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Latest Wizard101 News Updates and Reviews Updated daily
Wizard101 : MMORPGbility: Ten terrific titles for this nifty new netbookNov 04, 2011 03:00:00 PM News Item: 17791
Filed under: belief, Ultima Online, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Hands-on, Casual, MMORPGRTS, Mabinogi, Kids, Wizard101, Sandbox
I point outed this new gaming toy of mine last week, and it finally arrived. I immediately loved how it felt and weighed. Sure, there are lighter netbooks, but many of them feel more fragile. This Inspiron Duo has a rubberized edging to it, and the flip-screen feels snappy but firm. I was happy right away. It's a higher-quality netbook with a decent-quality tablet included.
After I tweaked it and purged it of bloatware, I had to get some games going on it, and not just casual Facebook games but real MMORPGs. I spent a few days going through my list of titles to see which ones would work on the netbook and how many will work well with the touchscreen. I wanted games that would give a normal netbook fits but not lag excessively. Note that my netbook's screen is 1366x768, while the cheapest ones out there are normally 1024x600. Adjustments might need to be made there. I came up only with 10 games for now, but anticipatemore in the future.
Click past the cut to see the list!Continue reading MMORPGbility: Ten terrific titles for this nifty new netbook  MMORPGbility: Ten terrific titles for this nifty new netbook Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMORPGsOct 20, 2011 05:00:00 PM News Item: 17587
Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Guild Wars, RuneScape, Free Realms, Champions Online, Wizard101, RIFT, Dragon Nest, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous
I think it's tremendously easy for experienced MMORPG gamers to completely forget what it was like getting started in this genre. It's natural to assume that everyone around you cut their teeth on the same games and in the same ways you did, even though this is completely ridiculous when you give it any real thought.
The truth is that MMORPGs are often very intimidating to the newcomer, and a bad first impression can push a gamer away for life. You have to contend with a classicly busy user interface, you have to master keys and mouse buttons all over the place, you have to learn the lingo, you have to pick up skills on how to survive, and you have to do all of this almost all at once or risk feeling completely lost. This is why many MMORPG studios place such a priority on an excellent, welcoming tutorial experience.
I can relate to the newbie because my first MMORPG was Anarchy Online. I've never felt so out of my depth than when I played that back in 2002, and I don't think I ever quite understood it all before I left. My second MMORPG, City of Heroes, was far more friendly to my newbish soul, and it was smooth sailing from there on out.
For today's Perfect Ten, I want to highlight MMORPGs that I feel would be the best for a completely new gamer to experience. These are titles that combine a welcoming beginner journey, intuitive controls, a helpful community, and enough similarities with other video games to help the transition.Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMORPGs The Perfect Ten: Best starter MMORPGs Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managersOct 11, 2011 11:00:00 AM News Item: 17579
Filed under: Fantasy, Asheron's Call, Interviews, The Game Archaeologist, Post-Apocalyptic
Back when I covered Asheron's Call for The Game Archaeologist, I got an impassioned email from aprevious fansite operator who made me promise that I'd drop her a line when the time came to talk about Asheron's Call 2, as she was not only a enormous fan of the title but still in contact with manyprevious gamers who carry a torch for Turbine's long-departed MMORPG. One thing led to another, and I ended up talking to both her and a fellow AC2 fansite manager about the ups and downs of covering the second coming of Dereth...
The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself, your current job position, and how you got concerned with Asheron's Call 2 back in the day?
Kiersten Samwell: I'm Kiersten Samwell, Community Relations and Social Media Manager for KingsIsle Entertainment, the creator of Wizard101. I used to be the Site Manager for Warcry's Crossroads of Dereth/Asheron's Call site as Ellen Ripley, so it was natural to work with the site manager of their Asheron's Call 2 fansite as well. His name is Roberto, and he was just an incredible site manager. Of course, being an avid AC1 gamer, I enjoyed AC2 for both its similarities to and its differences from AC1.
Robert Hackett: Hi, I'm Robert Hackett, the Managing MMORPG Editor of GamersInfo.net. I actually got invited to one of the betas along with a friend of mine. The lag was so bad (the day I logged in may have been a stress test; I can't remember) that I told my friend that there was no way my rig could handle that. Fast forward to the month after release and Ophelea from the old AC Crossroads site begged me to come over to AC2 and be an editor for the database she was trying to build. Logged in and the game was a million percent better. I stayed to work on the database and eventually fell in love with it beyond "work!"Continue reading The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers The Game Archaeologist answers Asheron's Call 2: The fansite managers Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : The Perfect Ten: Best in-game mapsJul 14, 2011 10:00:00 AM News Item: 17896
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, Aion, EVE Online, Fallen Earth, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer Online, Humor, Wizard101, RIFT, Perfect Ten
I love me a good map. Seriously. When I was a boy and we'd go on vacations, I think I spent more time flipping through the detailed atlas in the car than looking out of the windows (and how sad is that?). Even today, I'm fascinated with a good map, as it allows my imagination to roam across lands quickly and envisionwhat they must be like.
In MMORPGs, maps are one of the most important tools in your user interface. They help orient you, direct you to your next quest objective, allow you to plan a journey in the safest potentialmanner, and tantalize you with the potentials of unexplored areas. I started to think about how much we rely on a good in-game map when I was reading the Star Wars: The Old Republicdeveloperdiary on how that team is implementing their map system.
I've found that in-game maps can be a mixed bag, depending on the game you visit. Some may look great but be functionally useless. Some may be uglier than dirt but hit the spot nevertheless. But the best are the ones that marry good aesthetics with practicality, and those are the ones I want to spotlight today. So without further ado, my favorite in-game maps from MMORPGs!Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : The Anvil of Crom: Future perfect?Mar 06, 2011 12:00:00 PM News Item: 16607
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Player vs Player, PvE, belief, The Anvil of Crom
Poor Age of Conan.
Funcom's sword, sorcery, and sandal epic is a perennial also-ran in semi-monthly Choose My Adventure voting. For the uninitiated, CMA is a series wherein one (un)lucky scribe puts his or her gaming life in the hands of the readers for several weeks at a time. Poll participants can choose the game, and depending on different factors, the toonrace, class, vocation, goals, and a number of other gameplay-related guidelines.
The writer then plays and reports on the experience, usually publicizing the toonand inviting interested readers to play along. While the CMA series has visited some pretty diverse locales over the last couple of years, including Darkfall, Aion, Lord of the Rings Online, and Wizard101, Age of Conan always seems to come up short in the polls. That's OK though, because The Anvil of Crom is gearing up to take an occasional page out of Choose My Adventure book. Flip past the cut to find out how.Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Future perfect? The Anvil of Crom: Future perfect? Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : Wizard101 partners with GameStop for Epic Bundle game card packageNov 04, 2010 12:30:00 PM News Item: 15979
Filed under: MMORPG industry, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, Kids, Wizard101, Promotions, Family
KingsIsle Entertainment, makers of the hit kid-friendly MMORPG Wizard101, have hooked up with GameStop to offer gamers and parents an exclusive retail-only Epic Bundle just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. The package is priced at $39 USD and features a large amount of in-game extras including a flying gryphon mount, a fantasy palace complete with personal dueling arena and a minigame kiosk, decorative clothing, one month of premium substence access, and an additional housing slot.
Wizard101 is a free-to-play MMORPG that lets kids and parents create student Wizards that inhabit Wizard City as well as hone their magical skills and fight the forces of evil. Access to the game's premium substence can be obtained via game cards, subscription fees, or the purchase of crowns. You can find more information about the game card bundle at the official website. Wizard101 partners with GameStop for Epic Bundle game card package Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the barJul 07, 2010 11:00:00 AM News Item: 14817
Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, belief, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Mabinogi, Kids, Wizard101, Free for All, Family
I understand the opinion that all free-to-play games are "not fun," or that they are "nothing but a grind." Even though this is a generalization that is nowhere near the truth, and despite the fact that the giver of these opinions couldn't have played every free-to-play game in existence to base this information on, the idea behind the sentiment is pretty solid: "I do not like free-to-play games." I cannot argue with that, being that it is an opinion. If someone wants to lump games into a category based on "how a developer might make money" then so be it.
It is not only my opinion that there is good and bad in every payment model (just check some of the comments section on some of our columns) but that, more-than-likely, the generalizer has most likely played only a handful of these games, and filled in the gaps of his opinion with ideals that are closer to racism than actual experience.
There are two things that I can present as evidence to a free-to-play game's quality, however. Two things that are so important and yet so basic that no game could live without them. Two things that make up the very foundation that MMORPGRPGs should be built on, so that gameplay and style can be stacked on top.Continue reading Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : Mobile: iPhone apps for your favorite MMORPGs part 2May 30, 2010 04:00:00 PM News Item: 14351
Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Lineage 2, Lord of the Rings Online, Second Life, Runescape, Free-to-play, Browser, Wizard101, Mytheon, Mobile
Every two weeks, Mobile brings you the latest news, guides and examination about MMORPGs on mobile devices. Covering iPhone, iPad and Android platforms, we're on the lookout for the next generation of MMORPGs.
In the last column, I covered a number of iPhone apps for MMORPGs. Some kept you connected to the game world, others offered you information at your fingertips, while still others were entire games unto themselves. Today I continue with the second half of the list starting with Final Fantasy XI all the way through Wizard101. In the next Mobile column, I will spotlight specifically on World of Warcraft mobile apps for both the iPhone and the Android.
I have to confess that in the process of researching this column, I became obsessed with one meticulous app, Warrior Epic: Sagas. I don't even play the MMORPG, but I found the app to be one I returned to again and again throughout the week. It's very addictive, has an engaging storyline and is a dream come true for equipment micromanagers like myself. Check it out along with the rest of the apps after the jump.Continue reading Mobile: iPhone apps for your favorite MMORPGs part 2 Mobile: iPhone apps for your favorite MMORPGs part 2 Sun, 30 May 2010 16:00:00 EST.
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Wizard101 : MMORPG Family: Family night at the MMORPG buffetApr 30, 2010 01:00:00 PM News Item: 14097
Filed under: Runescape, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, Kids, Wizard101, MMORPG Family, Family
MMORPG Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMORPG Family offers you advice on MMORPG gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.
It's no secret how rich the world of family-friendly MMORPGs has become -- or then again, considering the general lack of regard and awareness for them even among gamers like us, perhaps it is. Certainly, there's no denying the sheer quantity of kids' games on the market. Even an entire year ago, there were already more than 200 youth-oriented virtual worlds and MMORPGs either in development or on the market. A year later, as we in recent times reported, "... Blizzard's World of Warcraft has the most number of gamers in the U.S. out of all the MMORPGs it tracked, just in front of NeoPets and Club Penguin. Other MMORPGs in the top five include Disney ToonTown and RuneScape." From where this writer sits, eyeballing the list of possibilities for our ongoing Parents Guide series about family-friendly games ... It's going to be a long, long run, folks.Continue reading MMORPG Family: Family night at the MMORPG buffet MMORPG Family: Family night at the MMORPG buffet Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST.
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More Wizard101 News
(Click to read)
Apr 06, 2010 12:00:00 PMWizard101 : Free for All: Five favorite game systems
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May 28, 2009 08:00:00 PMWizard101 : Beckett Massive Online Gamer names Top 20 individuals in the MMORPG industry
Apr 30, 2009 05:30:00 PMWizard101 : Wizard101 hits 2 million unique user mark
Apr 30, 2009 11:09:35 AMWizard101 : Wizard101 Wows Over 2 Million!
Apr 13, 2009 09:07:36 AMWizard101 : Wizard101 Game Update Introduces New Spells, Quest Helper
Feb 15, 2009 05:09:54 PMWizard101 : Wizard101 Hits Million Registered User Mark
Feb 13, 2009 05:00:00 PMWizard101 : Wizard 101 teaches wizards how to count up to 1 million gamers
Jan 16, 2009 03:02:22 PMWizard101 : Ten Ton Hammer Exclusives: The Week in Review
Nov 03, 2008 04:00:00 PMWizard101 : Wizard101 lets gamers choose their payment method
Nov 02, 2008 12:00:00 PMWizard101 : Welcome to Second Year!
Sep 03, 2008 08:00:00 AMWizard101 : The Daily Grind: MMORPGs for Newbies?
Sep 02, 2008 02:38:11 PMWizard101 : Wizard 101 is Live!
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