Everyone has a fighting chance
Aion developers have listened to their community and today’s update is the first step in implementing feature adjustments and game improvements based on that feedback. First off the bat are the new "abbeys" where players who have not logged in for 30+ days can catch up on gear upgrades through a series of daily and one-shot events. In addition, the manastone system has undergone a major upgrade.
With over twenty million battles, PoxNora has shown big success. To add to the growing popularity, Desert Owl Games has announced that a new expansion is incoming. "Ronin" is primarily a PvE expansion but new PvP action will be included as well alongside fifty new champions.
CCP Games has revealed the first details about the next EVE Online update. Called "Tiamat", the update is scheduled to hit live service on February 17th. Among other things, players can look forward to NPCs with new abilities that make them smarter and more dangerous. Projectile weapons have been rebalanced, UI improvements will be added and a new Tiamat soundtrack will be included as well.
Wargaming has revealed the first details about the Wargaming.net League 2015 Grand Finals. The event will be held in Warsaw, Poland on April 25th and 26th and will bring twelve of the world’s finest World of Tanks teams in to battle until only one remains. The League will be utilizing the overhauled tournament rules so the event will be a first of its kind.
I have to say I was a bit surprised at how far Gazillion is planning to take the overhaul of Team-Ups. Sure, Team-Ups have flaws that needed to be addressed, but from the looks of it, Gazillion is planning to expand on Team-Ups such that they’re almost full-blown characters on their own.
The Game Developer’s Choice Awards have been announced, and Dave Braben, CEO of Frontier Developments and Elite: Dangerous, has been named as the recipient of the Pioneer Award for his groundbreaking technology and game design milestones.
The Firefall team has sent out the first image and information about February’s update. Players can look forward to a new level 40 PvE zone, a brand new reputation system and much more when the update goes live. The update is a work in progress and it on the public test server at the moment. The video below gives a good idea of what players can expect.
Early Access players will want to head into Albion Online to check out the new Winter Alpha Event. The doors have opened and players are invited to check out the improvements implemented since the last event. New buildings and items have been added as well as the new Farming system. The world has also expanded and players will see new spell and combat effects and much more.
The Das Tal team has posted a new video to show off the combat abilities players will see in the game. Some of what is showcased are already in game, others to come at a later date. The video was produced to give players a visual guide to the game’s notion that combat is "MOBA meets MMO". Check it out and let us know if you’re convinced.
Frontier Developments has sent a letter to investors indicating that fifteen "creation" jobs at the company’s Cambridge studio have been made redundant and that all Halifax development jobs are being moved to Cambridge. What the implications are for the Halifax studio remain unclear.