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 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[World of Warcraft is the new Match.com]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/world-of-warcraft-is-the-new-match-com/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/world-of-warcraft-is-the-new-match-com/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/world-of-warcraft-is-the-new-match-com/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Of course, gamers don't wear sunglasses and pinstripe polos while holding controllers, but artistic license.
Are you single? Do you want to be a little bit less single? Are your friends telling you that you should stop spending so much time talking with them online and more time looking for dates? Well, according to a recent infographic, your friends might be completely off-base. Onlineuniversity.net put together a graphic comparing World of Warcraft to the popular dating site Match.com, and the results come out pretty firmly in favor of blood elves.

So how does it look? According to the graphic, World of Warcraft has more than 10 times as many people involved as Match.com, and people sink more time into online gaming than any online dating site. There's also a number of factors that suggest slaughtering virtual trolls as a better way to bond than a cup of coffee. So while it's still probably bad form to hit on your raid leader between pulls, maybe you're not entirely off the mark. Unless she's married.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft is the new Match.com originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturedatinggaming-relationshipshuman-interesthumorlovemmosromancewhat-is-this-i-cant-evenThu, 22 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/video-series-chronicles-the-evolution-of-muds-to-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/video-series-chronicles-the-evolution-of-muds-to-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/01/video-series-chronicles-the-evolution-of-muds-to-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Ultima Online
If you're looking for a reasonably short video primer on the history of MMOs, look no further than a series of clips recently uploaded to YouTube. According to some genre heavyweights, though, you shouldn't take all the info presented at face value. Former sandbox (and current social games) developer Raph Koster weighs in on the clips at his personal blog, and he offers up a laundry list of "oddities, errors, and omissions."

MUD pioneer Richard Bartle shows up in Koster's comment thread, and he's even more direct. "I wonder why so few of those who make this kind of documentary actually ask the people they're talking about whether what they're saying about them is factually correct? It's not like we're dead or anything," Bartle muses.

Why watch the vids, then? Mainly for the exposure to pre-2004 MMORPGs, according to Koster. The clips are "worth a look, even if only to get a rare glimpse of actual video footage from some of the older games that many folks today don't even know existed," he says. Check out all three installments after the break.

Continue reading Video series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs

MassivelyVideo series chronicles the evolution of MUDs to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturehistoryhistory-of-mmosMiscellaneousmmo-historymmo-industrymmosmudmudsraph-kosterrichard-bartlevideovideosThu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Redefining MMOs: More developers weigh in]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/redefining-mmos-more-developers-weigh-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/redefining-mmos-more-developers-weigh-in/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/redefining-mmos-more-developers-weigh-in/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

In 2009, the staffers of Massively were more than aware of the changes happening in the MMO industry. The game was changing; technology was allowing the MMO to step out of its turn-based comfort zone and take on new challenges. We began to see the MMO-shooter, the MMO-RTS, and the MMO-does-that-even-fit-in-a-genre. The staff penned a series of articles called Redefining MMOs. Have things changed in two years? On the surface, I'd say no. We still can't figure out exactly what an MMO is. If you ask six different people the same question, you'll get six different answers (if not more). In fact, while I was at PAX East, I did just that.

I spoke to six different designers: three from the most anticipated games of this year, two from studios that have been doing this MMO thing for a long time, and one from a studio that refuses to label its game as an MMO. After the break, find out what developers of Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Firefall have to say about the new definition of MMOs.

Continue reading Redefining MMOs: More developers weigh in

MassivelyRedefining MMOs: More developers weigh in originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-merskyarenanetBioWarecity-of-heroesCity-of-Villainscohcolin-johansoncovcoxddodefinitiondefinition-of-mmodefinitionsdungeons-and-dragons-onlineEAeletronic-artsfeaturedfirefallGuild-Wars-2gw2james-ohlenlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromark-kernMike-Zadorojnymmo-definitionmmosnate-birkholzNCsoftparagon-studiosred-5-studiosstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTurbineWorld-of-WarcraftwowWed, 30 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/21/final-fantasy-xivs-hiromichi-tanaka-on-the-goals-of-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Hiromichi Tanaka has been making the rounds of late -- while we had our own chance to interview him during E3, he's been giving several different interviews on a multitude of topics as Final Fantasy XIV nears its launch date. The most recent translated interview from JeuxVideo has Tanaka talking in brief about the upcoming game, but also about his own play experiences. Among the more quotable parts of the interview is a simple statement: Square-Enix isn't trying to compete with World of Warcraft, but to draw in players who might not have looked at the genre before.

As Tanaka puts it, the game is designed to be accessible to fans of the long-running franchise who may never have considered playing something multiplayer. He also stresses the emphasis on allowing players to use their time in the game as effectively as possible, citing the Guildleves and the Armory system as two examples wherein players can maximize the useful time spent in-game. Lastly, when asked about other games he's enjoyed, he somewhat happily admits that he's been too focused on developing Final Fantasy XIV to enjoy much since Final Fantasy XI. The full translation is transcribed here, with the embedded video in French (if you happen to be fluent).

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessarmory-systemcompetitionffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivguildleveshiromichi-tanakainterviewsmmosnew-playerssquaresquare-enixtranslationsWed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/anti-aliased-what-its-like-to-sit-in-the-staff-chair/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So I drove the Aion community up a wall again. I seem to do that a lot when I talk about the game. AionSource was a little miffed at the "disappointment" award the staff and readers gave them, and decided to rip into me. So, in an effort of good faith, I dropped by the flame thread and tried to lighten things up while explaining my position on the game and how it isn't all doom and gloom.

Well, after having 9 pages of people not reading what I was writing and electing to call me a nyerking nyerk, I bowed out with a new column topic on my mind: my job. If there was any common theme in all of the screaming, it was how I sucked at my job because I said Aion had a grind, I sucked at my job because I was only level 17 in Aion, everyone on that fansite could do a better job at my job than I could, and I was the reason mainstream reviews were going downhill. (Awesome.)

Amazingly enough, I too thought pretty much those exact same things before I got a job here. But writing here for two years has been one heck of an experience, and maybe today I can give you some insight to the things I see on the staff side of the fence.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: What it's like to sit in the staff chair originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionanti-aliasedawardeditorfungame-journalismgamingjobmassively-staffmmosncsoftopinionopinion-columnreviewstaffworkwritingThu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GameX 2009: Victorian spaceships with Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gamex-2009-victorian-spaceships-with-ben-yahtzee-croshaw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gamex-2009-victorian-spaceships-with-ben-yahtzee-croshaw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gamex-2009-victorian-spaceships-with-ben-yahtzee-croshaw/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of the infamous Zero Punctuation reviews on The Escapist is a bit tricky to track down, but we were able to get some time in with him at this year's GameX in Philadelphia.

We pitched the fast talking reviewer some questions to get his opinion on the MMO genre beyond his reviews of Tabula Rasa and EVE Online, and found out some interesting things -- like victorian steampunk spaceships are awesome. So what breaks the MMO genre for Yahtzee? Will more MMOs be smash... er... featured on Zero Punctuation? If you're wondering the answers to these questions, then wonder no more! Just click on through after the break to check out our video interview!

Continue reading GameX 2009: Victorian spaceships with Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw

MassivelyGameX 2009: Victorian spaceships with Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ben-croshawben-yahtzee-croshawfeaturedgamexgamex-2009interviewmmosopinionthe-escapistvideo-interviewyahtzeeyahtzee-croshawzero-punctuationWed, 28 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively multiplayer online... boobs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/24/massively-multiplayer-online-boobs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/24/massively-multiplayer-online-boobs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/24/massively-multiplayer-online-boobs/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Did you know that MMOs and breasts have a long history with one another? It's true, you know. From the time MMOs came onto the scene, so too did scantily clad women with huge hooters. Also, yes, this is indeed one of "those" articles. The article where we talk about breasts seriously, I mean.

Sanya Weathers, no stranger to the MMO industry (or breasts, for that matter) just recently took a pretty funny tour of how breasts work into advertising, whether we like it or not. From box art to marketing departments, she looks at some of the good, the bad, and the downright horrible when it comes to putting hot women on boxes to sell games.

If you're up for a laugh, go check out her article over at MMORPG.com. It's funny, it's insightful, it's historical, and it's full of what men want most -- awesome games. (Get your head out of the gutter if you thought that last line was going to be another boob joke.)

MassivelyMassively multiplayer online... boobs? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blade-and-soulboobsbreastshootersknockersmarketingmmorpg.commmosncsoftsanya-weatherssillywomenMon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Games that should be MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/the-daily-grind-games-that-should-be-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/the-daily-grind-games-that-should-be-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/the-daily-grind-games-that-should-be-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We all have a list of favourite games which we think should be MMOs. My first real exposure to RPGs was The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I absolutely love this game and it's top of my list of titles (or in this case a franchise) which needs to be turned into an MMO ASAP. Logically (and as a games journalist) I know it's not that simple. I've interviewed several folks at Bethesda over the years and I know that their vision of The Elder Scrolls wouldn't translate too well to a Massively Multiplayer Online game.

But that aside, I'm pretty sure most gamers are stoked that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is being reinvented as an MMO. I want to know, if graphics, dev wishes and game mechanics weren't an issue, what games would you like to see become an MMO and why?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Games that should be MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesdabethesda-softworksmmommosstar-warsstar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republicstar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-mmostar-wars-the-old-republicthe-elder-scrollsthe-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivionFri, 12 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard believes fans make their games successful]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/01/blizzard-believes-fans-make-their-games-successful/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/01/blizzard-believes-fans-make-their-games-successful/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/01/blizzard-believes-fans-make-their-games-successful/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With E3 2009 officially underway, it's a great time for devs and CEOs to chat about their games and Blizzard's very own Mike Morhaime has been talking about the company's position in the MMO market with Develop. He believes that Blizzard is uniquely positioned within the industry and that it's all about the players:

"The story behind us is the passionate community that has grown up around our games," he explains during the interview. "Our commitment to quality has helped us grow a global audience that has grown with every release. While our competitors will be trying to overcome these challenges to grow their brands, we're already a major player there. None have achieved the same level of online growth as World of Warcraft. We're able to leverage huge investments in new content across the world's largest MMO subscriber base."

MassivelyBlizzard believes fans make their games successful originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentdevelopE3e3-2009fanbasemike-morhaimemmommosMon, 01 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: The MMO/life balance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/the-daily-grind-the-mmo-life-balance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/the-daily-grind-the-mmo-life-balance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/the-daily-grind-the-mmo-life-balance/#commentsFiled under: ,

Irony is a weird thing. Here's an example: since becoming a journalist some four years ago I've had less time to read manga, watch anime and play games (oddly all things I do as part of my job). Here's another one: since joining Massively and WoW.com, my time playing WoW has dropped to just a couple of hours a week. Weird huh? It's something I'm trying to change but enjoying a raid is a bit hard when a voice in my head is whispering about news and European maintenance posts.

So readers, you work, you play, you go to school, you study and you obviously also love MMOs (or you wouldn't be reading this post, right?). How do you balance your real life with your virtual one? Does your MMO of choice have to wait till your chores/homework/research is done? Would you rather get your fix before dinner or are you up at the crack of dawn before work to do those all-important dailies?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: The MMO/life balance originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancemmommosreal-lifethe-daily-grindtightropeWed, 27 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Digital Continuum: Dealing with delay]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/25/the-digital-continuum-dealing-with-delay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/25/the-digital-continuum-dealing-with-delay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/25/the-digital-continuum-dealing-with-delay/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in 1999 when I was just a 14 teenager with way too much free time on his hands, I had finally got Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for my PlayStation. Saying the game saw delays would be quite an understatement and up until that time I had been pretty frustrated with the whole ordeal. Nobody likes it when games are delayed and back then I was no exception.

But thinking back to how wonderfully translated (and semi-ported from the Sega Saturn) the game was, it was quite worth the wait. Although I may not have realized it at the time, the delays were entirely the right choice. And as it turns out, they usually are, not that everyone can make that observation.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Dealing with delay

MassivelyThe Digital Continuum: Dealing with delay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ataricall-of-dutychampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosdelaydelayedfeaturedinfinity-wardlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolunar-silver-star-story-completemmosplaystationthe-digital-continuumturbineworking-designsMon, 25 May 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you choose your MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-choose-your-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-choose-your-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-choose-your-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Being new on the Massively team, I've been getting to know the rest of the bloggers and learning about their MMO habits and they're certainly a varied bunch. I like to think I have a good knowledge of MMOs, even if I play World of Warcraft almost exclusively, but whilst chatting with the team, it became clear most of them are gripped either by WoW, Second Life or EVE Online. Personally I'm dying to play Aion.

I've dabbled in most MMOs and virtual worlds but I'd never played EVE Online. So, after ascertaining there was just one server and quietly thanking the MMO gods, I downloaded the file, created a sexy female Reborn and logged in. Boy did I get a shock! After hundreds of hours playing WoW, I was stuck in a ship and the cursor keys didn't appear to come into play either! Talk about out of my comfort zone. I confess, I gave it an hour and then went back to the sanctuary of Azeroth.

Anyway, I wanted to find out how you guys choose which of the numerous MMOs to play. I got into WoW because all my friends and colleagues were playing it and a friend sent me the box as a birthday present. Even then it took a good month for me to get hooked. Now MMOs are a dime a dozen and it seems physically impossible to play all of them, how do you pick which ones to play and which to let pass by?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you choose your MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choicechoiceschooseeve-onlinefantasymmommorpgmmossci-fisecond-lifethe-daily-grindworldofwarcraftwowMon, 13 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Five big failings of the MMO genre (and a rebuttal to same)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/five-big-failings-of-the-mmo-genre-and-a-rebuttal-to-same/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/five-big-failings-of-the-mmo-genre-and-a-rebuttal-to-same/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/five-big-failings-of-the-mmo-genre-and-a-rebuttal-to-same/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Tom Chick is a well known and (generally) respected games journalist probably best known for his contentious reviews and championing of the New Games Journalism movement. He also isn't a big fan of the MMO genre. At least he isn't today, in a writeup on his Sci-Fi Channel co-branded site Fidget. The article is entitled Five Reasons MMOs Are Broken, and follows up that contentious beginning with a breakdown of the MMO genre. His primary issues seem to revolve around the established contrivances of the genre itself, such as the concept of aggro or respawning enemies. He's also very frustrated by the innumerable barriers put up between players, the levels/classes/dungeons/servers/gear restrictions that stop us from playing with our friends.

As blogger Scott Jennings points out, more than the genre he's specifically breaking down World of Warcraft. He's effectively using WoW as a synonym for MMO, and as a result Jennings (and us) can point out that some of his failings have already been addressed. Read into Scott's dissection of Chick's writing for more analysis and insight on this issue and the supposed failings of the genre. Then, let us know what you think below. Is the MMO genre really that flawed ... or is it just the standard Diku-style successor that's old hat?

MassivelyFive big failings of the MMO genre (and a rebuttal to same) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-designgenremmo-industrymmosscott-jenningstom-chickWed, 28 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare CEO is confident in the state of PC gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/bioware-ceo-is-confident-in-the-state-of-pc-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , ,


BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka is standing behind PC games, directly opposing all of the naysayers that shout the doom of PC gaming from on high.

A recent article over at Computer And Video Games.com pointed to Muzyka's confident stance as well as his expression of changing the definition of PC gaming, such as counting in the large growth of MMOs, flash games, and other casual experiences that any PC user can easily access.

"MMOs are one way that's occurring... And there are more people playing flash-based games and casual games, even core games that are played in a casual way, so maybe [they have] a more core experience and you only play them for short bursts or for half an hour or something," Muzyka was quoted as saying.

One only needs to look at the success of games such as World of Warcraft or any other MMO, as well as the very healthy Steam distribution service to note that PC gaming is far from dead.

MassivelyBioWare CEO is confident in the state of PC gaming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecasual-gamesceocomputer-and-video-gamesflash-gamesmmospc-gamespc-gamingray-muzykasteamTue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A big list of MMOs to watch in 2009]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/a-big-list-of-mmos-to-watch-in-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/a-big-list-of-mmos-to-watch-in-2009/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/a-big-list-of-mmos-to-watch-in-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Over at The Vault, they've put up an exhaustive list of all the MMO titles you should have your eye on throughout the new year. While they sort of term it as thought it's a big list of games coming out this year, we think they know it's unlikely all of those games are going to be released in the next twelve months. With that in mind, if you aren't sure what games you should have on your radar (and you haven't clicked our handy "upcoming MMOs" widget above), this massive list will bring you up to date.

Here at Massively, of course, we've been doing our own level best to keep you updated on a lot of these titles, be they AAA superhero games like Champions Online or DC Universe Online. We've talked fervently about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and given you the skinny on under-the-radar titles like Aion, FreeRealms, and Jumpgate Evolution. We've even walked away from our precious fantasy to talk about games like APB or The Agency. The Vault's list is a great one to run down - check it out to see what game you should be obsessing over today!

MassivelyA big list of MMOs to watch in 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionbig-listchampionsdarkfalldcuofreerealmsfusionfallhuxleyjumpgate-evolutionmmosnew-titlesstargate-worldsthe-agencyupcoming-gamesThu, 08 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are sci-fi MMOs cursed?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/02/the-daily-grind-are-sci-fi-mmos-cursed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/02/the-daily-grind-are-sci-fi-mmos-cursed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/02/the-daily-grind-are-sci-fi-mmos-cursed/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Or are they just waiting for a savior, a la World of Warcraft? Yesterday we covered a recent interview done by Ten Ton Hammer with representatives of Trion World Group, the developers behind the upcoming SCI-FI channel MMORPG, that covered the viability of science fiction MMOs. While they are quite for the idea and are enthusiastic about a science fiction genre MMO, we here at Massively wanted to solicit your opinion. What's up with science fiction?

The new year will be bringing us titles like Star Trek Online, Jumpgate Evolution, Stargate Worlds, and Star Wars: The Old Republic -- a veritable stream of life flowing into the genre that's being dominated by EVE Online. Are you looking forward to them? Will you quickly wrap your hands around them and boldly go where no man has gone before? Or will you hold on to the games you already have and sneer like Gollum? Give us the word readers, speak your mind in our galactic council comments.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are sci-fi MMOs cursed? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareccpccp-gamescrypticcryptic-studioseve-onlinejumpgate-evolutionmmorpgmmossci-fisci-fi-wowscience-fictionsgwstar-trek-onlinestar-wars-the-old-republicstargate-worldsstoswtorten-ton-hammerthe-daily-grindtriontrion-world-networkFri, 02 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What the Nintendo DSi, PSP 3000, and iPhone mean for MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/what-the-nintendo-dsi-psp-3000-and-iphone-mean-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/what-the-nintendo-dsi-psp-3000-and-iphone-mean-for-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/what-the-nintendo-dsi-psp-3000-and-iphone-mean-for-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Last night, on the other side of the world, Nintendo announced its intention to step up the battle between Sony and Apple for the soul of the handheld gamer. We talk semi-regularly on Massively about the hardcore console battle, with games like Age of Conan and Champions Online heading for the 360 and SOE's stable of new titles (DCUO, The Agency, Free Realms) heading for the PlayStation 3. The handheld battle hardly ever gets discussed here on the site, though, and that's a shame. The modern ubiquity of handheld gaming is really the future of 'console' gaming, and with all three handheld platforms featuring built-in internet connectivity the age of "MMOs on the go" is inevitable.

Join us as we walk through each of the three handheld platforms, discussing what their potential is for playing MMOs and what we currently know about MMO plans for the platform. Even though they're pretty quiet, there are more than you think. Who knows, perhaps the WoW nation of today will be tapping out messages to each other on their DS handhelds five years from now?

Gallery: What the Handheld War means for MMOs

MMObile PotentialNintendo DSiThe 'mini' Massively Multiplayer Online GameFuture social MMOs find their homeCrafter's Paradise

MassivelyWhat the Nintendo DSi, PSP 3000, and iPhone mean for MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apple-iphoneconsole-gamingdsdsifeaturediphonejoystiqfeaturesmmosmobilemobile-gamingnintendo-dsnintendo-dsipsppsp-3000Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Why user-generated content matters in MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/why-user-generated-content-matters-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/why-user-generated-content-matters-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/why-user-generated-content-matters-in-mmos/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Social Gaming Summit, held in San Francisco last Friday, has been explored here on the site by our own Akela Talamasca. Today the Worlds in Motion blog has a great writeup of a panel on user-generated content, with an emphasis on how that concept applies to online gaming. Industry luminaries including Three Rings' Daniel James touched base with attendees on what makes user content so compelling, why users create, and what game makers can do to incorporate player creations.

Most interesting was their observation that virtual spaces were more important than virtual worlds per se. Jeremy Monroe, Director of Business Development for the makers of Habbo Hotel, offered this: "You have to make sure that you're bringing content that is suitable to all players in the world. So when we bring a piece of content that skews to one demographic we have to make sure that we bring more content that skews to the other demographics. Some games try to create different servers, such as a PvP vs. PvP situation. You have to give everybody equal opportunity and an equal number of tools to express themselves."

MassivelyWhy user-generated content matters in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daniel-jamesmmossocial-gamingsocial-gaming-summituser-created-contentvirtual-spacesvirtual-worldsSat, 21 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Keep fishing or cut bait?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/the-daily-grind-keep-fishing-or-cut-bait/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/the-daily-grind-keep-fishing-or-cut-bait/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/the-daily-grind-keep-fishing-or-cut-bait/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A new MMO comes out. You've read the reviews, Watched the promo videos. Changed your desktop to show the buxom model on their cover art. Subscribed to the newsletter. Read all the developer interviews. Attended the chats! Participated in the lively banter between the lead designer and the people of a well known community forum! You've made your own guild before you even got to play the game! You pre-ordered the special collector's edition, and the game's theme music is on continual repeat on your iPod!

The fateful day comes, you install the game and ... well, it's a decent enough game, but it just isn't what you expected. You play it for a few days, and then start wishing you hadn't given away all your gold and sharded your epics in your old game. And maybe you suddenly regret telling the raid leader just exactly, precisely what you thought of him. So do you stick with the new game? Or return to the old? How long do you give a new game to grab you before you erase it from your hard drive, put the disks on the shelf, and call it a decent effort but just not the game you wanted to play? Just the free month? Until you reach the max level? Or just fifteen minutes perhaps?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Keep fishing or cut bait? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabuyers-remorsefeaturedfree-monthfree-trialmmosnew-gamesnew-shinysharktdgthe-daily-grindFri, 09 May 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Why mainstream media hates the Internet, games, MMOs and you]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/why-mainstream-media-hates-the-internet-games-mmos-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/why-mainstream-media-hates-the-internet-games-mmos-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/why-mainstream-media-hates-the-internet-games-mmos-and-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

From the Sexbox and Mass Effect to World of Warcraft, Everquest and even face-to-face Dungeons and Dragons, the mainstream media hates your hobbies. They're turning you into suicidal addicts, mass-murderers, inappropriate touchers, criminals and terrorists, right?

Well, seeing that you don't seem to be any of those things, has it occurred to you to wonder just why such FUD keeps turning up over and over. No, it's not Luddism (well, it's mostly not Luddism as it's commonly thought of). For the most part, this is about money.

Continue reading Why mainstream media hates the Internet, games, MMOs and you

MassivelyWhy mainstream media hates the Internet, games, MMOs and you originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessculturefeaturedgaming-industryhypemediammo-industryMMOsopinionvirtual-worldsMon, 11 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seven strategies to successful games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/seven-strategies-to-successful-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/seven-strategies-to-successful-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/seven-strategies-to-successful-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Rick van der Wal over at Digado ( which stands for "Digital Adoption") wrote a very interesting piece listing his "Top 7 Marketing Strategies in Games." Van der Wal (who is studying Communications and Multimedia design at the Hogeschool Rotterdam and has worked as a Marketer) hits on a few points that are very insightful. His article really goes hand and hand with Sanya Weather's "Why People Quit" piece over on Eating Bees.

His first strategy, Socially Excusable Meetings, states that games have evolved to a point where they offer complex, social environments and have become a "social excuse to meet and interact." Much like golf. As Van der Wal points out he's not the first to make this comparison. I've seen the analogy made that MMOs are in fact today's version of golf, which aside from a "social excuse to meet" has long been used as informal "business meetings." Why not take this modern day version of an old school concept to a whole other level?

Strategies two through five: Create Clear Objectives, Instant Rewarding, Create a "common" Goal, and Challenge your User all seem obvious to everyone except gaming companies. The one that intrigues me the most is "Challenge your User" because as I've mentioned before, players are starting to feel less and less special. As Van der Wal points out, gamers are more than willing to listen and learn, spending hours of their precious free time in game. Instead of letting them just grind their day away - challenge them! His final two points (The Value of Status, and Create "epic" Experiences) are just as fascinating. Van der Wal's points aren't just marketing strategies though, they can even be regarded as design strategies. Strategies that could benefit the gaming industry immensely.

MassivelySeven strategies to successful games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DigadoDigital-Adoptionmarketing-strategiesmmmorpgmmosopinionRick-van-der-Walvirtual-worldsMon, 14 Jan 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How to choose a server]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/how-to-choose-a-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/how-to-choose-a-server/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/how-to-choose-a-server/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Wilhelm of AGN is one of the many players setting sail in the PotBS pre-order preboarding, and he's dealing with one of the hardest decisions MMO players ever make: choosing a server. OK, maybe it's not really that hard (choosing a class probably is), but there is an art to it.

The first thing that determines where you want to play in a multi-realm MMO has to be your previous in-game friends-- if there's anyone already in the game that you need to play with, then you want to make sure to be on the same server they are (as Wilhelm says, "go play with your friends" trumps his rules entirely). After that, everyone's got their criteria. Me, I like a server with a little higher-than-normal population-- it can't be so high that it's overcrowded, but I don't want to play on a low-population server. These are massively multiplayer games, after all. Wilhelm says not to pick the first or last server on the list-- clearly, he's a man who avoids extremes, and probably the highest populations as well.

After that, it's as arbitrary as you want it to be. Wilhelm goes for the most complicated name, but usually by the time I've punched in my criteria, the game only gives me one recommendation, and then I take it. Any other factors that go into choosing a server when you first fire up an MMO?


MassivelyHow to choose a server originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>choosing-a-serverculturelotromassivelymmospopulationpotbsserver-populationserversTue, 08 Jan 2008 10:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Expecting stability]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/05/expecting-stability/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/05/expecting-stability/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/05/expecting-stability/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I think I've mentioned before that I really enjoy Sanya Weathers' blog about running communities for MMO games, and in her latest post, she makes a great point about stability and expecting it from the games we play.

The example she uses is Xbox Live, which isn't technically an MMO, but does, as she says, constitute a "massive, multiplayer experience." Microsoft has had trouble over the holidays keeping it up and running, and now they've decided to give out a free download to compensate players. How, says Sanya, can they be surprised at this point that they'd have a surge of users over the holidays? Isn't it common knowledge at this point not to play MMOs when a new expansion comes out or when new users show up in droves?

But then she shares the real insight: this shouldn't happen any more. MMOs are no longer a niche business, something we should have to suffer hardships just to play these games. As she says, "it's time to expect our toys to work when we plug them in."

Of course, any IT guy will tell you that downtime is unavoidable-- accidents happen, and predictions are just predictions. Anyone expecting anything to work all the time is going to get disappointed. But at this point, if you have a game (or a system, or a service) that is supposed to be "massive," you have no excuses when everybody shows up to play.

MassivelyExpecting stability originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downtimeeating-beesexpansionmmossanya-weathersstabilitytoysxbox-liveSat, 05 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are MMOs Captain Planet approved?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/are-mmos-captain-planet-approved/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/are-mmos-captain-planet-approved/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/are-mmos-captain-planet-approved/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Saving the world is something that most have us as gamers have grown rather accustomed to over the years. Almost since the beginning, game designers have used the risk of global destruction as a tool to more completely involve players in the seriousness of a given game narrative. Whether we're preventing our world from being sucked into a demonic alternate dimension, devoured by a horde of merciless alien predators, or being blown up by a clown-faced madman, the stakes are nearly always high. MMOs certainly never bow from using world destruction as a plot-device; it's usually at the center of the end-game.

So what then do we make of a post by Tony Walsh on his Clickable Culture blog earlier this month that questions the extent to which MMOs are contributing to the destruction of the very planet most of us inhabit every day? He cites some statistics that estimate the carbon footprint of your typical computer server, such as the ones that power most MMOs, is as big as a gas-guzzling SUV. When you consider the sheer amount of power it must take to keep the servers for World of Warcraft alone running, you start to get an idea of the magnitude of the discussion. Walsh suggests that the best compromise for those who are green at heart is to simply not play MMOs at all.

While I have to grant that I had never considered the environmental impact of MMOs before, I disagree with his point that the best option is to cut ourselves off. If we took that approach to power use, we'd scarcely have justification to turn on the heat, let alone power on our computer. I don't doubt that we'll see a "green" MMO that uses carbon-neutral power in the future, I don't think it's something we should worry too much about in the meantime.

MassivelyAre MMOs Captain Planet approved? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon-footprintenvironmentenvironmentalismgreenmmospowerworld-of-warcraftSat, 22 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Can't play your MMOs over the holidays? Watch 'em instead!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/cant-play-your-mmo-over-the-holidays-watch-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/cant-play-your-mmo-over-the-holidays-watch-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/cant-play-your-mmo-over-the-holidays-watch-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

One of the unfortunate side effects of the holidays is that many of us have to leave our rigs behind us as we make the often lengthy journeys from our gaming hovels to visit family and friends. In a lot of cases, we're lucky if our relatives have broadband, let alone the kind of computer that could run our taste in MMOs. So unless you've got a pretty kick-ass laptop, you're almost assuredly out of luck when it comes to satiating your gaming urges.

For those lucky enough to be in a household with cable, we may have stumbled on a bit of gaming methadone to help calm the shakes. G4 recently aired a special on the "MMO Phenomena," which covers World of Warcraft, Tabula Rasa, Age of Conan, The Agency, God & Heroes, Second Life, and more. Nobody on-staff has seen the program yet, so we can't really vouch for it's quality, but it's better than nothing, and it should be on a fairly regular rotation. Keep an eye out!

MassivelyCan't play your MMOs over the holidays? Watch 'em instead! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancableg4holidaysmmossecond-lifetabula-rasatvworld-of-warcraftFri, 21 Dec 2007 16:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Confronting the MMORPG holy trinity]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/confronting-the-mmorpg-holy-trinity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/confronting-the-mmorpg-holy-trinity/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/confronting-the-mmorpg-holy-trinity/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For the veritable cavalcade of new titles in development to make it in the lucrative massively multiplayer genre, they're all going to have to face the challenge of standing up to the "holy trinity" that is World of Warcraft, Everquest 2, and EVE Online, at least according to Lauren Michele on her blog Mystic Worlds. While there is certainly room for niche titles to make their mark (a category she sets aside for the likes of CoX and Guild Wars) every new game in the MMO space, whether they like it or not, has to compete with the big three. Casual-friendly games have to compete with the polish and spit-shine of WoW, more intense games, both in terms of graphics and mechanics/lore have to compete with EQ2, and any game with aspirations in the PvP or economic niches have to go toe to toe with EVE.

While I might not be inclined to agree with the specifics of her characterization, I think the larger point Lauren makes is extremely salient to developers working within the genre. While second-tier first-person shooters get compared to Halo in the same way that new MMOs get compared to WoW, those new shooters aren't typically competing for those same dollars. The same can't be said for MMOs. While it's true that MMOs are one of the few growth spheres left in gaming, a fact which is largely responsible for the rather dense gaming horizon ahead of us, those new games aren't just going to have to compete with one another -- there's a whole litany of old titles that continue to hold players and represent direct competition. It's about to get a lot tougher out there.

MassivelyConfronting the MMORPG holy trinity originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>competitionholy-trinitylauren-michelemmo-industrymmosmystic-worldsnew-titlesThu, 20 Dec 2007 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Live Gamer will attempt making RMT legit and official]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/live-gamer-will-attempt-making-rmt-legit-and-official/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/live-gamer-will-attempt-making-rmt-legit-and-official/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/live-gamer-will-attempt-making-rmt-legit-and-official/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Raph Koster has posted about Live Gamer, a new service we posted about yesterday (heavily funded by venture capitalists) that is attempting to bring the real money trading market (where you pay real money for ingame items) over to the official, developer-approved side of things. Gamasutra has a Q&A as well, and there's a lot to chew on as regards to what Live Gamer seems to be attempting to do.

Raph's idea seems to be that RMT is simply another ancillary service that can spring up and provide revenue around the MMO market (of which this very site you're reading is one). But there is a serious difference between RMT, and services like the one this site provides (in the form of MMO news and guides). RMT is still, among most players, considered cheating. As most people trying to make money off of RMT have pointed out, it's a cultural thing, much more ingrained among Westerners than anywhere else. But it's still a perception that exists-- it's OK to look at a strategy guide to become a better player, but it's not OK to pay real money for better gear.

Which makes Raph's last two sentences that much more disturbing. He says gamers won't like this (and they already do not). But he says that the same people who publicly decry RMT will be spending money on it in private. As much as players argue against RMT on message boards and in blog comments, there's no denying that these venture capitalists are convinced there is a huge market there.

MassivelyLive Gamer will attempt making RMT legit and official originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingculturallive-gamermmosraph-kosterrmtventure-capitalistsvirtual-tradingwesternTue, 18 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Richard Garriott talks MMOs at GWU lecture]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/richard-garriott-talks-mmos-at-gwu-lecture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/richard-garriott-talks-mmos-at-gwu-lecture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/richard-garriott-talks-mmos-at-gwu-lecture/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Yesterday, the Washington DC chapter for the Association of Computer Machinery welcomed game design guru Richard Garriott to speak at its last meeting for the 2007 calendar year. Garriott, who has been writing and designing games professionally since the age of 19, is currently the executive producer on Tabula Rasa, though he's perhaps better known as the man behind Ultima Online, likely the MMO for which he will be most remembered. It helped pioneer the massively multiplayer game as we know it, and ushered in many gaming conventions that we're still familiar with today.

While we were expecting something of a more technical speech from Garriott given the venue, the lecture was more autobiographical, with the esteemed Lord British explaining how, as one of the industry's oldest members, he's had to ride the wave of expectations in PC gaming over time. He also reflected on many aspects of Tabula Rasa's recent release, making it a relevant discussion for gamers who are more familiar with his more recent offerings in the genre.

Continue reading Richard Garriott talks MMOs at GWU lecture

MassivelyRichard Garriott talks MMOs at GWU lecture originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ACMdestination-gamesfeaturedgwujoystiqfeatureslecturelord-britishmmosncsoftrichard-garriotttabula-rasaTRultima-onlineTue, 11 Dec 2007 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[TR PvP to incorporate clan-captured CPs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/10/tr-pvp-to-incorporate-clan-captured-cps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/10/tr-pvp-to-incorporate-clan-captured-cps/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/10/tr-pvp-to-incorporate-clan-captured-cps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Richard Garriott, founder of the legendary Ultima series and Executive Producer for Tabula Rasa, gave a lecture this evening to the Washington D.C. chapter for the Association of Computer Machinery. Of course, being your personal guide into the complex world of MMOs, we were on-hand to cover the event. While you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the full write-up, we couldn't resist posting this juicy bit of information that fell from the lips of one Lord British.

Addressing the issue of the near-constant feedback cycle that MMOs enjoy by virtue of being in a persistent state of development and refinement, Garriott cited Tabula Rasa's PvP as an element of the game that was being moved up the ladder of development priorities. PvP in the game's current state essentially amounts to guilds camping teleporters and hospitals, waiting for members of warring clans to appear, where they can be taken by surprise and slaughtered.

Garriott's vision for the future of the PvP system is set to feature TR's popular Capture Point gameplay mechanic. Clans will be to capture CPs for themselves, generating money based on the activities of the NPCs within the CP. This will have the dual effect of giving warring clans something to do besides spawn-camping as well as give a context for PvP that makes slightly more sense within the lore. It's always been a bit of a rough sell having fellow members of the Allied Free Sentients slaughtering each other, but the idea of clans trying to control commerce is somehow more palatable.

Again, we'll have a full write-up tomorrow.

MassivelyTR PvP to incorporate clan-captured CPs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ACMbreakingcapture-pointsclanscpslecturelord-britishmmospvprichard-garriottMon, 10 Dec 2007 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Fantasy sports and MMO games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/fantasy-sports-and-mmo-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Forge tackles an interesting question: are fantasy sports MMOs? Some of the more traditional sports fans would probably deny it, but Matt echoes a great case made by Charles Hudson: they feature repetitive gameplay, a combination of luck, skill, and strategy, and there is the obvious social element. I don't know if I would call fantasy sports "virtual worlds" (so this is likely the last you'll see of them on Massively for the foreseeable future), but it's definitely true that both fantasy sports and MMOs share the same type of social gameplay that's made them both so popular.

Now, Matt says they also have a story, and to a certain extent, he's right. The real allure of sports is knowing all the stories behind it-- that Brett Favre's father passed away right before he played, or that the star hockey player is leaving right after the game ends to go see the birth of his baby. Behind all the stats, sports is one big storytelling session, and Sportscenter is the biggest daily soap opera of all time.

But I don't think it's the story element that pulls in fantasy sports players-- it's the competitive element. The numbers all break down, and at the end of the year, you have a clear ranking that says who's better than who at predicting sports outcomes, and by how much. There is a certain amount of that competitive draw in PvP, but MMOs, I think, are far too distant from the actual numbers to make a sports fan happy. They may be interested in story, but at the end of the day, the game comes down to runs, strikes, and outs, and I think that's the way they like it.


MassivelyFantasy sports and MMO games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charles-hudsoncompetitionfantasy-sportsmmosnumbersrankingsportsthe-forgeMon, 03 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Confronting the grind (and finding it in ourselves)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/confronting-the-grind-and-finding-it-in-ourselves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/confronting-the-grind-and-finding-it-in-ourselves/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/confronting-the-grind-and-finding-it-in-ourselves/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ryan Shwayder pointed us to this fun little rant he posted on that most nefarious of MMO subjects: "the grind." Yes, the grind, that mythical beast that lies at the bottom of every MMO, slowly sucking the fun out of it. Wait, "mythical"? That's right-- Shwayder says that there is no grinding in MMOs. That constant, repetitive killing that you do to push your character to higher equipment and levels? That, my friend, is what you bought the game for.

An interesting point, and in a sense, he's right-- the only RPG I've ever played without a little repetitive grinding is actually Progress Quest (and if you're in on the joke, you know you don't actually play that game at all). It is true that "the grind" only rears its ugly head not when players are signed in and playing the game, but when they're out of game, and looking at all the stuff they need to do to wield that +5 sword of boar slaying. In a good game, actually grinding is actually fun.

Then again, we are only human, and there is so much boar killing you can do before you decide to move on. And since playtime is more and more at a premium, there's nothing wrong with developers making something that previous required 100 boars killed to require only 50, and create a whole other reward for those other 50 boars. But Ryan's also right in saying that the grind is mostly in our heads-- if we got everything we wanted right away, there'd be no reason to play the game. "Grinding" to the highest levels is what playing most MMOs is all about.

MassivelyConfronting the grind (and finding it in ourselves) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boar-killinggrindgrindingmmosprogress-questryan-shwayderthe-grindThu, 29 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Why Second Life belongs at Massively]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/why-second-life-belongs-at-massively/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/why-second-life-belongs-at-massively/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/why-second-life-belongs-at-massively/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Or: Why gamers and virtual worlders should care about each other.

We're shy of a month in to Massively's existence, and one of the more persistent bits of feedback we continue to receive regards the inclusion of Second Life content on a site about MMOs. There are really two questions to answer here:
  1. Does Second Life coverage belong on Massively at all?
  2. Is the amount of Second Life content disproportionate to its mindshare?
I will herein state a claim for a definitive yes on point 1, and readily admit that point 2 is arguably a matter of taste. Maintaining editorial balance surrounding all of the many, varied games we cover is an ongoing process, and we've selected a suite of "core games" based on many factors including subscriber/member numbers, overall buzz and mindshare in the industry, and input from a secret algorithm I would love to call "interestingness" if it weren't already taken. We are proud to offer in-depth Second Life coverage as one of those core current titles.

Overall, we're taking a broad definition of the concept of MMO here at Massively. While the majority of our coverage concerns traditionally "gamer"-oriented titles like City of Heroes, Tabula Rasa, Lord of the Rings Online et al, we're also providing both news and feature content surrounding more casual, often browser-based titles like Dofus, Runescape, and Flyff. Despite popular perception as niche titles, some of these games are rivaling the big dogs in terms of membership and hours played. In an industry toying with the idea of whether or not Facebook is an MMO and witnessing Google almost surely building one, we see projects like MetaPlace further blurring the lines between web-based social networking and Gaming with a capital G. In the middle of those two trends -- hardcore and casual games getting mashed up, and MMOs and the web getting mashed up -- sits Massively; and we're excited to be covering it all as it happens.

Continue reading Why Second Life belongs at Massively

MassivelyWhy Second Life belongs at Massively originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseditorialentertainmentfeaturedgaming-industrymassivelymediaMMOstechnologyvirtual-worldsWed, 28 Nov 2007 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Game length in MMOs and elsewhere]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/game-length-in-mmos-and-elsewhere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/game-length-in-mmos-and-elsewhere/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/game-length-in-mmos-and-elsewhere/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back when I was in college, when we asked a professor how long our papers should be, he answered thusly: "Like a skirt-- short enough to keep it interesting, but long enough to cover the subject." More and more, it seems that you could say the same thing about videogames. In days past, the length of a game was a selling point-- the more gameplay you could get out of it, the more the game was worth. And so MMOs especially ask for a lot of investment, and were asked to give a lot of gameplay in return. I used to beat old NES and Game Boy games in minutes, and now, like Fullbright, I've got days and weeks logged in the MMOs I play.

But is that a good thing? I hate to keep harping on it, but Fullbright brings up Portal for me (a game that seems destined to redefine what we think of as games this year)-- there's a game that only takes a few hours but delivers an experience that lasts much longer than that. In terms of MMOs the current trend seems to be both towards shorter gameplay and less investment for that gameplay.

MMOs may be the exception here-- you sit down to create one character, and heading into a persistent world should make you want to be there. But with many MMOs on the market than before (and an older, busier audience than ever), the trend seems to be headed towards shorter games, not longer. That's not to say that a great game shouldn't cover the subject (no game should end before its time), but designers are feeling more and more pressure to make things short enough to keep it interesting, rather than throwing in random FedEx quests to brag about a few more hours of gameplay.

[Via GSW]

MassivelyGame length in MMOs and elsewhere originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fedex-questfullbrightgame-boygame-lengthgamesetwatchlengthmmosnesportalTue, 27 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How many MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/the-daily-grind-how-many-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Let's face it-- MMOs are time-consuming. Just one great MMO can steal all your free time, but there are just so many out there that it's hard for some of us to stick to just one. I'm paying for two subscriptions at the moment, but with free-to-play games, and a couple of betas, I'm up to about five different games that I occasionally sign on to about once a week or so..

I can't say that splitting myself between that many games makes much sense-- I mostly do it just to keep up with what's new in all of them, so I'd guess that I'm a little higher than average. So let's put the question to you all today-- how many MMOs would you say that you play regularly (about once a week)? Are you a one-game player, or do you figure the more virtual worlds you get to visit, the better?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How many MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daily-grinddungeon-runnersmmosmultipleplayerspollsplittingthe-daily-grindtime-consumingTue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How the MMO crawled out of the MUD]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/how-the-mmo-crawled-out-of-the-mud/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/how-the-mmo-crawled-out-of-the-mud/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/04/how-the-mmo-crawled-out-of-the-mud/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Clockwork Gamer has a good juicy post up about how MMOs first learned how to do things from MUDs, and since today is Old School Day, I thought it was appropriate. Wait, you haven't heard of Multi-User Dungeons? If you've never played one, you'll probably be shocked that they used to fascinate people-- imagine an old-school computer, with its green text on a black screen, dialing into another computer and entering a text-based virtual world. As in, you dial up your favorite BBS, and a message greets you "You are in an inn. There are exits north and west," and from there, you type in words telling the computer what to do, while other users play the game with you. You can try the whole thing with the java client here if you want.

A far cry from the virtual worlds we know today, yes, but that's where it started. CG actually focuses on the higher level of things (in many MUDs, players could actually form guilds, and wander around the world together-- "go north"-- killing dragons-- "attack dragon with great mace"), but even the most basic of MMO thrills was originated in the MUD world. "Seeing" a virtual character pass through the room you're in ("Kingofworld enters the room. Kingofworld leaves the room.") was a thrill, because you knew that there was someone else, looking at a screen just like you, behind that character. On the other hand, as CG points out, there were a lot of things that MUDs could do that graphical MMOs can't nowadays.

Continue reading How the MMO crawled out of the MUD

MassivelyHow the MMO crawled out of the MUD originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bbschatclockwork-gamercomputerfeaturedmmosmudMUDsold-schooltext-basedvirtual-worldSun, 04 Nov 2007 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[On saving your game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/on-saving-your-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/on-saving-your-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/on-saving-your-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

So after being recommended it by a friend a long time ago, and being in a zombie mood, I finally rented Dead Rising last night for my Xbox 360, and while it was a lot of fun, I was really distraught to find that the save system is old school. To save, you had to go to a certain place, and press a button. Die before you saved, and all your progress was lost.

Why was this so shocking to me? For one, I've gotten used to the easy breezy, checkpoint saving system of most games nowadays-- hit a point in progress, and your game automatically saves for you, so that if you lose the game for any reason, you can simply load up the last checkpoint and keep going. But the other factor in my save-system shock was all those MMOs I've played. In persistent world online gaming, there is no longer such a thing as "saving" your game.

Is that good or bad?

Continue reading On saving your game

MassivelyOn saving your game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-risingdeath-penaltyeve-onlinefeaturedmmospreparationsavesave-gamessavingworld-of-warcraftxboxTue, 30 Oct 2007 13:38:00 EST<![CDATA[NFL Rush Zone: Is it a MMOG?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/nfl-rush-zone-is-it-a-mmog/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/nfl-rush-zone-is-it-a-mmog/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/nfl-rush-zone-is-it-a-mmog/#commentsFiled under: ,

Whoa, wait a minute. Exactly why am I covering this on Massively? This looks like an overrated cartoon avatar enabled chat room with a few mini-games thrown into the mix. Oh look, it is -- but what makes it stand out from the crowd is that the game has an area for each NFL team (visual chat rooms), mini-games, customizable avatars! Oh snap, that's not all but players can "collect Gameballs, meet Rusherz, and check out cartoons in the theater."

Lolz, I can't wait guys. Looking at the graphics leads me to believe NFL Rush Zone totally ripped off the graphics from World of Warcraft. I kid, but seriously this is for the kids because I'm having a hard time imagining the typical 25 year old beer-guzzling NFL fanatic playing this and meeting their favorite Rusherz. ("Learn 2 pass the ball nub, I am the Law Giver!")

I recently wrote about the Virtual World Boom and how these types of games will become more popular than traditional MMORPGS. The problem with calling this a Virtual World is that web games like NFL Rush Zone that employ avatar chat rooms with some mini-games, more advanced than their predecessors which were called avatar chat rooms in their heyday, will diminish what a MMOG / Virtual World really is if they get lumped into the same category. I don't think it's fair that these types of "webby games" are getting labeled as Virtual Worlds, maybe Virtual Spaces and yes, there is a difference. If we label NFL Rush Zone a Virtual World we might as well label MySpace one and every other chat room.

Should NFL Rush Zone be classified as a Virtual World or should we write-it-off and never talk about this particular web game ever again? I vote for the latter.

[via: Virtual World News]

MassivelyNFL Rush Zone: Is it a MMOG? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredfour-wheels-of-furyi-am-the-law-giverMMOMMOGMMOsNFL-KidsNFL-Kids-Online-GameNFL-Rush-ZoneNFL-Web-Gamesports-mmosToyotaVirtual-World-Debatevirtual-worldsWhat-is-a-Virtual-WorldWorld-of-WarcraftTue, 23 Oct 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Today in Warcraft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/today-in-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/today-in-warcraft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/today-in-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: ,

News

Features

Discussions

  • Is Blizzard exploiting WoW players?
    Is Blizzard doing something unethical by producing and selling World of Warcraft? Rather than just the ol' "MMO games are too addictive" angle, an article in Australia's The Age (seriously, it's always the Aussies) has a new twist: game companies like Blizzard are actually "exploiting" their own players by implementing a reward system that keeps people playing.
  • Draenei skin, or seeing Azeroth through all five senses
    I love the question that juliamarcela over on Livejournal asks: What does Draenei skin feel like? Sure, they're probably not scaly or slimy, but it probably feels different than most skin we know.

MassivelyToday in Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardbrewfestbrewfest-wowdraeneihealershealingMMOspatch-2.2.3patchesshamanspell-damagewarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 04 Oct 2007 16:05:00 EST