According to Perfect World Entertainment, Neverwinter will officially hit "live" status on June 20th. In addition, they gave a few more details on Fury of the Feywild, the first module (content expansion) for the game. It will feature an attempt by Fomorian Giants to seize the Elven city of Sharandar.

We're excited to announce that our most anticipated and widely-acclaimed free-to-play action MMORPG, Neverwinter, concludes Open Beta Testing and launches on June 20, 2013! The launch day also marks the release of Gauntlgrym, our level 60 PvE and PvP content for veteran players. New challenges await within Gauntlgrym as players fight for the greatest treasures hidden deep in the ancient Dwarven city. Seasoned veterans who have mastered the many dungeon delves and skirmishes in Neverwintershould prepare for their toughest challenges yet. Enter the battlegrounds and prove who is most deserving of Neverwinter's riches.

UPDATE: PWE has also announced that a public test realm will be included for players to assist the development team with bug squashing of new patches. The first patch change log for the PTR has shown up here and includes some significant alterations.

Read more on the Neverwinter site.

GameGlobe is a world builder's dream. We've been spending a bit of quality time with GameGlobe and have a full hands on preview of the title. See what we've got to say before heading to the comments to continue the discussion.

When I first saw this game, my first thought was “Ahh… kind of a Minecraft for kids.”  Well, that’s about as descriptive and true as saying “Lego is for kids.” GameGlobe is a building game where you build worlds (or globes) and play in them.  Currently in beta and on the cusp of launching, it is a browser game amazingly enough, with powerful building tools and fabulous graphics.

Read more of Carolyn Koh's GameGlobe Hands On Preview.

In game economies are tricky beasts sometimes and have evolved over the years to be something quite complicated at times. We take a look at virtual auctions and dedicated auctioneers in today's column. See what you think before leaving your own stories in the comments.

Some players may have started playing MMOs back in the early days when games like Asheron’s Call did not yet have a set market system or a secure trade system. Back then, players needed a way to buy and sell items and had to use either external forums or shout their wares in cities. In the absence of a strong monetary system, shards and motes became AC’s currency.

Read more of Genese Davis's Dedicated Auctioneers.

Now that Dragon's Prophet has officially hit public release in North America via Sony Online Entertainment, it's time to begin our Review in Progress. We take the wraps off the game and examine a few of the features in our journey to the final review. Read on and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Dragon’s Prophet is both a game of novelties and innovations... but also severe tired mechanics.  One one hand, it’s dragon taming and training system is the stuff of RPG greatness with a slant of Pokemon.  It’s free-form character progression system is also a welcome addition to the genre’s tired basic “skill trees”.  But you’ll only really come to appreciate either if you can get over the title’s very basic questing and overly-crowded mob spawns.  You might start the game with a cheesy but welcome cinematic, but then DP quickly becomes an adventure of collect this and kill that.  In oh so many ways, it reminds me of TERA.  The combat is redeeming enough to keep me going, and in DP’s case so is the progression of my Ranger and my many dragons.  But if it weren’t for those systems, I’d have rolled my eyes and quit already. 

Read more of Bill Murphy's Dragon's Prophet Review in Progress #1.

You'll get your first flying mount around 17... and you'll need it.

A fan petition to bring back Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa as a free to play title has been endorsed by the man himself. The note from the petitioners says it all. 

I am asking for full support in our endless effort to bring back Tabula Rasa. Such game as that DESERVES TO BE FREE TO PLAY as every other piece of junk there has a chance to be playable and it's not worth downloading it sometimes. Please , I beg of You - alone I can do nothing.  Support me and our cause of our team to bring back this long dead but still the best game ever existed.

Here is proof of Richard Garriot's support towards my petition. Here is the petition link it self .  Thank you in advance! Only together we can succeed. Alone this petition is destined to be forgotten and last spark of hope all this years of trying and convincing and asking for help from Richard will be in vain. 

Head to the links above to sign the petition.

The Guild Wars 2 blog has been updated with a post by Devon Carver that lays out the details on changes coming in the future for the World vs World system. The team is looking to make 'roles' in WvW more meaningful, siege weapons better utilized and to add more variety to the experience.

Something that has developed naturally over time and that we would like to encourage is the definition of roles within WvW. Everyone has likely seen a commander laying out battle plans and then subsequently seen that one thief mucking up those plans. It’s our goal to introduce more systems that encourage play within a wide variety of roles, not just those two. Scouts, siege masters, and defenders are only a sampling of the roles we intend to add to. We think that these are all a vital part of the success of any server in WvW, so we want to reward players who do these tasks so that they feel like their time is properly valued.

Read the full post on the Guild Wars 2 site.

The Guild Wars 2 blog has been updated with a post by Devon Carver that lays out the details on changes coming in the future for the World vs World system. The team is looking to make 'roles' in WvW more meaningful, siege weapons better utilized and to add more variety to the experience.

Something that has developed naturally over time and that we would like to encourage is the definition of roles within WvW. Everyone has likely seen a commander laying out battle plans and then subsequently seen that one thief mucking up those plans. It’s our goal to introduce more systems that encourage play within a wide variety of roles, not just those two. Scouts, siege masters, and defenders are only a sampling of the roles we intend to add to. We think that these are all a vital part of the success of any server in WvW, so we want to reward players who do these tasks so that they feel like their time is properly valued.

Read the full post on the Guild Wars 2 site.

If you've been looking for just the right summer home, look no further than World of Warcraft's Stormwind Keep. The intrepid folks over at Movoto Blog have figured out exactly how much this bargain real estate would cost and have created an awesome infographic! Check it out!

Originally posted by wowclones
You shouldn't even be allowed to review WOW. This is an insult to the mmo industry, no one wants a review 8 years later. You played Neverwinter before WOW, sad. No excuse as there is a free trial. I can imagine you are a stubborn person in real life. Stop calling yourself an mmo player[mod edit]

I really didn't want to respond to this but think I have to. First off, it's NOT a review.  It's merely impressions of a first-time player. 

Secondly, I have played more MMOs than you can even imagine. That I neglected WoW isn't a crime. I had other things to do like, I don't know, raising my daughter and going through a life-threatening disease. But, gee, maybe you're right and I should have gotten to it faster. * rolls eyes *

For the record? I'm not stubborn either. :D

According to a new survey by Nexon, gamers in the 18-29 age bracket are flocking to online games, including Nexon's MapleStory. The survey also indicates that female gamers in this age group make up 40% of the online community.

Still going strong 8 years out from launch, free-to-play Maple Story continues to attract millions of players around the world with its colorful 2-D role-playing experience and wild adventures.  The folks at Nexon recently announced a new casual mini-game within MapleStory entitled Monster Life which allows players to relax and socialize while expanding their "farm."

Find out more about MapleStory.

According to IGN-EU, Sony Online Entertainment will be taking DC Universe Online, PlanetSide 2 and EverQuest Next to the PlayStation 4. The information was leaked prior to next week's E3 convention in Los Angeles.

Seeing as how we don't know when the PS4 will be released, SOE kept the release dates for DCUO and Planetside 2 loose and simply said the PS4 versions will be available as free-to-play digital downloads this year.

If you already thought that Planetside 2 was headed to the PS4, it's probably because you caught Up at Noon six months ago when a developer pretty much confirmed the team was working on a next-gen version.

Read more at the link above.

Cory Jones of Cryptozoic is going to be coming on Week In Geek tomorrow to talk about Hex: The Shards of Fate and do a live Q&A. We're going live on Wednesday, June 5th at 1pm PT, 4pm ET. You can check it out on the MMORPG.com Live Stream page at the appointed time.

As the approach of Rift's free to play iteration approaches, Trion Worlds has revealed new information about the Empyreal Assault update that will greet players beginning June 12th. 

RIFT 2.3 unleashes a new Sliver and Chronicle plus Strongholds and open-world raid bosses across a massive new zone. Explore the secrets of Greenscale’s Crater and the living Kaaz’Gfuu Hive, join in Atrophinius's revelries at the wild town of Hailol, and come face-to-face with forces of Earth vying for power after the dragons' defeat!

Read more on the Rift site.

Originally posted by pmiles

Let's see if you joined under recruit a friend, you hit level 40 in probably less than a day.  It's not until you hit max level and realize that all the worlds you passed through (extremely rapidly I might add) are now irrelevant and what you have before you is a rather small patch of land of repetitive dailies and repeatable raids left.  The sad part is, and it is really sad, is that you, the noob, missed out on 8 years worth of content because you've leveled through it in warp speed.  No epic opening of the Gates of Ahn Quiri, no attunement chains to gain you access to Kharazan, Molten Core, Upper Black Rock Spire, etc.  No class quests for you first mount or special abilities.  No sense of becoming awe and powerful as you level because you are undefeatable upon creation.  Noobs fall in love with a game that isn't actually a game anymore... they fall in love with a reflection of what was... and a very shallow reflection at that.

 

I actually didn't join under Recruit a Friend. I've earned my 40 the hard way through questing and PvP. I bought the full game and a game time card for the next 90 days. ;) I am not, as you suggest, warping through it at all. I've done every quest in every location through which I've passed and intend to keep on doing so.

I do understand how much it's changed and there are things which I'm sad have been taken out but I only know that in retrospect, through research and in discussions with Shelassa. 

Wargaming has a new developer post on the World of WarPlanes site that lays the groundwork for the forthcoming open beta. The date has yet to be determined, but Wargaming has revealed there will be a "hard server" wipe to reset everything in the game prior to the start of open beta.

Open Beta: Stage One

The first stage of Open Beta will see the implementation of this Token system. The only exception will be Premium account status; that will be given automatically to all players.

Open Beta: Stage Two

The second stage of the Open Beta test will will have another wipe of the remaining Premium accounts and Tokens. At this point, all existing Tokens will be converted into Credits. From this point on, all Tokens earned are redemable for Premium account time.

Read the entire post on the World of WarPlanes site.

Piranha Games has released a brand new video showcasing the lastest mech to be added to MechWarrior Online. Called the 'Firebrand', this is a heavily armored, heavy mech designed to stand up to most any punishment. Check out the game play and information in the new video.

Greek goddess, Athena, has joined the SMITE pantheon. Hi-Rez Studios has released a new video featuring the venerable Athena that sheds light on her historic background and how she appears in the game. Check it out!

It's hard to believe that there's an MMO player who hasn't at least dabbled in World of Warcraft. Yet it's true. We take a look at WoW through n00b eyes to see if it really is 'all that'. Check it out and then reminisce in the comments about your first days in World of Warcraft.

Still, the old adage “better late than never” seems to apply quite well to my arrival in Azeroth. Convinced by my friend Shelassa, a true WoW veteran, to try it out, I have become an ardent member of the Cult of WoW. By playing the game through level forty-ish, I am of the opinion that it is still the finest example of a high fantasy MMO on the market. Younger games have not been able to topple the WoW juggernaut, and for good reason.

Read more of Suzie Ford's World of Warcraft: A Noob in WoW.

Who doesn't love Zen'Kiki, mon?

Independency, as the name implies, is about all things indie in MMO development. Should independently developed MMOs be held to a different standard than "big house" games? We take a look in our latest column. See what you think before heading to the comments to leave us your thoughts.

Thinking and talking about it, the idea did occur that those review criteria, while completely valid in most situations, might not necessarily cut it when it comes to independently made MMOs. After all, what indie house is going to have the budget for graphics on par with Blizzard, or Warner Brothers? What indie house can possibly hope to compete with the sheer volume of coding one might find in a corporately funded game?

Read more of Lisa Jonte's Independency: A Different Standard.