Stood In The FireIssue 112: Greetings and welcome to 2015 … oh wait, I’m nearly a month late! It looks like I stood in the fire too long and thus had an epic fail with posting some MMO news! This is what I get for not having good raid awareness. I have learned my lesson. In all actuality, between various family engagements, holidays and fending off every flu and cold virus known to man, I didn’t have the time or the energy to write up my usual posts. I apologize for the lapse in MMO tidings. Hopefully the following list of headlines will make up for it.

PAX South took place recently so there are a few surprises that came out of San Antonio, including some expansion announcements and subscription changes. Blizzard is already working on some new content for the current expansion (I say already but I’ve been so far behind lately I guess it is about time for more content). There is also a limited time, free music download you want to check out as soon as you read this!

ICYMI: ESO Going B2P; Removed Subs

Posted 1.21.15 – As the date approaches when Elder Scrolls Online releases it’s console version (June 9th), come March 17th it will become Buy-2-Play. This also means that it will be completely dropping its monthly subscription model. There will still be a “premium” subscription which will grant players additional in-game bonuses and free access to new downloadable content. You can see the trailer and the announcement with the Massively post.
Massively post

Guild Wars 2 Expansion is Real

Posted 1.24.15 – ArenaNet let everyone know, during PAX South, that Heart of Thorns is, in fact, a Guild Wars 2 expansion. It won’t be your typical content expansion. There will be new challenges, profession specialization and account based “mastery” system but there will not be a level cap increase. Of course there will be a new zone, from what I can tell.
Massively post

Patch 6.1 May Have The SELFIE

Posted 1.25.15 – Yes, Blizzard has added the S.E.L.F.I.E. Camera to the PTR. Granted this doesn’t necessarily mean it will make it into the live game when this patch goes live but my first reaction is … WHY??????!!!! Have we become such a narcissistic society that we even need the ability to take a “selfie” in a video game? I don’t think I have ever taken one selfie! I don’t know why there even has to be a specific in-game item; couldn’t Alt-Z and a screenshot work just as well?
WoW Insider post

Upsetting Joystiq Rumor

Posted 1.27.15 – There is a very upsetting rumor that Joystiq might be closing up shop. Say It Isn’t So!!! There hasn’t been any official announcement from the “powers-that-be” at Joystiq and many of its employees don’t seem to have enough information to confirm or deny the rumor. I really hope its just some sick trolls’ practical joke because I would hate to lose a great news site like Joystiq. Plus, what does this mean for its sister sites (i.e. Massively and WoW Insider)?
Joystiq Post

Free Music from League of Legends (LIMITED TIME)

Posted 1.28.15 – Hopefully you are reading this with enough time still to get your free music. Riot is giving away all 15 tracks for the League of Legends soundtrack (you have to download the MP3s). I don’t know if you need to have an active account or actively playing the game but I would head over and find out. I haven’t done it yet, I will let you know if I have any luck. If I’m not mistaken I believe the Imagine Dragons have a song for League of Legends; I’m not sure if that is among the songs to be downloaded.
Massively post | Download Link

Free Music from Bioware Too!

Posted 1.28.15 – I guess Bioware liked Riot’s idea of free music so much that they have decided to offer free music downloads from Dragon Age: Inquisition (until February 9th). Again, I don’t know if you need to have a subscription, or have purchased the game, but if you enjoyed the music of the taverns in DA:I then I would head over and pick up the music while you still can.
Joystiq post | Download Link

TERA Getting “Skycastles”

Posted 1.29.15 – Player housing is becoming so widespread now that many players are no longer surprised when another game implements housing. So naturally my first thought when I saw this tweet was player housing in TERA but that is now what a Skycastle will be. It’s the first reference to guild housing I have seen since SWTOR’s guild flagships implementation. TERA players will see Skycastles in February. (Massively post)

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