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[Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/25/working-as-intended-its-not-the-journey-or-the-destination/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/25/working-as-intended-its-not-the-journey-or-the-destination/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/25/working-as-intended-its-not-the-journey-or-the-destination/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

FFXIV
If you play MMORPGs, you've no doubt been told, hundreds of times, "Slow down! Don't rush! Stop to smell the flowers! It's the journey, not the destination!"

Typically, you're being told to slow down in an MMO whose focus is the destination: the endgame. All the good stuff is at the end. The best dungeons are there. The best gear is there. The best PvP content and titles and achievements are there. The players the devs cater to are there. Patches and expansions provide new content there. In fact, the only reason to play the rest of the game is to level up to get there. The midgame is a hindrance, a barrier to the "real" game, and it's usually neglected by developers once most players are through it.

So if games themselves reward you only for arriving at the destination, why on earth should you feel bad for not savoring the journey?

Continue reading Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination

MassivelyWorking As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activity-vs-achievementarenanetbsccamelot-unchainedclassic-guild-warsdestinationeditorialendgamefeaturedgame-designguild-warsguild-wars-1gwgw1john-woodenjourneyjourney-vs-destinationmidgameop-edopinionrantrantsworking-as-intendedFri, 25 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Soapbox: A new mode of interaction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/23/the-soapbox-a-new-mode-of-interaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/23/the-soapbox-a-new-mode-of-interaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/23/the-soapbox-a-new-mode-of-interaction/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Video games are, by definition, an interactive medium. The entire point of playing a video game is that you get to explore the world, talk to the characters, slay the monsters, and reap the rewards. And you do all this with a keyboard and mouse or controller or futuristic headset or whatever. Players are in charge; players create their own experience.

Every video game ever released hinges on player interaction to tell its story. Without the player, a game's inhabitants are meaningless pixels guarding empty checkpoints, staggering through the woods with a groan, or walking in endless circles selling bread.

In order for a game to function, players must be able to interact with it. The only question is how.

Continue reading The Soapbox: A new mode of interaction

MassivelyThe Soapbox: A new mode of interaction originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animal-crossingdesigndishonorededitorialeve-onlinefeaturedgame-designglitchindustryinnovationinteractionjourneykill-ten-ratsminecraftop-edopinionrantrantssoapboxthe-soapboxviolenceTue, 23 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you play a chat-free MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/31/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-chat-free-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/31/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-chat-free-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/31/the-daily-grind-would-you-play-a-chat-free-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Daily Grind Would you play a chatfree MMO
A recent post by blogger Bhagpuss intrigued me, as he detailed his experiences playing a pseudo-MMO called The Endless Forest. In this game, every player is a deer going through an (endless) forest, exploring the wilderness and tricking out his or her beast. What interested Bhagpuss and me is that there's no chat function in the game, just various emotes that can be used to connect with other players.

This made me think of the recent console sleeper hit Journey. In that game, players couldn't directly chat either, but did have a limited array of visual cues to signal intent and foster teamwork. I've read plenty of stories where players say that being denied chat actually made them feel closer to their teammates and really think about the value of human connection.

Therefore, I'm putting today's discussion into the realm of the slightly absurd. Would you play a chat-free MMO? How could such a thing work over the long haul? What advantages and disadvantages would come into play?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Would you play a chat-free MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chatchat-freedaily-grinddeerjourneyopiniontdgthe-daily-grindthe-endless-forestSun, 31 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you buy a console to play an MMO?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/the-daily-grind-would-you-buy-a-console-to-play-an-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/the-daily-grind-would-you-buy-a-console-to-play-an-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/22/the-daily-grind-would-you-buy-a-console-to-play-an-mmo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

DUST 514
Imagine there's an MMO you really want to play (for some of you, this is going to take a lot of imagination, but pretend, for just this question, that you actually like playing the MMOs you play). Maybe the game is going to connect to an existing MMO in a novel way, or maybe it's that $300,000,000 ultimate sandbox you've been hoping for. This theoretical MMO is just perfect for you, and you need to play it like yesterday.

Except that it's coming out on consoles, and only on consoles for the foreseeable future. And it's a console you don't already own. Nooooooooooo!

I picked up a PS3 partly for this reason -- to play PS3-exclusive games like Journey. But an MMO? That would take a lot more doing; it'd have to be a truly compelling world that offers something I can't get anywhere else. Whether or not it's your thing, DUST 514 is asking just this question of gamers, but it wasn't the first and it surely won't be the last.

So what about you? Would you buy a console just to play an MMO -- if not DUST, then some other game?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Would you buy a console to play an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgccpccp-gamesconsoleconsole-exclusiveconsole-onlydaily-grinddustdust-514eveeve-onlinefpsjourneymmofpsopinionplaystationplaystation-3ps2ps3sandboxsci-fishootertdgthe-daily-grindTue, 22 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player's real-life journey honored in Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/players-real-life-journey-honored-in-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/players-real-life-journey-honored-in-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/players-real-life-journey-honored-in-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars player Kelly Wells became inspired to go on a real-life adventure due to her explorations of Tyria and an encouraging TED talk -- and so she did it. Starting from Maine, Wells and her faithful dog crossed America to California by foot, ending the trip with a visit to ArenaNet in Seattle. The developers were so impressed by Wells' journey that they decided to make her part of Guild Wars 2.

In a new ArenaNet blog post, Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson shares how bowled over the devs were when they met Wells and why her epic journey had to become part of Guild Wars 2. "If we all took that perspective on life, deciding to make positive changes and refusing to let anything get in our way, it'd be amazing to see how much we'd all be able to accomplish," Johanson said. The team then collaborated to come up with a similar figure for its upcoming title.

Thus was born Ameranth, a Sylvari explorer who traverses the width of Tyria with her trusty dog, Anna. When players encounter her, Ameranth is known to say, "Ever since emerging from the Pale Tree, I've had the itch to see what the world has to offer. And what better way than with my own two feet?"

MassivelyPlayer's real-life journey honored in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AmeranthanetarenanetbetaColin-Johansonfantasyguild-wars-2gw2inspirationaljourneyKelly-Wellsncsoftted-talktyriawalk-across-americawalk-across-tyriaWed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[If it looks like an MMO, walks like an MMO, and quacks like an MMO...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/if-it-looks-like-an-mmo-walks-like-an-mmo-and-quacks-like-an-m/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/if-it-looks-like-an-mmo-walks-like-an-mmo-and-quacks-like-an-m/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/if-it-looks-like-an-mmo-walks-like-an-mmo-and-quacks-like-an-m/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Screenshot -- Journey (thatgamecompany)
Then it might just be an MMO! Indie gaming fans out there are probably already familiar with thatgamecompany, creators of hit PSN titles such as Flower, flOw, and the to-be-released Journey. Journey is going to be the studio's first experience with online interaction between players, but a new job listing from the studio seeking a scalability engineer states that the studio would "like to take it a step further with [its] next game." Taking online interaction a step further, you say? Why, they could be talking about an MMO!

The job listing further corroborates this theory as it continues on to state that "while [thatgamecompany is] pretty experienced making games, [the studio has] never built a full scale online service available to hundreds of thousands of users." Hundreds of thousands of users, you say? Why, that sounds even more like an MMO! Of course, this is all pure conjecture at this point, but surely we're not alone in our belief that an MMO from the minds of the folks that brought us Flower and flOw would be pretty groovy. But the fact remains that Journey won't even be released until next month, so this next project -- whatever it may be -- is still far off the horizon, but stay tuned. Hopefully we'll know more about this new project before too long.

MassivelyIf it looks like an MMO, walks like an MMO, and quacks like an MMO... originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conjecturecultureindieindie-gamingjenova-chenjourneymmo-culturemmo-industriesspeculationthatgamestudioThu, 16 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/not-so-massively-eurogamer-expo-2011-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/not-so-massively-eurogamer-expo-2011-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/not-so-massively-eurogamer-expo-2011-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Not So Massively title image
Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

It's been just over a week since Eurogamer Expo 2011, where countless upcoming and released games were demonstrated to attendees and made playable on the show floor. While some of them neatly fell into singleplayer or MMO categories, action adventure Dark Souls and the beautifully zen Journey sought to blur the line between those categories more than any game I've seen to date. Both are singleplayer games in which other players can seamlessly enter your world during play, a fascinating concept that I'm now dying to dig into.

Red 5 resolved its dispute with Webzen this week, allowing Firefall to continue development unhindered by legal drama. Brawl Busters enters a new phase of closed beta, and we have a dump truck full of beta keys to give away. League of Legends reveals details of upcoming champions Xerath and The Nine Tail Fox, in addition to a new livestreaming site designed to collect money for gaming charity Child's Play. Rise of Immortals launched on Steam this week and released its first post-launch Immortal Trovoc, the Last Dragon. Finally, hints at a console version for Diablo III or console controls for the PC version have surfaced this week due to some cryptic forum responses by Blizzard staff.

In this week's Not So Massively, I give some first impressions of Dark Souls and Journey from Eurogamer Expo 2011 and delve into all the latest news from games that aren't quite MMOs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition

MassivelyNot So Massively: Eurogamer Expo 2011 edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Action-RPGblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentbrawl-bustersdark-soulsdemons-soulsdiablo-3diablo-iiidialodungeon-crawlereurogamer-expoEurogamer-Expo-2011featuredfirefallfirst-impressionshands-onholy-crap-these-games-are-awesomeinnovationjourneyleague-of-legendslolmultiplayernewsnot-so-massivelypetroglyphred-5-studiosriot-gamesrise-of-immortalsrpgthat-game-companyThatGameCompanyvideowebzenMon, 03 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/wings-over-atreia-are-we-there-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/wings-over-atreia-are-we-there-yet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/wings-over-atreia-are-we-there-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Are we there yet? Are we? Are we, huh, huh?

Certain phrases are so embedded into our culture that few can escape the vivid imagery that comes with hearing them. For some, it rings back to memories of yore -- station wagons and long dusty road trips for the family vacation. For others, it can be simply the walk to the ice cream shop with a toddler. For me? I actually envision gaming in Aion.

Gaming? Yup, that's right-- this iconic phrase emphasizes a specific mindset in our culture that permeates everything, including gaming: All that matters is the destination. There are plenty of examples of those who rush to endgame, plowing through and bypassing as much of the "unimportant" stuff as possible. For these folks, the game doesn't even start until max-level. However, there is a yin to that yang; there are also those who actually find the journey to be the experience worth having, folks who don't feel any need to race to endgame at break-neck speed and instead partake of the content along the way. Most gamers adopt one of these two philosophies, their real-life views and personalities often steering towards one side or the other.

How do these two philosophies manifest themselves and duke it out in Aion? Rush (or mosey, whatever your preference) past the break to see.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet?

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Are we there yet? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-gamedestinationendgamefeaturedgoalgoalsgoalsettingjourneyjourney-vs-destinationnc-softnc-soft-aionncsoftncsoft-aionpvptorturetreadmilltreadmillsWings-Over-AtreiaMon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Around the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part two]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-t/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

My journey around the world of Wurm Online continues on today through the second half of the trip. In yesterday's story, we explored the eastern and southern shores of the map's mainland, and now we get to see the western and northern shores in all their glory.

Although that southwestern-most tip of land is heavily populated, you're back to desolation when you make your way up into the cliff faces of the western shore. I spent one night in the side of a rocky mountain, only slightly protected from the elements as I chiseled my way into the rock just enough for a fire and shelter for the night. I decided to roleplay a bit during the trip, setting up proper shelter before I logged out of the game for the day. What's funny about this particular shelter is the fact that I discovered a very rare diamond only three squares into the cave. I've dug entire mazes of underground mines and never found a diamond before, so this was a sure sign that the rest of the trip was going to be bountiful. And it was! Follow along below for more.

Gallery: Around the Wurm Online world

Continue reading Around the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part two

MassivelyAround the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part two originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurearound-the-worldboatsdiaryexplorationexploreexplorerf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreedomgalleriesgalleryhousingjourneylogonetwofree-absandboxscreenshotstravelwurmwurm-onlineWed, 13 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Around the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-o/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/12/around-the-world-in-eight-days-a-journey-in-wurm-online-part-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Wurm Online is a unique MMO. I can't think of many other games that allow the freedom of Wurm, which may be why I still consider it my favorite online game to this date.

For anyone who hasn't tried the game or heard me yammer on about it on the Massively Speaking podcast, I'll explain the basics. Wurm Online is a sandbox game created to allow players unbelievable freedom. If you've played Minecraft, you have the basic premise of Wurm, but multiply that experience by about 100. In fact, Markus "Notch" Persson was the co-founder and co-creator of Wurm before moving on to Minecraft and world fame.

Wurm Online starts you off as a fairly inanimate and uncustomizable character whose goal is to simply build. Find a spot of unclaimed land, throw down a settlement token, and build to your heart's content. You cut down trees for wood, mine stone for ore, forage and fish for food, and use it all to create the world that lives within your imagination.

Continue reading Around the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part one

MassivelyAround the world in eight days: A journey in Wurm Online, part one originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>around-the-worlddiaryexplorationexplorerf2pfree-to-playfreedomjourneylogMarkus-PerssonMojang-Specificationsnotchonetoofree-abonetwofree-abrolfsandboxtravelwurmwurm-onlineTue, 12 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Leveling, the playing field]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/the-daily-grind-leveling-the-playing-field/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

They might be called security levels, they might be split between ranks and levels, they might disguise themslves as skill grinds. But in pretty much any MMO you care to name, there will be levels of some kind. (The only exception that springs to mind is Second Life, and even that can be argued.) Generally, it's accepted that the most meat to the game will come after you've made it to the apex of the leveling curve, whether it's a low cap or a high one. But that's not when you started liking the game -- no, even though most players see it as an impediment to getting to the good part, the leveling game is what first hooks you on the game as a whole.

So today, we ask a simple question -- what game have you played where you most enjoyed the leveling process? Forget all of the endgame nonsense, whether you had a broad endgame or a fairly narrow one. When did you just enjoy the path toward the endgame, perhaps even enough to be a bit saddened when it was over? Or have you always wanted to just get to the end without bothering with the whole "journey" element?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Leveling, the playing field originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disguised-levelsendgamejourneylevel-grindinglevel-uplevelingleveling-uplevelsprocesssecond-lifesltdgthe-daily-grindTue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endgam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endgam/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endgam/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Hey there 'Aliased readers! I've got a bunch to cover this week, and it's mostly derived from last week's Anti-Aliased. Point number three on my short list of what MMOs need to learn was that leveling content was more important than endgame content, and that seemed to put people into a state of panic. Now normally I don't like revisiting topics when they create massive anger because revisiting won't do them any good. You'll still be angry, sending rabid squirrels in boxes to my house, and I'll still be wearing my protective suit when I open my mail.

This, however, is a special case. I think one of the reasons we have such a divide is because we're not looking at it in the same way. I'm approaching this topic from more of a business angle rather than the angle of a player. So, this week, we're going to look at it from both the angle of the player and of the business-person, as well as take in your points and arguments from last week's comment discussion. It's like a Mythbusters Redux, except we're not going to be blowing anything up, sadly.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedbusinessdestinationendgamefeaturedfunhabeeb-itjourneyjoystiqfeatureslevelingraidingworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endpt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endpt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/anti-aliased-why-leveling-content-is-more-important-than-endpt2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


One of the comments last week complained that I was putting too much emphasis on the journey rather than the destination. Basically, the comment compared endgame to some sort of amazing weekend spa retreat in the Bahamas and leveling to the 30 minute long plane ride. Because, honestly, who cares about the journey, right? It's only one facet of the whole getaway. Let's take a look at that argument.

"So why can't we put that type of fun into the entire game, rather than just one section?"
Pretend, dear readers, that I've discovered a brand new land. A land filled with large breasted women, rivers of booze, and a zombie shooting range. I'll name this land Awesomesauce Island! Past that, I'll make sure that only one airport is built on the island and only one plane can reach that island. That plane, however, is a remake of the original Wright brother's aircraft except all the screws are loose, the pilot is blind, poisonous snakes are stuffed in your seat cushions, Samuel L. Jackson is banned from flying on the plane, and the in-flight movie is Paris Hilton's sex tape. Who cares about the destination again?

Now you can see I'm phasing into the player side of things and beginning my argument as to why we should enjoy a better emphasis on leveling content -- because it's fun!

There's something about endgame that people enjoy already. All of you have come to me with complaints the second I even put the word "endgame" in my articles. That means that you're having fun with it, and that's a good thing! So why can't we put that type of fun into the entire game, rather than just one section? It's akin to asking people to stab out their eyes with wooden spoons before they can ride the big roller coaster in the theme park. Painfully pointless.

"Games are games because we enjoy the experience they provide."
Games are games because we enjoy the experience they provide. The "endgame experience" should not be restricted to just the endgame, but the whole game. I'm not saying kill the lead up, or somehow make the entire game just like the endgame. What I'm saying is that I should be feeling the same levels of excitement and enjoyment as I progress towards the final destination. Every moment that I stay in your world, I should feel like I'm there to have a good time, not just kill 10 rats so you can pat me on the head and give me a sparkling new sword.
Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who knows people are going to half read this article and then complain about how he's an endgame hater. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane friends. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Why leveling content is more important than endgame pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedawesomesaucedestinationendgamefungamejourneylevelingThu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should beta testers be allowed to keep their characters?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-daily-grind-should-beta-testers-be-allowed-to-keep-their-ch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-daily-grind-should-beta-testers-be-allowed-to-keep-their-ch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/the-daily-grind-should-beta-testers-be-allowed-to-keep-their-ch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

This is a pretty loaded issue, as it turns out. Obviously, the benefits to keeping your characters are manifold -- you start the live version of the game at a higher level than the rest; you likely have vastly better gear; you've already been through most of the lower-level quests, so can concentrate on the more lucrative epic lines, or just work on your PvP skills. But aside from the fact that you might find that this diminishes your enjoyment of the game, having already seen so much of it, is it fair to the new players?

It's somewhat demoralizing to log in for the first time and immediately see high-level players goofing around, talking trash, and trading or selling the epic loot they have in abundance. It destroys the feeling that you're entering a strange, exciting new world, and reminds you that you're just playing a game, and people have already well-trod the ground you've never even seen. MMOs shouldn't be about racing to get to higher levels, but in a beta, it's easy to exploit early class imbalances to advance. In this case, the goal and the journey have become muddled, and for many, the traveling is just as important as the arrival.

Some games do wipe their player bases when they're ready to release. Is this frustrating, or is it a good practice?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should beta testers be allowed to keep their characters? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beta-testclass-imbalancesdestinationjourneytdgthe-daily-grindWed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't stop believing; Journey's coming to Second Life]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/27/dont-stop-believing-journeys-coming-to-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/27/dont-stop-believing-journeys-coming-to-second-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/27/dont-stop-believing-journeys-coming-to-second-life/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Mark February 1st, fans of the 80's: Journey will be opening their brand-new sim in Second Life, 'Journey Rock Band'. Personally, I'm surprised they didn't go with something more fan-relatable; I'd have called it 'Frontiers', or 'Wheel in the Sky', or, best of all, 'Kohoutek'. Throw the fans a bone, huh?

Regardless, the opening will also feature a meet-and-greet with the band, though, of course, Steve Perry won't be there. The party starts at 10 AM SLT and will feature a DJ spinning, what else? Journey songs! I have to say, every SL party I've ever been to has featured at least 2 Journey songs, with shouts of 'ZOMG JOURNEY' and 'I LOVE THIS SONG', so this is a good fit. Hell, it's at least a slap in the face of Duran Duran, who never made good on their previous promise. And hey, where ARE Gorillaz?

MassivelyDon't stop believing; Journey's coming to Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>duran-duranfrontiersgorillazjourneykohouteksecond-lifesteve-perrywheel-in-the-skySun, 27 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST