A bit of a somber Daily Quest for you all today. In the wake of Norrathian leaders Dave Georgeson and Steve Danuser, plus so many others leaving Daybreak/SOE… we have to ask the impossible. What’s going to become of EverQuest as a franchise?
Crowfall: “Buy Once, Play Forever” Revealed as Revenue Model
The Crowfall site has a trio of goodies for fans today. The first comes in the form of the first revealed spell caster called the Confessor. The Confessor’s page has a small, but interesting, back story as well as both male and female screenshots.
TERA: Say Hello to the Sky Cruiser Endeavor
The Valkyon Federation’s biggest and baddest new airship is going on the offensive in TERA’s next major update. Striking at the heart of the archdevans, the Endeavor is damaged in battle by the archdevans and demokrons. The ship was abandoned, but the baddies take command of the Endeavor and plan to turn the ship’s engines into mighty explosives, decimating the baraka city of Highwatch.
General: Affected Daybreak Employees & A Call to End Hate
Two interesting pieces of news have arrived over night. In the first, the EverQuest Next Reddit has been updated with a full list of SOE/Daybreak employees affected by yesterday’s firings. Eric Smith, Jeff Butler and Steve Danuser join Dave Georgeson from the EQN team as those now seeking employment. The list goes on to show other employees from other IPs as well.
Heroes of the Storm: Anub’arak the Love Bug
Blizzard is bringing a brand new character into Heroes of the Storm in the form of Anub’arak aka The Love Bug. Players can purchase Anub’arak and his special Love Bug skin just in time for Valentine’s Day. The pair sell for $14.99 from the HotS Shop.
Crowfall: 5 Things that Crowfall’s Countdown Could Reveal
The number one term applied to the development of Crowfall so far seems to be the H-word. Yes, folks, the hype train has left the station and it has a long journey ahead of it, but that’s part of the fun of being an MMO fan, right? Many of us enjoy the excitement that comes from seeing a new MMO peek its head up over the horizon, as we hope and pray that it will fill the hole in our heart that was left after the last dozen games promised us the world.
World of Warcraft: $1.9M Headed to Africa to Assist the Red Cross
Blizzard announced today that the sale of its charity pet, "Argi" the Space Goat, has earned $1.9M for ebola relief in Africa through the Red Cross. The charity pets were sold in the World of Warcraft item shop, with 100% of the price going to support the Red Cross efforts in Africa.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Does It Actually Matter if SWTOR is Canon or Not?
Like the rest of the EU, Star Wars: the Old Republic was slapped with a ‘Legends’ imprint and sent on its merry way, and quite rightly the fans worried that it meant doom for the BioWare Austin MMO. Almost a year later, SWTOR’s status has become an increasing question of debate as the new movies approach and the announcement that there will be a Cantina Tour stop at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, CA.
General: Not So MMO – The Games that Almost Make the Cut
Multiplayer gaming isn’t what it used to be. Yes, MMORPGs have cornered the market on truly massive numbers, but there are a lot of games out there that feature the ability to play with large (but not quite massive) groups of players or smaller, tight-knit groups of friends, similar to what a MMO player would do while raiding. While I am a huge fan of "true" MMOs, I just as often enjoy logging in for some quick action or fun roleplay with a more immediate game.
EverQuest Next: On Removing Pillars of the Everquest Community
I’m trying my best right now to be eloquent about the recent news of layoffs in Daybreak Game Company. Sadly, it’s 4:00 am as I write this, a reactionary submission to MMORPG.com in light of my tenure as the Everquest Next and Landmark columnist.