Yearly Archives: 2011

2010: Year in Review

2010: Year in Review
Neil Kewn (Murxidon) – OnRPG Journalist

 

Now that the dust has settled on 2010, a moment of reflection is due. You will be forgiven for thinking that it wasn’t a particularly exciting year for MMO fans. The genre took a backseat somewhat, whilst gaming in general witnessed the release of new-fangled motion technology, billions-making military first-person shooters and the continued domination of iOS devices of the handheld market. It wasn’t all bad for MMO gamers, though. We were treated to some very interesting events, announcements and releases in 2010. It was the year that brought us the Cataclysm, Vindictus, Star Trek Online and All Points Bulletin (if only for a short while). EverQuest II brought us the illusion of free-to-play, The Lord of the Rings Online actually did it and Final Fantasy XIV used it as means of an apology.  2010 was the year of hype, disappointment and reinvention.

 

The year began with the imminent release of Cryptic Studios latest, Star Trek Online. The game had been in development by the studio since 2008, and the resounding success of J.J. Abrams movie reboot coupled with the fact that, well, it’s Star Trek, meant that expectations were high for the first MMO of the 2010. The game finally hit shelves at the start of February to a mixed reception (you can read our review here).

 

StarTrek MMORPG


The year was filled with more hype, previews and announcements than actual releases. Star Wars: The Old Republic continued to provoke a wide variety of responses from gamers. There isn’t enough information about the game to form a general consensus just yet, but from what has been shown the game is shaping up to be overwhelmingly disappointing. It may have been hyped to the moon and back, but how long can the “but it’s Bioware – They don’t make bad games” argument last?

 

Free-to-play gamers were also treated to a steady stream of open and closed betas, trailers, screenshots and reveals this year. Perfect World Entertainment showed off its highly anticipated MMO Forsaken World, with players (myself included) impressed by the beta tests that lasted through the latter half of 2010. Fans of Guild Wars were also in awe of what ArenaNet had to reveal, the upcoming sequel to their bestselling MMO will not feature the traditional “holy trinity” of tank, healer and damage class structure found in other MMOs. The combat mechanics of Guild Wars 2 were also detailed, and a playable demo of the game was seen at several video game conventions last year.

 

In terms of free-to-play releases, Vindictus went live to a strong reception. Nexon’s action-MMO is based on Valve’s Source engine, enabling for some excellent graphics and truly spectacular environment destruction.

 

Vindictus MMORPG


One of the saddest news stories of 2010 was that of the highly publicized demise of Realtime Worlds. The company behind the greatly anticipated All Points Bulletin went from being one of most exciting game development companies around to bankruptcy within a year. News of the company’s struggles broke just mere months after the release of APB, which failed to live up to both player expectation and sales numbers. Critics greeted the game with a decidedly average response, and immediate player uptake was not enough to keep the company afloat. After the company announced major redundancies just weeks after, the majority of developers found themselves out of work. Realtime Worlds was put up for sale, although the game’s servers were kept online for several weeks after. The game was eventually shut down for good on September 16, less than four months since hitting the shelves.

 

After purchasing the game’s assets, K2 Networks are planning to re-launch the game under the title APB: Reloaded later this year as a free-to-play game.

 

Speaking of which, The Lord of the Rings Online enjoyed new-found success last year after re-launching as a free-to-play title. The game, released in 2007, had respectable subscription numbers for an MMO in the pay monthly market and was highly regarded by many. Developers Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters announced in June that a vast portion of the game would be freely available to players, along with the implementation of a cash shop to fund it. The launch was a resounding success for both companies, with news that revenue had tripled in just three months.

 

Final Fantasy XIV wins the “Wow, what were they thinking?!” award for 2010. The fourteenth iteration in the famed series of role-playing games came just months after FFXIII disappointed us all. Square Enix unfortunately continued that trend by releasing XIV in a completely unfinished state. The game was condemned for being too confusing, restrictive and incomplete. The interface garnered the most criticism, with some describing it as the worst GUI in MMO history. The company quickly responded to the claims, controversially sacking the majority of the development team and giving players free subscriptions for the next several months. Square Enix released a formal apology in regards to the current state of the game, and asked players to continue supporting them as they applied the necessary fixes over the coming months. The PlayStation 3 version of the game has been delayed indefinitely.

 

Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG


The year wrapped up nicely with the release of World of Warcraft’s third expansion, Cataclysm. The world of Azeroth, inhabited by over twelve million people, was reshaped after the arrival of Deathwing the Destroyer in a free patch. In addition to a new level cap and zones, the older, slightly more dated areas of the game were given a much needed facelift. Players have responded positively to the changes, with the re-invention of questing in the lower-level zones being a notable success. Continuing Blizzard’s trend of expansion packs that floor critics, Cataclysm was a critical and commercial success. The game sold almost five million copies in the month of its release, becoming the fastest-selling PC game of all time.

 

2010 was a year ups and downs. There were a few exciting announcements and a variety of dramatic news stories, but nothing this year came a long and shattered our expectations. World of Warcraft continued to slaughter the competition like the behemoth it is, RuneScape lured me back into its cold embrace and the world apparently kept on turning. It would be foolish to consider a year to be disappointing because a new king of MMOs wasn’t crowned, as we are probably a very long way away from such an event, but I can’t help but feel that 2010 was a mild disappointment when we remember how excited we all were back in January. Oh well. Hello 2011. 

War2 Glory

War2 Glory is a F2P real-time strategy game where players take on the role of a Commander who must rebuild their war-torn city and conquer the world.

Become the ultimate leader and guide the development of your city and expand military forces for war. To achieve victory over others player you must master controlling more than 40 different authentic vehicles from World War II, implement historically proven tactics on a huge map of the world, and draw on strategic skills for managing an empire.

Battles can take place on land, sea and air. You can muster your forces and enter combat alone, or as part of a powerful player Alliance. The graphics in War2 Glory have a wealth of detail and a style that is rarely seem in other online real-time strategy and city management games.

Features:

Commander-in-Chief: Lead your empire to a golden age of prosperity.

I Am the Senate: Send out troops to conquer the world.

Strategist: Fight rival forces for vital resources.

Shakes and Fidget

Shakes and Fidget is a free-to-play 2D fantasy RPG satirizing popular MMOS and T.V. shows. Build out your endlessly customizable hero and take on the Hall of Honour for your chance at worldwide renown. Available in the browser, for iOS, and Android.

Features:

To Adventure: Travel to far off lands completing quests and taking down silly monsters.

To the Limit: Max out your levels, obtain the best equipment, and raise the strongest of pets.

Friends and Enemys: Join a guild to team up with other players or head to the arena and fight for glory.

Quick Hit NFL Football

This is the game that you have been waiting for – a true online football game that costs nothing to play. No credit card is required. Even better, no massive download means that you are playing within minutes!

Whether you are playing on a PC or a Mac, QUICKHIT Football is for you.


Become The Ultimate Coach

QUICKHIT Football is an interactive, authentic football experience that lets you build, coach and manage your team to victory. Call the plays, pick the formations and manage the clock to dominate your opponent.

You have all of the tools you need to turn your sports knowledge into winning football strategies.

Play Against Real Pro Players & Coaches

Want a chance to compete against the best players and coaches? How about testing your football IQ against Championship-winning coaches like Brian Billick or Tom Landry?

QUICKHIT Football single-player games put you in the middle of this hard-hitting, pigskin action.

Play With Real Pro Legends

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play with some of football’s most legendary players? Now is your chance to coach some of the game’s greatest players! Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, Steve Largent and Eric Dickerson are just a few of the players you can add to your roster.


Build A Football Dynasty

QUICKHIT Football is a persistent game that lets you build a football dynasty. Earn fantasy points in every game and turn your rookies and legends into current day Pros. Improve your team rating and boost your players’ levels and abilities, adding powerful new skills.

You are more than just the head coach of this team – you are a dynasty in the making!

Hobowars

HoboWars is a 2D text-based MMORPG where players around the world compete to be the greatest hobo ever.

Business Model: Free-to-Play

Microtransactions: Yes, there are optional in-game purchases available.

Key Features:

Turf War: Fight or enlist the help of rivals within a territory-protecting gang.

Unrestricted Freedom: Explore the city at your leisure going on adventurers, digging through garbage, and even racing shopping carts!

Hard Knock Life: Scrounge and scavenge for every advantage to survive in a world that just doesn’t care about you.

Villagers and Heroes: Reborn

Villagers & Heroes (previously A Mystical Land) is a free-to-play 3D browser game that offers loads of adventures to you and thousands of other players in a fantastic world.

Besides fighting monsters as a wizard, warrior, hunter, or priest to improve your character, a variety of more casual activities are at your disposal including fishing, mining, blacksmithing and cooking.

Villagers and Heroes uses many Facebook features which allow you to easily find your Facebook friends and share achievements and news.

Europe 1400

Establish your own dynasty in a medieval city: Become a prestigious craftsman, a cunning merchant or a dodgy scoundrel. Produce high-value goods to sell at the market or concoct evil schemes.

In Europe 1400 your job is to found a family dynasty in a medieval city: develop an economic empire by pursuing a profession, become an expert trader and climb the political ladder. To help you achieve your goals, a number of above-board options are available to you, but you can also choose to take the dark path of intrigue.

You own a residence, which you can gradually transform into a grand palace from the small hut that you start off with. You also own production workshops, in which you can produce numerous types of goods.

The goods, which range from simple resources to powerful artifacts can be bought but also sold at the marketplace for a profit. You can also trade directly with other players via your warehouse and take advantage of fewer price fluctuations than at the market.

As soon as you have gained enough wealth and influence, you should consider starting your political career. A range of offices offer you a multitude of privileges and benefits, allowing you to expand your sphere of influence and eradicate any unwanted competition.

But beware! Taking the dark path of questionable methods may have you thrown in the dungeon or on the dungeon master’s rack faster than you can blink an eye. And remember: there is nothing wrong with a little cleverly spun intrigue – as long as it remains undiscovered.

 

Landmark

Landmark is a sandbox MMO featuring fully destructible environments, permanent changes to the world based on player actions, and action consequence. Landmark serves as a building tool for players to build their own worlds and adventures from the ground up.

Farmerama

Life as a humble farmer at Farmerama is pretty darn swell: you start off with your very own farmhouse, mill and barn. Make the best of life and carefully tend your greatest asset: your land!

Show that you’re the cream of the crop: Raise a fine herd of cattle, pull in the largest harvest and get your orchard to bloom.

Bitefight

Legend tells of an everlasting battle, driven by blood lust, between creatures of the night for eternal supremacy. And now the legend has become reality. In the shadows of the underworld, a battle rages between vampires and werewolves, the offspring of evil. Their weapons are simple but effective: fangs, steel and clans are all they need to face their opponents and to hunt for human blood. What type of blood will be running through your veins?