Wargaming.net places players in tier-based battles for WoT. 1930s craft will not often fight superior 1950s craft, if WoW, as expected, follows the same formula.

Wargaming.net, creator of the recently launched and quite successful F2P World of Tanks MMOG, revealed that it plans on taking the winning formula to the sky. World of Warplanes will not only add a second WoW moniker to the MMOG players lexicon, but allow them to tear across the sky in scenarios from the 1930s to 1950s in era planes. The timeframe will not be lost on aviation fanatics, as the era was driven by rapid technological innovation thanks to numerous wars. Just like the timeframe used for WoT.

Other than the title being team-based, Wargaming.net hasn’t released many details at this point. It’s likely that WoW will feature a near-perfect balance of war simulation with traditional MMOG gameplay (thus, be nothing like the other WoW). Customizing vehicles with upgrades and technological skilltrees should make a return, as well as the ability to speed progress through RMT.

I am reservedly excited. Given the fact that maps will not be a major draw – terrain doesn’t affect strategy like it does for tanks – how will WoW reel us in? Unique capture-the-flag or defend-this-target scenarios? Driving, even a tank, is second nature to many people, will the additional of a third dimension relegate WoW to an even more niche status?

This blogger will be polishing his joystick, waiting for additional details, including a release date.

Who’s up for coining the moniker WoWp with me?

I’d like to welcome everyone to 2011. A year I’d officially call “The Year of Hope” for the MMOG industry. We can all attest to what a disappointment 2010 has been for the most part. We’ve seen new releases with a severe lack of content, major intellectual properties turn in to games that don’t do them justice, and were even ‘lucky’ to witness the shortest lived MMOG in history. As such, most gamers will remember 2010 with a sour taste in their mouth, and hope that this year will more than make up for the failures of the past.

2011 sure does promise a lot of new games worthy of our attention…or so it seems at first glance. Perhaps, a few of you have lost all hope for innovation in the industry at this point. No? Then let’s examine some of the concepts that new games aim to either introduce or develop further in the year 2011.

“If everyone is different…are they not the same?” – Philosoraptor

Probably the most noticeable difference is the expansion of the term ‘MMO’ to include games that significantly differ from each other, much as their single-player colleagues do. Judging by existing games like Global Agenda, Need for Speed World and upcoming titles like Firefall, World of Tanks and Tribes Universe, it seems that the ‘MMO’ label can be successfully slapped onto a sandwich, provided that it is eaten by fifty or so gourmands at the same time. Whether this adds more choice to the genre or is just a cheap way to monetize gameplay, which should have accompanied a single-player release, varies largely from game to game. Coupled with a wider acceptance and prevalence of free-to-play projects, this can lead to some interesting combinations. Let’s just hope that these newer titles are examples of quality before quantity, which was a problem of the early F2P genre.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a T-Rex (Ed’s Note: Someone training to be a paleontologist?)

Combat in 2011 is moving towards relying more on action elements and player skill, rather than pure number-crunching we’ve been used to in the ‘good ol’ days.’ Games like Blade and Soul and TERA aim to challenge our agility, precision and situational awareness. For some gamers, this really brings out the issue of player skill, one that has been lacking severely in old-school games. Finally, we get games where gear isn’t the deciding factor and where true winners can carve their own success.

To others, this might be an unwelcome introduction to a genre that previously took a deliberately slower approach to action and was (somewhat) akin to a speedy game of chess, albeit one with unicorns (Charlie!) and spells. With existing projects like Vindictus and DCUO beta, another important issue has been brought up in the fact that some players can’t always handle the physical strain that these games deliver. Thus, whether the newer releases will create a successful blend of both traditional and new combat systems is still up for debate. Continue Reading

In mid-February the MMOG world was run down by a blitzkrieg from WarGaming.net.  The strategy specialist announced World of Tanks, an MMOG that would feature nothing but tanks.  No, not the standard MMOG archetype you’re thinking of, but actual metallic tanks.

World of Tanks will feature immense PvP battles, comprising of 30 players teams.  Players will have access to over 150 tanks, ranging from slow, infantry supporting pre-WW2 tanks to the blitzkrieg machines of WW2 and the versatile war machines made up to and including the Korean War.  Russian, American and German tanks are all available.

The first gameplay video is sitting behind the break.  Continue Reading