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[The Soapbox: The battle for story]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/the-soapbox-the-battle-for-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/the-soapbox-the-battle-for-story/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/the-soapbox-the-battle-for-story/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Storyteller
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

When I was in grad school, one of my favorite classes spent a couple of sessions talking about the use and importance of story in teaching. It opened my eyes to the fact that stories are one of the most universal elements of the human experience, from antiquity to modern times, ranging from a little kid playing with toys to an adult penning a novel. We simply love to tell and listen to stories -- they grab our attention, spark our imagination, teach us valuable lessons, and create lasting memories.

But somewhere along the years, something went horribly wrong when it came to MMOs and stories. MMOs were always supposed to be the ultimate platform for storytelling, as both developers and players could pitch in to weave epic sagas, and for a while that seemed to be the case. Lately, however, I've seen a movement that is thrashing hard against stories in MMOs, typically using one of the following two statements: "Get your stupid story out of my game!" or "Stories are better left to other forms of entertainment."

It's made me a sad panda to realize that MMO storytelling is under attack by the very players who should embrace it, and often they're acting as if they're being dragged, kicking and screaming, into future MMOs where story is placed as a priority. Make no mistake: The battle for story is on, and the stakes have never been higher.

Continue reading The Soapbox: The battle for story

MassivelyThe Soapbox: The battle for story originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetasherons-callbacklashbiowarednddungeons-and-dragonsepic-sagafeaturedfuncomguild-wars-2gw2lord-of-the-rings-onlinelorenamaste-entertainmentriftroleplayingrprpgrpgssandboxstar-wars-the-old-republicstoriesstorystorybricksstorytellingtaletalesteam-fortress-2the-secret-worldtheme-parktriontrion-worldsturbineTue, 01 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Single-player games will be dead in three years, says industry analyst]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/single-player-games-will-be-dead-in-three-years-says-industry-a/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Demon's Souls
So game development studios desperately want to move the entirety of our hobby online in order to mimic the recurring revenue model of MMORPGs. That's not exactly news, but it is news when an industry analyst makes an eyebrow-raising claim regarding the immediate future of the genre. To that effect, Eurogamer recently attended a "closed-door, Sony-organized panel discussion on the future of video games," which featured an analyst predicting the end of single-player titles by 2014.

Mark Cerny, a "veteran video game consultant," used the 2009 single-player RPG Demon's Souls as an example, saying that its mixture of traditional offline gameplay and social connectivity to other gamers experiencing the same title is the wave of the future.

"The funny thing here is, we don't even know what to call this. Is it single-player or is it multiplayer? We don't even have the words. It's kind of Orwellian. If you don't have any word for freedom you can't have a revolution," Cerny said. What exactly is that revolution, and will it be good for gamers? Check back in 2014 to find out.

MassivelySingle-player games will be dead in three years, says industry analyst originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>always-connectedalways-onanalystbig-brotherconnectivitydo-not-wantdrmgame-industrymark-cernymmo-industryorwellianpredictionsrpgssingle-player-gamingsocial-gamingsocial-networkingsonyWed, 17 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Recognizing Champions Online's tabletop roots]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/recognizing-champions-tabletop-roots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/recognizing-champions-tabletop-roots/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/recognizing-champions-tabletop-roots/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


One of the unexpected benefits (at least from our perspective) of Cryptic's shift from Marvel Universe Online to Champions Online is the professional relationship it fostered with the guys who managed the Champions pen and paper IP. While the crossover from paper RPG to MMO is far from straight-forward, there is a considerable brain trust from which Cryptic can draw in the creation of their game. The Escapist recently posted a terrific article which went into some depth with one such mastermind -- 16-year veteran of the franchise, Steve Long.

While Long maintains some unadulterated affection for the HERO character creation system of the pen and paper game, he seems to be of the belief that the current arrangement (with Cryptic buying the Champions IP outright and licensing it back to Hero) is going to be beneficial for both parties. While MMOs seem to be driving the overall simplification of pen and paper RPGs, Long thinks that MMOs have a lot to learn as well, especially in the areas of customization and interactivity with environments.

MassivelyRecognizing Champions Online's tabletop roots originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studiosheropen-and-paperRPGssteve-longtabletopthe-escapistWed, 18 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Are MMOs killing single player RPGs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/are-mmos-killing-single-player-rpgs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With MMOs springing up like weeds in every corner of the game industry, some are beginning to wonder if this recent trend isn't spelling the end for old-fashioned single-player RPGs. Just a decade ago, turn-based Japanese RPGs reigned supreme on consoles, and Western-style RPGs in the vein of Baldur's Gate were the big sellers on PCs. Nowadays, these titles are becoming few and far between. Sure, you've got your occasional Mass Effect and your Final Fantasy XIII, but for some, the writing is already on the wall.

At Massively, we think the landscape is considerably more complicated than that. For our part, we've noticed how MMOs are increasingly focusing on single player content, allowing the casual player to solo his way through entire games in some cases, if he so chooses. Instead of single-player games dying in the face of their multiplayer counterparts, it looks to us like the two are just learning from each other and moving towards some of homogeneous hybrid. There's room for debate (when isn't there, really), but we don't think it's time for doom and gloom just yet.

MassivelyAre MMOs killing single player RPGs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ff6mmocrunchopinionrpgssingle-playerSun, 06 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST