Massively

Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Enter At Your Own Rift: The big takeaways from GDC]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/enter-at-your-own-rift-the-big-takeaways-from-gdc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/enter-at-your-own-rift-the-big-takeaways-from-gdc/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/enter-at-your-own-rift-the-big-takeaways-from-gdc/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, Business Models, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Ember Isle

After dining on enough beef brisket to feed an army of hungry cowboys, I returned from Austin's GDC Online to chip away at the Ashes of History world event quests. RIFT had a nice showing at the GDC Online Awards ceremony, walking away with awards for Best Online Technology and Best New Online Game. In addition, Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman gave a talk about RIFT's pre-launch preparations and post-launch plans. GDC was dominated by a handful of common topics, like free-to-play, metrics, monetization, and technology. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll take a look at a few of these to see how they apply to RIFT, and then we'll look at the big takeaways from GDC overall.

Continue reading Enter At Your Own Rift: The big takeaways from GDC

Enter At Your Own Rift: The big takeaways from GDC originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Benedikt-GrindelChristopher-Schmitzenter-at-your-own-rifteqeverquestextra-life-2011f2pfeaturedfree-to-playgdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011georg-zoellerkaren-bryanMarkus-Perssonminecraftmojangmonitizationpanelpanelsred-doorriftscott-hartsmansettlers-onlineshadow-citiesstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortelarathe-settlers-onlinetriontrion-worldsubisoft-blue-bytewizard101Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Family: Why games are good for family]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/mmo-family-why-games-are-good-for-family/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/mmo-family-why-games-are-good-for-family/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/mmo-family-why-games-are-good-for-family/#commentsFiled under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

Free Realms

A couple of years ago, Massively readers engaged in a great discussion that doesn't get covered nearly as much as it should. Thanks to former Massively columnist Lisa Poisso, the column MMO Family was born, and she and the readers looked at how MMOs affect the family, both the positives and the potential dangers.

I'm excited to have the opportunity to start the column up again because I think a lot has changed in the short time since the column went on hiatus. We'll revisit a few issues that Lisa brought up and some of the more recently released MMO titles to see which ones are the best for family-centered gaming. To kick things off, I'd like to explore why MMOs are good for kids and for the family unit as a whole. When it comes to talk about kids and gaming, the discussion tends to revolve around the negatives, like violence, antisocial behavior, or lack of physical activity. No one will argue that MMOs, as with most anything, can have detrimental effects when played to excess. But to focus on the negatives is to ignore the vast amount of benefits that gaming can provide. Read on for a few examples.

Continue reading MMO Family: Why games are good for family

MMO Family: Why games are good for family originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>club-penguindestructoidfamilyfamily-gamingfeaturedGDC-Online-2011hamza-azizkaren-bryankidsmegan-bellmind-candymmo-familymoshi-monsterspax-east-2011wizard101Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/mmo-week-in-review-gdc-online-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/mmo-week-in-review-gdc-online-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/mmo-week-in-review-gdc-online-2011/#commentsFiled under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous

GDC Online

At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. Miss a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week? You've come to the right post.

This week, Massively's own Beau Hindman and Karen Bryan attended GDC Online 2011 in Austin, Texas. GDC may not have the splash and hoopla of some of the other conventions, but it makes up for that by leaving the marketing department at the door and asking the brains behind the games to discuss the latest MMO trends and revolutions. We covered panels from BioWare, Trion, CCP and the rest on surviving in an ever-changing industry, balancing players' needs against the limits of the technology, and playing with numbers for fun and profit.

Hit the break for a roundup of our GDC Online coverage as well as a look at this week's other top MMO stories.

Continue reading MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011

MMO Week in Review: GDC Online 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-online-2011joystiqmassively-metametarounduptop-storiesweek-in-reviewweekly-recapweekly-roundupwow-insiderSun, 16 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Tattered Notebook: Why EverQuest is a Hall of Fame game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/15/the-tattered-notebook-why-everquest-is-a-hall-of-fame-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/15/the-tattered-notebook-why-everquest-is-a-hall-of-fame-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/15/the-tattered-notebook-why-everquest-is-a-hall-of-fame-game/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, EverQuest, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

EverQuest screen

Earlier this week, at GDC Online, EverQuest was inducted into the Hall of Fame. There, up on stage, were about a dozen of the original members of the team. It's remarkable to consider how many games these developers have been a part of since their work on EQ. But in 1999, these were pioneers, scrambling to answer daily questions about what exactly the MMO genre should be. There are a lot of factors that make EverQuest worthy of being inducted to the Hall of Fame, and in this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at a few as well as take a larger look at the state of the industry from GDC Online.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Why EverQuest is a Hall of Fame game

The Tattered Notebook: Why EverQuest is a Hall of Fame game originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eqeverquestfeaturedgdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011gdc-online-hall-of-famekaren-bryanopinionsoeSony-Online-Entertainmenttattered-notebookthe-visionYoure-in-our-world-nowSat, 15 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE's John Smedley weighs in on the recent hacks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soes-john-smedley-weighs-in-on-the-recent-hacks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soes-john-smedley-weighs-in-on-the-recent-hacks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/soes-john-smedley-weighs-in-on-the-recent-hacks/#commentsFiled under: Events (Real-World), Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

You'd think putting the words Sony and hack together in the same sentence would give John Smedley a minor heart attack. Not so, according to a GameSpot writer who spoke with Sony Online Entertainment's CEO at the recent GDC Austin event.

Unlike the lengthy service outage that cost the company some credibility (and millions of dollars) earlier this year, the latest attempted security breach was neither widespread nor particularly effective, according to Smedley. It's also likely that the problem didn't stem from compromised Sony network data. "We've said publicly when we were compromised before that the information is out there and could have been used. That was obviously the first thing we looked at. Then we did the mathematical analysis and said 'obviously that's not what happened.' I'm not going to say it's impossible [{that}the info came from Sony]. We just think that's not the most likely case," Smedley explained.

SOE's John Smedley weighs in on the recent hacks originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2011GDC-Online-2011hacking-attemptinterviewsMiscellaneousmmo-industrysecuritysecurity-breachsoesoe-hacksony-hackFri, 14 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011 hits record attendance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-hits-record-attendance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-hits-record-attendance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-hits-record-attendance/#commentsFiled under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

GDC Online

This week's Game Developers Conference Online in Austin, TX finished on a high note yesterday, as it saw record numbers this year: 3,350. This marks a 12% bump over 2010, which is good news for the conference organizers as they start to lay plans for 2012.

GDC Online 2011 held over 145 panels, keynotes and discussions and culminated with the Game Developers Choice Online Awards that, among other honors handed out, inducted EverQuest into the Hall of Fame.

We've had Massively reporters on the scene at GDC Online 2011 all week long, so if you missed it, it's never too late to catch up on all of the design theory and frank developer talk. GDC Online will be returning to Austin on October 8th, 2012.

GDC Online 2011 hits record attendance originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attendanceeqeverquestGame-Developers-Choice-Online-AwardsGame-Developers-Conference-Onlinegdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011gdc-online-2012record-attendanceFri, 14 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: A nostalgia trip with the original EverQuest team]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-a-nostalgia-trip-with-the-original-everquest-te/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-a-nostalgia-trip-with-the-original-everquest-te/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-a-nostalgia-trip-with-the-original-everquest-te/#commentsFiled under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage)

This year, GDC Online presented the Hall of Fame award to SOE's classic EverQuest. The game is currently 12 years old, and as legendary presenter Richard Garriott put it, "It perfected the commercial genre" of MMO games. Several members of the original team attended the awards ceremony, and Massively was honored to have a chance to sit and speak with them. Even if you aren't an old school vet, you'll enjoy this trip down memory lane with Brad McQuaid, John Smedley, and the rest of the team. Read on for highlights from the interview.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: A nostalgia trip with the original EverQuest team

GDC Online 2011: A nostalgia trip with the original EverQuest team originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-trostbrad-mcquaidbrian-canaryeqeverquestfeaturedfippygdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011gdc-online-hall-of-famegeoffrey-zatkininterviewinterviewsjohn-smedleyroger-uzunrussell-shanksryan-palaciosoeSony-Online-EntertainmentFri, 14 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: Raph Koster speaks on the gamification of real life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-raph-koster-speaks-on-the-gamification-of-real/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-raph-koster-speaks-on-the-gamification-of-real/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/gdc-online-2011-raph-koster-speaks-on-the-gamification-of-real/#commentsFiled under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

Raph Koster - sock puppet

Raph Koster spoke at the recently concluded GDC Online 2011, and if the summary on Gamasutra is any indication, his message was somewhat mixed.

Unsurprisingly, the former sandbox maestro (and current social gaming evangelist) had a lot of positive things to say about Facebook. On the other hand, he said that going too far down the accessibility road can lead to "bad art."

He also opined that "design is about constraining people," but that games still have the potential for player creativity, and that Facebook has more user-generated content than games or virtual worlds. If you're confused yet, you're not alone, as Koster also mentioned something about wizards, magic circles, and his belief that the world is becoming more game-like (and thus there's no one better to shape it than game developers). "Let's watch out not to let the pointsification and rulesification, quantification, and reductionism that we have always loved about what we do -- let's not let that change who we are," Koster said.

Check out his notes and slides from the talk via his blog, linked below.

GDC Online 2011: Raph Koster speaks on the gamification of real life originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityfacebookgdc-2011gdc-onlineGDC-Online-2011kosterMiscellaneousraph-kostersocial-gamingsocial-mediaFri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: RIFT's Scott Hartsman on surviving and thriving in today's MMO climate]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-online-2011-rifts-scott-hartsman-on-surviving-and-thriving/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-online-2011-rifts-scott-hartsman-on-surviving-and-thriving/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-online-2011-rifts-scott-hartsman-on-surviving-and-thriving/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, RIFT, Miscellaneous

Scott Hartsman

Recently, we took time to look back on the past six months of RIFT's milestones, and this year at GDC Online, Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman sat down for a question-and-answer session to do the same thing. While we've seen the results of Trion's post-launch efforts, Hartsman gave a candid glimpse at what was going on behind the scenes as the team finished up beta and moved toward launch day. He took questions from N'Gai Croal, as well as from the audience, and highlights from the interview follow after the break.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: RIFT's Scott Hartsman on surviving and thriving in today's MMO climate

GDC Online 2011: RIFT's Scott Hartsman on surviving and thriving in today's MMO climate originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betafeaturedgdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011panelpost-launchriftscott-hartsmantriontrion-worldsThu, 13 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-swtors-georg-zoeller-on-analyzing-in-game-feed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-swtors-georg-zoeller-on-analyzing-in-game-feed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-swtors-georg-zoeller-on-analyzing-in-game-feed/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, Bugs, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous

Georg Zoeller

Star Wars the Old Republic is rapidly approaching its launch date, and questions constantly pop up about what the game will be like. Some longtime MMO veterans are even a bit skeptical about whether BioWare will be able to release a game of this scope in a finished state. At this year's GDC Online Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller demonstrated some of the tools that the team uses to analyze player feedback and data, and then he explained how, through sophisticated technology, the team can make appropriate adjustments to the game as it wraps up beta testing and prepares for launch.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback

GDC Online 2011: SWTOR's Georg Zoeller on analyzing in-game feedback originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaElectronic-Artsfeaturedgdcgdc-onlineGDC-Online-2011georg-zoellermetricsord-mantellpanelstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortatooinethe-old-republictortythonThu, 13 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: CCP talks community management]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-talks-community-management/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-talks-community-management/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-talks-community-management/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Miscellaneous

Valerie Massey of CCP

As we all know, every MMO has its share of crises. They can range from an unpopular game nerf to bugged content to full-out server meltdown. Ironically, CCP Community Manager Valerie Massey submitted her plans for a GDC Online talk the day before, as she put it, "all hell broke loose at CCP." From that point on, the devs "were out of the frying pan and into the fire" over and over. In all, Monoclegate and the Incarna problems were two months of one PR disaster after another.

When it comes to crisis management, she stressed that it's not an exact science, that it's hard to pick apart post-analyses, and that one CM's experience is very different from another. She chose to use Tylenol as a key example of correct response to crisis. Back in 1982, a killer inserted cyanide into Tylenol bottles, thus murdering several people. Tylenol wasn't at fault, but the company reacted correctly by pulling all bottles from the shelves, recalling the product, adding tamper-resistant packaging, and discounting prices after the fact. The company's quick action restored the trust of the consumers.

Who did it wrong? BP. That company shirked responsibility, waited two days before making a statement, lied about the extent of the damage, and failed to execute a clear clean-up plan fast enough.

In a crisis, whether it's in game or in real life, the key is to prepare in advance.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: CCP talks community management

GDC Online 2011: CCP talks community management originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bpccpccp-gamescommunity-managementcrisis-managementeveeve-onlinefeaturedgdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011monoclegatepaneltylenolvalerie-masseyThu, 13 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-biowares-damion-schubert-takes-a-wrecking-ball/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-biowares-damion-schubert-takes-a-wrecking-ball/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/gdc-austin-2011-biowares-damion-schubert-takes-a-wrecking-ball/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

GDC - Damion Schubert

"I'm trying to finish a product, Star Wars: The Old Republic, which I am not going to talk about today." Thus began BioWare's Damion Schubert's seminar, Double Coding: Making Online Games for Both the Casual and the Hardcore, at this year's GDC Online. "This is more of a weary man, sort of stream-of-consciousness design theory talk."

Schubert wanted to call the talk "Moving Beyond Double Coding," which is a term that comes from cartoons, of all places. Double coding is content that reaches two different groups of people at the same time. Looney Tunes, for example, would entertain both adults and kids because the writers and animators designed it so.

With MMOs, Schubert says that devs are often trying to double code the games for both casual and hardcore players. This is where the well-known slogan "easy to play, hard to master" originates. He held up Blizzard as a primary example of this model. Blizzard's "donut," as Schubert calls it, has a casual outer ring and a hardcore center for both types of players. By double coding, Blizzard ensures that casual players can invite their hardcore friends to experience the game and vice-versa.

However, this model is faltering, and Schubert pinpoints why after the jump!

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model

GDC Online 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarksbiowareblizzardcasualclassesconventiondamien-schubertdamion-schubertdesign-theoryeventfeaturedgame-design-theorygdcgdc-2011gdc-onlineGDC-Online-2011hardcoreinvestmentlifestylemetricspainrolesspectrumstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 13 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-kingsisles-sara-jensen-schubert-talks-rpg-math/#commentsFiled under: Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous

I'm sure many of us have wondered how game developers decide upon item stats, experience amounts, damage per second, and all of the other numbers that we come across in our favorite games. Actually, it might sound more like, "Why the heck is my uber sword of uberness only doing X amount of damage?!" At GDC Online this week, Sara Jensen Schubert gave a rare glimpse into the math behind MMORPGs. She has worked on games like Shadowbane and DC Universe Online and is now a lead designer at KingsIsle Entertainment. Her background and focus is a traditional RPG viewpoint, and she builds from there to go through the process of designing and building stats, character attributes, experience rewards, the leveling curve, and itemization. While her talk is aimed at those in the industry, it offers a unique perspective into what goes into those stats behind our gear and why it takes us so long to level up. Read on for highlights from the presentation.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math

GDC Online 2011: KingsIsle's Sara Jensen Schubert talks RPG math originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dcuodpsexperience-pointsfeaturedformulagdcgdc-2011gdc-onlinegdc-online-2011itemizationkingsislemathnumbersrpg-mathsara-jensen-schubertshadowbanespreadsheetsstatisticsWed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: Riot Games' Travis S. George talks game production]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-riot-games-travis-s-george-talks-game-product/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-riot-games-travis-s-george-talks-game-product/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-riot-games-travis-s-george-talks-game-product/#commentsFiled under: Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items

Gamasutra has its hands on a new interview with Riot Games' lead producer Travis S. George, straight from GDC Online 2011. In the interview, George goes into the finer points of game production and outlines five habits into which producers can find themselves falling if they aren't careful. These habits are things like writing down tasks and documentation or resolving all conflicts; in sum, they're all things that sound harmless, or even benevolent.

George warns that the true danger comes when the five habits are combined, like some kind of bizarro-game-production-Captain-Planet. It's a truly interesting piece for anyone interested in game production or design, and let's be honest: There are worse people to learn from than the lead producer of Riot Games. For the full technical details, click on over to the full article.

GDC Online 2011: Riot Games' Travis S. George talks game production originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011interviewlead-producerleague-of-legendsproducerproducingproductionriotriot-gamestravis-georgetravis-s-georgeWed, 12 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-planes-tanks-and-battleships-wargaming-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-planes-tanks-and-battleships-wargaming-sh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-planes-tanks-and-battleships-wargaming-sh/#commentsFiled under: Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, War, Free-to-Play, Interviews (Massively's), Events (Massively's Coverage), World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, World of Warships

Just a year ago, Wargaming.net was at GDC Online to promote World of Tanks. At the time, it was still in closed beta, with open beta still a month away. Nevertheless, the team was enthusiastic and excited to share its plans for the game.

What a difference a year makes. Today, World of Tanks has weathered a successful launch, surpassing five million registered players in August and setting a Guinness World Record for simultaneous player connections at 91,311. Retail boxes are now arriving in stores, and game updates have come at a steady pace. On top of that, the company is working on World of Warplanes and World of Battleships as it expands on its wartime MMO series. This week at GDC Austin, Massively had a chance to talk to Vice President of Public Relations in North America Bryan Davies and PR Manager Arthur Pratapopau, and they shared some news about all three titles. Read on for highlights from the interview.

Gallery: World of Warplanes

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net

GDC Online 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arthur-pratapopaubryan-daviesfeaturedgalleriesgallerygdcgdc-onlineGDC-Online-2011interviewinterviewspreviewscreenshotswargaming.netwobworld-of-battleshipsworld-of-tanksworld-of-warplaneswotwowpWed, 12 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: Spacetime Studios talks Star Legends]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-spacetime-studios-talks-star-legends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-spacetime-studios-talks-star-legends/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/gdc-austin-2011-spacetime-studios-talks-star-legends/#commentsFiled under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), Interviews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Mobile, Casual

Star Legends -- GDC Online 2011

Spacetime Studios is quickly establishing itself as a leading name in the mobile MMO market. Its two titles, Pocket Legends and Star Legends, have proven extremely popular choices for players who want to get their MMO fix on the go, and this week at GDC Online, our own Beau Hindman got to have a chat with the games' creators about what's on the horizon.

The big news is Star Legends' upcoming Google Chrome release. That's right, the truly hardcore Star Legends players will soon be able to play from the comfort of their home computers. With the upcoming release of Chrome 15, the title will be available in the browser's app store. But what if you've got a bunch of phone-exclusive friends without whom your game experience just wouldn't be complete? Not to worry! PC and mobile players will inhabit the same server, so you don't have to leave your friends behind for the comfort of your mouse and keyboard.

What else is coming for the mobile title? Head past the cut for the full scoop.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: Spacetime Studios talks Star Legends

GDC Online 2011: Spacetime Studios talks Star Legends originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbrowserbrowser-basedchromef2pfree-to-playgdcgdc-onlinegdc-online-2011google-chromeiosmobilepocket-legendssloucho-productionsspacetime-studiosstar-legendsWed, 12 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Quality concerns' keep user-created content out of World of Warcraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/quality-concerns-keep-user-created-content-out-of-world-of-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/quality-concerns-keep-user-created-content-out-of-world-of-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/quality-concerns-keep-user-created-content-out-of-world-of-war/#commentsFiled under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items

Pictured: quality.

User-created content can be a real hornet's nest in any game. When the user-created content systems are done correctly, you get a lot of new and imaginative content in the game straight from the players. But it's the question of what happens when it goes wrong that keeps user-created content out of World of Warcraft, according to Chris Metzen. As Metzen put it in a recent GDC online panel, while he loves the idea and the team does bring it up from time to time, there's a concern about whether or not the regular level of content would meet the standards of quality the team expects for game content.

Metzen also discussed some of the pressures the Blizzard staff faces with Titan's design, since the game is explicitly not set in one of the company's existing and long-running franchises. While he doesn't reveal any major details regarding the upcoming game, if you're eager for every scrap of information about the secretive project, it's well worth taking a look.

'Quality concerns' keep user-created content out of World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentchris-metzengdc-onlinegdc-online-2011titanuser-contentuser-created-contentworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 11 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-on-virtual-goods-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-on-virtual-goods-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/gdc-austin-2011-ccp-on-virtual-goods-in-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO Industry, Events (Massively's Coverage), DUST 514, Sandbox

EVE Online

Remember Monoclegate? CCP sure does, and at GDC this week, the company reflected on some lessons learned from its introduction of virtual goods to EVE Online. Associate Producer Ben Cockerill from CCP games offered a candid look at what the team learned through both player response and market data. While the initial launch of virtual goods in Incarna sparked a fierce objection on the forums and even in-game protests and riots, things have settled down quite a bit, and CCP seems confident that it is headed in the right direction now.

Read on for a look at why virtual goods were introduced into EVE Online and what the team has learned so far.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online

GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aurumben-cockerillcash-shopCCPccp-gamesdust-514eveeve-onlinefeaturedgdcgdc-2011gdc-onlineGDC-Online-2011incarnaiskkaren-bryanmonoclemonoclegatepanelplexrmtvirtual-goodsTue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST