In July we had the chance to get ask some questions of Mandy Blumenthal, Producer of Runes of Magic, specifically about Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge. Read on after the break for the details!

Sebastian Mayer , product director, and Nils Urband, game designer, answer a few questions about the latest updates to Ikariam, the browser-based, free-to-play MMORTS that borrows heavily from the themes of ancient Greece. Want to conquer your neighbors or become the ultimate diplomat to create a massive alliance? Read on to learn more!

Guild Wars 2 has come a long way since we first got our hands on it back in February. Since then we’ve admired the world that the team at ArenaNet has built, and dissected the elements that make this an incredibly strong social MMO. From those initial Beta Weekend Events, we’ve gradually seen the world grow, both in the size available to explore and the depth of stories to be found within.

We’ve also examined how ArenaNet hopes to reinvent the traditional MMO, as well as some of the arguments against these plans. Our analysis wouldn’t be complete without also weighing the potential for Guild Wars 2 as an eSport.

As we close the book on the Guild Wars 2 beta, I’m left with a single question: is this MMO ready for launch? My first reaction would be an emphatic yes – everything, from renown questing to dungeon crawling - works. It’s fun to play, with a strong undercurrent of charm and wonder seeping into every aspect of the game. 

But is this enough, or does a radical shift in MMO design require an equally strong change in gamers themselves? Are we ready as a player base, or do we still need convincing? On this, I’d argue the jury’s still out.

A while ago, I went on an in-game tour of Divina, the newest (and cutest!) offering from Lucent Heart proprietors Gamania. To be honest, I started out my tour a little wary, especially considering the game's ultra-cute premise in an industry trending toward "mature" personal stories and darker settings. That being said, after romping around this colorful world (as a trident-wielding Mystic Sea Snail for the latter half, no less), I'll admit that there is something irresistibly charming about a game that doesn't take itself as seriously as the rest.

Trion has released new lore surrounding the Storm Legion expansion, including some tantalizing bits on Crucia and the Infinity Gate. Read on!

While you're at it, you can download an awesome Crucia wallpaper by clicking the image below!

UPDATE, 8/6: Tinkerfest has been extended through August 12th!

UPDATE, 9:30am PDT on 7/29: Tinkerfest is now active! (confirmed on the Everfrost server)

UPDATE, 6am PDT on 7/29: The only Tinkerfest feature that is currently running are the Aether Races. We'll update with more information as the event is finally switched on.

It's time for Tinkerfest, the Norrathian celebration of all things Gnomish! Your EQII ZAM staff has gotten the scoop on all the new additions to this popular live event. Several Aether Races will be activated in Butcherblock, Lavastorm, Great Divide and Tenebrous Tangle. This year also features new recipes, more merchant goodies (including flight wings!) and new rewards. Don't forget to hone your skills in the Gnomish language!

Tinkerfest will run from 12:01am PDT on July 29th through 11:59pm PDT on August 12th.

If you need a hint or just want a sneak peak before the festivities explode upon us on Sunday, see our Tinkerfest Guide and brand new Tinkerfest Gallery! For those of you with far too many alts, check out our Tinkerfest Quest Tracker.

To anyone who hasn’t experienced it, the idea of a racing or driving MMO seems rather odd. But after two years of updates, and notching up over 16.7 million registered gamers worldwide, the team behind Need for Speed World has been proved right. The careful blend of high-speed events, set inside a mesmerizing open world, generated an army of fans across Europe, Latin and North America.

As part of the celebration of their two year anniversary, I spoke to producer Marc de Vellis and lead designer Melvin Teo. While we raced through the grand, open-world city, they demonstrated some of the recent changes to the game and revealed a couple of the new features in the pipeline. From the latest word on Drag Racing, through the August supercar bonanza, there’s a lot going on in this free-to-play MMO.

If you fancy taking part in the two year anniversary, the team is also giving away free in-game cars and kit to help fill your garage. Head over to the Need for Speed World website and get in before the celebration finishes!

I had the chance to interview Aaron Campbell, senior producer on the Lord of the Rings Online team, about the newest features of the Riders of Rohan expansion. Set to be released on September 5th, the expansion entered Beta on Wednesday, July 18th. Our interview focused on the new mounted combat mechanic to be used by players while riding through the plains of Rohan.

Every MMO is an ambitious project. To get as far as launching a game takes hundreds of developers several years. What makes Defiance, Trion Worlds’ latest MMO, even more daunting is that it is being built as a skill-based third-person shooter that can be experienced on both PCs and consoles. A project this extensive sounds almost unfathomable.

But Defiance is about more than just making a game, as senior producer Rob Hill explained to us. When it comes to how we experience entertainment, Trion is looking further ahead than just the next couple of years. By facing the challenge of building virtual worlds that work on TV, PC and beyond, and by working out how to mesh multiple ways of creating content, this ambitious developer is striving to get ahead of the curve.

By announcing their release date - April 2013 - on a giant Skyscraper-sized poster overlooking San Diego Comic-Con, the two partners have literally nailed their colors to the mast. How does Rob Hill, Senior Producer at Trion Worlds, hope to navigate his team to that final destination? Find out more about their plans below.

Welcome, welcome! Welcome one and all to the Qeynos Districts! This year we have upgraded our city walls and supplied the guards with new, shiny armor! Lucky adventurers can find their racial mentors within the capitol or province districts and put their lives at risk for the good of the Queen!

Indulge yourselves and speak with Murrar Shar, who will send you into increasingly more dangerous situations! Meet the mysterious Circle of Ten and discover what life-threatening errands they have prepared for you! Once per Norrathian day you can bask in the glorious orations of Queen Antonia Bayle and her undead kin, Kyle Antihilus Bayle, as they vie for control of the district!

Grab your pointiest sword and hurry to the Qeynos Districts, where the adventure awaits! May the RNG be ever in your favor!*

* For those who may be confused by our excess of exclamation points, this article is an homage to Effie in The Hunger Games.