From Funcom:

This week's Friday Update is the Clan of Conan Newsletter #14 including the The Pocket Travel Guide to Tortage Island (don't leave home without it!)

Codemasters Online and Trubine are teaming up to bring us a big happening in the world of LOTR Online. The details will be announced at this coming year's Connect 08 expo. Click read more for the official info.

PRESS RELEASE

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, speaking at an investor meeting, has stated that MMOs could be "an insurmountable product category" for publishers at the moment, with the juggernaut World of Warcraft on the loose. This is something we here at GR have been touting for a while now. Kotick went further to claim that at least a 1 billion dollar investment would be required to even have a shot at taking on WoW, and even then it is no guarantee. The simple fact is that until World of Warcraft's day is done, there will be no other leader in the MMO world, and on top of that WoW has changed the MMO model forever.

"We don't think that even if we made the USD 500 million or billion-dollar investment to get a product out [to compete with WOW] that we would even be successful doing it," he said.

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 26th February/... Brighton, UK — NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® have announced that the Guild Wars® franchise of online roleplaying games has surpassed five million units sold in Europe, North America, and Asia.

From Funcom:


The highly anticipated MMO receives 8 more weeks of development, allowing Funcom to deliver a more polished MMO experience when the game launches on the 20th of May 2008. Despite great feedback on vital aspects like immersion, fun factor and the exciting combat system, the management of Funcom has decided to polish the game even more. Eight weeks of development work is therefore added to stress game systems and polish the game further leading up to launch.

Blizzard has announced that it will put online a new set of WoW realms that will allow players to enter world-wide team-based tournaments. You can even win real cash prizes, up to $200,000 USD! Check it out.

The official magazine of Everquest, Equinox, is up to its second issue. For those who want, you can pre-order starting today. Click read more for the full info.

PRESS RELEASE

EQuinox is the first official print magazine dedicated entirely to EverQuest® II (EQ II), its players, creators and adventurers in the world of Norrath. EQuinox is a community driven magazine written by players, developers and EQ II enthusiasts providing insight, information and excitement about the world of EQ II. Pre-orders for the second issue of EQuinox are scheduled to begin today.

The Marvel MMO that was being planned and developed by MS has been cancelled, in case you did not hear, and Dave Perry from Shiny is shocked. Check the link for details.