Massively

One Shots: Mutant masochists

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Guild Wars, Culture, One Shots, Mabinogi, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous

One of the quickest ways to my heart -- and to the top of a weekly One Shots column -- is to send me in something that I haven't seen before or an MMO that hardly ever makes it to my inbox. That's why I'm kicking off with this submission from Zulika featuring Auto Assault, the post-apocalyptic vehicle game that lived but for a brief time.

"Notice the faint quest marker above the head of the lady suspended by chains and hooks. If I remember correctly, this was taken in some quest hub full of mutant masochists. Even though it was just in a game, it still felt odd," wrote Zulika.

Odd in most situations, true, but for MMO players it's just the latest in a long calvacade of weirdness that we witness every day. Let's get this parade going!

Continue reading One Shots: Mutant masochists

One Shots: Mutant masochists originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Nov 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jukebox Heroes: Tracy W. Bush opens up about WoW, Dungeon Runners, and DCUO

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Interviews, DC Universe Online, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes, Music

Odds are that even if you don't know who Tracy W. Bush is, you've allowed him to pipe music from his mind directly into your ears at one point or another during your MMO gameplay. Bush has contributed to tons of MMO soundtracks over the past decade-plus, including World of Warcraft, Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners, Auto Assault, and DC Universe Online.

It was actually this column's discussion of the Tabula Rasa soundtrack that prompted Bush to write in (fun fact: Blue Turns to Grey was the first track he wrote for the game, but the team held off putting it in until the very end), and I asked him if he'd be open to chatting about his collective work here. That didn't take much arm-twisting, no sirree.

So with that, I'm going to turn the mike over to Tracy Bush and let him share with you what it's like to create soundscapes that echo so powerfully in your memories.

Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Tracy W. Bush opens up about WoW, Dungeon Runners, and DCUO

Jukebox Heroes: Tracy W. Bush opens up about WoW, Dungeon Runners, and DCUO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: No game lives forever

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

The lifespan of a video game is a funny thing. There are some games that have a definite end, yet you'd wish they'd last forever. These games measure life in replayability, run-through length, or multiplayer matches, but they lack permanence and persistence. Still, you can usually dust them off years from now and still have fun with them.

MMOs are a different breed, aren't they? They promise the inverse of the solo game, with a world that goes on, content that keeps flooding in, and the illusion that it will last forever. Yet when the switch is turned off, there's no going back. You can't pick it up 10 years from now and give it another go.

It's why the news that an MMO is closing up shop comes as such a devastating blow to many of us. As MMOs attempt to emulate the persistence of life, so too do they illustrate the finality of death.

Continue reading The Soapbox: No game lives forever

The Soapbox: No game lives forever originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard

I had an interesting revelation this past week. While it seems that we've had so many MMOs shutting down over the year, when I look at the big picture of all of the major titles that have been released, the vast majority of them are still in operation. It made me realize just how resilient and strong this industry is.

Yet there are those games that have seen their final days and exist now only in our memories and dusty screenshot folders. Some might be good riddance to us; others are still painful wounds. We've all harbored fantasies of MMOs coming back from the great beyond for a second lease on life, but if you had to choose just one, what would it be?

That's the topic for today's poll, so look at the following list and think long and hard about your choice. Resurrection isn't something that happens every day in MMOs, after all.

Continue reading Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection

Leaderboard: MMO most worthy of resurrection originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Is it possible to get as attached to vehicles as avatars?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

Vehicle MMOs, whether they be space-based ones with starships or Mad Max-style road warriors, seem to come with a pretty severe handicap when it comes to personal connection. I've long since believed that it's simply far, far harder to identify with a non-living vehicle than it is a virtual humanoid in games, and because of that, such titles will be at a disadvantage when trying to keep players attached to their in-game avatars.

Part of this problem might stem from the fact that most vehicle MMOs have you constantly ditching old models in favor of new ones. Apart from games like Marvel Heroes, you just don't see that in traditional MMOs; your avatar at the beginning is the same one at the end, just better clothed. By viewing your vehicular avatars as disposable tools, you have a much harder time properly bonding with that item.

Then again, I could be wrong. It's the internet, so I'm sure to be called out as such. I genuinely want to know: Is it possible to get as attached to vehicles as your in-MMO avatars?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Is it possible to get as attached to vehicles as avatars? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-MMO devs aim to fund space combat game via Kickstarter

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles

They were part of the force behind many MMOs you've known and loved, including Jumpgate, Auto Assault, LEGO Universe, RIFT, and League of Legends, and now they're banding together for a new cause funded by crowdsourcing. They're the developers at END Games, and they hope to raise a quarter of a million dollars to create a multiplayer space combat game.

Despite the team's legacy, however, this new title will not be an MMO. Titled Squad Wars, the proposed project will blossom into a frantic starfighter game that will pit squads of players against each other in the deadly vacuum of space. Instead of focusing on a persistent world, Squad Wars will offer packaged scenarios that will "ensure the most fun every time you login."

END Games is also notable in that two of its members were founders of NetDevil: Scott Brown and Ryan Seabury. As of the time of this writing, END Games has $1,430 toward its goal, which must be attained by May 19th for the project to proceed.

Ex-MMO devs aim to fund space combat game via Kickstarter originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fury, RF Online, The Matrix Online, Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, All Points Bulletin, Humor, Promotions, Perfect Ten

With the holiday shopping season upon us, gamers are hot for great deals and cheap entertainment. As my wife's logic goes, if something is 80% off, you buy it, even if you didn't really want it in the first place. It's the principle of the thing, an automatic 80% dose of smug satisfaction at being a savvy shopper!

Not every deal should be pursued, however. Although most video games are playable for years and decades after release, not so with MMOs that have had their service shuttered. It's recently come to my attention that even though these games are completely unplayable -- rendered nothing more than a few cents' worth of a DVD and cardboard packaging -- online retailers haven't kept up with the times and keep these products on the virtual shelves long past their expiration dates.

That's not to say you should avoid these products at all cost, because studies show that a large percentage of Massively readers have a sick and twisted sense of humor. What would make a better gift this Christmas than a multi-million-dollar-budget MMO that died a horrible death years before?

So don't be the typical gifter who settles for a Blu-ray player or an iPod -- give a package of misery, disillusionment and broken dreams! Hit the jump for 10 items that absolutely belong in your shopping cart if you wish to be feared!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The pain and suffering of MMO shutdowns

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, The Matrix Online, Tabula Rasa, All Points Bulletin

Like life itself, the MMO industry doesn't often seem fair -- promising games can die premature deaths while creaky antiques continue to chug along just fine. When an MMO like APB or Tabula Rasa announces that it's closing its doors after only a couple years (or months), the first reaction is usually to ask, "What in Sam Hill happened and why are they doing this to me?" Yet what isn't always considered is the emotional fallout on behalf of the devs.

Over at Kotaku, Michael Fahey examined the fallout when MMOs are shuttered prematurely, using the examples of Auto Assault and The Matrix Online as case studies. NetDevil spent four years developing the former, which lasted a mere fraction of that time -- 16 months -- as a live game. Ryan Seabury testifies to the pain that this causes for a dev team: "I won't lie, it hurts like hell still over four years later... Naturally, if a universe like Auto Assault that you sort of mentally attach to over multiple years suddenly ceases to exist, it's like a part of you dies." He personally points to NCsoft as the reason for Auto Assault's closure, stating that the game might still be in operation if it wasn't for the publisher's lack of faith.

On the flip side, The Matrix Online had a longer run and plenty of time to prepare for the end once word was passed down. Then-Community Manager Daniel Myers says that the decision was a matter of dollars and sense. Still, Myers admits that it continues to affect him: "There are still days that I wish I could log in and see the Megacity again. I don't know [if] that will ever completely stop. I kind of hope it doesn't."

The pain and suffering of MMO shutdowns originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: The Dead Pool

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Now it's widely known that MMORPG players are a cheerful, optimistic bunch [citation needed]. It also goes without saying that no Massively reader would ever be caught wishing the downfall of a particular MMO or company [citation needed]. After all, the more titles that survive and thrive, the more the genre as a whole grows. With games like EverQuest, Ultima Online and Asheron's Call pushing well over a decade of run-time at this point, MMOs have proven that -- given a chance and enough initial steam -- they can go the distance.

However, realism is a nasty mistress, and we can't ignore the fact that sooner or later MMOs will shut down. We've seen some flare up and burn out quickly (Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault), some struggle for years before capitulating (The Matrix Online, Asheron's Call 2), and some quietly put to pasture after all attempts at prolonging life failed (Shadowbane). The dark truth is that even the games we currently play have a finite lifespan, and one day will see their light extinguished.

Cheery, right? So today, let's engage in a bit of macabre speculation and wager on a MMO dead pool. Without using this as a platform to rail against a MMO you hate and were personally wronged by on one midsummer's eve, what MMO do you think will be the next to close its doors? Will it be one of the newer titles, or one published by a company that has the tendency to shutter struggling games, or an aging beauty? Enter into today's dead pool, and earn the right to say "I told you so!" when the sad day happens. Because that will totally make you look tactful, don't you know.

The Daily Grind: The Dead Pool originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cryptic's Jack Emmert: No Plans For Consoles, STO over 100K subscribers

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Super-hero, News Items, Star Trek Online, Champions Online

"100% of our focus is on making the current PC product the best it can be. There are no current plans for a console version of Champions." Thus sayeth Cryptic Studio's Jack Emmert on the official Champions Online forums, ending speculation when or if this event would happen.

Over the past couple years, it looked as though Cryptic had console ports in its plans, from bringing on board console engine programmers to public plans of expanding their subscriber base into the console market. However, when the date for the supposed console release kept getting pushed back, players grew worried, and now it seems that the concern was justified. This might have been compounded by the fact that recently Champions Online experienced a major transition as executive producer Bill Roper stepped down and Shannon "Poz" Posniewski took over.

The folks over at The Big Freaking Podcast grabbed a bit of face time with Jack Emmert, Cryptic's Chief Operating Officer, to expand on this news as well as the future for Champions and Star Trek Online. Read on for the highlights of this interview!

Continue reading Cryptic's Jack Emmert: No Plans For Consoles, STO over 100K subscribers

Cryptic's Jack Emmert: No Plans For Consoles, STO over 100K subscribers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see be brought back to life?

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Today is a day where we should honor our fallen. Motor City Online. Tabula Rasa. Auto Assault. Asheron's Call 2. Earth and Beyond. Underlight. Shadowbane. Castle Infinity. The Matrix Online. The Sims Online. Seed. All of these games, and more, are MMOs that have launched, played, and then died.

Each of these games has a reason for why it was cancelled, but the outcome remains the same -- they aren't online today and their clients are nothing more than wasted code sitting on a disk. Some of these games were our introduction to the genre. Others were our favorite games -- the ones that could trump even the largest names in the MMO business.

So Massively readers, which dead MMO would you like to see be resurrected? Tell us some stories as to why you pick your game of choice, and drop them all in the comment box below. Mourn with others, we encourage it!

The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see be brought back to life? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How much is riding on City of Heroes: Going Rogue?

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business Models, Expansions, MMO Industry, Opinion

At the six-year mark, City of Heroes is still moving forward, with City of Heroes: Going Rogue targeted for release in the second quarter of 2010. It's certainly not the oldest game to receive an expansion, but Vicarious Existence has an interesting point to be made: exactly how much is riding on the success of this expansion? In true heroic sense, it may well be the fate of NCsoft West and of NCsoft's entire western presence in the market.

It's no secret that NCsoft West has had a difficult time in the market, with the first rumbles having been made clear with the sad tale of Auto Assault. And it's hardly necessary to dredge up painful memories about the games that have also gone the way of the dodo. But as the post points out, there's not nearly as much revenue coming in from the western branch of the company as they'd like, even with the success Aion has been having in the marketplace. (If that sounds cynical or as if it's expecting too much money, Adam Martin has an excellent explanation of why NCsoft could and would be so draconic about profits.) To be fair, the post is a bit alarmist, but it does posit that there could be a great deal of trouble on the horizon for City of Heroes -- and perhaps the whole studio -- based on the performance of the expansion. And even if the idle speculation is wrong, it certainly does put you in the right mood for the expansion, doesn't it?

How much is riding on City of Heroes: Going Rogue? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Score some cheap NCsoft game time

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aion, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage, Lineage 2, News Items

If you, like us, are always looking for a way to save a few dollars in your monthly MMO budget, then you may be glad to hear this news. After all, replacing all those robot minions when they get trashed can be really expensive - or maybe that's just us. In either case, if you're an avid City of Heroes or City of Villains, Lineage, or Lineage II player, then you'll be glad to hear that our friends over at GoGamer have a great sale on NCsoft time cards going on now. (We'd assume they'll work on Aion as well, considering their site lists these cards as being valid for Auto Assault....)

Right now, you can score two months of prepaid game time for the seriously cheap price of $18.90. While there is a shipping cost, the charge becomes very minor compared to the overall savings when you stock up on multiple cards. Of course, if you don't really want several months of cheap game time, you could always go in on an order with friends - or just send them to us. We'd gladly take any spare pre-paid time off your hands. Expensive robot minion replacements and all that, you know.

Score some cheap NCsoft game time originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Sci-fi geeks need to experience Jumpgate Evolution

Kyle Horner — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Jumpgate Evolution, New Titles, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

Spring is right around the corner and with it comes warmer weather, rain showers, blossoming fauna and Jumpgate Evolution. As much as I'd love to think there are thousands of you out there that know all about the game, I get the feeling that in actuality the number is significantly lower. Granted, real-time action space shooter MMOs aren't exactly a mass market genre, so it's probably a fair shake overall.

But what's really worrying me is that even those who should be excited for Jumpgate Evolution are seemingly unaware of it's forthcoming release. This won't do, and so I present to you the essentials of why a sci-fi fan should give this game some serious consideration for their 2009 MMO budget.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Sci-fi geeks need to experience Jumpgate Evolution

The Digital Continuum: Sci-fi geeks need to experience Jumpgate Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can the sci-fi genre succeed?

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Interviews, Lore, MMO Industry, New Titles

Earth and Beyond. Star Wars Galaxies. Auto Assault. Tabula Rasa. For a genre that dominates television and written media, science fiction can't seem to find a good foothold in the MMO industry past EVE Online. Even the upcoming Stargate Worlds is on shaky ground, and it hasn't even stepped over the threshold into the market. With a genre so plagued by failure, what can a company do to succeed like CCP? Can Star Trek Online, Jumpgate Evolution, and Star Wars: The Old Republic shake the curse?

These were the topics of a recent interview between Cody Bye of Ten Ton Hammer and Rob Hill and Kevin Beardslee of Trion World Network, the developers behind the Sci-Fi channel's MMORPG/television tie-in game. The interview covers all manner of things, like how Trion seeks to differentiate themselves from the current MMO market, how they want to interact with their community, how they are handling the creation of the game next to the television series, and how Blizzard's polish mantra can really support a well made game. You can check out the full interview over at Ten Ton Hammer.

Can the sci-fi genre succeed? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NetDevil talks past, present and future of MMOs

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jumpgate Evolution, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, LEGO Universe

Now that Tabula Rasa will be closing in two months, many of us are remembering a similar situation in 2007 with NCsoft's Auto Assault. The game's development team at NetDevil was fairly outspoken at the time about what they felt was a savable game, yet NCsoft saw it as a business decision. One of the most vocal NetDevil employees who tried to save the game was Scott Brown. Ten Ton Hammer caught up with Brown in a recent interview where he gave his current views on Auto Assault's closing, what the company is working on now and a hint at what's in their future.

"I would never turn off a game." Brown says in the interview. "I would do what I would need to do to make the game support itself, but why turn it off? Especially when there are people that love your game?" With knowing what they know now, Brown discusses how the studio has changed their development process. Their current projects, including the LEGO Universe MMO, Jumpgate and an unannounced web-based game coming soon, are enough to keep this company from focusing too much on their past mistakes and just blasting forward into the future.

This interview is part one of two, so look for more from Scott Brown in the second half coming next week.

NetDevil talks past, present and future of MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, Anti-Aliased

"Absolutely. [The restructuring] has no impact on Tabula Rasa. ... I don't know where the rumors are coming from, but with [marketing blitz] Operation Immortality in full swing, the team's very dedicated to that game, and they are still working on it," said David Swofford, Director of Public Relations of NCsoft to Edge Online on September 11th.

"Tabula Rasa is a triple-A MMO. It is a game that is very much in the wheelhouse of what NC West and NCsoft globally are all about," said David Reid, President of Publishing of NC West on September 24th. "...we see improvement happening in Tabula Rasa. We're encouraged by it."

So, NCsoft, how does it feel to absolutely lie through your teeth to players and staff about Tabula Rasa?

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted

Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted, part deux

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, Anti-Aliased

I'm one of those people that likes to think that NCsoft has enough money to get by on. It's just my gut reaction that if you have a few successful games then you probably have some spending money in your wallet. So, I like to think that NCsoft, even though they certainly took a pretty huge hit when they invested in Tabula Rasa, could have easily kept the development process going. Perhaps it would have been much slower than it currently was, but there was no reason it couldn't keep going on some type level.

They have, at least, provided some compensation for players who are currently subscribed to the game; the chance to try out games like City of Heroes and Lineage 2 are offered in the stead of TR gameplay time.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted, part deux

Anti-Aliased: You've been Auto-Assaulted, part deux originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Why must MMOs die?

Kyle Horner — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, Tabula Rasa, The Digital Continuum

Sitting on my desk are copies of Earth and Beyond and Auto Assault. In fact, I've even got a CE box for Auto Assault (that thing cost me 80 bucks). Unfortunately, these games are just dust collectors now. I keep them to remind me of the possibility of sunset and how much it can suck. Even if you didn't play Tabula Rasa, there were thousands of people who did, and that's all that really matters

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Why must MMOs die?

The Digital Continuum: Why must MMOs die? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NetDevil's Brown likens Jumpgate to Gran Turismo

Chris Chester — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Jumpgate Evolution, Interviews, New Titles

Of all the unlikely comparisons we've heard over the years, one we hadn't really anticipated was the comparison between Jumpgate Evolution and Gran Turismo. And just the same, there it is, smack dab in the middle of a recent interview Gamasutra conducted with NetDevil's Scott Brown. Brown says that in Jumpgate Evolution, instead of merely relying on a level-based progression system, you can achieve ranks in specific classes of weapons and ships in a manner not unlike Gran Turismo's license system.

Brown goes on to talk about their priorities when it comes to putting the game through beta, the lessons they've learned from both Auto Assault and Jumpgate Classic, and the iterative development strategy they've employed. The interviewer also expressed shock--as many have--about the game's relatively lilliputian group of developers, with only 13 people developing such a brilliant-looking game. It's worth a read if you consider yourself a pilot-to-be.

NetDevil's Brown likens Jumpgate to Gran Turismo originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dwell On It: Asking directions

Tateru Nino — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Guild Wars, Second Life, Comics, Dwell on It

Continue reading Dwell On It: Asking directions

Dwell On It: Asking directions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player Consequences: The Need for Speed

Gabriel Runfeldt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, EVE Online, Jumpgate Evolution, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Blackstar, Player Consequences

Traveling has always been one of the least popular parts of playing a MMO. It doesn't matter if you are marching through the lengthy Connall's Valley in Age of Conan or travelling across the galaxy in EVE Online. It can be tedious no matter what the setting. Nice visuals and guild chat can occupy you part of the time, but you still check the map every other minute. We're lucky that MMO design has come a long way since the early days, where the only option was to hit the road on foot. Most games now give us vehicles, mounts, and in some cases mechanical ostriches to speed up the pace a bit. After all, if it's the journey and not the destination that matters then you definitely want to travel in style.

There is one underlying reason why travel times continue to be prevalent in MMOs today and it's directly related to player expectations of virtual worlds. Developers are very sensitive to the issue of making their games seem like a real world and not a collection of three dimensional video game levels. Any MMO that has too many instances and separate zones often gets complaints for breaking the feel of a seamless world. This can actually turn players away from the game. As a result, the most successful games are often those with an over-world where players don't find themselves constantly having to load data as they zone. Just look at how World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and EVE Online handle their world design.

Continue reading Player Consequences: The Need for Speed

Player Consequences: The Need for Speed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Post mortems for Uru Live and Auto Assault relive the pain

Akela Talamasca — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, Academic

An interesting piece at 1Up talks about the effects of closing down an under-performing MMO, both on the players and the developers. Getting the "don't look back in anger" treatment are Cyan Worlds's Uru Live and NCsoft's Auto Assault. Containing snippets of quotes from the creators of both games, there are lessons here for upcoming MMO devs that should be heeded.

Interestingly, there is mention of an indie MMO being developed by some of the Auto Assault team called Apokalypsos, apparently featuring a post-apocalyptic setting. Combining FPS gameplay with vehicular combat, this sounds like Mad Max for the massively multiplayer crowd. We'll keep an eye open for further developments.

Post mortems for Uru Live and Auto Assault relive the pain originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 May 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A guide to MMO music, and lots of links to download it

Michael Zenke — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Tips and tricks

Last week Tuebit from the WorldIV blog broke out a great post all about the music from MMOs. The aural background in virtual spaces something we often take very much for granted. Many players turn the music from MMOs off completely soon after entering the game. This blogger takes exception to that, and Tuebit's celebration of the art form is a great tribute to the work. He offers up a number of download and listening links for this music. No illegal torrents here, nothing but legal players and ftp sites. The author follows that post up with one exploring the role of music in MMOs, from the audio cues in LOTRO to the detrimental effect of voice chat on music enjoyment.

If you're interested in a few free soundtracks, some of the most surprising examples are available in that vein. City of Heroes' entire musical score is available via ftp, for example, while the late Auto Assault has its entire soundtrack still on Fileplanet. EVE's soundtrack is online as well, and if you have EQ2 installed you already have the mp3s right there on your system. Non-players can also download it from these here internets. As commentary on the whole situation, Angus has a great angle on the subject: "I can totally see how the music for a place could make it popular or unpopular, in a game that had really good music in other places (so that the players didn't just turn it off)."

A guide to MMO music, and lots of links to download it originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NetDevil talks about a car wreck and how it evolved Jumpgate

Eli Shayotovich — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Jumpgate, Jumpgate Evolution, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles

No matter what anyone says, some of us here at Massively actually enjoyed the short lived post-apocalyptic car fragging MMO, Auto Assault. As with everything in life though, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But as long as you can learn something from each experience, and grow from it... it was worth the ride.

Apparently the gang at NetDevil learned a lot about their experience with AA. Herman Peterscheck talked freely and at length about these lesson; lessons that are being applied across the board to all the games they are currently developing, including Jumpgate Evolution.

Probably the most important one is to polish the game early and not at the end just before launch. A time when everyone on the team is in full on "fire fighting" mode. Chaos almost always leads to poor execution and ruin. Another is that if you don't have a great looking game that runs well out of the gate it's nigh impossible to evaluate how good it actually is. According to Peterscheck, "The 'law,' if you will, is there's no such thing as a good game with a bad frame rate."

Continue reading NetDevil talks about a car wreck and how it evolved Jumpgate

NetDevil talks about a car wreck and how it evolved Jumpgate originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The saga of Mythica (and other tales of MMO death and delay)

Michael Zenke — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Gods and Heroes, Lord of the Rings Online, Bugs, Business Models, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Ultima Online, Vanguard

To say that delays are common in the MMO production schedule would be a fantastic understatement. Warhammer Online and Age of Conan's now almost-comical dancing act away from a release date can probably be traced right back to last year's launch of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Rob Pardo's well-known mantra of "polish, polish, polish" finally has a sort of anti-hero poster boy; a sterling example of what not to do when making one of these games. But, of course, WAR and AoC are just the latest examples of this trend. MMOs have been delaying or dying off since the days of Ultima Online.

Over at 1up they have a whole feature dedicated to notable game delays, and the Massive genre is proudly represented among those titles. At least, standing cheek-by-jowl with the likes of Daikatana and Sin Episodes, the MMOs on the list represent a lot of (wasted) potential. From the recent Gods and Heroes collapse all the way back to the on-again-off-again development of Ultima Online 2, the list takes in the long messy road of dead and dying MMOs. Probably the one I regret most is the 2004 cancellation of Microsoft's Mythica - a unique norse-themed instanced heavy fantasy title. Everyone that even knew about MMOs back then was very excited for it, as the designers and developers were very gung-ho about the creation of real storytelling experiences inside these crazy 'instance' things. Whole tiny pocket worlds! Amazing!

Living the dream, of course, was not to be. At least the game's idea lives on - along with the likes of Auto Assault, Imperator, and the quirky title-that-never was: Middle Earth Online.

The saga of Mythica (and other tales of MMO death and delay) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you want real-time combat?

Kyle Horner — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, New Titles, The Daily Grind

Quite a few MMOs are eschewing the standard auto-attack combat for newer and -- some would say -- better methods. Auto Assault and Tabula Rasa were two of the first major MMO titles to try this with varying success, but we've still got a good amount of games coming down the pipeline with a real-time combat focus. Age of Conan, The Agency and Champions Online are the games which seem to be creating the most buzz at the moment.

So we thought -- in the spirit of curiosity -- that it would be interesting to see just how many of you are genuinely looking forward to real-time combat over the auto-attacking standard of most modern-day big budget MMOs. Would you like to run around in the world of Hyboria, swinging your great-axe every which-way to your heart's content? Or would you rather keep closer to the current system of locking on, auto-attacking and stringing together binded special attacks?

View Poll

The Daily Grind: Do you want real-time combat? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Beware the MMO mutants

Kyle Horner — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Digital Continuum, Consoles

I had such high hopes for Auto Assault, but unfortunately a lot went wrong with that game. The general concept remains a fun idea and definitely has lots of legs for further attempts at the genre -- just not on PCs. I've talked about the why the current style of MMOs don't work well on consoles, but that doesn't mean a newer type of mutated MMO wouldn't work.

The recent rumors about a Call of Duty 4 or Grand Theft Auto (re: APB?) MMO are just the kind of mutation I'm talking about. I say mutation, because I don't see these as the next step in massively games -- we're still going to have our WoWs, AoCs and WARs coming out in the foreseeable future. However a new breed all to itself is a definite possibility in the next year or so. This concept -- which has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while -- has only been encouraged by the recent SOE and SCEI shuffle.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Beware the MMO mutants

The Digital Continuum: Beware the MMO mutants originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Will your MMO still be here in 2009?

Tateru Nino — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Asheron's Call, Business Models, MMO Industry, Ryzom, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Nothing lasts forever. MMO's come and go, business plans succeed and fail, and sometimes the best will in the world keeps bleeding cash. MMOs and virtual worlds cost a bundle in power and bandwidth to operate and (for decent customer service, GMs, admins and billing) can cost even more in staffing (hint: That's why a lot of operators keep the staff counts down).

All the while the developer/operator is trying to keep the cash-burn rate down and recover the costs of the game, in the hope of breaking even before the money runs out. Asheron's Call 2, Auto Assault, Saga of Ryzom, Earth and Beyond, and more are gone. Sometimes subscriptions never quite rise high enough for the long-tail model to be sustainable for an MMO. Do you think your online world will still be here this time next year as the end of Q1 2009 rolls around?

The Daily Grind: Will your MMO still be here in 2009? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: Bigger is not always better

Chris Chester — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jumpgate Evolution, Business Models, MMO Industry, Casual, Academic, LEGO Universe

One good thing about being in such a net-savvy industry is that when you miss something, like the GDC presentation by NetDevil's Scott Brown and Hermann Peterscheck, somebody will inevitably put the powerpoint online for everybody to see. The NetDevil guys, currently working on Jumpgate Evolution and LEGO Universe, are well-known for their honesty and candor. So when they lay out their model for the future of the MMO industry, we're inclined to listen to them. Their premise is that the exponential growth that has been observed by many parties within the MMO space may in fact be somewhat illusory. While revenues for the industry as a whole continue to sky-rocket, the money and subscription numbers continue to be concentrated in only a few, extremely successful games.

Take one look at all the canceled titles and commercial failures that litter the landscape. They have a point. The advice that they lay out for burgeoning developers is to forgo huge teams, shiny graphics, fancy rec-rooms, and other accoutremonts for a lean team, lower minimum spec, sensible work conditions, and a realistic development timetable that won't lead to costly delays. Perhaps most importantly, they say that trying to take on the big boys with a $4 million budget is tantamount to suicide. Smaller development teams can actually make more money than big budget titles in the long-run if they find their niche and stick to it. Or as one slide says, "A little greatness is always better than a lot of mediocrity."

Gallery: GDC08: Small teams big dreams with Netdevil

GDC08: Bigger is not always better originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: Cartoon Network's FusionFall

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage, Lineage 2, Culture, Game Mechanics, Lore, New Titles, News Items, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Tabula Rasa, Ultima Online, Toontown Online, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Hands-On, Casual, Hands-On (Massively's), Events (Massively's Coverage), FusionFall

We were invited to check out Cartoon Network's upcoming kid-focused MMO FusionFall, and while clearly still in development, it shows a lot of potential. Developed in part by Korea's Grigon Entertainment, makers of Seal Online, QRing, and Gambledon, this is a title with a great deal of pedigree under the hood. Among the notable names on this project are Sam Lewis, former systems and content designer for Star Wars Galaxies; Robert Knopf, recently of Ultima Online; and Richard Weil, the community relations manager for many MMOs, including City of Heroes/Villains, Lineage I and II, Tabula Rasa, and Auto Assault.

With so many experienced and creative people behind it, FusionFall definitely stands to make a splash in the 8 - 14 year old demographic that Cartoon Network is shooting for. This isn't to say they don't have a few challenges ahead of them, however. We'll explore this, and show you the trailer, after the break.

Gallery: Cartoon Network's FusionFall

Continue reading GDC08: Cartoon Network's FusionFall

GDC08: Cartoon Network's FusionFall originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Jumpgate Evolution developer log from Scott Brown

Eli Shayotovich — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Jumpgate, Jumpgate Evolution, Interviews, MMO Industry

Scott Brown is one of the founders of NetDevil, makers of Jumpgate Classic, Auto Assault and the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution. In a new developer log posted on the JGE site Scott waxes philosophical on the burning question: Why Jumpgate Evolution?

OK, maybe it's not a "burning" question to everyone, but it is to me since I so enjoyed Auto Assault and actually raised a pint in an honorary toast when it came to a crashing halt last year.

In Scott's reflections on the past he says that even though AA didn't perform to everyone's expectations they still learned a lot from the experience. They took that knowledge and applied it to evolving the Jumpgate franchise into what is looking to be a spectacular space frag-fest. Additionally, Scott talks a little about the development process of JGE and reveals some insightful tidbits about how NetDevil evolved that will surely warm the hearts of even the most k001 "jaded" gamers (and there are many of those, something I've never quite understood - they're games, but that's a topic for another time). Heartfelt honestly in this industry is few and far between. Give it a read and tell me you aren't more stoked about JGE!

New Jumpgate Evolution developer log from Scott Brown originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft's North American head honcho speaks to the masses

Eli Shayotovich — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion

Chris Chung, the new president over at NCsoft North America, has been a busy man since taking up the position a few weeks ago. Between his interviews with IGN and 1Up, Massively, and other sundry blurbs here and there, he still felt it necessary to address the masses directly - blog style. And it's a fantastic read.

His latest statement doesn't give us any additional earth shattering news about what the company is going to do under his rein - that's been covered ad nauseam, but it does give us a much better perspective on who Chris Chung the person is. I found his honestly particularly comforting because NCsoft is "my" gaming company. While I don't much care for Guild Wars or Lineage II (even though they are absolutely breathtaking in their graphical beauty), I play every one of their other games (Exteel, CoX, Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners), played Auto Assault from beta until it ran out of gas, and I can't wait to get my hands on Aion.

It humanizes him in a manner that we don't see too often -- in any industry. He talks openly about how it can be a burden taking over for someone as experienced and respected as Robert Garriott. He believes that he got the job as president not because of some special talent, but the lack thereof. Perhaps the most insightful thing Chris talked about was his managerial style. I can relate because I too am a manager. What, you think I do this full time? While I'm not a manager for a company as large as NCsoft, the tenants stay the same: it's all about taking care of the people. And because I understand that, the thing that will stick with me the most is this quote: my job is to make sure that the employees here at NCsoft do what they do best and that the management team takes care of their needs so we can continue to produce great products for this industry.

If you've been leery of all the changes at NCsoft... don't be. They're in good hands.

NCsoft's North American head honcho speaks to the masses originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten Ton drops the Hammer on 2008

Eli Shayotovich — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Forums, MMO Industry, Opinion

Almost all gaming sites this time of year weigh in with their predictions for what the new year will bring, but I particularly like what TenTonHammer has seen in their crystal ball. Plus, I just like saying "Ten Ton drops the Hammer." It's fun. Try it.

A few of their eight predictions hit close to home with me. In particular, their first prophecy regarding Jumpgate Evolution. I was a huge fan of NetDevil's now defunct MMO, Auto Assault. Not because their shop is only an hour north of me here in Colorado, or that I seemingly enjoy virtually everything NCsoft puts out, but because it was as close to a Mad Max movie as there was. I'm a post apocalyptic junkie. Sadly... it went the way of the Cuban Missile Crisis and died enigmatically. So I can't wait to see how they update their cult sci-fi game, and... well, see how it jumps out of the gate! Oy.

Next up, they forecast that Cryptic Studios will at long last release some information about Marvel Universe Online. If I was a gambler I might bet against this, but stranger things have happened. As an obsessed City of Heroes player (and confirmed alt-aholic), my love of the game grew from my passion for comic books. In particular, Marvel comic books. I want to see what the creators of my favorite spandex covered game can do with yet another spandex covered game that's different from the first one, and how are they going to get me to play that one just as much as this one. Confused? So is Britney, but she's doing fine. Sort of.

Anyway, be sure to check out Hammer's other prognostications and let us know what you think 2008 holds for this oh so massive industry!

Ten Ton drops the Hammer on 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The good, the bad, the ugly - MMOs in 2007

Chris Chester — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion

The indelible Michael Zenke, who you might recognize as one of our more frequent writers and the winner of a Gnomey for his work on his personal site -- MMOG Nation, recently wrote a piece recounting the top 5 most significant moments in MMOs for this year over at Gamasutra. Among the things that Michael focuses on are the overwhelming success of free, simply coded games like Maple Story, the spectacular failure of a number of larger budget titles like Auto Assault, the way that World of Warcraft has blitzkrieged mainstream culture with the Mr. T commercial spots and South Park episode, the shift in the marketplace that is poised to see EA and Activision Blizzard take broadside shots at each other, and the battle over RMT price models.

It's about the right time for this sort of macro-analysis of the year that, unbelievably, has already passed us by. The editorial piece is a great overview of the industry as it's developed this past year, and Michael approaches the subject with the appropriate mix of skepticism and cautious optimism. He also posted a few follow-up notes over at MMOG Nation that are certainly worth looking at if the Gama article strikes your fancy. Definitely give it a look.

The good, the bad, the ugly - MMOs in 2007 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Falling back to Earth

Eli Shayotovich — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Fallen Earth, Forums, New Titles, Previews, News Items

Fallen Earth is an upcoming MMO from Icarus Studios set in the year 2154, long after a plague known as the Shiva has killed off 90 percent of the world's population. Those who remain have divided into six factions (Children of the Apocalypse, Travelers, Enforcers, Techs, Vistas, and the Lightbearers) all struggle for dominance as they try to rebuild on the ashes of a fallen earth.

I geek out at all things post-apocalyptic. One of my favorite flicks is The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2). My favorite book is Stephen King's The Stand. Don't even get me started on the Fallout series (so yes, I am completely geeked about Fallout 3!). And I weeped a little when Auto Assault bought the farm. Now, combine all those apocalyptic bits and pieces, roll 'em all together and you got Fallen Earth. Supposedly. Hopefully.

The guys at Icarus updated the FE community a few days ago and things appear to be moving along accordingly. Seventy towns have been laid out with fifty or so functional (not polished, functional). Nearly 3,000 missions have been created and upwards of 7,500 items are locked and loaded into the database. The guys answer five burning questions (like how many weapons players have access to at one time, what recipes will be available to what factions, and so on). When is it coming out? Well, when it's done of course. For all the details check out the Fallen Earth forums.

Falling back to Earth originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interviews Netdevil's Hermann Peterscheck, producer of Jumpgate Evolution

Mike Schramm — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Jumpgate, Jumpgate Evolution, Economy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, Crafting, PvP, Leveling, Interviews (Massively's)

Netdevil is probably most known for Auto Assault, their (literally) car-driven futuristic MMO that was published by NCSoft but only lasted a year due to low player numbers, but before that, they created a game called Jumpgate, a very early 3D MMO that featured real-time space combat simulation inside a virtual world. Next year, they're headed back into the Jumpgate universe with Jumpgate Evolution, a completely new game based on the old one, and Massively got a chance to sit down with Hermann Peterscheck, lead producer of the upcoming game, to talk about what Netdevil is up to.

The game is still in fairly early development, so there aren't a lot of specific gameplay details to go around-- Netdevil is still working on most of the core development plans. But we did hear from Peterscheck about how Netdevil plans to bounce back from Auto Assault, how they'll make JE different from that other big space MMO everyone's already playing, and we even got a chance to toss a few questions at him from you, our readers-- a huge thank you to reader Excelsior, who was able to get us questions from current Jumpgate players to ask here.

The exclusive Massively interview with Jumpgate Evolution's lead producer starts right after the jump.

Gallery: Jumpgate: Evolution

Continue reading Massively interviews Netdevil's Hermann Peterscheck, producer of Jumpgate Evolution

Massively interviews Netdevil's Hermann Peterscheck, producer of Jumpgate Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumpgate: Evolution takes to the unfriendly stars

Mike Schramm — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Jumpgate Evolution, New Titles, PvP

Reader Excelsior dropped us a note about an MMO we haven't yet covered that he says is one to watch-- Jumpgate: Evolution is an upcoming MMO from NetDevil, the makers of Auto Assault, and also an "in the works" LEGO MMO. The game is actually an update of the original Jumpgate, also by NetDevil, which purports to be not an MMORPG, but a massively multiplayer space flight and combat simulator, where twitch is just as important as stats. All we've got are screens so far, but they are pretty good-looking, so if you're in the mood for a little hands-on spaceship flying in an MMO universe, Jumpgate: Evolution might be right up your warp route.

They're still taking beta signups on the website, so get your email in now-- as Excelsior says, "the more players in the game, the better." And if you've got a pet MMO you've been watching that you'd like us to keep an eye on, make sure to throw a tip in our inbox. You find 'em, we follow 'em.\

Gallery: Jumpgate: Evolution

Jumpgate: Evolution takes to the unfriendly stars originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Tabula Rasa include Auto Assault code? Does it matter?

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: Lore

Auto Assault is widely considered a failed MMO, though opinions on the reason for this abound. Regardless, is there something there to be harvested and repurposed?

A reader for the blog 'Tobold's MMORPG Blog' claims that there are aspects of Tabula Rasa that he's "100% sure" utilize code from Auto Assault. Some of these aspects include UI elements and character models. The blog goes on to ask 'So what?' Does it really matter if there is legacy code from a failed game in an upcoming, and hotly anticipated title? The commenters bat this back and forth, but the questions remain: are there similarities enough to invite the speculation, and is there anything to be concerned about here?

(Via Tobold's MMORPG Blog)

Does Tabula Rasa include Auto Assault code? Does it matter? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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