each class. +Great companion system. +Tons of extra features like space missions, crafting, achievements, etc. Cons: -Several absurd restrictions on free players. -Most low level planets are deserted. -Long load times and other optimization issues.
DC Universe Online is a 3D superhero-themed MMORPG that takes place in the expansive multi-verse combining the various DC Comics franchises. Players create their own superheroes and explore Gotham, Metropolis, and other iconic locations while fighting alongside or against Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and other well known characters.
Publisher: Daybreak Game Company Playerbase: Medium Type: MMORPG Release Date: January 11, 2011 PvP: Arenas / Open World (optional) Pros: +Great character customization. +Well-known franchise with great characters, voice acting, and writing. +Fluid gameplay and combat mechanics. Cons: -A lot of content requires paid DLC. -Missions can get long and repetitive. -Low level cap.
Funcom, the Oslo, Norway based games studio, has published more information on the upcoming "relaunch" of their conspiracist themed, modern era MMORPG The Secret World.
The Secret World, originally released in 2012, will relaunch this Spring as Secret World Legends. Tellingly, the studio is labeling Secret World Legends as a story-driven, shared-world action RPGrather than using the previous MMORPG designation. This seems to be in line with Funcom CEO Rui Casais's view that gamers are suffering from MMORPG fatigue.
The corpses of Funcom MMORPGs stewn across the streets
But the label change isn't just cosmetic. The Secret World is undergoing profound changes to core systems including completely revamped combat, a new progression system, and updated visuals. Most importantly, all of the game's content will be made free to play. That's over 100 hours of storytelling across the full collection of missions and mysteries accumulated over the past 5 years.
The main goal of the project is moving away from the poorly received combat in the original game and towards Action RPG gameplay elements. To that end, Secret World Legends plans to monetize through micro-transactions offering additional weapon pages, extra inventory space, additional character slots, vanity items, and more. An optional Patron Program will provide paying subscribers with in-game bonuses and convenience items.
The start of a new Secret World Journey...
Current players of The Secret World can link their accounts to Secret World Legends to transfer their vanity items and Funcom Points. Characters, however, will not be transferred. Secret World Legends will be a fresh start for both new comers and veterans alike. The original Secret World is not shutting down and will remain playable. No new content will be developed for it, meaning it will enter maintenance mode like Anarchy Online and Age of Conan, Funcom's other legacy MMORPGs.
Secret World Legends - Official Reveal Teaser Trailer
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Secret World Legends, but a great place to start is Funcom's official FAQ which we've included below:
General
What is Secret World Legends?
We are relaunching our acclaimed story-driven online game The Secret World (TSW) as Secret World Legends, a shared-world action RPG with revamped combat, updated visuals, and newly designed progression systems and quest flow that is completely free to play.
Why are you relaunching the game?
We go into detail about the many reasons behind the relaunch of the game in our producer's letter to the community, which we hope you get a chance to read here. But in short, we're incredibly proud of the ways in which The Secret World has grown in terms of the depth and extent of its storytelling, and we're ready for more players to be able to experience it in full by removing the hurdles of a pay-upfront structure. It's also an opportune moment to bring this vibrant universe up to date with where we see modern action RPGs are, with some ambitious adjustments to gameplay, progression, structure, and more, which we hope will result in a more satisfying player experience overall.
How does Secret World Legends differ from The Secret World?
One major difference is that the game is free to play for everyone. But just as importantly, Secret World Legends has updates befitting a modern-day action RPG. This includes a redesigned combat system to make action feel more natural, more intuitive systems to interact with, enhanced visuals, an improved flow of quests, and improved structure of the early game for new players.
What do you mean by “free to play”?
"Free to play" or F2P means that anyone can download and play Secret World Legends without spending any money to purchase the game. All content is available to everyone and does NOT require a subscription or purchase in order to play.
Is the game free?
Yes! Everyone can play what we feel is the best shared-world RPG on the market for free!
How do I play for free? When Secret World Legends launches, you will be able to download and play the game for free via the Steam client. How much of the game is free? All content in the game is free! What about future content releases? Are those free? All content will be free: current, past, and future!
Is the game “Pay to Win” now?
No. You will be able to earn everything in the game without spending money. Will I need a credit card to play? You do NOT need a credit card to play. The game is free for everyone! If you want to make purchases in game via Steam, that can be done using the Steam wallet. Aurum and the Patron Bonus System will require a valid form of payment at the time you make the purchase.
What is Aurum and what can I use it for?
Aurum is used to purchase a variety of in-game items and services in Secret World Legends. This includes but is not limited to: additional weapon pages, extra inventory space, additional characters, exclusive vanity items, and much more!
How many characters do I get on my account?
By default, each account grants access to one character slot. Additional character slots may be purchased in game.
What is the exchange?
The exchange allows you to buy Aurum from other players for in-game currency.
Do I need Steam to play?
At launch, Secret World Legends will only be available through Steam. We plan on adding a non-Steam version of Secret World Legends soon after launch.
Which languages are supported?
Secret World Legends is fully localized in English, German, and French.
Patron Rewards Program
What is the Patron Rewards Program?
The Patron Rewards Program is a loyalty program that rewards players with extra features, additional convenience, and in-game bonuses. It is not required in order to play Secret World Legends.
How do I become a Patron?
You can purchase access to the Patron Rewards Program in game. Once purchased, you will be granted access to the Patron Rewards Program for 30 days.
What is Patron Level?
Your Patron Level grants additional bonuses to the Patron Rewards Program. Every purchase of Aurum or month you are a Patron will go towards increasing your rank. You can view your current Patron Level, Patron Status, and all related benefits by clicking the Patron Rewards Program icon in game.
What happens when I am no longer a Patron?
All benefits associated with the program are active while you are a Patron. When your time expires, you will lose access to those bonuses, but you will keep your current Patron Level. The next time you join the Patron Rewards Program, you will be back where you left off (or maybe a level higher!)
Returning Player FAQ
Why are you relaunching the game?
We go into detail about the many reasons behind the relaunch of the game in our producer's letter to the community, which we hope you get a chance to read here
But in short, we're incredibly proud of the ways in which The Secret World has grown in terms of the depth and extent of its storytelling, and we're ready for more players to be able to experience it in full by removing the hurdles of a pay-upfront structure. It's also an opportune moment to bring this vibrant universe up to date with where we see modern action RPGs are, with some ambitious adjustments to gameplay, progression, structure, and more, which we hope will result in a more satisfying player experience overall.
How does Secret World Legends differ from The Secret World?
One major difference is that the game is free to play for everyone. But just as importantly, Secret World Legends has updates befitting a modern-day action RPG. This includes a redesigned combat system to make action feel more natural, more intuitive systems to interact with, enhanced visuals, an improved flow of quests, and improved structure of the early game for new players.
Will all content from The Secret World be available in Secret World Legends at launch?
Secret World Legends will relaunch with the original eight adventure playfields, scenarios, and dungeons available immediately. In the time following the relaunch, we will release Tokyo, Nightmare Dungeons, Raids, and the rest of the content that is currently live in The Secret World.
Will you continue developing new content for Secret World Legends?
We have plans to create all-new story-driven content for Secret World Legends in the future, which we'll be able to discuss in more detail after the relaunch of the game.
How do I link my Steam account to my old account?
Once you have launched the game, there will be a menu on the start screen that allows you to link your old The Secret World account to your new Secret World Legends account. Click this button, log into your old account, and confirm that you want to link them.
What does linking your account do?
When you link your account, you will be able to transfer over any remaining membership from TSW to Secret World Legends. In addition, you will be able to move over some vanity items from the previous game. You can also exchange your Funcom Points for Aurum.
What happens if I have an active subscription on TSW when the transition occurs?
After you have linked your account, your old TSW subscription will roll over into Patron Rewards Program time in Secret World Legends.
What about TSW Grand Masters?
Same as above. Link your Secret World Legends account to your old TSW account and you will become a Patron in Secret World Legends forever!
Will the old version of the game be playable?
Yes, the TSW servers will still be available to play. You will not be able to launch TSW via Steam though. If you are currently playing on Steam and want to continue after the launch of Secret World Legends, you can do so at: https://register.thesecretworld.com/account
Will any new content made for Secret World Legends be playable on The Secret World servers?
All new content will made exclusively for Secret World Legends.
Do I need to create a new character to play Secret World Legends?
Yes, everyone will begin Secret World Legends with a new character. Secret World Legends makes some major changes to itemization and character progression that aren't compatible with the old game.
What happens to my old TSW character?
They'll continue to live on the old TSW servers, so you'll still be able to log in and play them. You will not be able to play them on the new Secret World Legends server though. It’s a new experience and fresh start for everyone.
What happens to all my stuff?
We are implementing a system to transfer over some vanity/store items from TSW to Secret World Legends. More on this will be released as we get closer to launch.
What about my name from TSW?
You will be able to reserve a name on your current TSW account to be used in Secret World Legends. You can find out more about this process here.
What about my bonus points, Funcom points?
After you have linked your account, there will be an option to convert your Funcom points to the new Aurum. Bonus points will remain in TSW and can be used on the old server.
I don’t have a subscription - can I play when it goes free to play?
Definitely! Secret World Legends is free and available for everyone to play.
Following months of rumors, Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Morhaime took the stage at the I <3 StarCraft event in Seoul this weekend to officially announce StarCraft: Remastered. Expect the game to release this summer for Windows and Mac systems.
The remastered edition will see the campaigns and multiplayer from both the original Starcraft and the Broodwar expansion pack updated with UHD resolution, polished unit models, and integration with the new Blizzard client. Also promised is a "re-recorded and rejuvenated" version of the original soundtrack and dialogue, including mission briefings.
The official StarCraft: Remastered site includes many before-and-after graphic comparisons. It should be noted that this is not a total remake. Like Age of Empires 2 HD, the goal with StarCraft: Remastered is to make the original 1998 experience playable on modern computers with minimal frustration. It is not to alter the look or feel of the original game.
In preparation for the release of StarCraft: Remastered, Blizzard will be patching Broodwar to version 1.18 to add better Windows 10 support, anti-cheat, and an observer mode. The current StarCraft Anthology which includes the base game and Broodwar will also be made entirely free to play following the v1.18 patch expected later this week. A price has not been announced for the Remastered edition yet.
Its no secret StarCraft 2 failed to live up to the expectations of many in the StarCraft community. Despite making the basic multiplayer mode and Arcade (custom maps) free to play, StarCraft 2's playerbase has continued to decline. The original StarCraft, on the other hand, has actually been receiving increasing attention lately. Despite being nearly 20 years old, StarCraft is currently the #6 most played game in South Korean PC Bangs, or internet cafes.
Its clear Blizzard is positioning StarCraft: Remastered to take advantage of the growing global market for eSports. StarCraft will enter the market with a massive and geographically expansive fan base already in place. I expect StarCraft: Remastered to sell millions of copies on day one and see its eSports scene far exceeding that of StarCraft 2.
More casual StarCraft players such as myself aren't left out. The remastered edition will fully support custom maps, many of which pioneered gameplay mechanics that later went on to spawn entire genres. Tower Defenses and MOBAs both got their start in StarCraft's custom map lobbies.
StarCraft: Remastered features include:
Remastered Graphics, Soundtrack, and Dialogue
Blizzard Friends and Advanced Matchmaking Integration
Native support for Fish Server (Korean ranked server)
Zynga, the one time social gaming darling of Farmville fame, initially had a tough time adjusting to the mobile era. Most of the studio's hit titles were from an earlier era when people played their games directly on Facebook.
They may be down but they're not out. Last month the San Fransisco based company released their 2016 annual report. The report is full of many interesting figures on Zygna's evolving business focus, but Seeking Alpha writer Jonathan Jordan reported on one figure of particular interest.
Harpan's Solitaire App Ranks #37 Most Downloaded (03/19/2017)
Zygna paid $42.5 million for an iOS/Android Solitaire app. The SEC Filings state that Zynga closed the deal with Harpan LLC for their collection of four Solitaire games on February 14. Harpan was owned and operated by two brothers who can now enjoy their windfall aboard their new yachts.
The four games Zygna acquired are: Solitaire, Pyramid Solitaire, FreeCell, and Spider Solitaire. All four are available on the iTunes and Google Play stores for free, but it is the first title, Solitaire, that brings in the lion's share of downloads. These are ad-supported games which means Zygna is betting heavily on mobile advertising to drive revenue. Previous Zygna games monetized by selling players premium currencies and power/stamina boosts.
Despite their generic names and appearances, Harpan's games are extremely popular on mobile devices. Their flagship Solitaire title has even cracked the top 100 most downloaded list in both the App Store and Google Play Store.
That such large sums can change hands over what is essentially freeware on PCs is a vivid reminder of how much the games industry has been upended by the rise of the smartphone.
But Zygna isn't just betting on casual fare like card games for your grandmother. They've also invested heavily in the high-end mobile game Dawn of Titans. The competitive PvP action strategy title launched in November 2016 after simmering for 20 months in 'soft launch' status. Time will tell whether it is Zynga's casual or hardcore investments that pay off.
Microsoft's purchase of Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion must have perked a few ears over in Silicon Valley.
Roblox, the LEGO inspired sandbox MMO, closed a series C funding round on March 14 that brought in $92 million. The lead venture firms for the round were Index Ventures and Meritech Capital Partners. Roblox raised money twice before; once back in 2011 where it raised $5.75 million and in 2009 when it raised $1.5 million. Roblox didn't volunteer the valuation implied by the funding round, but its clear there has been massive appreciation since 2011.
Despite already being over a decade old, Roblox has enjoyed tremendous growth in recent years thanks to three key factors. First, the success of Minecraft introduced many new gamers to the sandbox-builder genre. Second, Roblox's modding and monetization tools provide players a creative and financial incentive to continue releasing new content. And third, the growth of mobile gaming which Roblox was quick to capitalize on. Roblox currently boasts 32 million monthly active users. In comparison, the much more widely known Minecraft stands at 55 million monthly users.
These Wizards Played Roblox Before Minecraft Was Cool
While there may be many parallels between Minecraft and Roblox, the two products pursue vastly different business models. Minecraft has a fixed retail cost while Roblox pursues a 'freemium' model. Beside offering players in-game currency for purchase, modders can pay a subscription fee to gain access to development tools. Mod developers then get a cut of item sales within their mini-games. To date, 1.7 million people have built 22 million games in Roblox. All of these community created games are available across mobile, PC,a nd console platforms. Roblox even supports VR via the HTC Vive.
Earlier this year Wakfu, the turn based fantasy MMORPG by Ankama Games, announced plans to merge the Nox, Phaeris and Remington servers. This would mean the North America, Asian, and International servers would be combined into a single English language server.
This bold decision is the right move, too many MMORPGs keep around low population servers for too long, but the Wakfu community was startled by the sudden announcement. Players voiced concerns about what would happen to their Haven World, guilds, equipment, and the effects the merger would have on the economy.
In a statement released on March 13, 2017 the Wakfu team stated that the server merger would be put off until the end of the year, giving staff plenty of time to properly address potential problems. The post also confirmed that no one would lose their game experience, characters, guilds, Haven Worlds, equipment, karmas, etc now or after the merger.
The delayed merger also means the Wakfu team can focus on more imminent concerns such as content updates. Update 1.52 is scheduled to release on March 21 and adds the first part of the much anticipated Mount Zinit territory. Also included in the update are Dungeon Leaderboards, and a revamp of the Sacrier class.
Mount Zinit Part One Overview:
Designed for levels 50 to 140
3 zones divided into 5 ecosystems
New mercenary quests, environmental quests and archmonsters
1 main quest
5 dungeons
5 families of monsters
Hundreds of new items (including new epics) and resources
Upgrade item rarity up to legendary (mythical for items <110) by crafting
The most powerful military in the world has all sorts of initiatives to help bolster its image and its recruitment, remember America's Army? Now its the US Navy's turn to tap into the endless amounts of idle time possessed by gamers. The Navy's aims are far more ambitious (and confusing) than those of their boots-on-the-ground counterpart. In an 11 minute presentation posted earlier this month, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced their Maritime Singularity Call to Action.
A US Navy Vessel in World of Warships
Billed as a MMOWGLI (Massively Multiplayer Online War Game Leveraging the Internet), Maritime Singularity is a week long browser based online game of sorts where players post ideas, interact with one another, and try to solve futuristic problems. If anything meaningful somehow manages to arise from this chatter, the Navy claims it may be implemented.
The primary 'futuristic problem' the ONR is looking to tackle seems to be the 'Singularity', a moment in time when exponentially increasing technological progress hits a critical mass/inflection point. As Dr Eric Gulovsen, director of disruptive technology at the Office of Naval Research states:
"Technology has advanced to the point that we can see the Singularity on the horizon... "What we can't see, yet, is what lies over that horizon. That's where we need help from players. This is a complex, open-ended problem, so we're looking for people from all walks of life-Navy, non-Navy, technologist, non-technologist to help us design our Navy for a 'post-Singularity' world."
Those interested in helping the Global Force For Good battle a hypothetical SkyNetesque scenario can sign up for Maritime Singualrity here. The week long game starts March 27, 2017 so be sure to sign up soon. Personally, I'm baffled by this project but I'll certainly be checking it out. My advice to the Office of Naval Research and to Dr. Eric Gulovsen in particular is to spruce up your presentation a bit. The 11 minute YouTube video put me to sleep. Maybe get the CrashCourse or PBS Space Time guys on it.
Following the release of its latest content update earlier this month, Path of Exile has seen a 40 percent increase in players so far this year.
First released in 2013 by New Zealand based studio Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile has seen consistent updates and a constantly growing playerbase. Path of Exile currently has 13 million players with a peak concurrent count of 112,800 achieved on March 3. Roughly 65,000 of those concurrent players were on Steam, making Path of Exile the third most popular game on the platform that day -- surpassed only by Valve's own mega hits Dota 2 and Counter Strike Global Offensive.
Path of Exile offers visuals and a play style much more in line with Diablo 2 than its official sequel, Diablo 3. While Blizzard took the casual approach with Diablo 3, Path of Exile stuck with the complexity and challenge of its predecessor. The game allows players to craft unique characters using a massive skill tree and hundreds of spells and abilities. There's also no easy fix to respeccing poorly planned characters, forcing players to constantly create new ones to try new builds. This traditional approach to the ARPG genre in a free to play package has garnered Path of Exile a loyal fanbase. Despite being 4 years old, it has never been bigger.
Even greater things lie ahead in Path of Exile's future with a massive new expansion titled The Fall of Oriath scheduled for release later this year. The new expansion will add 6 new 'Acts' to the game's existing 4 while eliminating the need to repeat Acts in additional difficulty settings.
Path of Exile: The Fall of Oriath - Official Trailer
Remember Gaia Online? The popular social forum/community from the early 2000s is still kicking and actively being developed. A major update was announced late last month on the forums stated that beta tests for zOMG were underway.
For those who don't remember, zOMG was Gaia's browser based MMORPG add on. It was first released back in November 2008 and had monsters to battle, RPG style quests, and a unique progression system involving rings. The zOMG service was shut down in November 2014 due to stated hardware and engineering limitations. Unsatisfied with that answer, many in the community continued to request its revival.
Well today is the day! zOMG is now officially revived and can be played using a free Gaia Online account. The browser based MMORPG still looks the same as it did nearly a decade ago and is unlikely to draw in new players. But for lapsed Gaia Online users, the revival of zOMG may be a good reason to revisit their old cyber watering hole.
I vaguely remember reading about zOMG when it was first announced all those years ago, but I never got too involved with it. Gaia's main draw for me was the fishing mini game. With the recently announced closure of Club Penguin and the declining player numbers for Neopets, I'm glad to see at least one oldschool browser based social game still doing well. The official Gaia Online site records nearly 15,000 Gaians Online as of this writing.
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