Massively

The Game Archaeologist's fear and loathing in the Kingdom: Interrogating Mr. Skullhead

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Free-to-play, Browser, Humor, The Game Archaeologist

I'm sure that after last week's introduction to our Kingdom of Loathing retrospective, many of you out there were going, "What? What is this tomfoolery? Where are my three-dee em em ohs?" Yet I guard a tiny flicker of hope in my heart that a reader or two out there felt their curiosity tingle, then burn, then spontaneously combust as he or she gave KoL a shot.

In contrast to many of the other MMOs we play today, Kingdom of Loathing is downright old-school in terms of development and staff. There's no huge company here, no six floors of cubicles or corporate softball leagues. There's just a handful of gamers and writers who turned a pet project into a long-running success.

Today I got the privilege of putting Josh "Mr. Skullhead" Nite to the question, and it was a treat to end all treats. An armageddon treat, if you will. So what's it like being one of the masterminds behind the most insane MMO in the world? And are the stories of its boozy origins true? Hit the jump and find out!

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The Game Archaeologist's fear and loathing in the Kingdom: Interrogating Mr. Skullhead originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Previews, The Agency, Hands-on, MMOFPS

After seeing the new trailer yesterday for SOE's The Agency, we thought nothing could get us more revved up about this upcoming title. We were wrong. DEAD wrong. Ahem. Sorry.

For aspiring Mr. and Ms. Kiss-Kiss-Bang-Bangs out there, The Agency is promising all of the hot, high-tech spy action that you can handle. Step into the shoes of James Bond, Jason Bourne, Inspector Gadget or Maxwell Smart, grab your favorite weapon, and throw yourself into one of many exciting locales where you and other players will compete for all the secrets and bragging rights.

At E3, Massively got the chance to sit down with The Agency's Senior Producer Josh Hackney and check in on how this title is progressing. Hit the jump to read about specialized roles, PvP and why mindlessly spraying hot lead in all directions is completely passé.

Continue reading E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing

E3 2010: The Agency blows up in our faces... and it's a good thing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nnooo.com pitches Pokemon MMO; own name gives the answer

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, News items, Opinion

Question: What's the difference between John Q. Public saying they "have a neat idea" for a Pokémon MMO and the maker of casual Wii title Pop saying the same thing? Answer: a foot in the door, and little else. That hasn't stopped nnooo.com from pitching the idea to Nintendo via their website, along with ideas for games based on the Battlestar Galactica, James Bond, and X-Men franchises. We're not saying they don't have the talent to back this claim, but a casual title is a far cry from a polished MMO -- and possibly Nintendo's first one, at that.

Even assuming this pitch had a chance to be taken seriously by Nintendo, it's highly unlikely the company would let a third-party develop it, judging by their existing Pokémon line's history. You know, if we're calling dibs, we've already pitched two of these ideas ourselves. Hmm ... Massively Games ... has a nice ring, doesn't it?

[Via NintendoLife]

Nnooo.com pitches Pokemon MMO; own name gives the answer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two new videos of The Agency show more action

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, The Agency, Spy

The more of The Agency we see, the more interested we get. G4's X-Play recently showed off two new videos featuring more in-depth looks at gameplay than we've gotten to see previously. In speaking with Director of Development Matt Wilson and Designer Hal Milton, we get to see glimpses of various elements, such as cool spy gadgets a la James Bond's Q, and how the Operatives can help you in your missions.

We've got both videos after the jump, and you'll find them in larger resolutions on G4's site.

[Thanks, Steven!]

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Two new videos of The Agency show more action originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video)

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Academic, Massively Event Coverage

I applied for, and received an invitation to 'An Evening with Will Wright and Friends', held in Mezzanine, a swanky club in San Francisco's SOMA district on Thursday evening. I didn't know what exactly to expect, but I knew two things: 1) It wasn't going to be about Spore, and 2) It was Will Freaking Wright. How did I know Spore wasn't on the offering? 'Cause we're all kind of Spore'd out, aren't we?

I was right about the lack of Spore, but was pleasantly surprised and gratified to hear Will speak on a variety of topics -- James Bond, cosmonauts, Gilligan's Island as the predecessor of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comics, Godzilla, Care Bears, Lost, Walt Disney, Battlestar Galactica, Spiderman, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- before finally wrapping it all up with the observation that the stories that resonate with us are deconstructible; we can reduce them to components, and using those components, build our own stories.

Finally, accepting questions from the audience, I asked him what advice he'd give NASA as they create their MMO. His friends never showed up, but man, Will Wright is always worth a listen. He knows his stuff so well and is such a wonderful speaker ... check out the video I shot after the break, and you'll see what I mean.

Continue reading GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video)

GDC08: An evening with Will Wright minus friends (video) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Bond stuntman releases martial arts animations in Second Life

Eloise Pasteur — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Second Life

To be honest I'm not sure which is the bigger story here:

The headline is true, Marcus Shakesheff, a stuntman on Die Another Day among other films, has had a range of his martial arts moves recorded by motion capture, converted into animations in Second Life and they will be available to buy and, it appears, as part of a game within Second Life. I am trying to find out the details of the animations, but have had no joy so far.

But, I have to wonder if the fact that this headline's in this week's Newport, Cwmbran and Risca Weekly Argus is, in fact, the bigger story. It appears that Second Life has become sufficiently mainstream that even local papers, traditionally very parochial, carry stories about it. At least they do if the story is about a local person.

Thanks to Cam for the tip, and the scans of the original article.

James Bond stuntman releases martial arts animations in Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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