Archives for Dec 7th, 2008

The week in Massively Features

by Michael Zenke (Dec 7th 2008 6:00PM)

The Digital Continuum: Moria or Wrath? tanding in the tiny store, I found myself at a crossroads. I'd put a lot of thought into this, but now that the decision was starting back at me, it seemed much more daunting. The question kept repeating in my head, "Do I buy Wrath, or ...

EVE Evolved: Is EVE Online's death penalty really that harsh?

by Brendan Drain (Dec 7th 2008 5:00PM)

Everyone knows that the death penalty in EVE Online is harsh but is it really as bad as we make it out to be? Is losing a ship really a devastating blow or does the emotional factor of losing something we've put care and attention into make us exaggerate the loss? Since EVE's gameplay is focused ...

Pascal's thoughts on multiplayer games

by Alexis Kassan (Dec 7th 2008 4:00PM)

Pascal Luban at Gamasutra is now up to part three in his series on the multiplayer megatrend in the game industry. Part one explored how game creators use multiplayer modes, online distribution, and downloadable content to increase the life span of the game. Microtransactions are also used to ...

Just /dance the night away

by Alexis Kassan (Dec 7th 2008 3:00PM)

About how long are you in a new game before you decide to check out the emotes? These gestures have become an integral part of the personalities we ascribe to our characters - and perhaps none more than the /dance emote. Ravious over on KillTenRats recently explored dancing in MMOs since newer ...

One Shots: Wyrmrest Temple

by Krystalle Voecks (Dec 7th 2008 2:00PM)

The biting chill of the frosty Northrend air sears the lungs of all but the hardiest of adventurers. Today's World of Warcraft One Shots sent to us from Johanis shows one such worldly soul, standing patiently in the frozen wastes just outside of the ancient Dragonflight meeting spot at Wyrmrest ...

Mythic putting off Warhammer expansion work to focus on live game

by Michael Zenke (Dec 7th 2008 1:00PM)

In a lengthy thread over at the VN boards, players began offering up a number of thoughts about what they'd like to see in the first expansion to Mythic Entertainment's Warhammer Online. They had a couple of great ideas, too, with thread-starter DiscipleofWar suggesting it focus on the fabled Land ...

Warhammer Online immortalizing top players in stone

by James Egan (Dec 7th 2008 12:00PM)

We play massively multiplayer online games for many reasons. For some it's the social aspects of MMO gaming that edge out your standard console multiplayer experience, while others like to explore, collect, or otherwise rack up achievements. Achiever-types have had things to like about Warhammer ...

Businesses not stampeding from Second Life

by Tateru Nino (Dec 7th 2008 10:00AM)

While the media focuses on a few high-profile business departures from Second Life, it isn't fair to assume (as many writers have) that businesses are stampeding out of Linden Lab's virtual environment. If anything, business use of Second Life continues to surge, but it isn't the same kind of usage. ...

Lord of the Rings Online weekend server difficulties

by Tateru Nino (Dec 7th 2008 9:00AM)

Some of Turbine's servers for Lord of the Rings Online Online have been undergoing issues, apparently stemming from unduly high loads on Saturday evening. At least that's when everything seemed to start going wrong. Initially, it was just the usual lag effects, then zones began to freeze on some ...

The Daily Grind: On MMOs and Alts

by Krystalle Voecks (Dec 7th 2008 8:00AM)

Sign in on the auction house mule in World of Warcraft, check mail, and then scan the AH. Log in to EVE Online, pull up the markets, check what's up in Jita. Figure out if you need to make something to sell or use then log in the alts to do the dirty work. For some people, an alt is as simple as ...