Massively Multiplayer Mashup
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Blizzard unveils Wrath of the Lich King
If you're a World of Warcraft player and haven't logged out in over a week, you'll be pleased to note that Blizzard announced the newest Warcraft expansion at BlizzCon last weekend, subtitled Wrath of the Lich King.We were there covering the event, and have an overview of the planned features here. We also can offer a preview of the Death Knight hero class, as well as a look at the Howling Fjord zone to help get you up to speed.
Finally, check out our recent ShackCast for more on BlizzCon.
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Playing second fiddle: Sony Fan Faire 2007
Taking place on the same weekend as BlizzCon, Sony Online's Las Vegas-based Fan Faire was a decidedly humble event in comparison to its competitor's glitzy show. Instead of Wrath of the Lich King, they had an EverQuest card game. Rather than a live concert, it featured a live wedding.Attendees seem to have enjoyed themselves anyway. WarCry has a report up covering the event as it pertains to Star Wars Galaxies, while Ten Ton Hammer has a Vanguard-centric summation.
Logging on to the realm of the sad, MMORPG.com has an account of The Matrix Online panel, which saw a total of 15 audience members. Producer Dan Myer reportedly began the panel by asking the meager crowd, "Why do you guys still play?" At least they have a sense of humor.
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Lord of the Rings Online Book 10, future content detailed
The team over at Turbine is currently carrying out some of the more transparent content expansions in the business with Lord of the Rings Online. In a ridiculously long post on their rather dank website, some key additions to the monster play coming with the Book 10: City of the Kings update is presented in bullet-point form, along with a few future plans for the unique gameplay type.The gist: 40 new quests, monster guilds called "Tribes," login/logout support, crude monster maps, consumables, take-and-hold "hot points," reinforcements, playable trolls and rangers, murder holes, and boiling oil. Those last two are probably sound particularly stimulating.
As for the future, another tier of corruptions, traits, and rewards are in store for players. Turbine also mentions that the next update will include a zone that is only accessible by those who control the majority of keeps, wherein trophies and rewards will be doled out for their trouble.
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Auran announces Fury pricing model
We knew that Auran's PVP MMO would be free to play after the boxed retail package, but what we didn't know was whether its presumed subscription option would be worth it. As it turns out, Fury's pricing model is a little disappointing--perhaps a byproduct of the company's welcome promise that none of the subscription bonuses would impact actual gameplay.For $9.95 a month, players can expect VoIP, quick travel spots, an additional item roll, an extended rested gold bonus, selling privileges on the Auction House, priority log-in, access to weekly and seasonal ladders, battle statistics, in-game customer service, and elite access to the test server. All new players will start out with a free subscription to the plan for the first month, and content expansions will apparently be equal for both the subscribing "Immortals" and the regular player-base.
Sure, some of these aren't bad ideas, but crippling the basic game by excluding standard features like VoIP, customer service, and Auction House sales to justify a $10 subscription is coming it a little high, as the English say.
Massively Minor Minutiae
- Time Warner Cable isn't making any friends in Azeroth.
- Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is delayed.
- Sign up for the Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising closed beta, which is currently receiving an influx of participants.
- Sony is bringing Ramayan 3392 A.D. to world-wide MMO players in 2010.
- NCsoft has announced Guild Wars: Platinum Edition, a bundling of the original game and the Eye of the North expansion pack.
- NCsoft will also be running a sneak preview of Eye of the North for those that pre-order Eye of the North, to be held on August 24-31. All items, Heroes, loot, and XP can be kept by participants.
- L*K Logic Korea's 2D fantasy MMORPG RedStone released an open beta. Download the client on FileShack.
- Acclaim's action MMO 2Moons also has an open beta running, with the client similarly available on FileShack.
- Meet up with SOE players at Gen Con.
- Perpetual has posted their July newsletter for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, previewing the Mystic class and other features.
- Design a cloak for Lord of the Rings Online and win... satisfaction?
