Women are becoming an increasingly significant sector in games development, taking part in every aspect of bringing games to life. As one of the often lesser-known sectors of the industry, we wanted to shine the spotlight on some incredible leaders, none finer than Artcraft Entertainment’s Valerie Massey.
General: MMO Predictions for 2016
The MMO genre can sometimes feel like a whimsical sea of shifting sands, but it’s not without its axioms. Open betas will almost always mean soft launches, game development benchmarks will take longer than expected, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will always be one of the best-conceived and poorly-executed MMORPGs ever made. Yet, sometimes the sands shift enough to reveal patterns for those who are good enough at predictions to get a glimpse of what awaits for MMOs, RPGS, and other games.
WildStar: Two New Leaders & A Musical Peek at Ascendancy
The WildStar team is on a roll this week with in-game events and a new Loremageddon article that profiles two faction leaders, Kezrek Warbringer and Durek Stonebreaker. In addition, composer Jeff Kurtenacker has posted a haunting piece of the Ascendancy music on Soundcloud.
Neverwinter: Underdark to Launch for XBox One February 9th
Cryptic Studios has announced that the Underdark module for Neverwinter will launch for XBox One players on February 9th. Players will be able to check out the Rage of Demons storyline and adventure with classic D&D characters like Drizzt Do’Urden and Bruenor Battlehammer.
Destiny: New Emblem Available from Now to January 10th
Bungie has posted news that Destiny players completing any in-game activity will earn a brand new Emblem. Guardians are urged to check into the game this weekend to celebrate the new year with an awesome chance to earn rewards.
SMITE: New Joust Map is a Joy to Behold
During this weekend’s SMITE World Championship Tournament, Hi-Rez Studios has revealed the highly anticipated overhaul to the Joust map. According to MMOGames.com, the new map has a gorgeous look based on Chinese mythology. The map is introduced through a new trailer with Sun Wukong walking players through the new content including objectives and camps.
SMITE: Season 3 to Include Japanese Pantheon
During this weekend’s SMITE World Championships, Hi-Rez announced that the much requested Japanese Pantheon will begin appearing in game, starting with Amaterasu who will join the fray on January 12th for PC users and in February for XBox One players.
Fallout 4: What Will Be in the First DLC?
There may be spoilers in the article beyond this paragraph, so reader beware! It’s been a few months now since Fallout 4 came, conquered, and sold a bajillion copies across multiple platforms. There is a Season Pass for DLC, but as of this writing… we still don’t know anything about what that downloadable content will contain. Here then are some of our best guesses and wishes for just what will be in Fallout 4’s first DLC pack.
Granado Espada Online: Setting Sail on Steam by Redbana
Redbana, late of now-closed Hellgate, has launched its version of Granado Espada Online via Steam. The Steam version comes packed with Steam-specific achievements and much more.
ArcheAge: Mistsong Summit Dungeon Coming with Update 2.5
The ArcheAge site is giving players a sneak peek at the game’s next dungeon that is scheduled to be released with Update 2.5. Called Mistsong Summit, the dungeon will come in both Easy and Normal modes, each with their own rewards. Players can look forward to some great new gear, new and challenging tactical fights and new enemies.