The Buried Sea Expansion For EverQuest Announced

 

 

Sony Online Entertainment LLC, a global leader in the online games industry, has announced EverQuest The Buried Sea, a new expansion for the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest. EverQuest The Buried Sea will only be available via digital download beginning February 13th, for the suggested retail price of U.S. $29.99.

“As the new producer on EverQuest I am very excited to have this tremendous opportunity to work on such a storied franchise, as well as be part of a development team that has delivered successful expansions time and time again over the past eight years for our many loyal EQ players,” said Clint Worley, Producer, Sony Online Entertainment. “As the thirteenth expansion for EverQuest, The Buried Sea will continue to challenge players with two new worlds to explore, ship-to-ship combat on the open seas against swashbuckling pirates, and a variety of new missions created especially for this expansion.”

“The success of EverQuest is both a tribute to our devoted player base and our very committed development team,” said Christopher E. Sturr, Senior Global Brand Manager, Sony Online Entertainment. “EverQuest continues to deliver innovation, new features and challenging new content, which will be evident in The Buried Sea.”

The Buried Sea will also feature the ability for guilds to create a unique Guild Banner from a large selection of symbols and colors. The banner becomes the mark of the guild and when enough guild members are in the same zone, the guild leaders or officers can plant the banner in the ground. Once the banner is placed, members of that guild are able to teleport directly to that banner. In addition to the banners, players will have the ability to acquire Energeian items, utilizing ancient Combine technology; they can gain access to a new inventory slot that can be fitted with an Energeian power source and armor that can tap into the energy held within.

About EverQuest The Buried Sea
Throngs of undead trample the earth both night and day as Norrath’s sun withers. With each passing hour, the growing numbers of creatures of the night rising from crypts and graves seem part of a grand design to overwhelm the lands. Trouble also lurks deep beneath the Buried Sea off the coast of Odus in a city named Katta Castrum, which has remained undiscovered for millennia. It is a city built to sustain the beloved leader of the Combine Empire who was poisoned. Generations of Combine Loyalists have tried to cure and awaken him while they house threatened populations of Kedge, Shissar, and Sphinx. But in recent times, the artifact that powers and protects their city has weakened. Without it, the city will be crushed under the pressure of the sea. Only the most intrepid Norrathians have the power to save them.

EverQuest The Buried Sea Features

• Ship-to-Ship Combat - Cross the plank and fight for your life on the open seas as you raid pirate vessels!
• Two Paths of Advancement - Battle pirates on the open seas or dive deep beneath the sea to Katta Castrum, lost stronghold of the Combine Empire.
• New Missions - Take your group through more than 60 challenging new missions ranging from defending merchant vessels against marauding pirates to uncovering the secrets behind the combine city and the danger that threatens it!
• Guild Banners - Design a guild emblem and display it with pride! Upgrade your banner to grant your guild special abilities and plant it on the field of battle so your fellow guild members can teleport directly to it!
• Fellowships - Get together with a group of your closest friends and start your own fellowship! You can join in a common chat channel, gain the ability to create a campfire that can help you in your adventures, and get a token that will let you quickly travel to your other fellowship members.
• Energeian Items - Utilizing ancient Combine technology, gain access to a new inventory slot that can be fitted with an Energeian power source and armor that can tap into the energy held within! The armor gains power based on the type of energy in the power source, so you can quickly customize the effects of your armor by changing the power source!

Tags: everquest, buried sea, expansion, norrath, combine

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Source: The Buried Sea Expansion For EverQuest Announced
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:51:12 GMT

No World Of Warcraft For You, Consoles!

 

Just before the World of Warcraft expansion launch (that's tonight, by the way, in case you missed it), the kids at Pro-G spoke with Blizzard designer Jonathan LeCraft to discuss the future of WoW and their stable of franchises. On WoW for consoles:

You really do need a keyboard to play WoW. I've seen some mods where people have hooked up WoW to their Wii. When I saw that I was like, well, that's got to be pretty easy to PVP against, honestly. It's not something we're looking at right now.

That's non-committal enough, I suppose. But when discussing the next Blizzard franchise to get the MMO-treatment, LeCraft is typically even more vague. When asked about the other hot Blizzard properties, he said: "I think we have the capacity for another [MMO]."

I know they're licenses to print money, but can we please just get another Starcraft, sans monthly fee? And please, no more attempts at console stealth games, k? Much appreciated. Michael McWhertor

World of Warcraft unlikely for consoles [Pro-G]

 

Source: No World Of Warcraft For You, Consoles!
Originally published on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:20:42 GMT

World Of Warcraft Reaches 8 Million Subscribers

While some massively multiplayer games (Second Life) try to cook their player numbers, this press release from Blizzard reveals that their huge fantasy MMORPG World of Warcraft has now hit the 8 million subscriber mark. More than 2 million of that number are in the US while 1.5 million are in Europe while 3.5 million WoW players are in China. In related news, GameStop and EBGames retail stores plan to hold midnight openings for the launch of the long awaited expansion pack Burning Crusade on January 16. You can go to the EBGames web site for a list of the participating stores, some of which will hold "costume contests, card game tournaments, screen-shot character judging, and more!

DDO creature feature: Warforged Titan

 

Warforged Titans are basically classified as a "living construct" - an oxymoron when you think about it. They are half construct and half living creature. These Warforged are extremely dangerous as they can deal massive damage and take massive damage as well.
They are armed (literally, since they don't have hands and their arms end in weapons) with a giant maul and a three-bladed weapon. Warforged Titans are capable of doing massive melee attacks using their built in weapons and their special attacks are Ground Shake and Energy Weapon.
Good thing is they have a weakness common to giant lumbering tank monsters. They aren't very bright, all they want is to crush you so they won't have a strategy other than hack and slash. So players would do good to use this to their advantage. Exploit the terrain and environment, and practice excellent party tactics.
Warforged Titans can be found near Stormreach, brave adventurers can check them out on Dungeons and Dragons Online.

Source: DDO creature feature: Warforged Titan
Originally published on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:55:09 GMT

WoW Comedy Gold collection

 

To end the year in a good light (or start it, depending on where you're reading this from), as well as to spread happiness, cheer, and maybe a giggle or two, we decided to put together some of the WoW videos that have been floating around the internet for the past year. These videos have been selected under the requirement of you-really-should-watch-it-at-least-once, and so we present to you some of our favorite picks which we can look back on and truly smile about.

The Ballad of the Noob
For those who haven't seen this classic piece of WoW fan-made goodness...where have you been? Seriously though, since we're just trying to add a bit of fun into everyone's lives, since it's the Holidays after all, here's something which was originally created by the people from Stone Falcon Productions.
This video is still worth the laughs despite its age, and it teaches an invaluable lesson to both the noobs and the ubers: ubers should remember to take the phone off the hook should they decide to let anyone hit them for any reason, and noobs should remember to not get too cocky as not everyone has got an ex-wife who loves talking on the phone.
"... and so he boldly left town even though he was only level 1."

South Park: Make Love, Not Warcraft
Now, who could have ever resisted something like this? After all, it's two of the things we love, all rolled into one. Not only do we love this particular "South Park" episode because of its ties with WoW, but we love it for the fact that it does show a lot of real-life situations for WoW players... plus the fact that the guys at Blizzard may have made the Sword of a Thousand Truths into a real item...

Avenue Q, WoW-style: The internet is for Porn
'Nuff said.

The Atkins Switcher
You gotta love Machinima, if only for results like this. Anyway, the vid pretty much shows that no, your local priestess is not a vending machine and she's got feelings, too. Also, we're hoping that after this vid...well... always politely accept all bread offered to you, okay? Oh, and yeah, the macarena opening made this thing a shoe-in.

The Anti-Elf Anthem
Again... 'nuff said.

Inventing Swear Words 2
The second episode of a series, this pretty much demonstrate that the Horde is actually more educated (and sociable) than we may ever even imagine. So, can you still tell your swear word nouns, adjectives, and adverbs? And of course, there's also some very important marketing tips included here which advertisers should most probably pay attention to.

So there you go. There are, of course, thousands of other videos out there which would probably make you laugh harder, but we're just hoping that if you've never played World of Warcraft before, that seeing these clips would at least make you start wanting to.

Now, go and start the year with a laugh!

Source: WoW Comedy Gold collection
Originally published on Mon, 01 Jan 2007 14:34:13 GMT

Newly Formed Flagship Seattle To Release Casual RPG Mythos In 2007

 

Flagship Studios today announced that it has expanded operations with the formation of a new development studio: Flagship Seattle. Flagship Studios is already one of the most respected independent video game developers in North America. The creation of Flagship Seattle plays an integral part in the company’s development plans.

The studio is led by Travis Baldree, Project Director. Baldree previously worked at Wild Tangent as the Lead Designer on the popular free-to-play role-playing game Fate. Flagship Seattle has a diverse history of game development. Other team members have worked on titles including Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege and SWAT 3.

Flagship Seattle is currently working on Mythos, an online role-playing game that will be used to test the networking technology behind the multiplayer component of the highly-anticipated action role-playing game Hellgate: London. Mythos will be digitally distributed by Flagship Studios subsidiary Ping0, LLC in North America and Europe in 2007. HanbitSoft, Flagship Studios’ partner in Ping0, will be responsible for distributing Mythos in Asia.

“We were very impressed with the work of Travis from when we were first shown Wild Tangent’s Fate at E3 2005,” said Phil Shenk, Creative Director of Mythos and founding member of Flagship Studios. “Both he and the Flagship Seattle team have an exceptional pedigree in games development. Their skills and expertise make them real assets.”

“To be involved in the formation of Flagship Seattle is an honor,” said Travis Baldree, Project Director of Flagship Seattle. “We are sure that Mythos will put Flagship Seattle on the map, and in turn will become an integral part of the Flagship Studios experience.”

Source: Newly Formed Flagship Seattle To Release Casual RPG Mythos In 2007
Originally published on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:04:40 GMT

MMO Portal Launches Sale Of Calendar To Benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

 

MMO Portal is proud to announce that MMO Calendar 2007 is now on sale!

This unique 12-month calendar features the original artwork of some of today’s hottest and most anticipated upcoming MMOs, each dedicated to its own month. As if that is not exciting enough, the artwork has been signed by the developers of your favorite games as well!

Included in MMO Calendar 2007:

• Dark Age of Camelot
• Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
• Eve Online
• EverQuest II
• Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising
• Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
• Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
• The Chronicles of SpellBorn
• Ultima Online
• Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
• World of Warcraft

It is also with great pride that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this amazing calendar go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, helping them in the battle to save the lives of children all over the world! Discoveries made through research at St. Jude have completely changed how children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases are treated, giving them hope they did not have before. Is there a better cause to support than helping make ill children better? We don’t think so either!

All of the development teams have been simply amazing to work with in putting this together and fully support the incredible work St. Jude does every day. Join us in the fight to save our children and get your MMO Calendar today!

Source: MMO Portal Launches Sale Of Calendar To Benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Originally published on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 23:50:06 GMT

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Goes Golden!

 

Yes, it has begun. The end of 7+ million lives will continue, for on January 16th, 2007, the highly anticipated (and loathed) expansion to World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade will launch. I know I hear a collective groaning from some of you, but hey, near 8 million people can't be wrong - right? According to a post on the official Blizzard forums by some dude named Tseric, The Burning Crusade has indeed gone gold and will be shipping out to stores in time for the retail launch date of January 16th, 2007.
So get ready to kiss your family members, friends, and husbands and wives goodbye. The world is coming to an end, and it will end on January 16th, 2007. Be prepared for it. Stock up on potato chips and soda. Get out the fireworks!
Link: Official WoW Forums
View: Original Story @ IGN
P.S. Happy New Year from me to all my fellow Neowin gaming comrades. I wish you all a safe and happy New Year, and a terrific 2007 for gaming.
Read full story...

Source: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Goes Golden!
Originally published on Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:25:45 GMT

Virtual Gaming Tabletop Photoset

 

This is pretty awesome, a photoset of constructing a custom computerized tabletop for gaming. Basically a Dell monitor with a nice case that you can place figures on - this is definately the gem of someone's game night.

Source: Virtual Gaming Tabletop Photoset
Originally published on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 20:22:36 GMT by Josh

Hands-On: Age of Conan

Hands-On: Age of Conan: The Hyborean Adventures

Hands-On by T-Mac | 12/18/2006 | 16:18:06 PM PST

HANDS-ON: Mounted combat, soul corruption, drunken brawling; it is soon time to crush your enemies and see them driven before you.

We've all seen the movies by now. Even the one with the basketball player. And I'll bet you sat through Red Sonja as well. Robert E. Howard's books continue to sell, and their critical appeal hasn't sagged either. When you think about it, Hyborea is the perfect setting for a game. And in the hands of Funcom, why not an MMO?

Set for release around April of next year, Age of Conan is an ambitious project. Let's go down the list of what they have planned.

---

Under the Hood

That's right, it's coming out on the 360 in the same time frame, although Funcom is still hammering out how they want the console and PC sides to connect -- if at all. Regardless, there will be a DirectX 10 version for Windows Vista, and it will be one of the "featured titles," so you can assume some inter-operability between Windows Live and Age of Conan. Blood and bytes. You'll also be able to use a 360 gamepad on the PC, controlling the action like usual.

We saw "only" the DirectX 9 version, but it still looks pretty darn good, with a long view distance, lots of interesting terrain and architecture, and smooth framerates, even though this build was only certified as alpha. Funcom appears to have worked hard at providing a wide variety of building styles, with thatch huts crowding up against gloomy stone towers. The whole art style is at the opposite end of the spectrum from WoW, which favors blockier shapes and slightly a whimsical character appearance. There's haze in the air, the water ripples prettily, and you should have weather effects out of the box. 7.1 surround sound is also a big factor.

The Background

This is based on Robert E. Howard's books, rather than De Laurentiis' movie adaptations. So while Ahhhnold won't be showing up any time soon, we have a much broader palette we can paint a world with. Along with the Cimmerians, we have the Aquilonians, based roughly on the Romans, and the Stygians, who are like the Egyptians. (Conan's people are comparable to the Celts). They're in an uncomfortable alliance against Thoth-amon.

Your character starts out in a slave ship, with amnesia caused in some way by Thoth. You also have an unusual tattoo. Both of these mysteries will unfold through a hybrid single-player storyline. Your appearance, however, is up to. You can randomize your guy or choose from an expanding list of sliders, nearly to the degree of The Sims. Of course, most of the choices you make won't matter when you're completely dressed up, but some of your choices, like complexion and sheer size, will always be obvious. Your choice of ethnicity will determine what classes (or "archetypes") are available to you, but you won't have to choose a specific role right away. That will be determined in the course of play.

Armor and weapons follow a less fantastic line than in World of Warcraft; you won't find any flaming bathtubs on your shoulders. But you will find the icon-based paper doll inventory.

 

The Design

You will start out on the beach, having escaped from the slavers, armed only with a broken paddle. Nearby, you will find your first missions; these exchanges take place in a letterboxed style, with dialog choices allowing you to do a little role playing. From there, you'll head into the jungle. Perhaps you'll find more missions along the way, but you will definitely learn how to fight. Melee is much more nuanced than is usual, with several different buttons dedicated to specific attacks. You can sweep around, attacking multiple baddies, or you can leap up and land a devastating blow, or you can stabby stab.

And not only will mounts be available, but you can fight while riding. You may want to stick with your trusty sword, or you can grab a lance for a surprise jousting match. It's up to you. Your combat options are more limited, but you can of course move around the battlefield much faster.

Magic also gets an interesting treatment. The Herald, for example, described as a "melee mage" casts spells on himself for protection and damage. You have to ride a fine line, however, because casting too much magic can turn you into a demon, and that will have some affect on gameplay. However, if you can manage the tightrope, there's Spell Weaving. Basically, you can create your own magic effects; there's a "container" spell, another action inside this that builds upon the first spell, and a "lid" spell to finish things off. This type of magic can be quite powerful, but you will accumulate "soul corruption" and may eventually die, even as the corruption grants you extra powers. When you die, you must fight your way out of Hell. Literally.

The Game World, and Beer

As we mentioned, there's a single-player aspect to this. In fact, you can play the game up to level 80 before you need to enter the online portion. Or you can play this section in "co-op" mode, with a small party of other players. However, the MMO half is where the action is. Here, you can join clans and build your own villages, if you have at least thirty players in your little tribe. It can be your travel hub, trading post, repair shop, and more. You can hire NPCs (non-player characters) to guard the place, peons to do the dirty maintenance work, and there are upgrade tiers for all buildings.

Unfortunately, you could spend hours with this game and only scratch the surface. That's the way it is with MMOs. The universe is complex, in the hopes of keeping people interested in it. Our tour eventually had to be cut short, but not before the Funcom guys showed off the drunken brawling mechanic. No, this ain't a joke.

As it turns out, getting drunk and punching someone in the face can actually turn out to be a good thing. Nobody dies, mind you; instead of death, the loser is just knocked out for a little bit. If you find that the whole thing is not your bag, you can hunt down virtual water and coffee to quicken the path to sobriety (which works a lot faster in a virtual world than it does in Real Life). Adding depth to this minigame is a rock-paper-scissors approach: Different types of alcohol will give you different abilities -- and weaknesses. So you can't simply chain wins together because you press buttons faster than the other violent wino.

We were also shown some Super Secret stuff we can't talk about yet, so keep your eyes peeled in the coming months for an update. It's hard to wait, but at least you don't have to contemplate it on the Tree of Woe.