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MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz

Karen Bryan — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Hands-On, First Impressions, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

I have to begin this week's column with a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Facebook, and I'm even less a fan of Facebook games. The only one I found enjoyable was Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker because it was a giant middle finger to the bottom-feeding practices so commonly found in Facebook Villes.

But when I got a Google alert in my inbox about the world's first family-friendly 3-D MMO for Facebook, I had to head back to the blue-and-white wasteland of Facebook and see it firsthand. Could it be that the era of isometric views and mindless clicking is finally over? Have we finally moved on from agriculturally themed games? I decided to check out World of Trinketz to seek some answers.

Continue reading MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz

MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny: Dawn of the Dragons

Beau Hindman — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Rise and Shiny, Livestream

There's no way for me to describe Dawn of the Dragons without it sounding a bit like the old Mafia Wars-style games that were so massively popular on Facebook years ago. The truth is that, yes, games designed around clicking a button a few times or even several hundred times (depending on your tolerance) sound like they cast some sort of spell on the playerbase. Surely these people cannot behaving any sort of fun and instead are trained animals, responding only to the bit of food that drops out of the chute. I'm the first one to admit that much of the gameplay in a game like Dawn of the Dragons by 5th Planet Games pays out the most to those who hit the buttons the most. But I'm also the first to defend the design and to say that it can be a lot of fun.

Let's not pretend that even the most immersive, realistic, epic MMO in the world cannot be turned into a series of button-smashings. We've all known a player in almost any game who has reduced her electronic adventures down to an efficient science. Does a game like Dawn of the Dragons just do away with all of the mumbo-jumbo to get to the meat of the gameplay: the button mashing?

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Dawn of the Dragons

Rise and Shiny: Dawn of the Dragons originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Screenshots, Fallen Earth, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Free-to-Play, Interviews (Massively's), Post-Apocalyptic, Crafting

Late last week, Reloaded Games and GamersFirst announced that farming was coming to the post-apocalyptic sandbox Fallen Earth. The initial dev blog gave us some information on how farming will be implemented, but not much more beyond that. We took that as an invitation to pick the dev team's collective brain, and pick we did.

Read on after the cut to learn more on how farming will work in Fallen Earth and how close it will be to FarmVille -- plus you can point your eyes at two exclusive screenshots of the farms themselves.

Continue reading Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs

Farming in Fallen Earth: An exclusive interview with the devs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Blender: A real-time Farmville MMO minus the Zynga

Beau Hindman — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Business Models, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Casual, Virtual Worlds, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, Crafting, MMO Blender

Let's talk about FarmVille for a minute. Yes, I mean the Zynga-produced FarmVille, the one that helped social gaming become what it is today. There are a lot of things that have been said about the game, like "it's not even a game" or "it preys on gamer's addictive natures" and all sorts of sufficiently evil-sounding things. Say what you want about the evil monster that is Zynga and make all the jokes that you can about FarmVille and other social titles, but I want to tackle it from a different view. Let's look at it as the sandbox game that it is and use that example to invent a brand-new MMO, although I'm sure ours would not meet with even a fraction of the success that FarmVille has.

FarmVille is arguably the most popular sandbox title in the world. We've defined "sandbox" a million times on this site, but it's easy to see just how open and flexible FarmVille is. Is it limited to the confines of its unique set of tools and designs? Of course, but so is every sandbox.

FarmVille has successfully introduced the wonders of sandbox gaming to people who might never give a similarly described game a chance.

Continue reading MMO Blender: A real-time Farmville MMO minus the Zynga

MMO Blender: A real-time Farmville MMO minus the Zynga originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Is farming ruined forever?

Brianna Royce — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous

One of my favorite things to do in games is farm. No, not the kind of farming that involves killing zillions of mobs for mats and money -- real (virtual) farming. Like when you buy seeds and plant them in the ground and wait for them to grow and then collect the literal fruits of your labor.

Think I'm talking about FarmVille? Nope. Lord of the Rings Online, actually. And Ultima Online and Glitch and hopefully, someday, ArcheAge. MMOs actually implement farming so much better than the social game that seems to have redefined it. In UO, I can grow decorative plants and buff petals; in LotRO, I can mass-produce crops that are used by cooks to make food; and in Glitch, I grow flowers and herbs used by tincturers. I suppose even in Star Wars Galaxies, I was farming up corn and tubers in my oversized industrial extractors.

But I have to wonder whether the FarmVille-induced stigma attached to farming as a gameplay concept has ruined it for MMO fans forever. Even when we discuss ArcheAge's amazing farming system, we can't help but crack jokes about tractors, jokes we wouldn't make about big, burly, angry Orcs practicing their fine tailoring skills in World of Warcraft. What do you think -- is farming in MMOs ruined forever?

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 farming ruined forever? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it

Beau Hindman — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Free for All, Miscellaneous

I am a huge fan of social media. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus -- it all makes sense to me and has shown to be a very useful tool in not only communicating with friends but finding new games, developers, and websites. My Twitter feed provides enough news and information that I can skip any standard media. I haven't watched a local newscast for a long, long time. On top of that, I can communicate with readers in real time, sharing photos and tidbits of cool.

Has social media affected MMO gaming? It definitely has. Watch any smart developer's Twitter feed and you will see the community team interacting directly with players, answering questions, hosting contests, and helping players feel as though the developers are actual people. Social media has also changed how we connect to our games, MMO or not.

All of this means that everything is social now. Going to the dentist? Share it with your friends. Defeated a boss monster on your Xbox? Tweet it. Just picked up that epic sword in Dark Age of Camelot? Post it to your Facebook. Heck, many MMOs now have a Twitter or Facebook option built right into the client. All of this instant connectivity is nice, but it's possible that the "massively" part of MMO will soon apply to any game. What will this do to the genre?

Continue reading Free for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it

Free for All: Why social gaming could destroy MMOs and how we can fight it originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Shut up, that's why edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO Industry, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

Why does The MMO Report cover Minecraft? "Shut up, that's why," says Casey with a smile. In addition to chronicling Minecraft's newest FarmVille-esque update, the Beard meanders through the Dark Millennium Online cancellation rumors, The Secret World's Illuminati trailer, and TERA's upcoming May release date ("your cue to start claiming it's better than WoW, internet"). Finally, Casey touches on the patch delays suffered by Star Wars: The Old Republic, excusing the tardiness by suggesting the promised dates are more like guidelines, and besides, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

All this and a quick dip into Uncle Casey's Mailbag can be found in the full HD video behind the cut.

Continue reading The MMO Report: Shut up, that's why edition

The MMO Report: Shut up, that's why edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga reports record revenue in last quarter

Matt Daniel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

A recent SEC filing from Zynga, creator of the social gaming epidemic known as FarmVille, revealed that the company is reporting a record quarterly revenue of over 306 million USD, though -- bizarrely enough -- profits are almost 54 percent lower than they were this time last year.

Revenue isn't the only thing that's on the rise, either. The company reports 152 million unique monthly players, compared to the 151 million the company reported in June. The average number of daily players, however, dropped from 59 million to 54 million. At any rate, the company seems to be going strong, with new titles such as the recently announced (supposed MMO) CastleVille just on the horizon.

Zynga reports record revenue in last quarter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga's CastleVille hopes to enter MMO territory

Brianna Royce — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual

Zynga, maker of social games FarmVille and CityVille, has declared its intention to take the plunge into the MMO market with a new game: CastleVille. "Zynga is bringing massively multiplayer role-playing games to the mass market," creative director Bill Jackson announced from Zynga's San Francisco HQ. What game mechanics justify calling the game an MMO? According to Jackson:

You can build your castle, show it to your friends, and craft things like potions or armor. You can follow the game's story and its characters. You can trade and barter with friends by visiting their towns. And you have to defend your town against beasts who are outside the walls. The game has more personalized storytelling; players explore the world around them. You meet characters and make them happy and unlock new characters as you progress.

Chief executive Mark Pincus echoed his company's bold plans: "We want to give you more of a World of Warcraft feeling, but packaged up in something you can understand in three clicks and five or 15 minutes."

Zynga's CastleVille hopes to enter MMO territory originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is

Beau Hindman — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Launches, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Humor, MMObility

If you have kept up with my columns for a while, you know what a fan of Glitch I am. I have to admit that I've been terribly angry at the developer, Tiny Speck, for not bringing the game into a final phase yet. I wanted my little Glitch to stay as he was when I logged out; I didn't want to see him wiped over and over again after those pesky tests that help assure quality and playability. So I've been avoiding the testing phase for the most part. Isn't that just a perfect example of how mania drives gamers? We will do anything to avoid playing a favorite upcoming game for fear of becoming attached to our little digital selves or spoiling the fun of discovering new quests.

Well, we'll wait no more! As of today, the game and world is finally open to anyone. That means you get to jump in, nibble pigs, massage butterflies, collect random items you find on the floor, and generally exist in the imagination of a giant.

Sounds cool? It is cool. In fact, I need to explain just how cool it is. Click past the cut!

Continue reading MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is

MMObility: Glitch makes you wish you were as cool as it is originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO?

Brianna Royce — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

MMOs may be intended for kids of all ages, but that doesn't mean kids of all ages are actually playing. While we've all read about that great-grandma guild leader and the eight-year-old boy who raids alongside his father, in practice those cases seem like outliers. The stereotype, at least, is that gamers can barely keep their older relatives on the cutting edge of technology, nevermind get their parents to indulge in online gaming. My mother may have pwned my kid brother and me at Seaquest back in the '80s, but nowadays I just can't convince her to look past FarmVille for her gaming fix.

So what about you, Massively readers? You seem to be an age-diverse group. Have you had any success getting your parents -- or any older relatives -- into your MMOs of choice? And how did you pull it off?

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: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me

Beau Hindman — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Opinion, Mobile, Casual, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMObility

Over the time I have been exploring mobile gaming, especially since I have been writing this column, I've discovered exactly what I like and dislike about the genre. Mobile MMOs are the tiniest niche within the greater world of MMOs. Some would say that MMOs are even a tiny corner of gaming in general. While I don't quite agree, I would say that explaining my column to random game shop employees or curious friends is quite the challenge.

"You write about games... on your phone?"

"Yes, massively multiplayer games."

"Huh?"

Luckily there are many new ones that offer a much more robust gaming experience. I can proudly show people examples of games like Order and Chaos Online, Star Legends or Illyriad. Of course, I sift through many poor examples before I get to the good ones. So let's take this opportunity to discuss what I think makes for a good game. Click past the cut and feel free to add your ideas in the comments section!

Continue reading MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me

MMObility: What makes a good mobile game to me originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC Europe 2011: Richard Garriott says mobile and social titles are 'the future of games'

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Tabula Rasa, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

Delivering the final keynote address at this year's GDC Europe, Richard Garriott said that the industry is rapidly moving away from MMOs as we know them and toward mobile and social gaming -- and that companies need to hop on board, lest they be left behind.

Garriott used his iPhone as an example of this new direction: "I am now much more of a gamer than I ever been in my whole life, but the vast majority of the gaming I have played has been on this machine. I'm a devout believer that this is the current and near-term future of games."

He defines this "new era" of gaming by having cheap games that are simple to use and connect you with real-world friends. While he thinks earlier social games like FarmVille were too simple and unappealing, Garriott says that they're evolving quickly.

During the speech, Garriott expressed regret that his team didn't stick by the original vision for Tabula Rasa, and he urged fellow developers not to trade in their dreams in order to follow the company line. His new company Portalarium plans to "reinvent roleplaying yet again" by releasing a series of products that will capitalize on social gaming and retrain players to think beyond mere combat to a wider experience.

GDC Europe 2011: Richard Garriott says mobile and social titles are 'the future of games' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Free Realms' Referee Ruby goes farming

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Free-to-Play, Consoles, Free Realms, Family

"This is my farm. It's not so great yet," Referee Ruby says wistfully. "Someday..."

In the first of this exclusive video series, Free Realms' infamous in-game support character comes alive to show us the joys of the farming system. If you've ever liked FarmVille -- or even hoped there would be a better version of it out there -- then you're going to love working the soil here to bear the fruits of your efforts. And zucchinis. And eggplants.

As in real life, Free Realms' farming takes an attentive hand and some hard work. Weeds must be pulled and boulders blown up to make room for tilling, and plants have to be watched so that you can harvest them when the time is ripe. The payoff is worth it, however; crops can be sold to the market for a fair bit of cash.

Farms can be leveled up over time, opening access to more plants and tools so that you can shape the land to your whims. One of the best ways to do this is to talk to Farmer Chug, who has a few quests to speed you on your way.

Bask in the full glory of Referee Ruby as she goes Green Acres on us in the video after the jump, and make sure to check out the new farming for yourself as the game is back up and running!

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Free Realms' Referee Ruby goes farming

Massively Exclusive: Free Realms' Referee Ruby goes farming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft will reign for another 20 years according to industry analysts

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry

With all of the recent focus on World of Warcraft following its latest expansion, it's no surprise that the industry leader is at the center of another round of "What will topple WoW?" discussions.

In an article on Eurogamer, industry analysts and developers lend their thoughts as to what made World of Warcraft so dang popular to begin with, and what it will take -- if anything -- for another game to beat its popularity, subscription numbers and cultural footprint. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter declared that nothing will top the title for at least 20 years due to an insurmountable lead, although this became debated by the other participants.

Cryptic's Jack Emmert thinks WoW will be "chipped away at" instead of toppled. Age of Conan's Craig Morrison thinks that nobody can consciously plan to overcome WoW's lead saying, "You don't topple a cultural phenomenon. But you can join one." GamersFirst's Bjorn Book-Larsson doesn't think there's a need for WoW to be toppled due to the size of the market.

Codemasters' Dave Solari imagines that the winning formula "would have mass market appeal, with instant accessibility, would work on all platforms, particularly mobile, be incredibly viral and social -- like a feature-rich FarmVille." Undead Labs' Jeff Strain thinks that MMO studios should be looking at it a different way: "They should instead be striving to achieve the same level of success with their own game ideas."

Some even speculate that Blizzard is the only studio capable of besting its own game, perhaps with its second MMO that's due to be announced in 2012. Head on over to Eurogamer for the full discussion.

World of Warcraft will reign for another 20 years according to industry analysts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga passes EA in estimated worth rankings

Jef Reahard — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual

Like a horde of unstoppable zombies, social titles are devouring the domestic and worldwide gaming industry at an alarming rate. The latest example of the brain-sucking apocalypse comes courtesy of a Bloomberg report on Farmville-maker Zynga's estimated worth. It clocks in at $5.51 billion, placing it squarely in front of industry titan Electronic Arts ($5.22 billion).

Despite potential hits like BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic waiting in the wings, EA seems to be losing ground in the war for your online entertainment dollar. Since March 1st, EA's shares have declined 6.3 percent, while Zynga's estimated value has more than doubled in the same period. That said, while Zynga has leap-frogged EA, they still have a ways to go to catch Activision ($13.9 billion estimated worth), as well as China's Tencent Holdings ($43 billion).

Zynga passes EA in estimated worth rankings originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Browser, Legal

Zynga and its stable of Facebook games have never exactly won the hearts of MMO fans, but they've managed to avoid a lawsuit up until now. Unfortunately for them, a class-action lawsuit has been filed today seeking monetary relief for the unwarranted and undesirable release of private information. Filed by Nancy Graf of St. Paul, MN, the suit also seeks an injunction to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, in a direct response to Monday's news that several games and applications have been leaking private information.

Although Zynga was listed among the companies sending out private information, the company is claiming that the lawsuit is wholly without merit and will be fought accordingly. The full details on the suit are available from Gamasutra, with the security breaches still apparently being labeled as unintentional results as they were on Monday. We'll have more on the story as it develops, although it seems to be a definite black eye for one of the largest social gaming companies on the web.

Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook games transmitting your info to third parties

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual

Our friends at Joystiq have turned us on to a Wall Street Journal article that concludes your privacy is at risk if you play Facebook games. The Journal discovered that each of the top 10 Facebook applications transmits user IDs, which may be shared with unauthorized third parties.

We know, it's not exactly new or shocking information, but continued user ignorance -- or apathy -- regarding online habits is a troubling trend that bears examining. WSJ authors Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler did just that and turned up all manner up interesting findings including a data-mining firm called RapLeaf Inc. that linked Facebook user IDs to its database of internet users. RapLeaf didn't stop there, as it then transmitted the user IDs to a dozen other firms, an express violation of Facebook policy.

Though RapLeaf vice president of business development Joel Jewitt said "we didn't do it on purpose," Facebook is nonetheless trotting out the damage control PR. "We have taken immediate action to disable all applications that violate our terms," said a company spokeman.

Facebook games transmitting your info to third parties originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDCO 2010: Panel and interview roundup

Karen Bryan — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), Interviews, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Interviews (Massively's), Events (Massively's Coverage)

As you may have noticed if you're following our GDC Online 2010 coverage, we were there in full force. Karen Bryan, blogger and podcaster extraordinaire, covered the event along with our own Beau Hindman. As a wrapup to her interview articles, Karen gives this final impressions piece on the panels of GDC Online 2010.

I had a busy week at GDC Online, seeing some great panels and speaking with some enthusiastic developers. Since not all of you could attend this Austin, Texas event, we've done our best to bring you the highlights. Follow along after the jump for a quick rundown of what I saw, as well as the big takeaway from each.

Continue reading GDCO 2010: Panel and interview roundup

GDCO 2010: Panel and interview roundup originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Anarchy Online, Interviews, Free-to-Play, The Game Archaeologist

When I declared September to be "Anarchy Online month" I had no idea how far it would go. I mean, sure, I expected an outpouring of fond memories from players and perhaps a statue erected in my honor, but for the UN to pass a resolution for a worldwide celebration of Funcom's brainchild is quite above and beyond.

So really, it's been a wild ride thus far. That's what we game archaeologists prepared for when we attended MMO U (go Fightin' N00bs!) and dusted off old copies of Neverwinter Nights. Be flexible, be enthusiastic, and always be ready for an older title to sweep you off your feet -- these are the sage words of my instructors.

Because of this, I didn't find myself tongue-tied when Anarchy Online's Colin Cragg agreed to an interview. I might have blushed and stared at my feet so that I wouldn't become lost in his wizened, sage eyes, but I marched forward nonetheless. So what did AO's head honcho have to say about working on a mature MMO? Click the link and wonder no longer!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg

The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE's Laralyn McWilliams talks girls and gaming

Jef Reahard — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Casual

Game industry veteran and Sony Online Entertainment senior producer Laralyn McWilliams recently sat down to answer a few questions in an interview with the G.I.R.L. blog's Emily Taylor. McWilliams, instrumental in the development of SOE's Free Realms and now working on a new (and unannounced) social game, talks about everything from her current work, to being an influential woman working in games, to the industry in general.

"It's a really exciting time in game development because the industry as a whole has to change in order to survive. We've gone from tiny teams on short schedules to massive teams taking four plus years to finish a game, and now we're seeing it come full circle back to tiny teams with games like Farmville. It makes it a great time for players and game developers because we're starting down the path that will lead us to more depth, new markets, and better games. As a player, it's time to speak with your wallet. As a developer, it's time to speak with your innovation and your drive to make something great and new," McWilliams says.

Check out the full interview at the Station Blog.

SOE's Laralyn McWilliams talks girls and gaming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prognosticating the future of MMOs

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Fallen Earth, MMO Industry

Barring Ouija boards, magical leprechauns and time-traveling DeLoreans, it's pretty much impossible to predict the future -- but that doesn't stop people from trying, no sir. In a recent "The State of the MMO in 2010" over at Eurogamer, Jim Rossignol chats with Paul Barnett (EA Mythic), Colin Dwan (Fallen Earth) and Torfi Frans Olafsson (EVE Online) in an attempt to pin down where MMOs stand as of now, and where they're likely to go.

The article begins by stating that the defining line surrounding what is and is not a MMO has become blurred, and will only become more so in the future. Whether we like it or not, different payment models, server types and even genres (such as sports MMOs) have broadened the definition of the genre. Many folks are worried that F2P titles and "quasi-MMOs" like FarmVille may trigger the end of traditional subscription-based MMOs.

Continue reading Prognosticating the future of MMOs

Prognosticating the future of MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fringe: Farming games

Robin Torres — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guides, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, The Fringe

Welcome to The Fringe, where we totter on the edge of MMOs with a guide for playing Facebook games. If you aren't one of the millions playing games on Facebook and aren't interested in joining the throng, that's ok. We won't judge you. But we'd appreciate you returning the favor.

In before all the "you got Facebook in my Massively again!" complaints: GDC was full of Facebook game announcements and with all the money being made by Zynga and others, we have a long future of Facebook MMOing ahead of us. With massive amounts of people playing and interacting in these online games, it's time to take off the blinders and check out what's going on in your peripheral gaming vision. Or not. That's fine. If you don't want to read about Facebook games, you can skip to all of the other great content here on Massively. But unlike my last column, where I let the haters vent their frustrations in the comments, only constructive criticism will be allowed from now on.

I was going to write up a guide to Country Life next, but it has been going through much development over the past few weeks. So even if illness hadn't delayed my writing about it, the information would have been obsolete soon after. There are many farming games to choose from, varying in features and popularity. So this week I'll be covering how to choose a Facebook farming game by giving an overview of three notable ones.

Continue reading The Fringe: Farming games

The Fringe: Farming games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision: Farmers Could Kill WoW?

Jef Reahard — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items

No, not those kind of farmers, but rather the 82 million+ users currently growing the garden of their virtual dreams on Facebook's wildly popular Farmville sim.

Activision-Blizzard's annual 10k report, filed on March 1 and analyzed by Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer.net, is chock full of worrisome anecdotes about the future of their massively multiplayer behemoth as well as some interesting tidbits regarding payment models.

While the report stops short of painting a completely dire picture, Acti-Blizz clearly considers the growing social gaming scene a major threat to its stranglehold on the massive genre.

"A substantial portion of our revenue and profitability will depend on the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game category," proclaims the report. "If we do not maintain our leadership position in this category, our financial results could suffer."

Sound like common sense? Maybe, but it should be interesting to watch the current market leader adapt to the rapidly expanding online gaming space.

Activision: Farmers Could Kill WoW? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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