Just earlier this month, ZAM's Editor-in-Chief, Chris Tom, went on an in-game tour with Turbine to check out DDO's Challenge-packed Update 12. Now, only a few weeks later, the DDO team is already on the move with a pile of patch changes designed to make Update 12 a little more enticing for all. Include with this patch comes with a bevy of bug fixes and some new prize additions for players of all walks.
Head on over to the DDO forums to take a look at the Update 12 Patch Notes!
Challenges ahoy for Dungeons & Dragons Online! With Update 12: Vaults of the Artificers on the way, I caught up with Executive Producer Fernando Paiz and Producer Erik Boyer to go on an in-game tour of DDO's new and unique content. Originally, During my tour I was told that DDO's Update 12 would be launching on November 9th but, according to a forum post from DDO's MajMalphunktion, the build may still be pending approval from DDO's QA team, so we might see a release date later than the 9th (sorry everyone!). That being said, it's never too late for some Turbine Touring, so let's get on with Update 12!
When it comes to new and breaking information, I'll admit that sometimes I have no idea what to do with it. For example, today I went on a tour of DDO's Update 12: Vaults of the Artificers through all of those lovely challenges (I almost refused to end one portion of the tour because I wanted to shoot for three or four stars...). Now, I know that a lot of tour information has already been released by various other sites, so I cheekily asked my guides, Executive Producer Fernando Paiz and Producer Erik Boyer, if they could tell me something brand new. So they did. They also said they would be telling everyone else very soon, so I panicked and now here I am with my precious information.
Now I can say you heard it here first...ish! DDO's Update 12 will be officially shipping on November 9th. Stay tuned this week or early next week for ZAM's "much more entertaining than anyone else's*" in-game tour of Update 12!
*Higher level of entertainment not guaranteed. Vaguely promised.
In the world of online gaming, no issue has divided the populace more cleanly than the concept of virtual goods and their relationship to real world values. To some, virtual goods are little bits of code, tucked away on some distant server, ready to be changed, rebalanced or even made obsolete at the whim of a bored content designer. To others, however, virtual goods can be just as tangible as any other real-world purchase, as the utility and entertainment a virtual purchase might bring in game can be equated to any real world hobby that requires some sort of monetary upkeep.
Regardless of where you or I stand on this issue, it's clear that the online gaming industry is on the move, as evidenced by the big free-to-play microtransaction shift that has swept the North American MMORPG industry, or Blizzard's recent announcement that Diablo III will feature a real money auction house for players to sell items, gold and even character accounts.
With all of these new monetization models being explored in online gaming, discussion on the topic has become more important than ever before, and this is why GDC Online (Oct. 10-13) is hosting a Virtual Items Summit to explore the ways virtual goods can help studios around the world. Recently, I sat down with GDC Advisory Board Member Gordon Walton, who is also a VP and Executive Producer at Playdom (previously the VP and co-general manager at BioWare), to talk about the monetization of social games, virtual goods, and MMORPGs.
Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers is now live! This patch is one of the biggest updates to DDO this year and features a new Artificer class, a new high-level quest hub, new crafting levels and more. Here's the rundown:
For more details on Update 11, check out the patch notes.
UPDATE, 9/1: We've already given out a bunch of swag, but we still have more! We'll be giving out more prizes next week after Labor Day Weekend. Be sure to check your Twitter messages! While we have only a limited amount of physical things we can ship, we have tons of codes to give away, so keep your eyes peeled.
Gamescom may have come to an end, but the summer convention season isn't over just yet! PAX Prime will be held in downtown Seattle from August 26-28 and we'll have members of the ZAM team on the floor, including Director of Content Cody "Micajah" Bye. He'd love to give out PAX swag to some lucky readers, and all he wants in return is more followers on Twitter!
We'll be giving away PAX gear to people who follow @ZAMOfficial and @CodyBye on Twitter. The more followers the pages get before PAX, the more chances you'll have to win prizes. Check out the constantly updated prize list after the jump to see what you could get simply by clicking the "follow" button!
Turbine just announced that Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers will launch on September 12! This patch is one of the biggest updates to DDO this year and will bring a new Artificer class, a new high-level quest hub, new crafting levels and more. Here's the rundown:
Turbine also launched a new German DDO server named Wayfinder today.
Turbine announced today that Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers is launching in September! This patch is one of the biggest updates to DDO this year and will bring a new Artificer class, a new high-level quest hub, new crafting levels and more. Here's the rundown:
For more details on Update 11, check out the new Cannith dev diary entry.
It may be summer, be we can pretend it's a colder season now that Festivult in July has returned to Dungeons & Dragons Online. The event lasts throughout the month, so get ready to earn some rewards and show off your skating skills.
Through July 17, players can find copper, silver, and gold Festival Coins from chests in all dungeons and adventures. The Jester will be available to redeem your coins for rewards from July 11-17. The Risia Ice Games begin July 18 and run through July 31. Visit the Harbor to test your skill on the massive ice jump near the harbormaster's house or skate on the rink near the lighthouse. For those craving more excitement, head to House Phiarlan and show your moves on the icy half-pipe.
Turbine is celebrating the start of summer in both Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online with special events!
In Lord of the Rings Online, the Summer Festival is under way and will run through July 11. You can also enjoy a 50% XP boost on all monster kills from June 23-26! If you want an even bigger perk, pre-order the Rise of Isengard expansion to immediately receive a 25% XP boost that stacks with this weekend's bonus.
In Dungeons & Dragons Online, all players will earn 25% more character experience and receive a +1 bonus to all chest loot from June 23-26. It's a good time to check out Update 10, which we recently toured with members of the Turbine team.
