Runic Games interview, part 3
There's no Diablo III release date yet, but does its release concern you in terms of your playerbase? Baldree: Honestly, we tried to go a different way. We knew Diablo III was going to come out eventually, and we know it's going to be fantastic and amazing, but we wanted to make a game that ...
Runic Games interview, part 2
What business model are you going with for the MMO? Schaefer: Right now we're looking at free-to-play: item sales and free download. We like that model because we think subscriptions are just too restrictive. Everyone's got a (World of Warcraft) subscription already, so who wants to put more ...
Runic Games talks Torchlight, the upcoming MMO, Diablo comparisons, more
Can't wait for Diablo III? Try Torchlight. The single-player action-RPG, available for just 20 bucks via digital distribution, has got PC gamers talking. But why should Massively readers care, you ask? Because eventually, in about two years or so, developer Runic Games will make it a ...
Massively interviews WAR's producer on the future of the game
Warhammer Online has gone through big changes recently, both in-game and out. Mythic recently released the title's 1.3.2 patch, which had some controversial changes, and this week we learned that staffers at the studio were let go as part of Electronic Arts' new business strategy. In the midst ...
Asheron's Call lead designer talks 10-Year anniversary, the MMO market, more
Not many MMOs last a decade, and this week marks 10 years since the launch of Asheron's Call, the fantasy MMORPG by Turbine Entertainment. Releasing several months after EverQuest, the game held its own and found its way to becoming one of the top MMOs of its time, providing fond memories for many ...
New screens for Freaky Creatures content update Freaky Adventures
Although Free Realms continues to dominate kid-friendly MMO fare with five million users and counting, there are plenty of independent game-makers out there still vying for some market share. Case in point: Abandon Interactive's Freaky Creatures. Launched in March, the monster-themed MMO comes ...
Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in, part 3
Jeffrey Steefel, The Lord of the Rings Online Executive Producer, Turbine: "It's been fascinating to see how the MMO game has been evolving over the past 10 years... A lot has happened. Games have become more complex, consumers mostly all have faster internet access, are comfortable buying ...
Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in, part 2
Erling Ellingsen, Director of Communications, Funcom: "A bit surprising to me is that in terms of number of players, it hasn't changed a bit. Ultima Online, EverQuest and Age of Conan has roughly the same number of players per server -- which is quite interesting actually. These worlds have ...
Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in
What does "MMO" mean anymore? When we launched our "Redefining MMO" series over the summer, we began with a look at the terminology behind the games we play -- what the term "MMO" encompasses and what kinds of games it describes. But with the online games market expanding into new genres and ...
Fallen Earth's females get a more feminine facelift
Women of the post-apocalypse should look more feminine -- at least that's what Fallen Earth players think. According to developer Fallen Earth LLC, players thought that the female characters in the post-apocalyptic MMO, which just launched yesterday, should have physiological qualities ...
