They said it would happen in the ancient texts of May 2013, and lo, it has come to pass. RIFT, the previously not free MMO is now a free MMO. And they promise “no trials, no tricks and no traps.”
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Posts Tagged ‘Trion Worlds’
The Price Of Defiance: Trion Worlds Hit By Big Layoffs
By Nathan Grayson on May 18th, 2013.
At this rate, Trion Worlds might soon be forced to change its name to Trion Islands, or maybe Trion Small Yet Charming Spanish Getaway Vacation Villa. After the Rift team got hit by a major round of layoffs late last year, Defiance‘s band of trigger finger scratchers has taken a possibly even bigger hit. While the exact number is unconfirmed, many reports place the total at around 100, which is a worrisomely not-small portion of the entire company. For its part, Trion has confirmed the unfortunate turn of events, but it’s been illusive otherwise. The company’s statement is after the break, in addition to a few further details.
Telara Your Friends: Rift Going F2P Next Month
By Nathan Grayson on May 15th, 2013.
If past me – Nathan the Younger, EverQuest fiend extraordinaire – knew that I/we would eventually be complaining about having access to too many free MMOs, he’d probably shake his head in shame and see if there was still time to have a traumatic experience that’d turn him into a dystopic totalitarian dictator. But here I am – kind, vaguely humble, and only prone to conquering the most formidable of grilled cheese sandwiches – and now Rift’s shedding its subscription in favor of something a bit more comfortable. Truth be told, I kind of assumed it had already flipped the switch. Hm. Well, anyway, explanatory “don’t worry guys seriously no buying power never mind that everyone always says this” trailer after the break.
Not quite ready to say 'SighFy' yet
Two Hours With Defiance
By Alec Meer on May 2nd, 2013.
Defiance describes itself as an “online open-world shooter”, but it can’t pull the wool over my eyes – I know it’s really an MMO. Look at it, pretending to be something new and different even while thousands of players sprint around chasing experience points and killing infinite, infinitely respawning monsters. You can’t fool me, Defiance! I defy your description of yourself. I DEFY IT.
Defiance also a tie-in to a new sci-fi serial on the Syphilis channel, but as the trailers suggest it’s a sort of grey pantomime I currently have no intention of watching it. Perhaps an hour* with the game, which as far as I can ascertain is designed to be standalone as well as tie-in, would change my mind?
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Defyance Is A Syfy Shooter With Frytful Guns
By Adam Smith on March 11th, 2013.
Sy-Fy-Fo-Fum, I smell the walnut-infused mocchiatocinospresso of a marketing man. I still can’t quite believe that the Sci-Fi Channel is called the Syfy Channel now and I’m also bewildered by the fact that Defiance, an open-world shooter that is linked with a new TV series, actually looks quite good. It should be awful, clearly, because these sort of transmedia efforts have the dual stench of desperation and cynicism hanging off them like a Cary Grant clinging to a president’s face. The new trailer for Defiance is primarily interesting because the human characters are wielding some nasty biological weaponry, which I’d expected to be in the claws of their monstrous enemies. Take a look.
Defiance Gets Release Date, Defies Subscription Fees
By Nathan Grayson on January 31st, 2013.
Frankly, I would’ve been utterly dumbfounded if Trion Worlds defied all reason by saddling Defiance with a subscription fee, but TV changes people. Maybe being front-and-center on Syfy would’ve convinced some exec that Defiance is different. It can have subscription fees and its own three-story trailer-yacht and a special pen on set for its pet orangutan, Mr Screams-A-Lot. And also a rapidly developing coke habit that repeatedly gets chalked up to accidental over-consumption of ”cough syrup.” But I digress. Happily, Trion’s not fallen into that glitz-and-glamour-laden trap, so the crab-alien-blasting MMO’s going for more of a Guild-Wars-style model. Live-action celebratory trailer for the game – not the show – after the break. Hopefully they’ll do an in-game trailer of the show next. Synergy!
Defiance Is A Telly Program Too
By Alec Meer on January 22nd, 2013.
MULTIMEDIA CROSSOVER ALERT. It’s like Skylanders this, but with more alien death and bionic irises. Trion’s Defiance is currently best-known as a sci-fi MMO, but it’s also going to be a TV show on the atrociously named Syfy channel. I believe this is a glimpse at what that will look like: a Starship Troopersy affair (visually – I doubt the satire will be in there, somehow) deliberately made to look very similar to the game.
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CLOSEDBETAFACE
By Nathan Grayson on January 18th, 2013.
Here at RPS, we like to have a little fun every once in a while, but it’s time for real talk: Warface is no laughing matter. It afflicts several billion people per day, and chronic Warface has stumped even the techno-magic of modern medicine for years. Recently, it took Alec from us. Now he just sits in a corner all day, banging his head against the wall and mumbling about how he “must forever live in the shadow of his own Sistine Chapel.” And well, you’ve seen what it does to RPS comment threads. Really, it’s a misnomer: Warface is actually a disease of the mind. An apparition of the soul. Friends don’t let friends face Warface face war war war face far wace wa rface w arfac e.
W… who am I? I’ve suddenly forgotten everything about myself. Oh, but I do have this note saying Warface is now in closed beta. Seems innocent enough.
As Seen On PC: Defiance Beta Begins This Month
By Nathan Grayson on January 10th, 2013.
Games and TV haven’t exactly had the best relationship over the years. Nor have games and movies, or books, or pretty much anything that’s not games. I’ve wondered for quite a while, though, whether transmedia’s series of spectacular face-plants has been due to fundamental incompatibility between mediums or a simple lack of meaningful collaboration. Defiance – with its frequent, meticulously planned crossovers – might be able to answer that question. But honestly, if the game’s not any good, why should anyone care about what the tiny people who live inside their televisions do or say? Naturally, then, Defiance’s upcoming beta events are of interest. You can scope out its vision of an alien-overrun Wild West future San Francisco and maybe help make it better. A little. Details after the break.
Petroglyph Layoffs Not The End Of End Of Nations
By Nathan Grayson on December 7th, 2012.
Dodging the incredibly strange trend in which games with portentous names become self-fulfilling prophecies (Hello, Duke Nukem Forever), End of Nations has not, in fact, met its untimely end. You could be forgiven for thinking that it’s in pretty big trouble, though. Indefinite postponements and worrisomely far-reaching developer layoffs tend to have that effect. Regardless of how things ultimately shake out, however, change is afoot. The most earth-shaking bit? Petroglyph’s no longer on development duty, with Trion Worlds now leading the charge on the lumbering, stumbling MMORTS.
Tough Times: Petroglyph And NCSoft Layoff Staff
By Craig Pearson on December 5th, 2012.
Bleak news. Eurogamer is reporting that End of Nations developers Petroglyph are letting around 30 employees go. Their reported rumour was confirmed on Twitter, when writer and game designer Adam Stevens confirmed he’s one of those who’ll be losing a job over the holidays, posting: “Well, it appears this winter break will be extended indefinitely.” And is response to an inquiry he confirmed: “Lay-offs at Petroglyph. Looking like I’ll be Leaving Las Vegas.”
Meanwhile PC Gamer are reporting that NCSoft Seattle are losing an undisclosed number of staff in a ‘realignment’.
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